Setting Up and Laying it Down on the Hustler Stories

crawfish

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As many funny stories about someone sneaking in here, and laying it down for days to bust the house, I thought I'd tell and then ask for a few from you guys. You have to have been there to appreciate this one.

Back in around '99 I was sent to a poolroom in outside of Charlotte to play a fellow, well, let's call him Charlie. Charlie probably played about a ball under me (that is the line I got), and my goal was to try and get weight to kick it off. So, off I went. I had a five day vacation planned, and he was only one objective. So, I get to the poolroom/bar that he played in on Wednesday night. He was obviously the best player in the house and was telling everybody about it standing near the bar. I sat in the corner and drank beer with a hat and full beard.

"I'd love to stick around for this weekend's tournament; but, I have an easy spot to take off near Rockingham. It's a new bar where they won't know me. I heard the owner and his friends go off. So, I'm taking a few grand and gonna go high roll these idiots after I lay down first. You fu#$ers stay here and knock heads, I'm gonna go steal at Lucky's. (NOT real name of the bar, my friend still owns it to the last of my updated knowledge)"

There it was. Man, I knew Stan at Lucky's used to play in Greenville, NC where I first hit balls. So, I didn't wait until Friday, I went straight there. Stan could play a little, but is never gonna break and run out on the barbox. Never. Well, unless four go on the break and the rest are hangers, or "stop and pops." So, I walk into Lucky's LATE Wednesday night and bullshit with Stan for almost an hour. Man, we laughed about the old days and kind of came up with a plan for Charlie. It felt almost sinister.

Thursday night: All kinds of action betting $2 bucks a game on all four barboxes. Only Stanley knew me, so I made about $50 or so and never ran more than four in a row. Well, in walks Charlie. So.. Stanley and me rack them up and play four races to seven with me getting the seven and the last three. We break even. Guys, it was all I could do not to laugh. Stanley and me had actually played a set earlier for my beer tab with him getting the seven, last three, and the break. He didn't like it. We were stabbing balls into the rail with the best of them. With Charlie waiting to take us off. Sure enough, he asks me to play. "No way, that guy gives me weight, and I don't know you. He's good. Why don't you ask someone who can play to play. Hey Stanley, wanna play this guy some?" Of course it went down. At the end, Charlie kept it even with him for $50 a set. "I'll be back tomorrow night, guys." Charlie warned us. Stanley just laughed and mentioned how he'd been laying down and he might need the eight. Charlie was REAALLY smiling when he left.

Forward to Saturday night. I'm again playing Stanley and getting beaten this time with the seven and the last two. Charlie had come in and watched all three sets. Man, he couldn't wait to give up the eight. "Ready for the eight? Huh, Stanley? This time let's bet $500 if you're getting the eight."

"I gotta run the bar until midnight, then I might try you some."
"Hell, I'll take the six and last three." I jumped in.
"Really, what would you bet?"
"Throw in the break and I'll bet $500." I flashed a wad of mine and Stanley's money.
"Would you bet a thousand with the seven and the break?" He couldn't wait to trap us.

So, I waited it out and drank about six and finally came up with the six and the break. Yeppir. Game on. Even milking it, I made it last about three hours in an eight ahead set. He truly thought I was getting all the rolls. Work of freakin' art it was.

"Well, since you're getting all the rolls, how about just the seven and play again?"
"I'll tell you what. I'm feeling pretty good. My buddy just got here with my own cue, too. How much you got?"
"Enough."
"Well, how about the just the seven for all you brought?"
"Sure, bet $2400. Ten ahead."
"Bet."
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, I was buying Charlie a drink. This is probably only the fourth time I've ever told this story, so if anyone figures out the "who's and where's" of it for real, I hope it's been long enough to just laugh it out, now.

Gotta love the "win" stories. I'm not so hot on telling the "lose" ones. These are way more fun. So, how about that for a roundabout way of getting your man. Let's hear some of the quirky stories from you guys.
 
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I've always wondered about hustlers...don't you ever worry that the guy might figure out he's been hustled, lose it, and shoot you dead in his rage? Heck, I'm sure it could happen even if he wasn't hustled. Losing $2,400 in one night might be enough to set someone off. I doubt the places where you guys pull off these hustles are the classiest of places either, so it wouldn't be the nicest of crowds right? Please share your thoughts on this. thanks.
 
I've always wondered about hustlers...don't you ever worry that the guy might figure out he's been hustled, lose it, and shoot you dead in his rage? Heck, I'm sure it could happen even if he wasn't hustled. Losing $2,400 in one night might be enough to set someone off. I doubt the places where you guys pull off these hustles are the classiest of places either, so it wouldn't be the nicest of crowds right? Please share your thoughts on this. thanks.

I'm honestly happy to be alive after all of the vices I've endured. I have children now. Different situations. I've been robbed twice, and cut once. Yes, I'm college educated and still consort with these crowds. Sure, it's iffy. Especially now. And you forgot about the first set. It was $3400. I've been on both sides of the hustle, and it's a lot more fun to have the "inside" on a situation. But, you're right, it is iffy. I look back and thank God, I'm still alive.
 
I've always wondered...Losing $2,400 in one night might be enough to set someone off. ...Please share your thoughts on this. thanks.


IMO...generally the type of person that would flip out over losing a couple of $k is not the type of person who carries a couple of $k around (much less bet it on a pool game).
 
IMO...generally the type of person that would flip out over losing a couple of $k is not the type of person who carries a couple of $k around (much less bet it on a pool game).

And... the funny part is he was there to get us for that kind of dough.
 
I'm honestly happy to be alive after all of the vices I've endured. I have children now. Different situations. I've been robbed twice, and cut once. Yes, I'm college educated and still consort with these crowds. Sure, it's iffy. Especially now. And you forgot about the first set. It was $3400. I've been on both sides of the hustle, and it's a lot more fun to have the "inside" on a situation. But, you're right, it is iffy. I look back and thank God, I'm still alive.

'Iffy' is a two way street.
I saw a guy hustling 3-card monte once.A passer-by said "You could
get shot dealing that game."
The dealer said "You could get shot picking the red card,too."
His smile was like a pirate's coming up the side of your ship with
a knife between his teeth.
The 'passer-by' found something else to do.
 
Don't know if it is safe to tell this even now, though it's been over 35 years. :D

I was a strong player in Charleston, SC while in the Navy and encountered a lot of characters. My game wasn't to hustle and I rarely ever did that (rarely as opposed to "never"). There was a fellow that ran blackjack tables and was an economic consultant to a lot of 'available' women ;). Hair down to his butt, skinny as a rail, jewelry galore... he was always accompanied by at least two very capable looking gentlemen. The guns those fellows carried were not that hard to spot, nor were the pockets bulging with cash which they carried for the boss.

The fellow and I had played 3 different sessions with him getting a strong spot and me coming out substantial winner each time. The fourth session was a bit different since we decided to play it on a bar box. We kept that place open all night (paid considerable to do that) and played well into the next morning. The steam went out of me about 3am and I started losing. At 200/rack on a bar box, it doesn't take long to go down the tubes once the losing starts. I fought back as best I could but when the session was finally over, I was down 4,260 - the most I ever lost by a wide margin in a single match. Odd amount, I never did figure out that 60 part.

Before I walked out of the bar, he said something to me that made me feel a whole lot better about the way things went down. He told me that had I beaten him again that night, he would have had to kill me (there was no smile in his voice or on his face).

I walked out of that bar a happy guy after suffering my biggest loss ever.

And I was still ahead overall.

I won't name any names but those of you that might have been in or around Charleston, SC. in the early to mid-70s could possibly know of the guy I played.
 
Don't know if it is safe to tell this even now, though it's been over 35 years. :D

I was a strong player in Charleston, SC while in the Navy and encountered a lot of characters. My game wasn't to hustle and I rarely ever did that (rarely as opposed to "never"). There was a fellow that ran blackjack tables and was an economic consultant to a lot of 'available' women ;). Hair down to his butt, skinny as a rail, jewelry galore... he was always accompanied by at least two very capable looking gentlemen. The guns those fellows carried were not that hard to spot, nor were the pockets bulging with cash which they carried for the boss.

The fellow and I had played 3 different sessions with him getting a strong spot and me coming out substantial winner each time. The fourth session was a bit different since we decided to play it on a bar box. We kept that place open all night (paid considerable to do that) and played well into the next morning. The steam went out of me about 3am and I started losing. At 200/rack on a bar box, it doesn't take long to go down the tubes once the losing starts. I fought back as best I could but when the session was finally over, I was down 4,260 - the most I ever lost by a wide margin in a single match. Odd amount, I never did figure out that 60 part.

Before I walked out of the bar, he said something to me that made me feel a whole lot better about the way things went down. He told me that had I beaten him again that night, he would have had to kill me (there was no smile in his voice or on his face).

I walked out of that bar a happy guy after suffering my biggest loss ever.

And I was still ahead overall.

I won't name any names but those of you that might have been in or around Charleston, SC. in the early to mid-70s could possibly know of the guy I played.

Again. Nice. "And we're still alive." Thanks and greenie to you.
 
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