Legends of the Cue

In the final chapter of our four-part life story with WPBA Hall of Famer Ewa Mataya Laurance , we land where legends are forged: on the road, under the lights, and in the moments that reveal what matters most. Ewa takes us inside a whirlwind era when she was traveling 260 days a year —tournaments, exhibitions, corporate events, and the kind of surreal TV appearances that can pull an athlete away f...

In Part 3 of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with pool Hall of Famer Ewa Mataya Laurance , the “Striking Viking” hits the most turbulent—and transformative—stretch of her career. We rewind to 1990–91 , the period Ewa calls her finest run: taking over World No. 1 , stacking five tour titles , and earning Billiards Digest Player of the Year . But the wins came with weight. Newly divorc...

Part 2 picks up as Ewa Mataya Laurance—“The Striking Viking”—plants her feet in America with one goal: play pool, and nothing else. From home in Michigan to road trips with her friend Vicky Frechen (Paski), Ewa relives the hustle behind the highlight reels: waitressing shifts, a brief—and doomed—stint in an insurance office (“How did you get here?”), and even landing a job at a Playboy Club, learn...

In this first chapter of our four-part life-story series, we welcome one of the most captivating figures ever to pick up a cue: Pool Hall of Famer Ewa Mataya Laurance —the iconic “Striking Viking.” From her earliest days in Sweden, Ewa takes us back to a childhood defined by energy, independence, and a love of sport. She was a goalkeeper in soccer, a force on the basketball court, and—by her own a...

In the powerful final chapter of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with Jerry Briesath , we arrive at the heart of a life devoted not just to playing pool—but to teaching it, elevating it, and preserving its future. Widely regarded as the most influential instructor in billiards history, Jerry reflects on how the modern game has evolved—from the decline of nine-foot tables and the rise...

In Part Three of our four-part conversation with Pool Hall of Famer and BCA Dean of Master Instructors Jerry Briesath, we dive deep into the heart of what made Jerry one of the most influential teachers the game has ever known: mechanics, curiosity, passion, and an unrelenting desire to help others get better. Jerry explains timeless concepts that still confound players today—why banks on balls ne...

In Part 2 of our four-part Legends of the Cue conversation with Jerry Briesath , we dive deep into the heart of his instructional philosophy—and the ideas that forever changed how generations of players approach the game. This episode is all about process over results . Jerry explains how his teaching evolved from instinct to system, anchored by one deceptively simple concept: the cue ball on the...

In this opening episode of a special four-part series, Legends of the Cue begins the remarkable life story of Jerry Briesath , widely regarded as the father of modern pool instruction and the longtime Dean of the BCA’s Master Instructor program. Born in 1937 in Winona, Minnesota, Jerry’s story starts far from championship tables and teaching platforms. He grew up working at his father’s one-man ga...

In this powerful and deeply human conclusion to our multi-part conversation, Pat Fleming reflects on a life spent giving more to the game of pool than he ever took from it. Known worldwide as the founder of Accu-Stats , Fleming opens the door to the values, decisions, and moments that shaped both his career and his character. The episode begins with gratitude—gratitude for fans across generations...

In Part III of our in-depth conversation with Pat Fleming, the Hall of Famer and founder of Accu-Stats pulls back the curtain on the pivotal chapter that reshaped both his life and the future of recorded pool history. Pat walks us through the emotional and practical decision to separate Accu-Stats’ legendary video library from its production arm—a move born from personal loss, hard-earned perspect...

In Part 2 of our in-depth Legends of the Cue conversation with Hall of Famer and Accu-Stats founder Pat Fleming, we dive deeper into the ideas, inventions, and relentless curiosity that forever altered how the game of pool is played, studied, and preserved. Pat takes us behind the scenes of Accu-Stats’ evolution—from single, stationary cameras and silent VHS tapes to groundbreaking commentary, mov...

In this opening chapter of a multi-part Legends of the Cue conversation, we sit down with Pat Fleming —the meticulous mind whose lifelong obsession with numbers would ultimately reshape how the game of pool is measured, understood, and preserved. Pat’s story begins far from television lights and world championships, in Paterson, New Jersey, where a young boy spent his days counting cars from a fir...

In this third installment of our multi-part conversation with Hall of Famer Mike Sigel, we dive deeper into the mind of one of the most electrifying champions in cue sports history. With characteristic candor, humor, and razor-sharp recall, Sigel leads us through the gritty realities of the pool circuit—from the early ’70s through his era of dominance—while revealing why only a select few ever tru...

In the second installment of our multi-part conversation with Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer Mike “Captain Hook” Sigel , we dive deeper into the wild early years that shaped one of the greatest champions the sport has ever known. This chapter of Mike’s story unfolds on America’s back roads—dusty poolrooms, high-stakes action, rough-and-tumble characters, and the moments of luck, danger...

When a true giant of the game speaks, the pool world listens. In this episode of Legends of the Cue , Hall of Fame icon Mike Sigel joins us to unveil the most ambitious billiards initiative in decades—the launch of America’s Billiard League (ABL) , coming January 5, 2026. After more than 13 years of development, setbacks, reinvestment, and relentless belief, Sigel pulls back the curtain on a leagu...

In this captivating first chapter of our multi-part conversation with Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer “Captain Hook” Mike Sigel , we step into the origins of one of the greatest cue artists the sport has ever known. Named Billiards Digest’s Greatest Living Player of the 20th Century , Sigel joins Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson, and Mike Gonzalez to trace the earliest threads of a life that...

In the inspiring finale of our six-part “Legends of the Cue” series with Kelly Fisher, MBE , we catch up with one of cue sports’ most decorated champions at the height of her enduring career. Still collecting titles more than three decades after first bursting onto the scene, Kelly reflects on what continues to drive her competitive fire — and when she might finally hang up the cue (spoiler: not a...

In Part 5 of Legends of the Cue , Kelly Fisher, MBE, opens up about some of the most defining — and deeply personal — chapters of her remarkable journey through the world of professional cue sports. From the thrill of championship glory to life-altering challenges off the table, this episode reveals the resilience, humor, and heart that have shaped one of the game’s great champions. Kelly and her...

In this fourth installment of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE , we follow Kelly’s remarkable leap of faith—leaving behind the world of English snooker to chase a new dream across the Atlantic. With just £400 between her and partner Val, she arrived in America in 2004 armed with little more than determination and a borrowed cue. Within days, she was learning...

In this third installment of Legends of the Cue , hosts Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher and Mark Wilson continue their captivating conversation with Pool and Snooker Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE , diving into the fascinating — and often funny — years that bridged her snooker stardom and her bold leap into the world of professional pool. Kelly reflects with trademark honesty and humor on her early...

In Part 2 of our six-part Legends of the Cue conversation with Pool and Snooker Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE , we journey through her teenage years as one of England’s most gifted young cueists. With the same grit that would one day define her career, Kelly recalls her early training under coach Lionel Payne, the punishing drills that shaped her stroke, and the discipline that separated her fro...

In Part 1 of our six-part conversation with cue-sports legend Kelly Fisher, MBE , we trace the roots of one of the most accomplished and respected players in the history of women’s pool and snooker. Co-hosts Allison Fisher, MBE and Mark Wilson join Mike Gonzalez to uncover Kelly’s remarkable beginnings in South Elmsall, England — a working-class town where her parents ran a local pub with a snooke...

In this sixth and final chapter of our deep dive into the remarkable life of Billy Incardona, we bring to a close the journey of one of pool’s most colorful and respected figures—a man whose sharp mind, storytelling charm, and love for the game have made him a true legend of the cue. Billy reflects on his lifelong relationship with the sport, from creating his instructional video Common Sense One...

In this fifth installment of our six-part series with legendary cue artist and road warrior Billy Incardona , listeners are treated to a vivid journey through the smoky, cash-fueled pool halls of America’s golden era. With trademark candor and humor, Billy recalls epic encounters with some of the game’s most colorful—and notorious—characters, bringing to life the grit and glory of a bygone hustler...

In this fourth installment of our six-part deep dive into the extraordinary life of pool legend Billy Incardona, we step inside the smoky rooms, backroom barns, and broadcast booths that shaped one of the game’s sharpest minds and most colorful storytellers. Joined by hosts Mike Gonzalez, Mark Wilson, and Allison Fisher, Billy brings to life the unforgettable characters and moments that defined hi...