Born in 1979

Thorsten Hohmann was born and raised in Fulda, Germany. His parents are Gerhard and Inge Hohmann. He was born at 6:40am on Saturday, July 14th, 1979. He weighed 2400g and 49cm long.

Fulda is a city in the State of Hessia and it is located on the Fulda River in the heart of Germany about 120km (& miles) northeast of Frankfurt. Fulda is known for its tire manufacturing and its beautiful Baroque architecture, like the Cathedral of Fulda.

Early Years

Thorsten has always been very interested in sports. He used to be a member of the local soccer club, Germania Fulda, where he played the forward for seven years. He was also a very active member playing table-tennis and badminton.

When Thorsten was nine years old, his dad took him to the local pool hall “Centhof” for the first time. in Fulda near the railway station. The father and son duo went there several times. On his 10th birthday, Thorsten received a miniature pool table as a gift. It was the attraction of the neighborhood. No special talent for pool was recognizable yet…

PBC Fulda 1992

At the age of 12, Thorsten and his classmate, Patrick, enjoyed playing pool once in a while at the public pool hall Centhof. To save money, Patrick discovered a club in the yellow pages called PBC Fulda (Pool-Billiard Club). Instead of paying by the hour for a pool table, they only had to pay a monthly flat fee (the 2007 fee was 15 EUROS per month for kids under 18 years old) for as much pool time as they wanted. The club had five 9-ft. tables squeezed into two rooms and a separate lounge and bar with a television and a couch.

Michael Wahl

The first person Thorsten met at the club in May 1992 was Michael Wahl, the club’s youth instructor. From the very first day, he became Thorsten’s coach, mentor and somewhat his second father. Michael started teaching Thorsten almost every day and also drove him to the various tournaments in the state and beyond. Their focus on technique and straight pool built a strong foundation for the young boy’s future…

Thorsten’s diligence and discipline was unprecedented. Even during the summer, despite temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) when other kids went to the swimming pool, Thorsten would stay at the club practicing Michael’s drills and exercises.

The club quickly became his second home and the club’s members were Thorsten’s greater family. Most of the members were older than him and the social cohesion was very deep. If Thorsten stayed late, there was always a friendly member to give him a ride home.

The most important element for Thorsten’s career was the love and support of his parents. Sometimes, his mother prepared a home-cooked meal and his father brought it to the club so Thorsten could stay there and practice.

Interestingly, years later, Thorsten convinced his parents to join the club’s annual Christmas Fun Tournament. Since then, they have been active members of the club and play in the leagues and tournaments.

Early success 1993

Thorsten’s studiousness was rewarded with nine European Junior Championship titles (four team, three eight-ball and two straight pool) and plenty of German and State Championship titles. At the age of 16, he won his first open adult tournament with 128 players in the State of Hessia.

The German Billiard Union (DBU) honored Thorsten with the “Silver Needle” for exceptional accomplishments and being a role model for all junior players.

In his third year of playing, the club’s number one team, Fulda 1, requested Thorsten’s talent for the season. Quickly, Thorsten managed to become the club’s best player and he lead the team all the way to the highest division of the state.

Heroes

At first, Thorsten had his local heroes such as Frank Lakaschuss, Stephan Enders and Joerg Soeder. They were the top players of the club and Thorsten spent a lot of time playing with them. Soon after, Thorsten started observing the national and international scene. Three German players had been dominating the pool circuit in Europe the entire 80’s and early 90’s – Oliver Ortmann, Ralf Souquet and Thomas Engert. Whenever there was a chance, Thorsten drove to various events throughout the country to watch and learn from his favorite players.

An international superstar moved to Germany – Francisco Bustamante from the Philippines. He influenced Germany’s pool a lot and was admired by all players, including Thorsten.

PBC Fulda and Thorsten on the rise 1996

In 1996, four years after Thorsten joined the PBC Fulda, the club was offered to buy a property and move from the tiny structure in downtown Fulda to the former US-army barrack “Down-Barracks” in North-West Fulda. The new building was ideal for a “pool arena” with a spacey 300qm2 room, big enough to fit 10 tables and a big lounge for spectators separated through a glass window.

At the same time, Thorsten had several options to leave the club to play for other first division teams from other clubs, but the PBC Fulda’s management decided to do everything to keep the up-and-coming talent in Fulda.

Two top German players, Kai Windemuth and Shervin Rahimi, were hired and the team managed to win the State Championship and climb through a tough qualification to the Second Division in Germany, but it wasn’t enough. In their first try with an additional engagement of star player, Dieter Johns, the PBC Fulda 1 reached Germany’s highest division, the “Bundesliga,” and won the Championship title in their first try.

An Important Win in 1997

Even as an individual, Thorsten caused a stir. At the age of 18 in 1997, he beat no one else, other than his hero, Ralf Souquet, in a German 8-Ball ranking tournament final at 11-0. Thorsten started with six break and runs, came try on the break, but after a miss from Souquet, Thorsten finished the set with another five break and runs.

In the following year, Thorsten beat Francisco Bustamante, 11-8, in the biggest prize winning 9-Ball tournament final at that time in Germany for 10,000 German Mark in Chemnitz. The match was recorded for television and aired throughout Germany.

Thorsten ended the season with first place in the 8-Ball and 9-Ball division and was voted “Athlete of the Year” from his home town of Fulda.

Teaching time

Working with his coach Michael for years and having worked with top Germany coaches, such as Dieter Johns and Guenther Geisen, Thorsten got interested in teaching. He put a pool table in his school, Konrad Adenauer Schule, where kids were able to play before, in-between and after class. Once in a while Thorsten gave an exhibition.

At the end of the year, there was a “project-week” where students could choose from a list of 30 different projects before the summer holidays began. Thorsten offered pool lessons at the clubhouse and every year it was the number one pick for all the 1200 students. For five days, Thorsten, Michael and volunteers were teaching about pool’s fundamentals, physics and the fun of the game.

The school liked the work and started its own course for 25 students every Tuesday held at the clubhouse. Thorsten gave grades for the class with a diploma at the end of each school year…

Later, Thorsten became a German Certified Instructor by finishing several courses at the Physical Education College in Frankfurt and with Ralph Eckert, a pool training supervisor. Thorsten assisted Ralph Eckert in training the National Team of Thailand in Bangkok. He also hosted a course for the National Team of Poland and gave weekly lessons at his club in Fulda

Years in the German Army

Thorsten graduated from his school in 1997 and decided to go to a school of further education; however, a few months into his study, the German Army offered him a spot in their special sport corps. Thorsten didn’t hesitate. He quit school, joined the army in the spring of 1998 and never looked back.

After passing the two-month basic training in Sontra, Hessia, he was transferred to the sport support unit in Holzwickede, about a 2 ½ hour ride from Fulda.

German Army Sport’s Corps

The German Army Sports Corps is a very important institution for the sporting success in Germany and for Germany altogether. Most of the medals won by German athletes in World Championships, European Championships, German Championships and Olympic Games were won by members of the sports corps. It gives athletes in amateur sports, the opportunity to practice like professionals with a decent salary and full, free health insurance.

Life in a Soldier’s Uniform…

Thorsten was required to come to the barracks terrain once a month. All of the athletes of the various teams, such as golf, boating, archery, women’s soccer, ice-skating and billiards, gathered to discuss new developments, promote soldiers and discuss their recent achievements.

Once every four months, there was a “Green Week.” From Monday to Friday, the all-sport soldiers would “play army” by going to the shooting range, learn about defense strategies, do physical exercise together or go on an educational trip. It was always a lot of fun and never really tough.

Thorsten’s daily work was a bit different and helped him to elevate his game a lot. Thorsten had to make a schedule for each upcoming week. The plan was always created and signed by his coach, Michael. Five days a week and two sessions of four hours each day were required. The content was up to Michael and Thorsten. Even tournaments counted as service rendered. Physical exercise was a big portion of Thorsten’s work. He would run by the nearby pond, go to the gym or ride his bike around the countryside of Fulda. All of the pool drills and exercises were made up and controlled by Michael.

Straight Pool High Run

It was November 2nd, 2001 when Thorsten broke his straight pool high run record. He was playing his friend Wolfgang and started with a 76-ball run in the second inning. At Thorsten’s next visit at the table, he ran 404 balls. Thorsten is one of the few players to have a 400+ run.

Thorsten’s success was limited at the time. It was his transition period from the juniors to the adults, but he achieved enough success to get his army contract renewed for a total of five years until 2003.

Fate meets Thorsten in the World 9-Ball Championships 2003 (Cardiff, Wales)

Thorsten was geared up and ready for the World Championships. Weeks prior to the event, the club PBC Fulda prepared a table just for Thorsten to practice on – with new cloth and tight pockets. He worked on his break and played long sets with several sparring partners every day.

During the event, Thorsten was staying with his friends, Malcom and Liz, who lived just outside of Cardiff. The lovable couple took care of Thorsten and supported him throughout the Championship. Decisive for his success could have been the English breakfast he had every morning, which included ham, bacon, black pudding and beans.

Thorsten cruised through the field. The first crucial moment was in the quarter-final when he was losing to Bustamante at 6-10 in a race to 11. However, an uncharacteristic error by Bustamante allowed Thorsten to get back in the game and move on into the semi-final against the then current World 9-Ball Champion, Earl Strickland.

“The Hitman” is born

That was the first time the world was paying attention to the 22 year-old from Fulda. Organizer Matchroom Sport was looking for a nickname for Thorsten and it was John McDonald, Matchroom’s Master of Ceremony, who came up with the nickname “The Hitman.”

Thorsten dominated Strickland and there was no doubt left, with his 11-6 victory, that it was time for new blood.

The final, airing live around the world, showed a very focused Thorsten Hohmann. In a race to 17, he controlled the match against Alex Pagulayan from the beginning on. In the middle of the match, at a score of 12-10, Thorsten took off and claimed the next five racks to win the $75,000 US prize, the trophy and most importantly, the title of the 2003 World 9-Ball Champion. At the time, Thorsten was the youngest person to ever win that championship. Only Wu Chia Ching from Taiwan beat Thorsten’s record as he won the title in 2005 at the age of 16.

Thorsten had a surprise welcome at the airport from his family, friends and fans; all of whom had been watching and sweating his matches live at an Irish pub in Frankfurt, Germany. A long night partying and many stories followed. Thorsten broke through international terrain …

What came next …

Not only did Thorsten win the money, the trophy and the title, he also got invited to play in various special events for the following year and he did very well.

In more than 70 percent of the tournaments he competed in, he finished in the top ten, including:

* Euro Tour in Holland – 1st Place
* New Jersey State Straight Pool Championships – 1st Place
* US-Open – 2nd Place
* Intercontinental Team Cup – 1st Place
* On Cue 2 in Manila – 2nd Place
* World Pool League – 2nd Place
* All Japan Championships – 3rd Place
* Florida State Championships – 2nd Place
* European 8-Ball – 1st Place
* German 9-Ball – 1st Place
* Sudden Death 7-Ball – 2nd Place

He many more great finishes was chosen to represent Team Europe in the prestigious Mosconi Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada. The European team lost after a close battle with the United Sates team.

He proved to the world that he was not a one-hit wonder, with a constant drive to improve his game and to become a better player.

The Hitman meets the Korean Dragon 2004

Thorsten started spending most of his time traveling away from home. During one of the tournaments in 2004, he was invited to play in the Florida Open, which is promoted by Charlie Williams. They became close friends and Thorsten began to spend a lot of time in Florida.

Charlie convinced Thorsten to consider moving to the U.S. Pool had been slowing down in Germany and sponsors were becoming harder and harder to find. Just recently, Rodney “the Rocket” Morris, had moved to Spring Hill, Florida to become the house pro of the popular pool hall, Capone’s. Charlie had the idea of relocating Thorsten from Germany to Florida, but the first step was to find a home pool hall for him.

In September, 2004 Thorsten was introduced to Jeff Scott, owner of Bankshot Billiards (aka Bankshots) in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeff took a long drive with Platinum Billiards owner, Shane Sinnot, to Atlanta just to meet Thorsten, who was playing a tournament at that time. One week later, Thorsten visited Bankshots, which had recently opened as an upscale pool hall with over 10,000 square ft. and 22 Olhausen pool tables.

By the end of the year, Thorsten officially became Bankshot’s first house pro. He practiced there, gave lessons and represented the room during his tournaments. In the beginning, he was staying with the owners, Jeff and Joan Scott, but soon Thorsten made a lot of new friends. Two of them were Dan Laski and his girlfriend Deirdre Haefeli, who were looking for a roommate for their new house. It was just a 5 minute drive from Bankshots. In April, 2005 Thorsten moved into the “Dome”.

2005

Charlie realized that Thorsten needed some help finding sponsors and getting his name out, so in May, 2005, Dragon Promotions became Thorsten’s management.

2005 was another great year for Thorsten. After winning the European Straight Pool Championships for the first time with a tournament average of 50 balls per inning (Thorsten ran three times 125 and out, including semi-final and final) and he demolished one of America’s favorites, Johnny Archer, in the BCA Open Final with a 7-0 white wash on ESPN.

In September, Cue and Case, became Thorsten’s sponsor.

His new cue: Lucasi with a Universal SmartShaft.

Just two weeks after receiving his new cue, Thorsten won the Sudden Death 7-Ball against Corey Deuel on ESPN and the following week, the World Pool League against Fransisco Bustamante in the final.

Thorsten became busier and busier, but Bankshots wanted Thorsten to spend more time at the pool room, so they finally decided end their business relationship. Thorsten still resided in Jacksonville, FL.

The big news in the world of pool was the International Pool Tour. Founded by infomercial king, Kevin Trudeau, the tour promised never-before-seen high class pool event production with an unprecedented amount of prize money. Thorsten was selected to be one of the 43 players to compete in the first event called “King of the Hill” in Orlando Florida, but after being abstinent of 8-Ball for a long time, he turned into a spectator after the second day of the tournament. Efren Reyes won the King of the Hill and the $150,000 US prize.

2006

The new year, after spending several weeks in Fulda with coach Michael, started promising with a tournament win in Verona at the Turningstone Classic 6.

In July, Thorsten snapped of the first modern World Pool Championships held at the Hilton Hotel in East Brunswick, New Jersey. He only needed three innings race to 200 to defeat his German fellow, Thomas Engert, and win this title that was important to him. Thorsten also eliminated US-top player, John Schmidt, with a 174 balls and out unfinished run.

After winning the event the main sponsor, Randy Goldwater, invited him for a few days to stay in New York City. They became friends and Thorsten ended up staying in the big apple for the entire summer. He practiced every day at New York’s finest, Amsterdam Billiards, mostly playing Straight Pool and 8-Ball, getting ready for the IPT season.

European 9-Ball Championships 2007

For the first time Thorsten wins Europe’s most important title by beating Polish’s Radoslaw Babica in the final with 9:3

New York City

In Spring 2007 Thorsten moved to New York City, where he practiced daily at America’s finest – Amsterdam Billiard’s and Bar near Union Square in Manhattan. It has always been the dream of Thorsten to live in the city for a period of time. He made a lot of friends there and it was a great experience, but also a tough time for Thorsten, who had to go through his first long “pool depression”

Permanent Resident

Thorsten got his first US P1 visa after winning the IPT in fall 2006 and one year later he received the O1 working visa for another two years. After a lot of paperwork and financial investments the immigration bureau finally approved his permanent recidency (aka Greencard) in April 2009

Back to Jacksonville, back to success

After a long 1 1/2 years period of devastating results Thorsten decided to move back to Florida. It would not take long to find himself on the path of success again. In summer 2008 he won the Lucasi Hybrid Straight Pool Invitational beating Mika Immonen in the final with a 167 ball run. He also won the Accu Stats Invitational Straight Pool event going undefeated through a crueling five-man double round robin(Bill Incardona and Danny diLiberto labeled him as the best straight pool player in the history of Pool)

Thorsten also won his first event in Asia beating again Mika Immonen in the final of the Asian 10-Ball Championship in Seoul/Korea 9:1

First own home

Taking advantage of the real estate situation in the United States Thorsten found himself moving into a condo in Jacksonville, Florida mid-2009 and realized his dream of owning his first home in America.