Pro player stories, your experience....

George

George

Balance is everything
Silver Member
Access to pro pool players by fans is very easy unlike any other pro sport. This is a given. I want to hear about your pleasant/good experiences. Save the bad ones for another thread please.

I could tell you dozens of stories, living in New England and being a fan for the last 20 years or so have probably spoiled me. Almost every pro player of note typically made their way through our area. I've met so many over the years there are just too many to mention but a few of the notables have been Efren, Varner, Rempe, Bustamante, Mika, McCready, Archer, Strickland, Parica, Hopkins etc. The list goes on..........

I could tell you about the time my 12 year old nephew matched up with Efren playing chess, the action was ridiculous. Or I could tell you about hanging around one night for hours sucking down cocktails and listening to Larry Liscotti recount various road stories, he could tell a story but.......

I'll start with a story about a true ambassador of the game. The date was September 9th 2000. I showed up early that Saturday morning, I'd say 9:30ish for The Tony Costanzo New England 9 Ball Tournament of Champions at R.I. Billiards Club. I walk in and no one is there yet except 1 person at table 6. He had his back to me and apparently had just arrived himself, his balls were still in the tray and he was putting his stick together. As he turned around and put the balls out on the table I realized it was none other than Jim Rempe.
I grab a rack of balls for table 4 and went over, spilled them on the table and started practicing. I take a chance, walk over and introduce myself and asked he wanted a practice partner. King James politely tells me he's working on a couple things, maybe in a little while. I walk back to my table and resumed my drills thinking how even though I'd been brushed off he was so nice about it that I didn't mind at all.
Ten minutes later I glance in his direction and he motions for me to grab my stick and come on over, I was souped! I spent the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours playing 9 ball with him and it was great. He gave me advice, critiqued my play and basically made my day. I could see that he truly loved to play and share what he knew. I offered to play him a cheap set or 2, even(I didn't mind donating). I would have gladly paid for the free lesson he gave me but he wouldn't have any of it.
He was very gracious and a total gentleman, a true ambassador of the game :thumbup:
 
I often play in a local weekly 9-ball tournament that often includes Brandon Shuff and Mike Davis, or occasionally other pro players as they pass through. Brandon and Mike are consistently the nicest opponents in the room if you draw them, and the most gracious in defeat when they lose (it happens sometimes; it's a handicapped tournament with some pretty strong amateur players, and sometimes they play each other).

It shouldn't be surprising; a pool tournament is their time to be professionals even though it's something most of us do in our time off. But it is a little surprising, I guess because of how much griping you read on the internet. Anyway, those guys are class acts.

-Andrew
 
Last night I played in a local Open tournament and saw this guy shooting. He looked to be pretty sporty and I asked him his name. He said Jeremy.

I said, 'What are you rated? An A or something?'

He said, 'Yea if I had to guess.'

He didn't look amused.

Then I found out it was Jeremy Sossei and felt like an idiot.

I didn't play him in the tourney but one of my friends did. He got to break and shoot out of a safety in a race to 5.
 
zpele said:
Last night I played in a local Open tournament and saw this guy shooting. He looked to be pretty sporty and I asked him his name. He said Jeremy.

I said, 'What are you rated? An A or something?'

He said, 'Yea if I had to guess.'

He didn't look amused.

Then I found out it was Jeremy Sossei and felt like an idiot.

I didn't play him in the tourney but one of my friends did. He got to break and shoot out of a safety in a race to 5.
Click to expand...

I played Jeremy in the 9-ball loser's bracket of the 2012 Southern Classic in Tunica. I'll be honest, I didn't know much about him when I drew him, but I quickly did some online searching. He had won a Predator event by beating Earl not too long before that. I knew I had WAY more than my hands full.

He was extremely nice and polite. Well dressed. Seemed quiet and unassuming. Had THE single most powerful (and CONTROLLED) break that I have ever come up against.

The guy was a robot. He drilled me 7-1. The single game I got, he jawed the 9. I quickly scurried over and pumped it in. I was scared it might fall in on it's own, if it sat there long enough, and I didn't want to get white-washed. Lol.

It was a good experience. He's definitely a force to be reckoned with.
 
I been around pool for over 50 years and a lot of them were in the NJ-PA-NY area so I got to see a lot of great and near great players. So I got a few stories and I'll start with this one.
It was a dark and rainy night. I'm at a pool room in Elizabeth NJ(Hi-Cue maybe?) in the early 60's to watch a straight pool tournament. I'm sitting in a raised area about 10 or so feet from a table. There is a guy warming up and the tournament directer comes over to him and I hear him say something like "Mr. Crane is late and you can win by default" The guy replies "Give him a little more time ,I really want to play him" now those were not the exact words as it was a long time ago but they are close enough. Mr. Crane I'm thinking ! It has to be Irving.
Soon a tall man walks in with an umbrella and a trench coat on and soon he is at the table I am so close to. It's Irving Crane. He takes his coat off and his opponent says "Mr. Crane would you like to hit a few balls? And true to his reputation as a gentleman he says "No I'm late already,thanks for waiting".
Now all I remember about the game was that Irving ran 141 cold and the hardest shot he made was a simple cross side bank.
It was a great display of straight pool and I was 10 feet or less away.
stand by for more.
 
George said:
Access to pro pool players by fans is very easy unlike any other pro sport. This is a given. I want to hear about your pleasant/good experiences. Save the bad ones for another thread please.

I could tell you dozens of stories, living in New England and being a fan for the last 20 years or so have probably spoiled me. Almost every pro player of note typically made their way through our area. I've met so many over the years there are just too many to mention but a few of the notables have been Efren, Varner, Rempe, Bustamante, Mika, McCready, Archer, Strickland, Parica, Hopkins etc. The list goes on..........

I could tell you about the time my 12 year old nephew matched up with Efren playing chess, the action was ridiculous. Or I could tell you about hanging around one night for hours sucking down cocktails and listening to Larry Liscotti recount various road stories, he could tell a story but.......

I'll start with a story about a true ambassador of the game. The date was September 9th 2000. I showed up early that Saturday morning, I'd say 9:30ish for The Tony Costanzo New England 9 Ball Tournament of Champions at R.I. Billiards Club. I walk in and no one is there yet except 1 person at table 6. He had his back to me and apparently had just arrived himself, his balls were still in the tray and he was putting his stick together. As he turned around and put the balls out on the table I realized it was none other than Jim Rempe.
I grab a rack of balls for table 4 and went over, spilled them on the table and started practicing. I take a chance, walk over and introduce myself and asked he wanted a practice partner. King James politely tells me he's working on a couple things, maybe in a little while. I walk back to my table and resumed my drills thinking how even though I'd been brushed off he was so nice about it that I didn't mind at all.
Ten minutes later I glance in his direction and he motions for me to grab my stick and come on over, I was souped! I spent the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours playing 9 ball with him and it was great. He gave me advice, critiqued my play and basically made my day. I could see that he truly loved to play and share what he knew. I offered to play him a cheap set or 2, even(I didn't mind donating). I would have gladly paid for the free lesson he gave me but he wouldn't have any of it.
He was very gracious and a total gentleman, a true ambassador of the game :thumbup:
Click to expand...

these stories of pros sharing for the love of the game are great:thumbup:
 
Nice stories, keep em coming!!!

In 2003 Efren and Bustamante showed up at Snookers for a Joss Tour event and in between matches Efren and a group of players were playing chess, for money of course. I showed up and had my nephew Brian with me, he was only I think 11 or 12 years old. At the time Brian was playing a lot and was watching and informed me he thought he could beat them. I asked him which one and he says all of them..... haha.
I'm thinking he's a cocky little bastard and I'll fix his ass. Flaco Rodriguez was sitting in front of a board with no challenger so I step up, point at my little nephew and said "the kid wants to play you". Flaco says he waiting for a money game so I offer to back the kid for $20 and he says "let's play".
Long story short, Brian beats him but in the meantime a crowd had gathered and in that crowd stood The Magician, Efren Reyes. Flaco says, "good game kid" gets up and who sits down? Efren, He says something like the kid plays good, set em up.
So now a good size crowd is standing around and the cash is flying, side bets galore. Brian is getting a little nervous and I thought he was going to back out but he didn't. The game went back and forth, the crowd was a little loud and Brian I think was feeling intimidated. He ended up losing after making a very basic mistake but all in all it was a blast.
When we left Brian was really upset he didn't get a rematch and blamed it on the crowd and being nervous. I believed him but still busted his balls and said better luck next time.

Look what I found, an actual pic of them playing their match.
 

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George said:
Nice stories, keep em coming!!!

In 2003 Efren and Bustamante showed up at Snookers for a Joss Tour event and in between matches Efren and a group of players were playing chess, for money of course. I showed up and had my nephew Brian with me, he was only I think 11 or 12 years old. At the time Brian was playing a lot and was watching and informed me he thought he could beat them. I asked him which one and he says all of them..... haha.
I'm thinking he's a cocky little bastard and I'll fix his ass. Flaco Rodriguez was sitting in front of a board with no challenger so I step up, point at my little nephew and said "the kid wants to play you". Flaco says he waiting for a money game so I offer to back the kid for $20 and he says "let's play".
Long story short, Brian beats him but in the meantime a crowd had gathered and in that crowd stood The Magician, Efren Reyes. Flaco says, "good game kid" gets up and who sits down? Efren, He says something like the kid plays good, set em up.
So now a good size crowd is standing around and the cash is flying, side bets galore. Brian is getting a little nervous and I thought he was going to back out but he didn't. The game went back and forth, the crowd was a little loud and Brian I think was feeling intimidated. He ended up losing after making a very basic mistake but all in all it was a blast.
When we left Brian was really upset he didn't get a rematch and blamed it on the crowd and being nervous. I believed him but still busted his balls and said better luck next time.

Look what I found, an actual pic of them playing their match.
Click to expand...

So Efren got lucky? :)
 
efren

I wasn't there that day, but I used to hang out at Town & Country Billiards in Daly City, CA. where the clientele were mostly local filipinos. One of the best reputed players there was a singer named Armando, and his specialty was One Pocket. Well, just my luck, Efren showed up there one day, and somehow matched up with Armando, and gave him a pretty heavy spot. Long story short,
he beat Armando out of $600 and as the story was told to me, Efren laughed afterwards and gave the money back. I also heard Efren would do things like give a hundred dollar bill to a maid where he stayed. What a guy!
 
George said:
Nice stories, keep em coming!!!

The game went back and forth, the crowd was a little loud and Brian I think was feeling intimidated. He ended up losing after making a very basic mistake but all in all it was a blast.
When we left Brian was really upset he didn't get a rematch and blamed it on the crowd and being nervous. I believed him but still busted his balls and said better luck next time.

Look what I found, an actual pic of them playing their match.
Click to expand...

Filipinos can't be sharked...;)
 
New story.
Grady Mathews came to Tony Cattucis pool room in Toms River NJ for a visit.
He was in the area to play in a straight pool tournament. He needed someone to practice with and being a pretty good straight pool player I was asked to play him.
So I started out cold and not doing very well and after an hour or so I fell into a dead stroke. So much so that Grady said"I am spending an inordinate amount of time sitting on the bench". Had it been anyone other then Grady I would have said "Play better and sit less" But I did not as I considered him a guest in my home room and a great player not needing that type of disrespect.
But I did crush him that day.I ran racks like a machine. In the zone.
 
I guess this is a story.
I was sitting around shooting the breeze with Danny Harriman, and some of the other locals, when one of the guys says to Danny, "Danny, I bet you've probably won more games of pool than any one around here." And Danny says, "Yeah, and I bet I've lost more, too."
Kind of profound, in a way. :)
 
It was about 1964 and a very good player named Joe Russo from Trenton NJ was at the Toms River NJ pool room. Now at that time Joe was one of the best around and me being a cocky 17 year that played pretty good at that time made a game with him playing 9 ball where I got the 7.
I got crushed-beaten to a pulp-humiliated-ground up like hamburger.
Well at least I paid for his gas money and dinner.
 
Tom Vanover from Baltimore!

Iam telling you we had every great player from Jim Rempe, Earl Stricland to Leanardo Andam come through baltimore to gamble against Tom Vanover and many other not so top notch players, but played dam good to beat most players out there come through also, it seem like once a month a great player would come through our doors for some even 50 dollars a game even 9ball, back in the 70s 80s 50 dollars a game seem like the most popular bet to start off the match with, but it almost always was raised not very long after the start, Cigar Tom had two very long matches with Strickland and Rempe, Tom and Earl battled the longest almost 24 hrs worth to a tie as did Rempe and Tom, but in this match Tom was stuck the whole time, Then after about 8-10 hrs Tom finally pulled to even and Rempe pulled-up saying to Tom i think i cant beat you man but i feel like iam wasting my time (for what ever he meant by that?)

Archer and Andam both got the money playing Tom in Dundalk (Toms room)

But for all the ones that came to play Tom that was not Top top players had no chance of beating Him(Tom) in his home pool room and there was a good amount of those A player that just didnt have a chance!
 
Lets not let this thread die. I can't keep it going alone.
I know there are lots of untold stories you guys have.
Heres a story about a player getting in the zone and not knowing it.

Jimmy Fusco would come to the room a couple times a month. One time while hes there he decides to practice straight pool on a very tight table.
The owner of the room and me are watching and we start counting racks that he has run. So he runs 9 racks. 9 racks on a very tight table!:eek:
So he gets done and Tony the room owner says "Jimmy you ran 9 racks" Jimmy says "I did? He was totally oblivious to what he had done.
Heres another one same thing.
Neptune Joe Frady is playing Mental Mike straight pool and giving him 150 to something(I don't remember) So at a point in the game Joe runs out on Mike. When he is done someone says "How many did you run Joe?" Joe says "A bunch" I says "It was 131" He really had no clue.
 
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