Hoppe is considered to be one of if not the greatest billiard player of all time. He was a tremendous player at a very young age. This is a quote from a billiard forum I found. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I have a Hoppe signed photo and other items in my collection amongst other billiards guys.
"At the young age of five, Willie Hoppe started learning how to play billiards. He played on the pool table in the hotel that his father owned and operated. Because he was so short, he would stand on a box in order to reach the table. By the age of nine, he became known as the "Boy Wonder" and by age fourteen, he was playing billiards professionally with men three times his age."
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