Herb Hardt

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Herbert Hardt
Born
Baby Graf[1]

27 November 1905
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died13 May 1978 (aged 72)
Villa Park, Illinois[2]
Occupation(s)Billiards player,
bank clerk

Herbert Hardt (born Graf; 27 November 1905[1] – 13 May 1978[2]) was an American semi-professional carom billiards player from Chicago, Illinois. A bank clerk by day,[3] Hardt took second place at the 1952 United States Eastern Regional Three-cushion Billiards Championship, thereby qualifying to play as one of ten contestants worldwide in the U.S.-hosted World Three-cushion Billiards Championship of the same year. Hardt came in dead last at the world championship, though he was competing against the best players in the world.

Early career[edit]

Hardt was born to German-Americans Herman Graf and Henrietta Hansen in Chicago, and adopted by German immigrants William and Friederike Hardt as an infant.[4]

On February 18, 1932 it was reported that the prior night former national amateur champion, A. J. Harris had beaten Hardt 50 to 49 at three-cushion in Madison, Wisconsin.[5]

In 1951 Herbt competed in the United States national billiards championship (three-cushion billiards) held in Chicago.[6] On the first day of the tournament, February 16, 1951, Hardt beat Harold Worst 50-45 in 43 innings.[6]

In February 1952 he was reported to be one of an eleven-man field playing in the Chicago sectional billiards tournament (three-cushion), and to have a 3–0 record at that time.[7] The two winners of the tournament would graduate to the eastern regional championship, to be held in Buffalo, New York, in turn competing for a spot in the 1952 world tournament to be held in San Francisco, California where they would face defending champion, Willie Hoppe.[7] Hardt made it to the Buffalo regional[8] and won his first three matches in the round robin tournament, with only two more players in his path, including Irving Crane,[9] six-time world champion at straight pool.[10] Although Hardt thereafter lost twice to Crane—first to even the standings of the men, three wins to one loss each, and a second time in 50 to 35 in 71 innings[11]—he sewed up second place for a spot in the world tournament.[12]

1952 World Three-cushion Billiards Championship[edit]

Chart recording standings of matches; there are ten slots on the left side and ten slots going down forming a 100 cell grid between them, with each side having the names written in for each of the tournament entrants; the box where any two names meet shows the score of their match and the number of innings it took; outside the grid each player's totals are listed for the categories: "won," "lost", "high run" and "best game."
Chart recording final standings for the 1952 World Three-Cushion tournament. The form emulates that of the original handwritten chart used at the tournament.[13] The three numbers in each box are read as follows: the top number is the points scored by the player; at bottom right is the number of innings; at bottom left is the player's high run.[13]

The 1952 World Three-Cushion Billiards tournament was reported to have "The greatest billiard field since before World War II".[14] First place earned a $2,000 purse, plus thousands in exhibition fees. Following behind to eight places were prizes of $1,000, $700, $500, $350, $300, $250 and $250 respectively.[14]

The ten champions slated to play in the round robin format tourney[15] to begin on March 6, 1952,[16] were Hardt, Masako Katsura (first woman to ever play for any world billiard crown),[17][18] Kinrey Matsuyama, favorite and defending champion Willie Hoppe, Mexican champion Joe Chamaco, New York's Art Rubin, Los Angeles' Joe Procita, Ray Kilgore of San Francisco, Jay Bozeman, of Vallejo and Binghamton's Irving Crane.[19][20][21]

The championship between the invitees was to take place at Welker Cochran's 924 Club, with 45 total games to be played[21] (each player to play every other once)[22] over the 17-day tournament ending on March 22, 1952.[21] Hardt came in dead last, winning only one game against Art Rubin with a final score of 50 to 35 in 49 innings.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922
  2. ^ a b U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  3. ^ "Hoppe Praises Woman Who is Seeking His Billiard Crown". Blytheville Courier News. February 27, 1952. p. 8. Archived from the original (fee required) on July 15, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  4. ^ 1910 United States Federal Census
  5. ^ "Shimon Tops Western Amateur Cue Tourney" (fee required). Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. February 18, 1932. p. 5. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "2 Upsets Produced in Billiard Tourney" (fee required). Austin Daily Herald. February 17, 1951. p. 5. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Chicago Field Cut to Six in Billiards Meet" (fee required). Waterloo Daily Courier (Iowa). January 30, 1952. p. 14. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  8. ^ "Crane Slated to Play at Buffalo" (fee required). Syracuse Herald-Journal. February 11, 1952. p. 21. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  9. ^ "Irv Crane Faces Unbeaten Hardt" (fee required). Syracuse Herald-Journal. February 15, 1952. p. 38. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  10. ^ Jewett, Bob (July 2000). "A Rusty Game? Are today's players out of stroke when it comes to 14.1?". Billiards Digest Magazine: 22–24. ISSN 0164-761X.
  11. ^ "Irv Crane Faces Unbeaten Hardt" (fee required). The Post Standard. February 17, 1952. p. 149. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  12. ^ "Kilgore, Bozeman in Coast Cue Victory" (fee required). Long Beach Press-Telegram. February 18, 1952. p. 12. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c Andrews, Deno J. (2004). "1952 World 3 Cushion Championship". 3cushion.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2004. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  14. ^ a b "Hoppe, Nine Other Billiard Aces, Entered in Three-Cushion Tourney" (fee required). Nevada State Journal. March 2, 1952. p. 9. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
  15. ^ "Jap Woman Cueist Meets Willie Hoppe" (fee required). Corpus Christi Times. March 14, 1952. p. 3-D. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  16. ^ "Hoppe Praises Woman Who is Seeking His Billiard Crown". Blytheville Courier News (Ark). February 27, 1952. p. 8. Archived from the original (fee required) on July 15, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  17. ^ "She Takes Her Cue And Does Right Well With It" (fee required). Salina Journal (Kansas). August 21, 1952. p. 22. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  18. ^ "Pert Japanese Cue Star Loses to Hoppe". Austin Daily Herald. March 15, 1952. p. 5. Archived from the original (fee required) on July 15, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  19. ^ Staff writers (March 17, 1952). "Lady with a Cue". Time Magazine. Vol. LIX, no. 11. Time. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2009.
  20. ^ Guinness Book of World Records. Sterling Pub. Co. 1956. p. 182. OCLC 4562942.
  21. ^ a b c "Kilgore Takes Billiard Meet" (fee required). Oakland Tribune. February 18, 1952. p. 24. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  22. ^ "Crane Takes Billiard Title" (fee required). San Mateo Times. February 19, 1952. p. 12. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
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