Grady, Jay Helfert, Freddy B.

cuetechasaurus said:

Yeah I heard Keifer Sutherland staked Parica. I don't remember if I read that in 'Playing off the Rail' or if someone told me that. I heard he isn't too bad of a player himself.

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When Keith McCready was 16 years old, he remembers Keifer Sutherland well. At the Billiards Den, Keifer staked Morro Paez against Kim Davenport playing 9-ball. Some other celebrities who frequented Billiards Den in addition to the ones mentioned by Jay Helfert are: Greg Morris from "Mission Impossible," Peter Falk, Richard Pryor, Kevin Dodson, and Mickey Dolan from The Monkees.

JAM

Great stories, thank you.

Richard

Jay how about some stories on Cole Dickson. He played pretty sporty also. I bet you know quite a few. Thanks again for all the great reading!!!!

Philipino boxer Manny Pacquiao

has been hospitalized because of over-fatigue after doctors said he need to rest following a hectic two-week schedule shooting commercials and playing pool. His manager said Pacquiao "had no sleep for several days because of indorsements and playing pool". Manny is a former multiple champion and #1 contender. I have read were he likes to gamble playing and staking fellow philipino players.
http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/5432262

I concur with others who contend that Grady, Jay and Freddy produce some great stories about the good old days of pool. I think, that for the same reasons, most of us enjoy the posts of OldHasBeen and Hemicudas. These five have seen enough pool for 100 lifetimes, and they all enjoy sharing what they've seen.

Jeff Carter is another player whose name pops up as winning many a major tournament in the '80s. What is he doing these days? Just curious.
JAM


I saw Jeff at the WPBA in Michigan City a few weeks ago and ran into him last weekend in Racine Wisconsin at Sailor's place on Taylor Street. They were recovering Sailor's table.
Fun was had by all. I very much enjoy his sense of humor...not only is he a world class player but a talented comedian as well.
ruk

Jeff is a great guy with a terrific sense of humor. Ask him to do his impersonation of Earl sometime. You will positively crack up.

And he could play, at the highest level. Didn't win too many major events, but was always a contender, usually making the top ten finishers.

He did win many regional events. And was considered a top level One Pocket player. He beat many players for the money as well.

He was a good room mate too, except when he tried to climb in bed with me. lol. Just kidding Jeff.

jay helfert said:

As for Freddie, we go back to the 60's in L.A hanging around the old Billiard Den and rubbing shoulders with stars like Telly Savalas, Don Adams, Vince Edwards, James Caan, John Brascia, Phil Specter and many more.

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Do you remember Specter's bodyguard/chauffer named George? He played real well, liked to gamble, and used a 36-ounce cue! He was one of the most frightening guys I've ever seen. Some other celebrities that attended the 14.1 championships in the late 60's at the Elks in MacArthur Park, L.A. were Fred Astaire, James Coburn, and I believe Peter Falk.

Doc

Yeah, thanks a lot guys! I have learned more about the real characters of billiards in the past 4 months than I learned in the previous 16 years that I have been shooting.

Love Grady's commentary on the tapes, have not heard Jay or Freddy. I am really getting excited for the DCC to come around again, as I might be able to get up there and get to meet these guys and get a photo or two (or, dare I dream it??? ...maybe a quick lesson!!!).

Selective memory

jay helfert said:

Thanks to all of you. I really appreciate the kind words. I truly enjoy chatting on here, and rapping with Grady and Freddie.

...I was on the road with Danny Medina and he was beating everybody back then in Ohio and Indiana. We were good winners by the time we got to Chicago. We ran into Freddie at Chris's and he had a big backer who wanted us to play 500 a game full rack Banks with Freddie. Danny was playing super so I gave him the go ahead. He and Freddie played all night and we won five or six games.

Meanwhile the backer (Wayne?) picked on me. He asked me if I played. We ended up playing short rack banks for 50 a game and I pulverized him for about 15 or 20 games. It was brutal as Fats used to say. Do you remember all this Freddie?

Yes, I do remember that. Like all of us old-time pool hustlers, all you remember or are willing to talk about are the victories, but you have conveniently left out when you staked Ether (Keith McReady) against me playing banks in St Charles IL. You were running the tournament and had to leave Keith with the bankroll while you refereed a match. You hurried back but it was too late, I had already broke Keith. Now for the final note to the Medina story, we played banks again in Akron, Ohio. This time we were both betting our own. Danny won the first two games but I beat him 8 in a row and he packed it in, never to play again.

Footnote to the guys on the forum:
It's hard for the guys to talk disparagingly about me, because like J Edgar Hoover, I have a dossier on everybody. And yes, Wayne was my backer's name.

the Beard
Bank on, Jaybird!

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sjm said:

I concur with others who contend that Grady, Jay and Freddy produce some great stories about the good old days of pool. I think, that for the same reasons, most of us enjoy the posts of OldHasBeen and Hemicudas. These five have seen enough pool for 100 lifetimes, and they all enjoy sharing what they've seen.

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I have too agree with SJM here. Keep the stories coming guys!

Jay do you remember Cuban Joe from the Ye Billiard Den. Always had a great Ring game going at the Den with Lenny Moore. These guys had cash coming out of their ears. Once Joe got stuck up for all his cash, about 10 K. I asked him what he was gonna do. He said just got to the safety deposit box and get 10 G's more. What happened to all these great gamblers?

freddy the beard said:

Yes, I do remember that. Like all of us old-time pool hustlers, all you remember or are willing to talk about are the victories, but you have conveniently left out when you staked Ether (Keith McReady) against me playing banks in St Charles IL. You were running the tournament and had to leave Keith with the bankroll while you refereed a match. You hurried back but it was too late, I had already broke Keith.

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Dear Freddy, I have seen you throw my name around the Internet a few times and always read your posts with amusement. As far as St. Charles goes, you beat me out of a couple games, but just to get the story straight, we weren't betting high enough for you to bust me or Jay. Then we played in Chicago after I got done playing Piggy and Bugs for 2-1/2 days, and we broke even. Not to take anything away from you, you played good. I just want to see if you can do it again.

Just for the record, Freddy, I am not in need of a lobotomy, and second of all, I want to rehash our bank pool game. I would love to come to Chicago, put up about 10 grand, a dime a game, and play some 10-ahead long-rack banks until somebody drops. It won't be like playing Harry Platis, trying to steal something. I hope you respond to this, and if you're interested, send me a PM, and we can make some arrangements.

Tootaloo, Freddy. I'm anxiously awaiting for your response. I'm tired of all the BS on the Internet. I want to get it out of the mud.

Selective memory again

Keith McCready said:

Dear Freddy, I have seen you throw my name around the Internet a few times and always read your posts with amusement. As far as St. Charles goes, you beat me out of a couple games, but just to get the story straight, we weren't betting high enough for you to bust me or Jay. Then we played in Chicago after I got done playing Piggy and Bugs for 2-1/2 days, and we broke even. Not to take anything away from you, you played good. I just want to see if you can do it again.

Just for the record, Freddy, I am not in need of a lobotomy, and second of all, I want to rehash our bank pool game. I would love to come to Chicago, put up about 10 grand, a dime a game, and play some 10-ahead long-rack banks until somebody drops. It won't be like playing Harry Platis, trying to steal something. I hope you respond to this, and if you're interested, send me a PM, and we can make some arrangements.

Tootaloo, Freddy. I'm anxiously awaiting for your response. I'm tired of all the BS on the Internet. I want to get it out of the mud.

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Keith, let's start this off with, I am 65 and on social security. Harry Platis is now a stretch for me. So me and you aint playing no more. However, those "couple" games I won in St Charles amounted to about $3500. I am sure Jay will concur. And that "broke even" in Chicago was also a different tune. Yes you did just get done playing Piggy and Bugs-- and you beat them, by the way. Bugs played you 8 to 7. But Race Track Phil Guagliardo gave me $400 to play you $200 a game banks. I won the first eleven games in a row! We played a very long time. You fought back and got a few games back after I ran out of gas and didnt have a mixture as strong as yours. You certainly did not get even. When Phil got back from the track and he seen I was rhummy, he made me pull up about 6 games ahead.
For the record, I dont believe I ever said anything bad about you on these forums. You were a great, great player kid. You just couldnt beat me playing banks. (I am not even going to mention our bank game at Monroe Brocks tournament in KY) You're going to have to wait until the next life to get even.

the Beard

freddy the beard said:

Keith, let's start this off with, I am 65 and on social security. Harry Platis is now a stretch for me. So me and you aint playing no more.

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Freddy, you're funny. You've always been a tough customer in the bank pool game. I'm not going to take that away from you. I guess I was a little out of line trying to play you 10-ahead, not realizing that you were 65. You've always been a thorn in my ass playing banks. So maybe that's why I rared up and wanted to play you some.

freddy the beard said:

However, those "couple" games I won in St Charles amounted to about $3500. I am sure Jay will concur.

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As far as Jay Helfert goes, I don't ever remember him giving me 3,500. That's a lot of money for Jay to be giving up at one time, but if you say he did, maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. We'll have to hear from Jay.

freddy the beard said:

And that "broke even" in Chicago was also a different tune. Yes you did just get done playing Piggy and Bugs-- and you beat them, by the way. Bugs played you 8 to 7. But Race Track Phil Guagliardo gave me $400 to play you $200 a game banks. I won the first eleven games in a row! We played a very long time. You fought back and got a few games back after I ran out of gas and didnt have a mixture as strong as yours. You certainly did not get even. When Phil got back from the track and he seen I was rhummy, he made me pull up about 6 games ahead.

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I remember you having me stuck, but it seemed like to me I got even. Maybe it felt like I was even. We played so many games and for so long that we were both rum-dummed when it was over.

freddy the beard said:

For the record, I dont believe I ever said anything bad about you on these forums. You were a great, great player kid. You just couldnt beat me playing banks. (I am not even going to mention our bank game at Monroe Brocks tournament in KY) You're going to have to wait until the next life to get even.

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Well, Freddy, I don't have many years left in me either, but if we do have to play again in our next lifetime, I'm hoping to come back as a cue-ball, so I can give you a couple bad rolls (ha-ha).

Your friend, Keith

jay helfert said:

Well that's enough for now. I did play a little pool in my day. As recently as this year I got the best of Tang and the Lizard playing banks on my table. But don't tell anyone please.

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Would that be the same Lizard aka Steve from TX?

Hey Keith good showing at Valley Forge,i saw the match with you and Danny, it was classic,i mean,he really analyzes those racks and your words were priceless,lol,i cant stop laughing about it.

The next life

Well, Freddy, I don't have many years left in me either, but if we do have to play again in our next lifetime, I'm hoping to come back as a cue-ball, so I can give you a couple bad rolls (ha-ha).

Your friend, Keith[/QUOTE]
Nice talking to you, kid. I will always remember you and Cole Dickson firing balls in a hundred miles an hour on those ridiculously tough tables in Burlington, IA. I think you were about 18. Best of luck to you and JAM.

the Beard


Check me out at Bankingwiththebeard.com. My web-site is finally up and running

freddy the beard said:

Nice talking to you, kid. I will always remember you and Cole Dickson firing balls in a hundred miles an hour on those ridiculously tough tables in Burlington, IA. I think you were about 18. Best of luck to you and JAM.

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So you remember Burlington, IA. That was really something over there. I got off the plane with little money. I had enough to play in the tournament and get me a room for one night.

I saw Dan Louie there, and Dan Louie staked me in the ring game. I busted the ring game, and then I played Don McCoy and busted him. Next, I played Mike Corella and busted him. Busted another ring game. Got jarred and played that guy that had open-heart surgery named Lorren that was a crook, one of Don McCoy's men. I played him 800 a game, lost 6 games by missing the 6-ball, the 7-ball, the 8-ball, the 8-ball, the 7-ball, the 6-ball until I realized the guy I was playing had jarred me. The balls became real fuzzy. At least I was smart enough to realize it. I pulled up 4,800 loser, but still had plenty of money.

I waited until the jar wore off, and then I busted Louie three times, played Larry Hubbard, busted him, and then Mike Corella again on the end. Those were tough tables, weren't they? I think those were some of the toughest tables we ever played on in life. And let's not forget when Jimmy Mataya then officially barred me from the ring game because I was running too many racks. He told me I was too young, had to be 21 to play, but the real reason was that he knew I was the only one who could get out on those phoney tables. If I do recall it right, I was 5-and-0 in the tournament, and then it was to be known that nobody was going to get paid. So I scrammed. Do I have it right, Freddy? Am I close? Let me know.

Peace. Your friend, Keith.