Jacob (Jake) Schaefer, Jr. (October 18, 1894, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. – 1975) was a professional carom billiards player, a specialist in balkline games, and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1968.[1]
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Schaefer is widely considered by historians of the sport to have been America's all-time greatest balkline player.[1]
He won the 1921, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933 World 18.2 Balkline Championships. He also won the 1926 and 1927 World 18.1 Championships, as well as the 1937 and 1938 World 28.2 Championships.[1]
In 18.2 balkline, Schaefer held four records never broken by another American (some have since been beaten by non-Americans):[1][2]
400-0. The 1925 World Championship 18.2 Balkline Tournament was held in the Congress Hotel, Chicago. The sixth game of the tournament on Thursday evening, February 26, featured Jake Schaefer II against Erich Hagenlacher of Germany. Schaefer won the lag and shot first. He made 400 consecutive billiards and won the game. Hagenlacher was quoted later as saying that toward the end of the run he was hoping that Schaefer wouldn’t miss. Hagenlacher was afraid that after sitting and watching for more than an hour, he wouldn’t be able to stand up and hit the end rail.
He was the son of fellow billiards pro Jacob Schaefer Sr. (1855–1910),[1] who was known as "the Wizard" by reason of his exploits with the cue.[3]
Both Jake, Jr., and Hoppe were tutored by the elder Schaefer, whose last match before his death was a successful defense of his title against Hoppe.
Jacob Schaefer III (b. 1938) and Jacob Schaefer IV (b. 1970) are both academics in science. Jacob Schaefer V (b. 2007) has not yet made a career decision.
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