John Schmidt - Part 4 (Breaking Barriers, Breaking Records)
After three episodes of stories, lessons, and unfiltered honesty, Legends of the Cue brings you the powerful conclusion to our four-part conversation with one of the most fascinating figures in cue sports: John Schmidt — the man who broke Willie Mosconi’s 65-year-old straight pool high run record.
Known to fans as “Mr. 600,” John opens up about the physical and mental toll of chasing greatness, from pounding thousands of balls a day until his body ached, to embracing fitness, nutrition, and even the right shoes and chalk as critical tools of the trade. He recalls the pivotal shift in strategy that allowed him to reach his historic 626-ball run — the humility it took to change a break shot he’d hit the same way for decades, and the lessons learned pushing past 400 into uncharted territory.
But triumph didn’t come without turbulence. John candidly shares the darker side of his achievement: the skepticism, harsh criticism, and even hostility that followed. In his words, the adoration and the animosity revealed as much about human nature as about pool itself. Through it all, he kept perspective — focusing on performance, consistency, and the ability to thrive under pressure.
The conversation also revisits Schmidt’s time representing Team USA under Captain Mark Wilson at the Mosconi Cup, the camaraderie and challenges of team competition, and the unforgettable atmosphere of playing in front of raucous European crowds. Finally, John reflects on the career “Mulligans” he’d take if given the chance, and how he truly wishes to be remembered — not only as a great player, but as a good person.
This finale delivers the wit, humility, and raw passion of a man who pushed the limits of straight pool, and himself, to the edge of history.
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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