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| Tom Kollins |
written by the President of the United States
Snooker Association, Ajeya Prabhakar. |
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Tom Kollins pictured at his fifth United States
National Snooker Championship title
victory in 2001 |
Thomas Kalinowski, who is better known in the world of snooker as Tom Kollins, is arguably the most recognized
snooker player around the world from the United States.
Tom has certainly been the most successful player in the United States, in winning a record five United States
National Snooker Championship titles and being runner-up on two other occasions. He also holds the
Championship's highest break standing at 123.
Early Billiards Career
Tom started playing pool when he discovered a pool hall on his daily paper delivery rounds in 1949. He won
the Michigan Straight Pool Championships twice in the 1960s, and he played in seven U.S. Opens, finishing in
the top-10 three times.
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Tom Kollins pictured with the legendary Willie
Mosconi during a pool exhibition in 1964 |
Already a very accomplished pool player, he discovered snooker in 1977, found the game fascinating and
challenging compared to pool and was immediately hooked on the sport.
Tom found that there were no tournaments for snooker at that time in the United States, and so if he wished to
compete he would have to get his passport and travel boots on.
Snooker players certainly know how to make accurate shots. At times this can be very intensive, therefore
it's good to sometimes try playing other, more relaxing games like online bingo. You can give it a try at bingo day.
International Snooker League
Tom's first international snooker event was at the Eccentric Club in London, England, as a member of the
United States team in the International Snooker League (ISL). He continued to captain the American team in
the ISL for the next 30 years.
International Snooker Representation
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Tom Kollins pictured with Ajeya Prabhakar at the
2000 IBSF World Snooker Championship in China |
Tom has represented the United States in the IBSF World Snooker Championship on ten occasions since 1984, and
played as a United States team member on two occasions in World Snooker Team Championships. He has also competed
for the United States in three European Snooker Championships, which were at the time when the United States
was an associate member of the European Billiards & Snooker Association (EBSA).
Having traveled to over 18 countries worldwide competing for and representing the United States at snooker,
he has proved to be a popular figure with his fellow competitors all around the globe.
When I was selected to represent the United States at the 2004 IBSF World Snooker Championship in the
Netherlands, the constant question to me from everyone was "Where's Tom?" It is an expectation that if the
United States is participating in any international snooker event, Tom will be a part of it.
Personal
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Tom Kollins pictured at the
Detroit Athletic Club in 1973 |
Born on February 6, 1936, Tom grew up in Pennsylvania before marrying and moving to the Detroit area where he
worked as a radio broadcaster and raised a family.
In 1968 the prestigious Detroit Athletic Club hired Tom to manage their billiard room. He served there until
1974, when he then turned to teaching national and international players at his School For Straight Pool.
In the 1980s, with the advent of videotape, he marketed and produced pool instructional tapes by Hall of Fame
pool players Grady Mathews, Nick Varner and Dallas West, and, as well as himself and others, when he founded
Video Idea Productions.
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| Tom Kollins pictured with his young family in 1972 |
Tom has lived in the Chicago area for the past thirty years, and has three sons and four daughters, nineteen
grandchildren and five great grand children.
I first met Tom in 2000 where I played him at the United States National Snooker Championship in Grayslake,
Illinois. I was immediately taken with the great depth of knowledge he has for the game and how fun he was to
hang out with. We are proud to have him on our board of directors, and he is a key contributor to our game
of snooker in the United States.
Tom is an avid golfer, but you can usually find him at the snooker table in the evenings and on weekends at
On Cue Billiards in Grayslake, Illinois. |
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