Ronnie at the HOF Dinner
Ronnie, “Fast Eddie” Allen, originally from Oklahoma, in his teens Ronnie found his way to California, where he discovered the very active pool scenes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He won the very first tournament he ever entered, Cochran’s One Pocket tournament of 1962, which included a veritable who’s who of early One Pocket legends.
As a tournament player
Ronnie has won One Pocket events over three decades:
- Cochran’s One Pocket tournament in 1962
- Johnston City One Pocket division in 1970
- Red’s Open One Pocket in 1984
Ronnie in action
As an After Hours Player
Ronnie was perhaps the dominant One Pocket player for nearly twenty years, from the mid 60’s to the mid 80’s, his flamboyant style at the table being as popular with the spectators as it was overwhelming to his opponents. During those peak years, it took a rare player to face Ronnie even; nearly everyone could get a ball or two — or more.
Ronnie also developed a very strong one-handed technique. Many players who hesitated to step to the table with him in normal fashion were enticed to take him on, their two hands to his one, only to find he shot nearly as well one-handed!
Ronnie at the rack
Credited with inventing ‘power One Pocket’
Ronnie is famous for his creative shots that aggressively move several balls at once away from his opponent’s pocket and towards his own. His entertaining and exciting style of play came as quite a contrast to the conservative style employed by most of the top One Pocket players when Ronnie first burst on to the One Pocket scene. His exciting style has inspired many of our younger generation of players, which has made the game itself more entertaining for countless fans.