Well as most all my stories start out, it was way back when:...1973, I was 14yrs. then, had been around pool and playing for only 2 yrs.
There were three pool halls in Warren,Arkansas......
One was called Barney's, that's where mostly all the old men gathered to play, another was Wayne's, it had a restaruant in the front part that was divided by a big glass plate window, which had the pool hall on the other side, a mixture of 30 yrs and above guy's, then there was Rod's pool hall about a block away from the rest down beside the railroad tracks next to the bakery,which consisted of the younger crowd 14yrs to 30yrs old guy's.
All these pool halls at the time had three 5x10 snooker tables and two 4x8 pool tables in each of them.( this was the tail end of the hall's their, for they all closed within 5 yrs from that time)
Snooker was 10 cents a cue, 8 ball was 15 cents agame, 9-ball was 10 cents agame, and you could play golf or pool on "time" for 1 1/2 cent a minute.
Well it was in the summer, I was at Rod's pool hall one afternoon and these two new guy's came walking into the pool hall, you know how it is when new people walk into a locale bar, or pool room, everyone's eye's are on them! well this was no different.
Well Dick and his road partner walked in,( Dick looked tobe in his mid to late 30's) nice shirt,jeans,tennis shoes, and what LQQKED tobe wearing "Fishing Hats"
They eased around and got them a coke, and chips and just sat around for a few, then wandered over to the counter where the owner and I was setting, well they started out with the small talk you know, then the owner ask what they was doing in town ?......
Dick said: and I remember it very well "Were Fishing" and the owner said: what you fishing for?...
Dick come back: "Anything That Will Bite" hehe
The owner was pretty savey, and said yeah, ya'll LQQKing for a pool game ain't ya!
Dick says yeah, any small action around?, owner says maybe......he looks at me and say's go get your brother Calvin and tell him that some road players are here wanting to play.
Man I jumped like a "cat', I ran down those railroad tracks about a mile away to our house and told my brother about the players at the pool hall wanting to play some.
Calvin was about 24 yr. at the time and well versed in pool, he came to the pool hall, he and Dick agreed to play $20.00 9-ball, and that was a big game for around there at the time.
Warrens population was only 6,000 at the time and still is about the same.
Well the news spread like 'wild fire" around town in both of the other halls that there was a big game going on at Rod's.
Soon there was standing room only in that pool hall, cars pulling up, people standing outside peering through the windows, I'm not kidding!
Hell it looked like someone had gotten murdered around there, the "Chief of Police" came down to see what was going on!, and he hated gamblers, especially my brother, so he stood around giving the "evil eye" for awhile! then left.
The 9-ball game was going back and forth for awhile, then Dick ask the owner of the pool hall if he could make him a mixed drink, ( now Warren,Ar. was a dry county, still is) but the owner said Ok, (that was a first and only time he ever allowed it) but Dick got a 7-UP outta the coke machine and went out back to their ride and mixed him one!.....and as time went by Dick went out back several times!
Well Dick being the more "Seasoned " player bested Calvin outta $200.00, not real big $money but not bad!
After the 9-ball game was over Calvin ask Dick to go up the street to Wayne's pool hall and play snooker, Dick agreed, and off they went, I think they broke even playing snooker that evening(night).....
I have had a lot of "RESPECT" for San Jose Dick ever since that day at the pool hall..........
many yrs. later.....
Back in 1998, Dick came to Texarkana,Ar. and played in a fairly big 9-ball tournament, and Calvin ask Dick if he remembered that time back in "73," but he didn't, but most players only remember the times they lose!, not the wins so much!, thats a given!, or atleast it is that way with me!
The next day after this tournament in Texarkana, I did play in a 5 handed 9-Ball ring game down at Calvin's club with Calvin,some guy from Texas, Dick and this other guy from Arizona that had gotten sucker punched in the eye during the tournamment the day before, I came out pretty good winner in that ring game!. .....
Well thats how I remembered it!:smile:
David Harcrow
There were three pool halls in Warren,Arkansas......
One was called Barney's, that's where mostly all the old men gathered to play, another was Wayne's, it had a restaruant in the front part that was divided by a big glass plate window, which had the pool hall on the other side, a mixture of 30 yrs and above guy's, then there was Rod's pool hall about a block away from the rest down beside the railroad tracks next to the bakery,which consisted of the younger crowd 14yrs to 30yrs old guy's.
All these pool halls at the time had three 5x10 snooker tables and two 4x8 pool tables in each of them.( this was the tail end of the hall's their, for they all closed within 5 yrs from that time)
Snooker was 10 cents a cue, 8 ball was 15 cents agame, 9-ball was 10 cents agame, and you could play golf or pool on "time" for 1 1/2 cent a minute.
Well it was in the summer, I was at Rod's pool hall one afternoon and these two new guy's came walking into the pool hall, you know how it is when new people walk into a locale bar, or pool room, everyone's eye's are on them! well this was no different.
Well Dick and his road partner walked in,( Dick looked tobe in his mid to late 30's) nice shirt,jeans,tennis shoes, and what LQQKED tobe wearing "Fishing Hats"
They eased around and got them a coke, and chips and just sat around for a few, then wandered over to the counter where the owner and I was setting, well they started out with the small talk you know, then the owner ask what they was doing in town ?......
Dick said: and I remember it very well "Were Fishing" and the owner said: what you fishing for?...
Dick come back: "Anything That Will Bite" hehe
The owner was pretty savey, and said yeah, ya'll LQQKing for a pool game ain't ya!
Dick says yeah, any small action around?, owner says maybe......he looks at me and say's go get your brother Calvin and tell him that some road players are here wanting to play.
Man I jumped like a "cat', I ran down those railroad tracks about a mile away to our house and told my brother about the players at the pool hall wanting to play some.
Calvin was about 24 yr. at the time and well versed in pool, he came to the pool hall, he and Dick agreed to play $20.00 9-ball, and that was a big game for around there at the time.
Warrens population was only 6,000 at the time and still is about the same.
Well the news spread like 'wild fire" around town in both of the other halls that there was a big game going on at Rod's.
Soon there was standing room only in that pool hall, cars pulling up, people standing outside peering through the windows, I'm not kidding!
Hell it looked like someone had gotten murdered around there, the "Chief of Police" came down to see what was going on!, and he hated gamblers, especially my brother, so he stood around giving the "evil eye" for awhile! then left.
The 9-ball game was going back and forth for awhile, then Dick ask the owner of the pool hall if he could make him a mixed drink, ( now Warren,Ar. was a dry county, still is) but the owner said Ok, (that was a first and only time he ever allowed it) but Dick got a 7-UP outta the coke machine and went out back to their ride and mixed him one!.....and as time went by Dick went out back several times!
Well Dick being the more "Seasoned " player bested Calvin outta $200.00, not real big $money but not bad!
After the 9-ball game was over Calvin ask Dick to go up the street to Wayne's pool hall and play snooker, Dick agreed, and off they went, I think they broke even playing snooker that evening(night).....
I have had a lot of "RESPECT" for San Jose Dick ever since that day at the pool hall..........
many yrs. later.....
Back in 1998, Dick came to Texarkana,Ar. and played in a fairly big 9-ball tournament, and Calvin ask Dick if he remembered that time back in "73," but he didn't, but most players only remember the times they lose!, not the wins so much!, thats a given!, or atleast it is that way with me!
The next day after this tournament in Texarkana, I did play in a 5 handed 9-Ball ring game down at Calvin's club with Calvin,some guy from Texas, Dick and this other guy from Arizona that had gotten sucker punched in the eye during the tournamment the day before, I came out pretty good winner in that ring game!. .....
Well thats how I remembered it!:smile:
David Harcrow
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