Who was the best pool player you ever played in your pool career?

scsuxci said:
Actually I forgot about Gerry who i have played and Jumpin joe Lawrence who I've played also.Both those guys are real funny and Joe Lawrence has more story's than Walt Disney and in his prime played better than anybody on Earth(imo).Many guys didn't want any part when it came to gambling with Joe.
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Played Joe many years ago at a pool room in Oshawa (Le Scratch???). Think Jeff White was the house pro. Remember you could not tell the original color of the cloth because so many drinks had been spilled on them. Beat Joe quite handily. He missed a shot and jumped straight up into the air. His cue must have traveled another three or four feet in the air. Came down and bounced on the table. Jeff wanted to throw him out but Joe talked him into allowing him to continue. Think it was a qualifier for a tournament whose finals were held in Montreal. Archer and Corey Deuel were also invited to play. Incidentally, thanks for correcting Joe's last name. Really am getting old.

Lost to The Ghost in the finals of the New York State 9 Ball in 1991 or 92. He was a great player. Sort of disappeared a few years later. Any idea where he went?

Lyn
 
cardiac kid said:
Played Joe many years ago at a pool room in Oshawa (Le Scratch???). Think Jeff White was the house pro. Remember you could not tell the original color of the cloth because so many drinks had been spilled on them. Beat Joe quite handily. He missed a shot and jumped straight up into the air. His cue must have traveled another three or four feet in the air. Came down and bounced on the table. Jeff wanted to throw him out but Joe talked him into allowing him to continue. Think it was a qualifier for a tournament whose finals were held in Montreal. Archer and Corey Deuel were also invited to play. Incidentally, thanks for correcting Joe's last name. Really am getting old.

Lost to The Ghost in the finals of the New York State 9 Ball in 1991 or 92. He was a great player. Sort of disappeared a few years later. Any idea where he went?

Lyn
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Last time I ever heard he was still doing some trick shot shows but thats about it.It took me years to find out why they nicknamed him the ''Ghost''.

At first most people thought it was because his hair and mustache
was as white as a ghost,which made sense to me but then was told
something different.

Gerry was a much better gambler than tournament player and people said
that he was called the Ghost because if he played safe and stiched
you up there was no way you could ever see your ball,so people
thought the Ghost was a proper nickname.

I watched Jerry gamble for thousands in Niagra Falls and was some of the
best action and pool playing I've ever witnessed in my life.What a night.:smile:
 
The other funny thing with Jerry is when most people seen the
cue he used they were stunned.He had a old warped to shit Meucci
that was under 18 ounces.
When I first met him he was selling Meucci and Lucasi cues at a tournament.
 
Lock N Load said:
Name the person that you think is the best pool player you have ever played in your time playing pool from the beginning of your pool playing days? Thank you for your input.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
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Santos.
-----------------
 
As far as I'm concerned

until you've recieved a spanking from Mr. Buddy Hall, you don't know what perfect pool is about. I was hard core road hustling in the sixties and Buddy suggested we "practice" some five dollar nine ball and he would give me the six. It didn't matter what he gave me he never missed one ball. At one hundred dollars an hour, I figured it was cheap to witness the performance. Of course, traveling with Eddie Taylor showed me how balls cross the table into the pockets right fair.
Keep it nice. Alfie
 
Krzysztof Wróbel (Polish snooker champion).

His pool is very nearly perfect. ...Really, he pots and holds position perfectly within millimetres 99% of the time.

Played quite a few games with him. The only times I've won have been run outs. Basically if I give him one visit to the table, 99 times out 100 I know I'm going to lose on that visit.

He's also very likeable as a person; calm, polite, open, and optimistic. He co-owns two pool clubs where I live, and quite often he comes and chats with me and my friends when we play.

A few days ago I texted him about a small problem at one of the clubs, and he personally phoned me and apologised for something that was not even his fault.

As he focuses on snooker it's unlikely that he'll develop a high profile on the pool circuit any time soon, although he says that when he turns fifty he's going to switch to pool as his main game. :)
 
I guess that would be Grady Mathews in an exhibition game, 9 ball, I ran out and was the last match of the evening. I then had Grady follow me to his motel as he was unfamiliar with the area.
 
scsuxci said:
The other funny thing with Jerry is when most people seen the
cue he used they were stunned.He had a old warped to shit Meucci
that was under 18 ounces.
When I first met him he was selling Meucci and Lucasi cues at a tournament.
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When I met Jerry he was selling Hublers out of the trunk of his car. He was playing with the Meucci, though. I think that's the only cue I ever saw him play with. As Lyn says, he was a great player and often played in the New York State 9 Ball Championship tournament. Got so for a while people got worried if he didn't show up to play for some reason.
 
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Life on the road was a lot of fun before the internet and camera phones.

scsuxci said:
Last time I ever heard he was still doing some trick shot shows but thats about it.It took me years to find out why they nicknamed him the ''Ghost''.

At first most people thought it was because his hair and mustache
was as white as a ghost,which made sense to me but then was told
something different.

Gerry was a much better gambler than tournament player and people said
that he was called the Ghost because if he played safe and stiched
you up there was no way you could ever see your ball,so people
thought the Ghost was a proper nickname.

I watched Jerry gamble for thousands in Niagra Falls and was some of the
best action and pool playing I've ever witnessed in my life.What a night.:smile:
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Jerry and I played when he first came to the States gambling. He was betting high in Louisville (beating everyone) and came over and stayed with some friends in S. Missouri. We played in their basement one night for a few hours. I think he underestimated me, I was only 17,and looked younger. That was an advantage in those days saying "I'm in highschool".

Also Joe Lawerence was running around the country when I was gambling full speed as well. We played several times on the Bar Table and it was "tough action". I remember the face he used to make when he took out his teeth, if you know what I'm talking about - it was disturbing. :eek:

They say I played everyone at one time or another, but used aliases most of the time. Life on the road was a lot of fun before the internet and camera phones.

"Mike" from Indiana, "Butch" from Tennissee, "Chris" from Missouri, and no one every figured out who played better. They all did play about about the same, you might even say "identical".

I've been "nailed" on my real identity a few times and just denied it until the match was done......and we were well down the road. :wink:
 
cardiac kid said:
Played Joe many years ago at a pool room in Oshawa (Le Scratch???). Think Jeff White was the house pro. Remember you could not tell the original color of the cloth because so many drinks had been spilled on them. Beat Joe quite handily. He missed a shot and jumped straight up into the air. His cue must have traveled another three or four feet in the air. Came down and bounced on the table. Jeff wanted to throw him out but Joe talked him into allowing him to continue. Think it was a qualifier for a tournament whose finals were held in Montreal. Archer and Corey Deuel were also invited to play. Incidentally, thanks for correcting Joe's last name. Really am getting old.

Lost to The Ghost in the finals of the New York State 9 Ball in 1991 or 92. He was a great player. Sort of disappeared a few years later. Any idea where he went?

Lyn
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Lyn,
It wasn't the NYS finals in 92, because you finished 13-16 that year. (All About Pool volume 3 #3 June 1992)You have over inflated your pool ability and couldn't chalk Gerry Watson's cue. B players have spanked you all over the state. You're a Ron Casanzio wannabe.
 
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Does anyone know where Joe lawrence is now? We ran together in the 80's for about six months. Funny story about Joe. We were at a tourny in Ga and he lost a match and disappeared. It was storming bad and raining hard, so, I look out the door and he's sitting beside the building looking up and letting the rain hit him right in the face. I said man what are you doing, and he said anyone that plays that bad should torture themselfs. I've seen him run his head into a brick wall after playing bad. He could also name every song and how long it was to the second. He was a funny guy and we made alot of money together.
 
I really miss that era and I'm pretty sure it's gone for good.

backplaying said:
Does anyone know where Joe lawrence is now? We ran together in the 80's for about six months. Funny story about Joe. We were at a tourny in Ga and he lost a match and disappeared. It was storming bad and raining hard, so, I look out the door and he's sitting beside the building looking up and letting the rain hit him right in the face. I said man what are you doing, and he said anyone that plays that bad should torture themselfs. I've seen him run his head into a brick wall after playing bad. He could also name every song and how long it was to the second. He was a funny guy and we made alot of money together.
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Last time I saw Joe Lawerence was in 88 or 89.

Mike Johnson was another undercover player that used to play with me, "Country Calvin", Reid Pierce, Doug Smith, Jimmy Sanders, and Eugene Browning. I had a heck of a match one time with Billy Ray Suddan outside Chattanooga Tenn. at the bar "Browns" where they filmed 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia'....what a setting for a Pool Movie. :thumbup2:

Brian Ashley was around back then as well. There was a large group of road players that WOULD PLAY. I mean muscle up and play for days upon days. I really miss that era and like it or not, it's gone for good. Still a LOT of great stories though, it sounds like many people here know some great ones. I was on the road for 7 straight years and it was quite a life.
 
Best player?

The best player I have ever played was the best player ever:Vernon Elliott!!!
 
Cracktherack said:
Lyn,
It wasn't the NYS finals in 92, because you finished 13-16 that year. (All About Pool volume 3 #3 June 1992)You have over inflated your pool ability and couldn't chalk Gerry Watson's cue. B players have spanked you all over the state. You're a Ron Casanzio wannabe.
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You're correct. It was 1991. Found the trophy from Pocket Billiards Lounge in my trophy case. If you would care to make a large wager on this question, I'd be glad to bet it up!

Regarding my playing ability, you probably are correct again. I've lost to "C" players in my time. Incidentally, as long as you brought up my friend Ron, the last few times we've played head to head at a Joss event, I've won. But you're correct again. I've tried for years to be exactly that. A Ron Casanzio Wannabe! Can say with a smile on my face I've achieved that goal. Seems you're the one with an inflated ego.

Lyn
 
The Old Days..

Played Mosconi in an exhibition at a Pool room called the Billiard Tree in Inglewood Calif In 1964,He broke safe and I ran 47 balls,then he finished the game out to 125 without a flaw.Up close and personal<I Never saw a more beautiful stroke and clean concise shooting anywhere.I use to really look forward to when He would come to the south bay area,Richie florence was about 19 then and Mosconi would always take the time to play a few games of nine ball with him and they were both something to see.
Hitman!
 
best player

Rodney Morris- beat him in a best of three 8 ball tournament at Hawaiian Brians in honolulu HI, was prob about 7 yrs ago now so i was about 21-22yrs old. when i got down to the last couple shots of the match my hands were shaking something fierce never had my hands shake so hard before or since. damn nerves.
 
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I was fortunate enough to play Steve Mizerak at a local exhibition back in the 90's. I also played the following pros over the years:

Corey Duel
Dee Adkins
Chris Bartram
Janette Lee
Johnny Archer
 
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