Mary Kenniston - Part 2 (On the Road, Into the Action, and Learning from Buddy Hall)
In Part 2 of our conversation with WPBA Hall of Famer Mary Kenniston, the road opens up and the stories get even better.
Mary takes us back to the years just after college, when shorthand, typing, bookkeeping, and supermarket checkout speed hardly seemed like preparation for life in pool — yet all of it formed the determined, sharp-witted competitor she would become. From the earliest days of the women’s game in the Northeast, she recalls a time before a true professional tour existed, when players piled into cars, shared rooms, and relied on the generosity of room owners to create opportunities to compete.
She reflects on the emerging women’s scene, the dominance of Jean Balukas, the rise of LoreeJon, and the close-knit, scrappy environment that helped shape the WPBA in its earliest form. Mary also shares her own role in that history as one of the organization’s first secretary-treasurers.
Then the story shifts from tournaments to the road — and into the action. Mary paints a vivid picture of running through New Jersey, New York, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, chasing games, making scores, and learning the realities of pool life in an era when action was everywhere and women players were still a novelty.
At the heart of this episode is a priceless encounter with Buddy Hall. What begins with Mary sharply putting him in his place turns into one of the most important moments of her development as a player, as Buddy helps reshape her fundamentals and elevate her game almost overnight.
This is a wonderful chapter in Mary Kenniston’s story — full of grit, humor, history, and the unforgettable characters who made pool’s golden road years so legendary.
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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.”