Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-27
Champion Blliardist Is King of Kings


OF watching Willie Hoppe, champion
billiafdist of the world. in his two
exhibitions In the billiard room OF
Hotel Tulsa yesterday. wondered little
why he occupied the highest place in
his game. Hoppe is In a class with
all other champions and topnotchers
in every line of sport and Is probably
even created marvel when the ex-
actness OF the game he plays is con-
sidered
Both OF the champions exhibitions
were attended by as many as space
could accommodate, even standing
room being occupied while he
worked. He had much better break
In his 250-point balkline game with
Charles c. Peterson. another cue ex-
pert. who accompanies him, in the
evening game than the one in the
afternoon. In the first contest Hoppe
required five innings to so out on
Peterson. while at the night game he
run the ESQ points in two sessions
while Peterson, who had only one
chance, failed to register a point.
Peterson gave him harder race in
the three-cushion 25-point game,
getting IS points before the champion
made the total.
| Peterson gives lecture on How to
Play Billiards." in which he gives all
the fundamentals of the game as we'll
as illustrates his points. He also
proves himself to be an expert with
the cue by an exhibition of fancy.
trick and freak shots
The champion will be here again
today and tomorrow. Two exhibitions
will be given each day. one in the
afternoon at 3 o'clock and the other
at 8 o'clock in the evening Follow
log are the scores In yesterday S
games
$50 point balkline: Hoppe 20-14-
62- -30-l24-250: Peterson lS-I1-15-
32-76. Hopes average so.
20 point three cushion: Hoppe 25;
Peterson II.
Evening.
25O point balkline: Hoppe 149-l0l
l-26O; Peterson %.
20 point three cushion: Hoppe 25;
Peterson is.
Tho world of sport has seen many
worlds champions and great ones
There have been Jim Corbett. John
L. sullivan, Ty Cobb. Abe Attell
Frank Gotch. Battling Nelson, Mike
Kelly, Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons
Terry McGovern, Hans Wagner, Mau-
rice Mclaughlin, Ted Coy, but where
Is one who has stood out so promin-
emily, so alone in his field so su.
and fondly known as Willie Hoppe
the balk-line marvel?
some speak of Hoppe as being alb
normal. "ris n pleasant compliment
but nothing is farther from the truth
Away from the table the champion
could not be picked out of crowd OF
other 20-year-old men, except per.
haps he is in better health than the
great average.
| Rut rptnrnipp n tho oh hn m nj n Sb 4
theme and Hoppe. Take Caruso, q
grand opera star, who stands as the
greatest of all tenors--a world!
champion of music lie is as skill
full In handling the difficult octave:
Of a score as Hoppe is manipulating
the worries.
Conditions Matter Not.
= All, there IS difference. the differ
n ence that makes Hoppe supreme
n When Caruso sings everything mus
4 be Just so. The room must be 81
d warm, the curtains so high, the ligh
so dim or Enr1co is not at his best
He is temperamental
Hoppe. minus all temperament
cares little of conditions away from
the table. or course, Willie is human
and likes comfortable surroundings
but IL everything is not to his liking
y il does not affect his play. He re
I
n as cold as himself, or Just as uncoin
Portable.
y Hopes concentration during bill
u, lizard match is wonderful. He abso
u lutelv forgets everything but the posi-
i. tion Of the worries when In the mids
y OF a run. \ bomb could eNplod
underneath the taple, and II 1t di,
o not distrub >he position Of the ball
=, or cause him to mtscue Nhe woul
~ continue to draw, and follow am
~ massc for his points.
~ lie has two personahties-one 70
:, stipet use and one for use at tn
: table. ON the streets the champio
is as attentive as the most modes
, houleVardier. He is the quiet, un
~, assuming young man of the day. TIL
- minute he picks up the cue h
-. changess Then he becomes the cham
- pion huli0rdist of the worlA>and hi
, business for the nonce is balk-lin'
es Champion Eleven Years.
s. Scores Of billiard champions hav
es come and gone until Hoppe. For |
IN years he has held his titles lie ha
20 been challenged and played but tn
n title remains his own. Chine, SUI
e. ton. SlosSon. Morningstar, Cutie
a. CoChrane. Schaefer IL. Yamada an
IS. others have stepped up only to retir
IL IN rout.
nj The billiard officials have change
e. the gama to handicap Hoppe. The
shifted the rules especially to fore
him from the top. 1t has hurt tt
billiard game for one man to so lnor
A" opolizc the championships. !'ut VIII
iit mastered the new STYLES SO quick
he that the mapufaCtors quit trying. Ju
"A imagine changing the rules Of bas'
o. ball because some player was gettin
is too good,
K. some time there will be great,
r. plnNer than Hoppe. Some day thel
will ne great writer than Shak,