Steve Booth is our first ever One Pocket Hall of Fame “meritorious service” inductee. He is the founder of OnePocket.org, the premier One Pocket related website, and for 20+ years Steve has used this platform to freely promote everything about the game of One Pocket. Countless new converts to One Pocket from around the world have built, and continue to build, their foundation of knowledge with the aid of OnePocket.org resources.
OnePocket.org launched in May 2004, with this stated mission:
- Provide a comprehensive internet resource to help all One Pocket players improve their level of play
- Educate and encourage all One Pocket fans to further their enjoyment and spectator participation in the game
- Facilitate networking and cooperation between One Pocket players, promoters and fans for the purpose of helping the game of One Pocket grow in popularity, and helping One Pocket events to be more successful
- Maintain standardized rules for One Pocket play
- Uphold and promote the dignity of the game in a manner that encourages new player, promoter and fan participation in One Pocket
- Recognize individuals or businesses that have especially contributed to the game of One Pocket over a significant period of time
With Steve’s leadership role, OnePocket.org created the first complete modern rules for One Pocket, superseding the very limited rules that had been available prior to 2004, setting a modern rule standard befitting today’s popular and complex game.
In September 2023 Steve published a comprehensive One Pocket instructional book, The Art of One Pocket. The book has been well received both in the US and Europe, with some of the European book profits going directly to support One Pocket tournaments in countries new to the game.
Steve’s interest in the history of the game led him to seek out and record interviews with many of the elder legends of the game, ensuring these great player’s stories would not be lost to the mists of time. These interviews are published on the OnePocket.org website, along with guest articles about the history of the great game of One Pocket.
Recognizing that with its long history of mostly “after hours action” play, One Pocket players were under represented in the BCA Hall of Fame, Steve started the One Pocket Hall of Fame with a vote by OnePocket.org members in November 2004. This led to the very first One Pocket Hall of Fame dinner MC’ed by the late Grady Mathews at the January 2005 Derby City Classic, and the induction of great players and promoters of the game like Ronnie Allen, Grady Mathews, Leonard ‘Bugs’ Rucker, Bill ‘Weenie Beenie’ Staton, as well as living legend Efren Reyes and the recently deceased Danny DiLiberto. Freddy ‘The Beard’ Bentivegna was a guest speaker that first HOF dinner, and became Co-Master of Ceremonies after that.
Steve has also been a prolific pool photographer since launching OnePocket.org, adding a visual legacy of player photos, from locals to hall of famers over the years.