Last night was a league night for me and after league was over I decided to play a game or two just for practice and as I was about to put quarters in the table a getleman walks over to me and asks if I want to play a few, he offers to split cost on the first game and I say "Sure, why not."
I hadn't even payed attention to this guy during the night but noticed he was in the bar, in the pool area. I think he was playing a few games on the tables away from the tables where we were playing our league matches.
So our first game I let him break, he breaks dry, but really spread the balls out nicely. I proceed to run down to last object ball and had to play a bank to try and get position on the 8. I could have cut in a shot fairly easily but knew the only way to get a decent position on the 8 was the bank. I double titted out the bank just barely missing it, he proceeds to almost run out but slightly missed on his last object ball but noticed during his game his sound stance/stroke/etc. You could tell this guy knew how to play.
We play a few more games and sometime during these games he makes a comment about how he's only been playing for a year and a half (my BS meter maxxed out) he wins one, I win one, both run-outs and then wait for it ......... " How about $5/game." he says. DING, DING, DING.
I hesitated for a second thinking to myself, (Is this guy trying to hustle me?) but I said "Sure why not." and decided to try and buckle down and give him my best game to see how things go. We go back and forth for 5 games (of which it was all but run out's on both our parts) and after the 5th and he's up $5 only due to a flubbed 8 ball shot on my part he asks if I'd like to up it to $20/game and if it weren't for the fact I was light on cash on hand and the loud/annoying karaoke playing in there I would have probably went for it just for the experience.
I could tell he smoked because I could smell it on him when he passed by closely a few times during playing and I smoke as well so I ask him to go out for a smoke and we get to talking outside and find out he's a Trucker from Georgia (I saw a rig out in the lot when I got there earlier in the night) and he tells me he likes to play the best players he can find to learn more and more and he admits to asking the barkeep who was the best player in there and barkeep points me out. As we were talking outside he talks about playing other players for $50 - $100 per game in his travels around the country and how one of his better friends used to be a road player for big cash stakes, etc.
Anyway........we part ways after that and as I'm driving home I recall a couple shots he made but put himself in bad position when he was down to the last object ball and I remember thinking that it was as if he did it on purpose because there was no reason to get that out of shape. Everything about his game tells me he was an even better player than he showed in the $5 games, I would guess he's a Master player at worst. I'm about 90% sure this guy was a regular hustler in his travels and maybe some of you out there have run into him. He's a tall lanky guy wearing cowboy boots and belt buckle ........ I wish I could remember what he told me his name was. I'd say he was late 40's in age.
If nothing else I hope some of you enjoy the story here and remember to watch out for a tall lanky cowboyish truck driver in his late 40's who says he's only been playing for a year and a half ........ this guy can play.
I hadn't even payed attention to this guy during the night but noticed he was in the bar, in the pool area. I think he was playing a few games on the tables away from the tables where we were playing our league matches.
So our first game I let him break, he breaks dry, but really spread the balls out nicely. I proceed to run down to last object ball and had to play a bank to try and get position on the 8. I could have cut in a shot fairly easily but knew the only way to get a decent position on the 8 was the bank. I double titted out the bank just barely missing it, he proceeds to almost run out but slightly missed on his last object ball but noticed during his game his sound stance/stroke/etc. You could tell this guy knew how to play.
We play a few more games and sometime during these games he makes a comment about how he's only been playing for a year and a half (my BS meter maxxed out) he wins one, I win one, both run-outs and then wait for it ......... " How about $5/game." he says. DING, DING, DING.
I hesitated for a second thinking to myself, (Is this guy trying to hustle me?) but I said "Sure why not." and decided to try and buckle down and give him my best game to see how things go. We go back and forth for 5 games (of which it was all but run out's on both our parts) and after the 5th and he's up $5 only due to a flubbed 8 ball shot on my part he asks if I'd like to up it to $20/game and if it weren't for the fact I was light on cash on hand and the loud/annoying karaoke playing in there I would have probably went for it just for the experience.
I could tell he smoked because I could smell it on him when he passed by closely a few times during playing and I smoke as well so I ask him to go out for a smoke and we get to talking outside and find out he's a Trucker from Georgia (I saw a rig out in the lot when I got there earlier in the night) and he tells me he likes to play the best players he can find to learn more and more and he admits to asking the barkeep who was the best player in there and barkeep points me out. As we were talking outside he talks about playing other players for $50 - $100 per game in his travels around the country and how one of his better friends used to be a road player for big cash stakes, etc.
Anyway........we part ways after that and as I'm driving home I recall a couple shots he made but put himself in bad position when he was down to the last object ball and I remember thinking that it was as if he did it on purpose because there was no reason to get that out of shape. Everything about his game tells me he was an even better player than he showed in the $5 games, I would guess he's a Master player at worst. I'm about 90% sure this guy was a regular hustler in his travels and maybe some of you out there have run into him. He's a tall lanky guy wearing cowboy boots and belt buckle ........ I wish I could remember what he told me his name was. I'd say he was late 40's in age.
If nothing else I hope some of you enjoy the story here and remember to watch out for a tall lanky cowboyish truck driver in his late 40's who says he's only been playing for a year and a half ........ this guy can play.
