In Part 4 of our seven-part conversation with WPBA Hall of Famer Mary Kenniston, the road keeps rolling and the stories keep getting better.

Mary takes us deep into the action-heavy pool world of the early 1980s, from Houston to Fayetteville, Rocky Mount, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. With her trademark honesty and sharp wit, she recalls the thrill of finding games, protecting her cover, and learning how to survive in a world where toughness, timing, and table smarts meant everything. Whether she was matching up in smoky poolrooms, drawing crowds on bar tables in Southern California, or navigating the nonstop action of Houston’s legendary rooms, Mary was building a reputation the hard way—one set at a time.

This episode is packed with unforgettable road stories: high-stakes lessons from Buddy Hall and New York Blackie, a return trip that turned the tables on a doubter, colorful characters from the gambling scene, and a chilling reminder of the ugliness that still existed in parts of the country during that era. Mary also shares how her hustler’s instincts carried beyond the pool table, as she built a successful jewelry clientele in California before deciding it was time to move on yet again.

What comes through in this chapter of Mary’s life is her resilience, adaptability, and fearless independence. She could win in the poolroom, win in business, and hold her own anywhere she landed.

Part 4 is a vivid portrait of pool’s action years—raw, funny, sometimes harsh, and always compelling—told by one of the game’s true originals.

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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.”

In Part 3 of our conversation with WPBA Hall of Famer Mary Kenniston, the stories get even richer as she takes us deeper into pool’s road era—when instinct, nerve, and a well-kept spot book could mean the difference between surviving and going broke.

Mary shares her unforgettable friendship with the late Grady Mathews, from first meeting him in New Jersey to their daily phone calls during his final illness. Along the way, she paints a vivid portrait of Grady’s charm, intelligence, and larger-than-life presence, while Allison Fisher adds her own memories of traveling with “The Professor” on a whirlwind exhibition tour.

From there, Mary takes us on the road to Alabama, where backroom action, firehouse games, and a fired-up competitive streak produced some of her most memorable gambling stories. She recalls beating seasoned players, handling herself in a man’s world, and using anger as fuel to bring out her best game. She also reflects on a pivotal turning point in her life—how a failed job opportunity sent her back toward Norfolk, the U.S. Open, and ultimately a life built around pool.

This episode also opens a fascinating window into the hidden mechanics of road play: the handful of women out there matching up, the coded knowledge players carried from town to town, and the legendary “little black books” that tracked rooms, players, stakes, and weaknesses across the country. Mary even shares how that knowledge later helped top pros find action of their own.

And just when you think the episode couldn’t deliver one more great tale, Mary introduces us to Bucktooth—a millionaire jeweler, poolroom owner, and action-maker who could create a gambling scene out of thin air.

It’s a funny, revealing, and deeply authentic chapter in the life of one of pool’s great storytellers and archivists.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

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.”

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.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

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.”