John Schmidt - Part 3 (The Quest to Best Mosconi)
In this third installment of our four-part conversation with pool great John Schmidt—affectionately known as Mr. 600—we journey through the emotional highs and crushing lows that shaped one of the most fascinating careers in cue sports.
From flicking cockroaches out of his cereal on the morning of a U.S. Open to hoisting oversized winner’s checks in front of skeptical neighbors, Schmidt’s path to greatness was anything but ordinary. He opens up about the financial struggles and personal setbacks that nearly derailed his career, his surprising refuge in golf, and the critical turning points that brought him back to the table. We relive his U.S. Open victory, his tense debut on the pressure-packed stage of the Mosconi Cup alongside legends like Earl Strickland, and his triumph at the Derby City Classic—where street smarts were as essential as cue skills.
Schmidt also takes us inside his 2012 World Straight Pool Championship run, where he toppled icons like Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, and Efren Reyes. But the heart of this episode is his relentless, almost monastic pursuit of Willie Mosconi’s 526-ball high-run record. With candor, humor, and gritty detail, John recounts the grueling months of preparation, the physical pain, the near misses, the unlikely allies who stepped in to rack balls and provide support, and finally the magic day in 2019 when he ran 626 to eclipse a record thought untouchable for 65 years.
Equal parts inspiring and raw, Schmidt’s story is about more than numbers on a scoresheet. It’s about perseverance, obsession, and the quiet belief that you can push past the limits others set for you.
Join us as we explore the defining chapter in John Schmidt’s remarkable life and career.
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Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPBA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”
Pool Professional
John Schmidt is one of the most compelling figures in modern cue sports, a champion whose story blends Midwestern toughness, road-warrior grit, and an almost monastic devotion to the craft of running balls. Known around the world as “Mr. 600,” Schmidt is the man who authored the historic 626-ball straight pool (14.1) run, eclipsing Willie Mosconi’s legendary 526 mark that had stood for more than six decades. But the number only hints at the journey.
Born April 12, 1973, in Keokuk, Iowa, Schmidt’s beginnings were humble, blue-collar, and formative in the way they taught him to compete and endure. In the Legends of the Cue conversations, he comes across as a kid shaped by small-town life, everyday responsibilities, an early understanding that nothing is given, and a stubborn desire to earn what he wanted. That toughness shows up later in his pool life not as bravado, but as an ability to keep going when the money is low, the rooms are hostile, and the pressure is real.
Before pool became the obsession, Schmidt was also deeply connected to golf, a thread that never really leaves his story. It isn’t merely a footnote; it’s part of his identity and, at key moments, a refuge and reset button when the pool road took its toll. In his own telling, the competitive instincts and self-discipline required in golf, managing emotion, committing to a process, staying present over long stretches, translate naturally to what elite pool demands.
Schmidt didn’t grow up as a junior prodigy with a formal program and a sponsor pipeline. He came to pool later than many …Read More