Nick Varner

Nick Varner

Nick Varner at 2008 Mosconi Cup
Born	(1948-05-15) 15 May 1948 Owensboro, Kentucky
Sport country	United States
Nickname	"Kentucky Colonel"
Professional	1971
Tournament wins
Other titles	80
World Champion	Straight Pool (1980, 1986), Nine-Ball (1982, 1999), Eight-Ball (1994), One-Pocket (2000)

Nick Varner (born May 15, 1948, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an American pool player who was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1992. Varner is an 7 time world champion and 2 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, in addition to winner the 1999 WPA World Nine-ball Championship at 51 years old.

Career

Nick D. Varner graduated from Tell City High School in Tell City, Indiana in 1966. Varner learned to play pool in his father's (Nick Varner) pool hall in Grandview, Indiana. After graduating from high school, Varner gained notoriety on the professional pool scene after he won two ACU-I Intercollegiate Championships while attending Purdue University and playing "money games" at an on campus pool room called "The Hole". A cliché given to Varner was "Speak softly and carry a big stick" because of the way he conducted himself as well as his competitive endeavors.

In 1989, Varner became only the second man to Mike Sigel, to earn over $100,000 in prize winnings in single year, accumulating an unprecedented 11 out of 22 Nine-ball events that year. Varner was named "Player of the Year" in 1980, 1989 and 1994.

Varner has won 7 world pocket billiard championship's and is considered one of the best all-around players of all time, being the only player to have won world championships in Nine-ball, Eight-ball, Straight Pool and One Pocket.

He also represented Team USA eight times at the Mosconi Cup, four times as a non-playing team captain.

Varner is also an author, a video personality, a pool room proprietor, a manufacturer's representative, and an exhibition player.

Varner is the only player to be inducted into the BCA, Straight Pool, One Pocket and Bank Pool Hall of Fame.

Titles and achievements

1969 ACUI Collegiate National Championship 1970 ACUI Collegiate National Championship 1975 Midwest Open 9-Ball 1976 Rockford Tournament 1979 Lexington All-Star Tournament 1980 World Straight Pool Championship 1980 Kentucky Open 9-Ball 1980 BCA National 8-Ball Tournament 1980 Illinois 9-Ball Open 1980 Billiards Digest Players of the Year 1981 Kentucky Open 9-Ball 1982 PPPA World 9-Ball Invitational 1982 Kentucky Open 9-Ball 1982 Bowling Green Open Bank Pool 1982 Prestonburg Open 9-Ball 1982 Owensboro Open 9-Ball 1982 National Billiard News Player of the Year 1983 McDermott Masters Championship 1983 San Jose Open 9-Ball 1983 Kentucky Open 9-Ball 1983 National Open 9-Ball 1983 Fresno Open 9-Ball 1984 Kentucky Open 9-Ball 1984 Tennessee State 9-Ball 1985 Chattanooga 9-Ball 1985 Tennessee State 9-Ball 1985 Zurich Open 9-Ball 1986 World Straight Pool Championship 1986 Charlotte Open 1986 Sacramento Open 9-Ball 1986 Midwest Open 9-Ball 1987 McDermott Masters Championship 1988 Glass City Open 9-Ball 1988 Scranton Invitational 9-Ball 1988 Tennessee State 9-Ball 1988 Sands Regency Reno Open 1989 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship 1989 PBA Brunswick World 9-Ball Open 1989 Rak'em Up 9-Ball Classic 1989 Knoxville 9-Ball Open 1989 Governors Cup 9-Ball 1989 Glass City Open 9-Ball 1989 Sands Regency Reno Open 1989 Golden 8-Ball Invitational 1989 Scranton Open 9-Ball 1989 Lexington All Star Open 1989 Akron Open 9-Ball 1989 Billiards Digest Players of the Year 1990 Challenge Match vs. (Efren Reyes) 1990 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship

1990 Al Romero Classic 9-Ball 1990 West End All Around Shoot Out 1990 World Series Philippines Championship 1991 Rak'em Up 9-Ball 1991 PBT Sportsperson of the Year 1992 International One Pocket Championship 1992 Super Bowl XXVI Billiard Championship 1992 Voted Best All-Around Player 1992 Team America North Vs South Exhibition 1992 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame 1993 Lexington All Star Open 1994 International Challenge of Champions 1994 PBT World Eight-ball Championship 1994 Lexington All Star Open 1994 Billiards Digest Players of the Year 1996 Sands Regency Reno Open 1996 Roanoke One Pocket 1996 J.O.B Billiards Club 9-Ball 1997 Mosconi Cup 1997 Music City 9-Ball 1997 Sands Regency Reno Open 1998 Music City Classic 1997 J.O.B Billiards Club One Pocket 1998 Mosconi Cup 1999 WPA World Nine-ball Championship 1999 Derby City Classic Banks Division 1999 Senior Tour Tulsa 1999 Senior Tour Player of the Year 2000 Billiards Digest 5th Greatest Living Player of the Century 2000 Derby City Classic One Pocket 2000 Music City Classic 2000 Senior Masters 9-Ball Open 2000 World One Pocket Championship 2001 Superman Classic 9-Ball Tournament 2001 Mosconi Cup 2001 Sunshine State One Pocket Tour, CM's Place 2001 Sunshine State One Pocket Tour, Kiss Shot Billiards 2001 Sunshine State One Pocket Tour, Capone's Billiards 2001 Sunshine State One Pocekt Tour, Sharp Shooters 2001 Hard Times One Pocket 2002 Border Battle, Team USA Vs Team Canada 2002 Jacksonville 9-Ball Open 2002 Glass City Open 9-Ball 2002 Music City Classic 2003 Seminole Pro Tour 2004 Border Battle, Team USA VS Team Canada 2005 One Pocket Hall of Fame 2007 Great Southern 9-Ball Tour, Big Orange Classic 2011 Bank Pool Hall of Fame 2017 Straight Pool Hall of Fame

External links

• "bio on NickVarner.com"
• "Nick Varner Custom Cues", Nick Varner Custom Cues
• "Nick Varner Player Profile", InternationalPoolTour.com, International Pool Tour