Transcript from Live Chat session from the 1997 WPA World 9-Ball Championship, Arlington
Heights, IL.

Date: Thursday, October 2, 1997, 09:12pm CDT - 09:54pm CDT

Featuring: Jeanette Lee

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> Ladies and Gentlemen, Billiards and Digest is proud to bring to you, 
    Jeanette Lee. She just won her last match 11 to 3 against Mary 
    Guarino.
<mw9ball> I've been checking this room out for about a week now. I 
    hope it catches on.
<BW> Hi jeanette
<GREGG> hhhi  jeanette
<mw9ball> Hi Jeanette.
<Dave> Hi jeanette
<Lynn> Congratulations on your wins this week
<Tracy> Hi Jeanette
<Moe>  congrats Jeanette
<BW> congrats on the win tonight jeanette
<Jeanette> Hi guys.
<Jeanette> How come all of you are not here?
<Dave> What was the score of the match tonight?
<GREGG> i  work
<Jeanette> 11 to 3 against Mary Guarino
<Dave> Way to go!
<Moe> Have to work tomorrow
<mw9ball> I'm in FL.
<Jeanette> What would you like to know?
<Tracy> are you having fun?
<BW> who do you play next?
<Dave> Secret of straight in shots
<mw9ball> Who's up next for you?
<Jeanette> Absolutely!
<Lynn> How many tournaments do you play in a year?
<Jeanette> I play the winer of Jennifer Chen and Helena Thornfeldt.
<GREGG> should  I  put  money  on you?feeling good?
<mw9ball> That will be a tough one no matter who wins!
<BW> yep
<Tracy> when is the wpba coming to ohio?
<Jeanette> I have spent my whole pool life trying to figure out the 
    shortcut to straight in shots and everything else. I have found that only 
    practice with discipline and persistance and belief in yourself makes 
    for fast improvement.
<Jeanette> I play in about 15-20 tournaments in a year.
<Jeanette> I don't know of a tournament in Ohio soon.
<Dave> Okay...enjoyed watching the matches in Dallas...
<Dave> Hope Dallas will be a regular venue...
<Jeanette> You can always check my website for locations of 
    upcomming pro tournaments. Simply click my banner above.
<Moe> Jeanette: who do you think will be your toughest match?
<Dave> Any hints for kick shots?
<mw9ball> Deanna Meaney out of FL is a friend of yours, right Jeanette? 
    How is she doing on the tour. Haven't heard much about her lately?
<mw9ball> I'm from FL.
<Jeanette> Hmm...regardless of whom I am playing. The toughest 
    match seems to be when I feel unprepared.
<GREGG> Do  you  know  if the  finals  are going  to  be  on  t.v.?/
<Jeanette> I tend to take all fifteen balls on the table and kick them all in. 
    It gives me a great feel for kicks and I use books to teach me systems 
    to use as a backup guide when my feel is not there.
<Dave> Got a suggestion for books??
<Tracy> titles?
<Jeanette> Deanne Meaney is a friend of mine. She is a great woman I 
    am really not sure how she is doing on the tournaments. 
    Unfortunately, when I am at a tournament I concentrate soley on 
    myself.
<Dave> Time to put my 5 year old in bed...come back to Dallas...GOOD 
    LUCK!
<Jeanette> Yes, the finals will be televised on ESPN. I am not sure 
    when.
<BW> Your site said that you were going to be on Conan O'Brian's 
    show tomorrow. Is that true?
<Jeanette> I love Ray Martins 99 Critical Shots. Also, Robert Byrnes 
    makes some great books and tapes.
<Jeanette> Thanks Dave.  Hope to see you again in Dallas.
<Tracy> best
<Jeanette> No, that was an error. I will be on the Friday night show 
    which airs immediately after Conan O'Brian.
<mw9ball> How is George doiing? I saw he lost his 1st match. Is he still 
    in?
<Jeanette> I was told that it would be aired tomarrow, but it was 
    changed.
<Lynn> Jeanette: What are the most important aspects of the game a 
    new player should concentrate on?
<Jeanette> George won his next match 13 - 2. He ran six racks to make 
    it 11-0, then he didn't make a ball on the break.
<Jeanette> And the other guy won two games before George won the 
    next two.
<mw9ball> That's great!
<Jeanette> Lynn, the basic fundementals.  
<BW> why do the men play to 13 while the women play to 11?
<Jeanette> Stance, Grip, Bridge, Stroke and then hitting a million balls 
    trying to pocket them.
<Tracy>  good luck may you get all the roles and take it all
<mw9ball> How do you and George play against each other? Any spot? 
    :-)
<Jeanette> A good thing for everyone to do is go to a book store or 
    library and get some books on the mental aspect of peak performace.
<GREGG> Jeanette; Do  you know Danny DiLiberto?
<Jeanette> Read autobiographies if you can of great athletes that you 
    admire. It will help inspire you.
<Jeanette> Golf books in particular, I have found very helpful because 
    they have a lot of simularities.
<Jeanette> Yes, George and I play each other...but I don't spot him 
    anything..he he.
<BW> hehe
<mw9ball> hahaha
<Jeanette> Yes, I know Danny DiLiberto. He is here. He is not a close 
    friend, but a good aquantance.
<GREGG> if  you  see  him  tell  him  Gregg  say's  good  luck
<GREGG> and  good  luck  to you  too
<Jeanette> Why do Men play to 13 and Women play to 11? I think it is 
    because the overall calliber of the women is not yet up to speed with 
    the overall calliber of the men.
<Lynn> What do you enjoy doing when you're not playing pool? 
<Jeanette> So it takes women longer to play matches.
<Moe> Jeanette: Do you play any one-pocket or are you strictly a 
    nine-baller?
<mw9ball> Are you going to get to FL any time soon to play?
<Jeanette> Lynn, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and dog, Sandy 
    when I am not playing pool.
<Jeanette> I am not strictly a nine-ball player. In fact my first love is 
    straight pool. Then one-pocket. Then 9-Ball.
<Lynn> Where/how long ago did you learn to play?
<Jeanette> No, I don't think we have any tournaments for the rest of the 
    year in Florida. But I do plan to be at the Grand opening of the All Star 
    Cafe in Orlando within the next few months.
<Jeanette> There putting up a display within the sports themed 
    restaurant. It's Cool!
<Jeanette> I learned to play straight pool in New York in '89 when I was 
    18.
<mw9ball> What rooms did you play at in NYC?
<Tracy> did you do very well at first?
<Jeanette> In New York, I played at Chelsea Billiards, Amsterdam 
    Billiards, So Ho Billiards and a few more.
<Jeanette> No I was awful when I first picked up the game.
<Jeanette> But I was playing for the joy of playing. 
<Tracy> did you have a coach?
<BW> what drew you to the game?
<Jeanette> Yes, playing great pool was my ultimate goal, but playing 
    awful at that time was amazingly still enjoyable.
<mw9ball> Who was your 1st idol in pool?
<Jeanette> No, I never had a real coach.
<Jeanette> But I would have to say that this guy Gene Nagy who now 
    plays at La Cue Billiards in Queens, where I spent of my time was my 
    biggest mentor.
<Tracy> did it click one day or was it aslow process?
<Jeanette> I learned a lot from him, just being around him, watching him, 
    playing with him.
<Jeanette> He never coached me, but he believed in me.
<Jeanette> Never had a real pool idol.
<Moe> 8 years seems like a quick rise to the top, is that typical of the 
    pros?
<Jeanette> But I have enormous respect for Mike Sigel's game, Efren's 
    game, my husbands game, he he and actually the list goes on.
<BW> how does it feel to be a "pool idol" to many people now?
<Jeanette> On the women's side, what limited pool I saw and remember 
    of Jean Balukas. I have always respected her and her game.
<Moe> Of course you have been on top for a few years .
<mw9ball> I have a friend in Sarasota (Steve Knoll) who just picked up 
    some sponsorship from Viking Cues. He said to tell you "good luck".
<Jeanette> Moe, no most of the women I play have been playing three or 
    four times as long.
<Jeanette> BW, I think it is hard to believe sometimes, but yet, it gives 
    me alot of satisfaction knowing that I can be for people out there what 
    the pro's were for me when I began.
<Jeanette> Yes, I turned pro January 93 and in October 94 was number 
    one in the world.
<Lynn> wow
<Jeanette> Tell, Steve Knoll, thank you for the good luck.
<Jeanette> My best friend Helena Thornfeldt is also sponsored by Viking 
    Cues and just won the last tournament in Dallas with the Viking Cue.
<Jeanette> Hope you have the same success.
<Moe> Most of us can only dream of playing like that
<Tracy> what kind of q do you use?
<Jeanette> Moe, don't worry.  I still dream of playing the way I'd like to.
<Jeanette> It never seems good enough.
<Jeanette> But that is why I am so driven.
<Lynn> Did you find that your quick rise to the top, along with your bold, 
    confident style was off-putting to the more established players?
<fred thorlin> What are your chances in Chicago?
<Jeanette> Tracy, I use a McDermott cue. It is 19oz. and I now have my 
    own signature line that I designed. You can see it and even buy it on 
    my website. www.jeanettelee.com
<fred thorlin> Or is that purely statistical?
<BW> what type of shot is your least favorite?
<Jeanette> Lynn, I went through hell. Most of it was because I had the 
    audacity to say I was going to be number one and that I showed no 
    fear of the other women.
<Jeanette> They didn't like that.
<Sherm> Jeanette, Have you ever played Jeannie Balukas? If so, what 
    was your opinion of her game?
<Jeanette> I think it would have been a lot easier if I kept my mouth shut 
    and let my actions speak for themselves. Then again, I was 21.
<Jeanette> Fred, how could you doubt me.
<BW> hehe
<fred thorlin> I only wondered if you doubted you.
<Jeanette> BW, my least favorite shot is one that I can't see.
<Tracy> no doubt here!
<fred thorlin> Do you wear contacts when you play?
<Jeanette> Fred, ok, you are back on my good side again.
<Jeanette> Sherm, I played Jean Balukas when my pool game was 
    about 3 months old.
<fred thorlin> Okay I will continue bowing to you in the hallways of hotels.
<Jeanette> She was the first good woman pool player I ever played and I 
    was so impressed.
<Jeanette> She was extremely kind to me, but brutal on the table.
<Jeanette> I won't ever forget it.
<Jeanette> Yes, I wear contacts.  I have 5.50 vision.
<Jeanette> It is preaty bad.
<Sherm> Yea she was amazing. I'd like to see how she would fare in 
    todays pool world.
<BW> what do you think your greatest strength is in your game?
<fred thorlin> Her good looks.
<Moe> Jeanette: does your rivalry with Allison continue off the table or do 
    you have any contact?
<mw9ball> How far down the line is it do you think before the women 
    start competing against the men in Tournaments?
<Jeanette> My determination to learn from my errors and not let my 
    insecurities control my destiny, but instead let my love for things lead 
    the way.
<Tracy> how many spectators are there?
<Jeanette> Moe, Allison and I don't talk much on or off the table, but we 
    are certainly friendly.
<Jeanette> She seems to be a fine person.
<Jeanette> Women compete against men now in tournaments. I have 
    won men's tournaments being the only women in the field.
<BW> do you look at your matches as battles where your opponent is 
    your mortal enemy which you must destroy or do you take it less 
    personally?
<Jeanette> Allowing the pro women to play in the mens pro tournaments 
    could be very detremental to the womens tour.
<mw9ball> Major tournaments?
<mw9ball> I see.
<Jeanette> You see if sponsors can get the top women, and the top 
    men in one tournament, why should they sponsor just the women.
<Jeanette> And how will the other women make a living without 
    sponsors.
<mw9ball> Good point.
<Jeanette> They still need to improve and they need the sponsors to 
    support them and the top players to push their game.
<Jeanette> Who knows how many spectators there are here?
<fred thorlin> How many spectators do you expect in Chicago? BTW the 
    VIP seating is sold out already.
<Tracy> I think you would put a lot of men out of work
<Jeanette> BW, I tend to focus on my strategy and what I want to do 
    with the object balls and the cue ball when I am playing.
<Jeanette> When I am sitting, I am waiting to play.
<BW> i see
<Jeanette> Fred, how do you know these things.  Are you here?
<Jeanette> Thanks Tracy.
<Lynn> In an international tournament such as the WPA do different 
    countries have different styles of play (i.e. Korean players may 
    concentrate more on defense, etc.)
<Tracy> do you ignore the opponent?
<fred thorlin> No. Alas... I have been looking into flying up for the Chicago 
    tournamenty and that little tid-bit came up.
<Jeanette> Tracy, again I focus on my job.
<Tracy> I am coming over saturday
<Jeanette> Lynn, different countries seem to have different styles. It's 
    like if one person learns from Michael Jordan an one person learns 
    basketball from Me. They will definately have different styles.
<Jeanette> The different countries started pool at different times and 
    learned from there own leaders.
<Jeanette> Tracy, make sure you introduce yourself to me.
<fred thorlin> Actually the guy I went to the Dallas tournament with found 
    out about the seating and hotels. He will be at the Chicago 
    tournament.
<Tracy> I'll try
<Jeanette> Everyone else, I am sorry, but I must go. I have a big day 
    tomarrow and I have to rest.
<BW> good luck jeanette!
<Jeanette> I am so glad we got to chat a little anyway.
<fred thorlin> Adieu, ma vie.
<Lynn> Thanks and good luck!  
<Howard> ditto
<Moe> ditto
<Jeanette> Stay in touch on my website. We'll have a chat room soon. 
    And regular updates.
<Tracy> bye 
<mw9ball> Thanks Jeanette. Good luck. Tell George good luck, too!!!!
<Jeanette> www.jeanettelee.com
<Tracy> bye
<Jeanette> By the way, someone else was typeing...so it wasn't my bad 
    spellling :)
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