Did you win or lose the biggest match of your life?

[fjk]

I think the tendency is to only remember the matches you won (or tied ). I'll go with beating SVB in the US Open on the TV table.



14.1, not nine ball.

That's an awesome win! I just watched the entire thing. I'm 90% sure I would have missed that straight in out ball against SVB. Probably would have broken up the rack too. Great playing, you looked really confident at the table.

I have a few notable wins but none as big as yours in tournament play. I did have Howard Vickery hill-hill in a big tournament in the money round (back when he was winning everything). The 8&9 were tied up with no good break out ball around. I ran the 1-7 and left the cue in the perfect spot to play safe. I hooked him. Left the cue about 1 inch behind the 9 and the eight in the middle of the table. He took out one of the stupid shorty jump cues, jumped the full 9 and ended up crapping it in after it went 3 or 4 rails.

On the flip side though, my high run in a tournament was a 60 or 70 something. The bad news is somewhere in the middle of the run, I missed a traditional break ball in the corner and I missed it so bad it went 4 rails back into the corner I was shooting. It was especially funny because I smashed the break and balls were flying everywhere around the table. It was a miracle nothing hit that 4 railer. The second part of that story is I happened to be playing a buddy of mine. I wish my opponents were switched for those two stories

 

[Mensabum]

Just wondering

My mother had given me a buck and a half for milk and bread at the convenience store/ dairy up the street.
It had an old valley bar box in the corner.
Some of the older kids in my neighborhood were banging balls around and one of them recognized me and started in on the 'bully' bullshit.
Long story short, found myself playing him for the buck and a half my mom gave me - with sweat the size of raindrops coming down into my eyes!! Whatever possessed me to step up and challenge that asshole, I'll never know. But I somehow wound up winning that game. (I think he scratched in the 8 ball.) Lol.
Anyhoo, saved my pride, taught me a very valuable lesson, didn't get my ass beat for losing mom's coin and I never looked back.
Maybe that's how all road dawgs get started.

 

[SSP]

My mother had given me a buck and a half for milk and bread at the convenience store/ dairy up the street.
It had an old valley bar box in the corner.
Some of the older kids in my neighborhood were banging balls around and one of them recognized me and started in on the 'bully' bullshit.
Long story short, found myself playing him for the buck and a half my mom gave me - with sweat the size of raindrops coming down into my eyes!! Whatever possessed me to step up and challenge that asshole, I'll never know. But I somehow wound up winning that game. (I think he scratched in the 8 ball.) Lol.
Anyhoo, saved my pride, taught me a very valuable lesson, didn't get my ass beat for losing mom's coin and I never looked back.
Maybe that's how all road dawgs get started.

Great memory

 

[bdaumueller]

Well I guess loosing to Jimmy Caras in the University of Wisconsin Great Hall (Memorial Union) in front of a pretty big crowd was big for me. In 1963 I think. Both Richard Helmstetter and I got to play San Lynn Merrick (1962 Co-ed Intercollegiate Pool Champion). These exhibitions were for winning or placing second in UW pool tournaments (Straight Pool). As you might know Richard went on to become a famous cue maker (I have one of his cues) and inventor of the Big Bertha golf club among other accomplishments. After pursuing my career path I did buy a Brunswick Gold Crown III from Jerry Briesath who gave me a few free pointers. Also, I did get to watch a Willie Mosconi exhibition match with Michael Van Vleck who was probably the best player in Madison at the time along with Virgil Pope. Sorry for rambling but the question brought back a bunch of memories.

 

[Cue Stick]

Had a tournament match against a much better player with a lot on the line. Played the best pool of my life (hill-hill), but miscued on the 8-ball and lost the match.

 

[Mensabum]

Great memory

Thanks.