In 1972 Hawaiian Brian Hashimoto was getting the Call 7 from Billy Johnson and losing. By 1973 he was winning even. He played everybody even and by 1977 was a Road Monster. He then went back to Hawaii and opened his room never really played much anymore. I can't remember players jumping up to play him during this time. By the way his OP game was right there with all the top players during that time.
I played Brian several times in the early 70's in my poolroom. He gave me the seven ball in 9-Ball and 9-7 in One Pocket. His game seemed to get better every time we played and the results only got worse for me. He was just so much fun for me to play with that I never could resist making a game with him. I just loved his style, squinting at me with that sly grin of his, sunglasses on top of his head and coaching/commiserating with me on the shots I missed. In Bakersfield I was a big shot, owner of the biggest poolroom and well known in the community. But on the table Brian was my boss! He kept me humble.
One time he got robbed in Bakersfield. There were a lot of outlaws there back then. Brian called me and came down to my poolroom. He needed money just for a motel and to get back to Los Angeles. He asked me for 100, but I gave him 200 and told him he might need it. From then on if I ever visited Hawaii Brian would send a car to pick me up at the airport and take me to a nice hotel. On checkout they would tell me the bill was already paid! Even after all our battles on the felt he was my dear dear friend. I always loved to see him when he came over to Vegas for tourneys there.
There is something about being a part of the pool community back then that people never talk about. I made some of my best friends during those years. Most of them poolplayers and hustlers of some kind. But I could always get money if I needed it (which was rare) and I knew they had my back if anything came down. When I won all that money at Rustys in Dallas, Brian, Jack Cooney and Swanee were there watching. None of them said a word to me but I was comforted knowing they were there. I did not feel alone.
