In 2007 Professional Billiards Pool Player Jason Lawrence, having played cue sports for over 20 years, switched sports disciplines from Snooker to Pool Billiards. Instinctively Jason found 8, 9, 10 ball and Straight Pool easier to master at a professional / amateur level winning several north England amateur leagues and competitions along the way.

Jason now plays on the Euro Tour Series encountering multiple world champions and national champions from all corners of the European continent. Currently ranked 94th in Europe (out of 675 players), it is without doubt that he has made an emphatic impression on the world of Billiard Sports.

Of Jamaican origin, Jason now seeks to develop his profession further afield by traveling to the North and South American territories holding aloft his adopted Jamaican identity as a symbol of pride and passion within a sport that is dominated by European and Asian players.

Step by step and shot by shot, the Euro Tours one and only Jamaican Pool Billiards athlete Jason Lawrence AKA 'The Lone Wolf' is determined more than ever to leave his mark on the world Pool Billiards scene.

 

 

Name: Jason " The Lone Wolf" Lawrence                        

 

Age: 37

 

Birthplace: Ocho Rios

 

 

Titles:

1989 - 1992

1989 - Birmingham Pro/Am winner

1989 - Birmingham Pro/Am runner- up

1990 - Lost to Peter Ebdon (Birmingham Pro/Am)

 2007

Manchester Straight Pool Champion

 3^rd Place Manchester Pool League

(League players included Daryl Peach, Paul Medati, Andy Worthington, Martin Chapman, and James Kay)

BPPPA 9^th Place (British Professional Pool Players Association)

9^th Place North West 8 Ball Championships

4^th  Place, 2^nd Place & 1^st  Place defeats to Daryl Peach  (2007 9 Ball World Champion)

64^th Place 2007 8 Ball Spanish Open

2008

16^th place Spanish 9 Ball Open (had to forfeit spot because of flight confusion)

Broke into Europe's top 100.

There are many others but these I guess are the one's most memorable.

 
 
Where do you reside right now?
 Manchester, England about 100 miles away from Birmingham
 
 
What part of Jamaica are your parents from?
Mother from Portland

Father from St Catherine
 
 
How did you get the name "the lone wolf"?

I was wondering when someone was going to ask that.

This is a self proclaimed name from the Lone Wolf and Cub chronicles, the story of Ogami Ittō, the Shogun's executioner who uses the Dotanuki battle sword. He was disgraced by false accusations from the Yagyu clan and has been forced to take the path of the assassin. Along with his three-year-old son, Daigoro, they seek revenge on the Yagyū clan and are known as "Lone Wolf and Cub".

 

He cut off the head of a 160 lords all in the name of justice.

This is one reason for this nickname. Secondly I am the following. A Black professional pool Billiards Player;  A qualified teacher; A Product Designer; A Promoter ,I have also been a professional DJ, professional Drummer, and Managing Director of my own company. Show me an individual with all these attributes and I'll cease to call myself 'The Lone Wolf'. A friend of mine recently told me the lone wolf was the code name for John Rambo in Rambo II! Also, the name is symbolic to the position a Cue sports professional finds themselves in at tournaments. You are a lone figure with no coaching or aid at your side, just your skill and the Dotanuki. This is the Lone Wolf...

 
Why did you start playing pool?
 I was a great Snooker player when I was a lot younger so I knew the balls would be easier to pot. Anyway, a few years ago I saw Tony Crosby play Efren Reyes in the World Championships. Tony and I used to be (Snooker) practice pals before he headed off to the US to become a professional Pool Player. Watching my friend on TV inspired me to have a go.
 
 
How long have you been playing?

2 Years and 3 Months.
 
 
 
How often do you play tournaments?

Not often enough. You can never play too many tournaments in my opinion. However for the Pro, he or she has to have the money to travel and enter, so this does slow the process down somewhat. But I guess I play at least 2-3 tournaments per month.
 
 
 
How many hours a day do you practice:

Usually 1-3 hours daily especially before a Euro Tour Series.  Sometimes I really slow down and have as little as 2 hours practice per week.
 
 
 
How do you prepare for a tournament?
 I had many answers for this prior to the Italian Open. But after this tournament the only thing I can suggest is to be prepared for anything to happen!

-          What do you do when your suitcase and cues get lost at the Airport?

-          What do you do when the local people refuse to give you directions to the hotel?

-          What do you do having prepared for your match only to be notified that your opponent isn't there and you win by forfeit?

-          What do you eat when there are no restaurants or supermarkets near?

All of these types of questions and more need answering should you find yourself in a similar situation.

The very least you can do to prepare for a tournament is to maintain a high level of practice and match play so you are confident within yourself.

 Why did you decide to quit teaching to become a professional player?
 I feel the individual has the opportunity to teach others and should always evolve, whilst learning innovative principles and teachings. My decision to turn professional is one of the greatest lessons I have ever taught to anyone. Never give up hope and always follow YOUR dreams!
 
 
What would you say to Jamaican players who aspire to take their game to the professional level?
Get an education first and for most. I know too many players who call themselves professional but don't play at the top level. This is because they have the ability to play at a professional level but have no means of sustaining a career. If these guys had studied when they were younger they would now have greater options for themselves. Because of my educational background I have agreed to become The European Product Developer for McDermott Cues Manufacturing Inc. where I am able to teach others about the game whilst sustaining my professional development. Not many players can do this. I am also a Creative Concept Consultant specializing in Leisure and Sport. Having said that, if someone wants to take the plunge regardless then first; win tournaments regularly, second; find a financial backer and third; good luck!

You also need:

-          Free table time at your club in order to practice (talk to your club manager. When I was a youth I used to bunk off from school and go to my local club. I would collect glasses and clean tables for the manager. She would then give me a free hour on the table. This would be enough to get me focused so when the older men came in I'd play them for money and win. Risky, but I had the ability to do so. But I learnt the hard way when I got older so that's why I went to College and studied)

-          You can also raise funds through doing exhibitions and functions

 Is pool in the European League any different from the American league?

Yes. Tournaments are directed differently depending on where you play so you have to adapt accordingly. The Euro Tour uses Dynamic tables where as most of the American tables are Gold Crowns. Slight subtle differences but can have an impact on your game if you let it.
 
 
 Who is your favorite player or mentor & why:

Paul Medati was my favorite player. He sadly passed away recently... He used to be a professional Snooker player in the 70's and 80's playing with the likes of Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon, Steve Davis and Joe Davis. The OLD SCHOOL!

He was my pal and mentor always showing me how to improve my game and how to survive as a professional cue sport athlete. I still practice in the same room on the same tables so there isn't a day that goes by without me thinking of him. We had planned to go to Naples together for the Italian Open as he loved tournaments that are held in Hotels... I know he's gone to a better place.
 
 
 
What is your favorite pocket pool game?
Definitely Straight Pool 14:1. 14.1 Continuous Pool, also known as straight pool, is played with fifteen numbered balls and the cue ball. Each ball pocketed on a legal called shot counts one point and the first player to reach the required score wins the match. 14.1 is continuous in that after fourteen balls are pocketed, they are re-racked and the shooter continues. This takes greater discipline of mind and soul than the others in my opinion. This is followed closely by 8 Ball and 10 Ball. The reason why I play 9 Ball is because it is still the most popular of the disciplines on the world circuit, however there is too much luck involved in 9 Ball. I think it's time for either the WPA (World Pool Association) to revamp the current 9 Ball rules (at professional level) or just opt for professionals to play 10 Ball.
 
 
 What is your favorite kind of shot?

A Dogged, missed shot by my opponent. It's always a great shot!
 
 
 
What is your greatest strength as a player?
 My temperament is great. I always seem to be able to dig myself out of trouble. The thing I need to work on is not be in trouble in the first place
 
 
What is your greatest achievement in pool?

Turning professional and becoming affiliated to McDermott Cues Manufacturing Inc.
 
  

What is your fondest memory while playing in a tournament?

Difficult to answer, when I am playing I am oblivious to everything outside. Many times people have asked me after a match "did you play well?" and my answer is "I don't know, you tell me?"

At my first ever Euro Tour in Switzerland I recall chilling in the venue, checking out the arena and TV table. Up on the walls in racks the venue had most of the Oliver Ortmann cue series for sale. Anyway about 20 minutes later the venue doors swung open and there he was the man himself, Oliver Ortmann, multiple world champion! That was when I realized that this was not going to be easy! But my fondest memory was when I was playing Thomas Engert in the 2008 French Open. It was 2-1 to Engert and he scratched on the 9! Anyway, picture me sat in my chair waiting for him to concede the rack. Instead he takes the 9 and cue ball out of the pockets, spotted the 9 and placed the cue ball on the top rail. This made me laugh. He actually made me play and pot the 9 ball. So I took 'the mickey', placing the cue ball directly in line with the 9, chalked my cue, walked around the table to view the potting angle, chalked my cue again got down for the shot, stood up and changed hands potting the 9 left handed. It pissed me off a bit but I learnt one thing from that and will teach it to other players. Never ever give the 9 Ball, 8 Ball or 10 Ball. Never!
 

 

What are your views on the lack of "black" players in professional pool?

Sadly it's just the way it is. I don't know why? Maybe it's the lack of money involved in the sport, wealth and celebrity status? But I guess black youth are more interested in Football, Athletics or Boxing. All I and others black pool players can do is to keep on shooting the balls and promoting the game we love worldwide.
 
 

What do you think sets a great player apart from a good player?

Mental attitude! What I mean by this is that the top players never give up. They never concede. They never let their head drop. They never take anything for granted. They always have an eye on the prize. To live the moment rather than  get caught up in it.
 
 
 
What is your view on gambling in pool?

Unless you have a lot of money or a committed financial backer, then don't do it. It's all fair and well if you win but remember at some point you will lose and if you don't have the money to cover the wager then you may lose more than just a match!
 
 
 

Apart from winning, what makes all the time spent practicing and competing
worthwhile?
To be the best you can be. This is satisfying for me I can't speak for others. Sometimes I have lost crucial matches and money but what I learnt from playing the match itself is payment enough. Sometimes when you lose, you win.
 
Would you ever patronize a Jamaican tournament?

 I would love to enter a Jamaican tournament; in fact I would play on your tour if it was achievable. No player no matter where they are from can afford to turn their noses up at the opportunity to play and win.  I will hopefully be coming to play you all sooooon!
 
 
 
What would you say is the best way for a Jamaican player to make pool into a
career?

Go to America. This probably still is the best way for any player around the world (unless from the Philippines) to turn the hobby into a career. It's an American game and their way of life that makes it sustainable as a career. Just imagine the amount of action a player will get out in the States. Playing money matches is just a normal way of life to them. But as previously said when it comes to money matches you really do need to know the place and to be accompanied with someone who knows the culture and the players. Otherwise you'll be inviting trouble. 

You can also try to get better sponsored deals and endorsements from the business world. The best of Luck to you J

 

Here's a big shout to Nicky and the BilliardsJA massive and all the Jamaican 'Pool Billiards' crew. BIG UP!