Who was the last player that really impressed you?

[Snapshot9]

And I don't mean on the TV or the net. Who did you watch in person that really impressed you as a player. I have played 49 years, so it takes a little talent to really impress me.

It been 4 or 5 years ago, but it was the final match of the Midwest 9 ball tour event at Sidepockets here in Wichita. Jamie Baracks won the tournament, and I was impressed with how well he shot. He double dipped, I forget if it was Steve Rector or Jr. Brown (both are friends of mine) in the final match.

Jamie shot one shot that stands out in my mind. He was hooked and the cue was along the long rail a little bit past the side pocket. The one was about 10-12" from the head corner pocket (a back cut), but Jamie was hooked by 2 balls with about 14" space between the 2 balls. He jumped both balls, cut the 1 into the corner, and then went 2 rails for perfect shape on the 2. The trick was he had to kill the cue, but keep spin on the cueball to get the shape on the 2. He shot the shot as well as it could be shot.

I was impressed with the rest of his shooting too, including his break.

That's my story, and I am sticking to it!

Who's the last player to really impress you?

 

[PoolBum]

Mitch Ellerman when he won the Swanee Tournament at Hollywood Billiards in 2009. I had never seen him play before and let's just say he was a touch above the rest of the field and impressed me as having a very big game.

 

[pocketpoolpete]

John drew hager

JOHN DREW HAGER, now this kid can play..............

 

[TVmike]

I didn't write the message.

 

[PocketPoint]

The last player to impress me was this young man I met at the Derby named Jason Hunt. He finished top 20 in the Banks division---a nobody from Buffalo NY. He made numerous runs of 3 and 4 and I saw him break and bank out twice----once in two seperate matches. This kid was hammering the balls in the pockets at light speed and shooting without even looking where he was aiming. It was quite exciting to watch and he seemed draw a crowd every match he played. He beat Roberto Gomez and had Jeremy Jones and Ronnie Alcano on the ropes----Ronnie got 2nd by the way....
This was the most recent player I have seen that has truly impressed me.
TvMike

I guess so. I'm near Buffalo and I've never heard of him or seen him at any tournaments!

 

[Masayoshi]

Efren at the Japan Open last year. He was playing like Efren.

 

[tattoo]

theres this young kid name JESSE TORRES.....he plays in alot of the bigger tournys down here in houston....boy can this kid play...if he stays on the track he is on.. everyone on here will here about him in the future..plus just a really nice kid...

 

[Johnnyt]

Venom. I'm not into watching trickshots but he blew me away. Johnnyt

 

[Buckzapper]

Who impressed you?

Max Eberly at Turning Stone Casino, Joss Event Dec.18,2010. Playing against Tom McGonagle, Max was down 8-2 in a race to 9. He fought back to tie it up at 8-8 with flawless, superb execution of not only safties, but runouts. At 8-8 he was left an almost 90 degree cut on the 9 on the side rail near the second diamond. He sliced it down the rail at high speed from the opposite rail and the cueball ziz-zagged back and forth from side rail to side rail and finally stopped. Then Max made a tought 9 for the win as every eye in the auditorium waited to see it fall. Max is a class act.

 

[Chi2dxa]

Diane Crane ex-wife of Wade Crane. She was always calm under preasure always in a nice smooth rhythm. She would put on Saturday tournaments at the Pool Room in Duluth Georgia which were handicaped and always fair and then proceed to win it. Now there were some good and I mean good shooters there but most of the time she came out on top. This always gave me big laugh because guys did not want to be beat by a woman but there was nothing that you could do about it because she was just good. It was a joke to spot her because she could always out run you when you thought you had the nuts. She just seemed to always have just enough horse power to beat you but not blow your doors off. Smart Player.

 

[jay helfert]

Two players - First Jesse Engel. This kid is on the fast track to pool greatness. He has all the tools plus a cool head to go with it. And he's only 18!

Second and this will be no surprise is SHANE VAN BOENING! Already a great player, he's only getting better. Not only did Shane win the One Pocket title at DCC and finish second in the 9-Ball, plus win the Master of the Table crown, he made the shot of the tournament and maybe the year, at a crucial time in his semifinal 9-Ball match with Niels Feijen.

The score was 6-6 in the race to seven. If Shane wins this match and makes it into the finals with Dennis Orcullo, he is assured of the Master of the Table title and an extra twenty grand! That's all. Plus another 4K in prize money (possibly 12K) in the 9-Ball division. So this game represents a 20-25K game of pool for Shane.

There is an exchange of shots and Shane is left with a long shot on the four ball, with the eight ball partially blocking his view. If he fails to hit the ball or make a good safety this match is surely over. Shane takes a long look at the four (no jump cues allowed!) and decides to go at it by jumping the eight with his playing cue. Disaster looms! He jacks up and slams the cue ball at high speed, it jumps the eight, bounces into the four which flies into the corner pocket, and the cue ball miraculously draws back up table for a shot on the five! This one shot takes the breath away from the entire audience packing the TV arena. There is first a gasp and then stirring applause. Then he makes a testy shot on the five ball and runs out for the match. This kid is a WINNER!

The good news is that you can see it too on a DVD provided by Accu-Stats. Watch this shot, again and again! I've never seen a better shot made under extreme pressure. Shane continues to improve as a player. No telling what he will achieve in his career. By the way, I had the pleasure to speak with his grandfather Larry Van Boening, a former NFL player, yesterday and he and Shane are ice fishing as we speak. What a kid!

 

[Island Drive]

Two players - First Jesse Engel. This kid is on the fast track to pool greatness. He has all the tools plus a cool head to go with it. And he's only 18!

Second and this will be no surprise is SHANE VAN BOENING! Already a great player, he's only getting better. Not only did Shane win the One Pocket title at DCC and finish second in the 9-Ball, plus win the Master of the Table crown, he made the shot of the tournament and maybe the year, at a crucial time in his semifinal 9-Ball match with Niels Feijen.

The score was 6-6 in the race to seven. If Shane wins this match and makes it into the finals with Dennis Orcullo, he is assured of the Master of the Table title and an extra twenty grand! That's all. Plus another 4K in prize money (possibly 12K) in the 9-Ball division. So this game represents a 20-25K game of pool for Shane.

There is an exchange of shots and Shane is left with a long shot on the four ball, with the eight ball partially blocking his view. If he fails to hit the ball or make a good safety this match is surely over. Shane takes a long look at the four (no jump cues allowed!) and decides to go at it by jumping the eight with his playing cue. Disaster looms! He jacks up and slams the cue ball at high speed, it jumps the eight, bounces into the four which flies into the corner pocket, and the cue ball miraculously draws back up table for a shot on the five! This one shot takes the breath away from the entire audience packing the TV arena. There is first a gasp and then stirring applause. Then he makes a testy shot on the five ball and runs out for the match. This kid is a WINNER!

The good news is that you can see it too on a DVD provided by Accu-Stats. Watch this shot, again and again! I've never seen a better shot made under extreme pressure. Shane continues to improve as a player. No telling what he will achieve in his career. By the way, I had the pleasure to speak with his grandfather Larry Van Boening, a former NFL player, yesterday and he and Shane are ice fishing as we speak. What a kid!

He couldn't of picked a colder day Jay, hope they are all right, it's a raw -11 here in Colorado Springs and near thirty below with the wind, its ALLOT colder up where he's at, maybe one of many reasons why he's good at not shakin' under pressure burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

 

[Black-Balled]

Max Eberly
...he was left an almost 90 degree cut on the 9 on the side rail near the second diamond. He sliced it down the rail at high speed...
...Then Max made a tought 9 for the win as ...
...Max is a class act.

One of those is an outright lie!:wink:

I have see more than a few, save the current Pinoy squad and svb in the last 5 yrs...

Guy that blew me away was Eugene Browning. Didn't miss a ball for hours and kicked better than anyone I have ever seen, live or vid. 1 rail kicks long-ways where he'd thin the OB and send whitey on a long trip...sending the OB away and drifting CB to a crippling spot. In the hole too.

I know his mix was right.

 

[Hierovision]

Bustamante. I know that's an easy pick, sorry.

He was playing Chris Melling at the US Open and made an insane full-table shot with shape that required less than 1/16" of accuracy to see the next shot. I think it might've been luck, but regardless I was impressed. I felt bad for Chris lol. I just looked at him and shook my head. He was in disbelief.

 

[Worminator]

Watching John Brumback in the banks at the DCC is always the highlight of the year for me in regards to watching pool. He is so disciplined with his shot selection and commitment to each shot he chooses. Great guy as well!

I have watched a many a bank pool players (Bugs, Spaeth, Truman, Donnie Anderson, Brian Gregg, Tony Fargo, ect.) in my day, and John is the best I have ever seen play the game.

 

[jay helfert]

Watching John Brumback in the banks at the DCC is always the highlight of the year for me in regards to watching pool. He is so disciplined with his shot selection and commitment to each shot he chooses. Great guy as well!

I have watched a many a bank pool players (Bugs, Spaeth, Truman, Donnie Anderson, Brian Gregg, Tony Fargo, ect.) in my day, and John is the best I have ever seen play the game.

I saw Eddie Taylor play Banks. These other guys you mention are very good (especially Bugs) but Taylor was other worldly. EVERY bank he hit went toward the hole! He never hit one that was off course. Some may have rattled the pocket and stayed out, but they were still close to going in. Every guy I see playing today hits some bad ones once in a while. By the way, Shannon should be up there with these other bankers you mention. I put Donny Anderson, Truman, Gary Spaeth, Tony Fargo and John Brumback all in the same class of Banker. The greatest bankers of all time after Taylor and Bugs.

 

[PocketPoint]

I saw Eddie Taylor play Banks. These other guys you mention are very good (especially Bugs) but Taylor was other worldly. EVERY bank he hit went toward the hole! He never hit one that was off course. Some may have rattled the pocket and stayed out, but they were still close to going in. Every guy I see playing today hits some bad ones once in a while. By the way, Shannon should be up there with these other bankers you mention. I put Donny Anderson, Truman, Gary Spaeth, Tony Fargo and John Brumback all in the same class of Banker. The greatest bankers of all time after Taylor and Bugs.

Did Taylor ever play Bugs?

 

[jay helfert]

Did Taylor ever play Bugs?

Yes, I think Taylor beat Bugs on two occasions, but there seems to be a question about the second match. I do know Taylor is the only guy to come to Chicago and beat Bugs on his home court. By the way, I have been told that Javenly Washington (also from Chicago) was a better player than Bugs and could beat him at all games. Unfortunately he spent most of his life in a mental institution.

 

[satman]

Nice post Jay....

I saw Eddie Taylor play Banks. These other guys you mention are very good (especially Bugs) but Taylor was other worldly. EVERY bank he hit went toward the hole! He never hit one that was off course. Some may have rattled the pocket and stayed out, but they were still close to going in. Every guy I see playing today hits some bad ones once in a while. By the way, Shannon should be up there with these other bankers you mention. I put Donny Anderson, Truman, Gary Spaeth, Tony Fargo and John Brumback all in the same class of Banker. The greatest bankers of all time after Taylor and Bugs.

I agree,,, never seen Eddie Taylor play in his prime,, but watched Gary play a lot in the 80's, along with Truman, Fargo, and Shannon... I saw Donnie play a few times and Bugs only a couple..... John Brumback is starting into his learning curve, heading into the best bank games he will ever play. He has not nearly peaked yet. In the last 5 years, his game has jumped a bunch, and I think it is catching his interest, to see just how much more he can improve. If he keeps chasing perfection, I think we may see the best bank pool in history. Just my opinion.

 

[iba7467]

I could probably mention a couple here, so I will.

Brian Gregg winning the bank ring game at DCC two years in a row. His crossing-reverse spin three rail bank into the corner was something I had never seen before. The next year, he started the ring game with a 7.

I watched a local player go 23 and out in one pocket.
Game 1 goes back and forth until he rockets in a bank and runs his remaining six.
Game 2 he breaks, makes a ball, and runs out.
Game 3 the opponent broke but left enough to bank a ball above the rack toward his pocket. He made the bank and ran out.
Although the inning changed because of the alternating break format, he never missed for 23 and out.

Johnny Archer. What impressed me wasn't his playing. At a good sized tournament in GA with a lot of players from around the state capable of running racks, the calcutta folded because no one would bet on anyone other than Johnny winning. To encourage action, I offered to pay a bounty on Johnny for anyone that was willing to pay $20 to enter and no one would pony up.