Pre-pub special, Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers

Book number #50 on the PrePub special is still available, along with numbers #51-#100. Unfortunately #69 has already been reserved.

Here is another tid-bit excerpt from the book that I posted earlier on Onepocket.org.


California John McCue
Detroit, MI - Upper level short-stop - Banks, One-pocket and Nine-ball
Detroit’s unlikely named, California John McCue and I used to play on sight. I really liked playing with him, even though he always tried to squeeze a little bit the best of it out of me. Our game usually wound up with me spotting him 9 to 8, or 8 to 7 in Banks, and One-pocket. 8 to 7 Banks was tough, but I once took a brutal thrashing from John at The Rack after giving him 8 to 7 playing One-pocket when I had the “mixture” all wrong. Anybody who thinks that I wasn’t long winded should know we played for a couple of days, and that McCue came out 30 games ahead of me for $50 a game. Not so unusual, if the shit aint working you’re feeling too amped up to quit until you are broke. It was my first, and last dance with the speed pill, Preludin. Dope is often the devil in disguise
I played him when I was straight and clean a few days later, and much to my chagrin, he quit loser after only 4 games.


Beard
 
freddy the beard said:
I am starting a promo to do a special pre-publication event for my upcoming book, The Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers. The first prepaid orders to come in will get numbered copies from 1 to 100, and autographed of course. The publishing date is from one to two months away, more likely two. The order I collect the money will determine the number from 1 to 100. Someone from Onepocket.org has already locked up #1. Up to this point I haven't asked for anything from anyone yet so there is no # 2 at the moment. The tentative price is going to probably be $49.95. That is not locked in because the book is going to cost pretty good to publish, hard cover, large size, 350-400+ glossy pages, hundreds of photos, etc. But to raise some interest and some money the special pre-pub price is going to be $49.95 including shipping. As the payments come in I will assign the numbers in that order and notify the buyer as to his number.

All orders will receive a bonus DVD, the OnePocket Hall of Fame Dinner for 2011 or the BCA Hall of Fame Dinner for 2011. Your choice.

Payments can be made to my PayPal acct under my email address, bankingwiththebeard@comcast.net or my home address is
Fred Bentivegna
445 W 27th St
Chicago, IL 60616

Thanks and Merry Christmas

the Beard
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Any status on when this book will be ready for shipping?
 
Payment sent. Really looking foward to when it comes out. Thanks for all the work you have put into your books, dvds,websites and your posts here and all you have done for the game, especially keeping it's history alive.
 
spktur said:
Any updates?
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Negotiating with printers. 97% done, aside from further edits. i have 3 editors, one of which is our own George Fels. What takes time is that once I get a portion edited by one editor I send it to another one to edit what the other editor edited. This is the best way to get the most perspective.

Beard
 
freddy the beard said:
Negotiating with printers. 97% done, aside from further edits. i have 3 editors, one of which is our own George Fels. What takes time is that once I get a portion edited by one editor I send it to another one to edit what the other editor edited. This is the best way to get the most perspective.

Beard
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Here is a little excerpt from one of my favorite chapters:

“King,” the Wonder Dog of Pool
The lifetime companion of Jerry the Greek and the world’s smartest pool dog

“King could give Rin-Tin-Tin three games on the wire. King would make a high performing hooker outta Lassie.”
Brooklyn Pancho

“King was smarter than any dog I ever saw doing tricks on TV or in the movies. It's not even close. He recognized people by name. Jerry would say, "King, go say hi to Jay." And King would walk over to me and put his paw out. He would do this for any regular in the poolroom. Once Jerry introduced King to somebody, he remembered them forever.”
Jay Helfert

“I was in Jerry's apartment one day when the phone rang. Jerry told the dog, "King I don’t feel like movin' much today and getting outta this chair. Answer the phone and bring it over." Jerry used no hand signals whatsoever. Whereupon King picked up the receiver in his mouth and carried it over to Jerry with the long extension cord.”
Brooklyn Jimmy Cassas

“All right, if Freddie the Beard isn't going to relate this tale of myth and lore about the great King, I will. With all 15 balls racked up, Jerry would let you pick a ball. The bet was that King would on simple, no trickery voice command, go retrieve said ball. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

Having always had a dry, perverted sense of humor and irony, I especially enjoyed the looks on the suckers faces, when King dutifully but joyfully retrieved the ball.”
Grady Mathews
 
freddy the beard said:
Here is a little excerpt from one of my favorite chapters:

“King,” the Wonder Dog of Pool
The lifetime companion of Jerry the Greek and the world’s smartest pool dog

“King could give Rin-Tin-Tin three games on the wire. King would make a high performing hooker outta Lassie.”
Brooklyn Pancho

“King was smarter than any dog I ever saw doing tricks on TV or in the movies. It's not even close. He recognized people by name. Jerry would say, "King, go say hi to Jay." And King would walk over to me and put his paw out. He would do this for any regular in the poolroom. Once Jerry introduced King to somebody, he remembered them forever.”
Jay Helfert

“I was in Jerry's apartment one day when the phone rang. Jerry told the dog, "King I don’t feel like movin' much today and getting outta this chair. Answer the phone and bring it over." Jerry used no hand signals whatsoever. Whereupon King picked up the receiver in his mouth and carried it over to Jerry with the long extension cord.”
Brooklyn Jimmy Cassas

“All right, if Freddie the Beard isn't going to relate this tale of myth and lore about the great King, I will. With all 15 balls racked up, Jerry would let you pick a ball. The bet was that King would on simple, no trickery voice command, go retrieve said ball. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

Having always had a dry, perverted sense of humor and irony, I especially enjoyed the looks on the suckers faces, when King dutifully but joyfully retrieved the ball.”
Grady Mathews
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http://www.skepdic.com/cleverhans.html

Still, looking forward to buying the book.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
http://www.skepdic.com/cleverhans.html

Still, looking forward to buying the book.

Lou Figueroa
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Sorry Lou, I saw this dog in action on multiple occasions. Do you think a hand signal would tell him which ball was the 4 or the 15? Or maybe a nod of the head could help King distinguish a quarter from a dime or a penny? Too many people (and smart ones at that) saw King do his thing and he was the real deal, the smartest dog on this planet. If Jerry needed change he could tell King to get him .36 cents; a quarter, a dime and a penny. King would pick up the coins in his mouth and bring them to him. If Jerry told him to bring a ball to Jay, I could ask King for the 9 ball and he would pick it up in his mouth and bring it to me. I'm an eye witness to this dog and he wasn't any "clever Hans" that's for sure. Sorry you missed him, but that's not our fault. :wink:
 
jay helfert said:
Sorry Lou, I saw this dog in action on multiple occasions. Do you think a hand signal would tell him which ball was the 4 or the 15? Or maybe a nod of the head could help King distinguish a quarter from a dime or a penny? Too many people (and smart ones at that) saw King do his thing and he was the real deal, the smartest dog on this planet. If Jerry needed change he could tell King to get him .36 cents; a quarter, a dime and a penny. King would pick up the coins in his mouth and bring them to him. If Jerry told him to bring a ball to Jay, I could ask King for the 9 ball and he would pick it up in his mouth and bring it to me. I'm an eye witness to this dog and he wasn't any "clever Hans" that's for sure. Sorry you missed him, but that's not our fault. :wink:
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Oh come on man, you know it was mass hypnosis.
 
I want one

Hi i sent an email requesting a book could not figure out how to get one i left name an number call me so i can buy one. Thanks.
 
jay helfert said:
Sorry Lou, I saw this dog in action on multiple occasions. Do you think a hand signal would tell him which ball was the 4 or the 15? Or maybe a nod of the head could help King distinguish a quarter from a dime or a penny? Too many people (and smart ones at that) saw King do his thing and he was the real deal, the smartest dog on this planet. If Jerry needed change he could tell King to get him .36 cents; a quarter, a dime and a penny. King would pick up the coins in his mouth and bring them to him. If Jerry told him to bring a ball to Jay, I could ask King for the 9 ball and he would pick it up in his mouth and bring it to me. I'm an eye witness to this dog and he wasn't any "clever Hans" that's for sure. Sorry you missed him, but that's not our fault. :wink:
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Did you read the link, Jay? It's about involuntary and unconscious cuing, not blatant hand signals and head nodding.

And if Jerry needed change, he'd probably rehearsed the specific coins he wanted retrieved for that particular trick. IOW (bubble about to be burst), King wasn't actually doing the math, like all you "smart guys" thought ;-) And if he wanted the 9ball retrieved, King could probably figure out that one rubbed with the bacon in Jerry's hand, a little while before anyone noticed, was the one to bring back.

Man, the carnies must smack their lips when they see youze guys coming down the midway.

Lou Figueroa
jeez
talk about
gullible
 
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Don't sweat it guys, Lou said that if Mosconi would arise from the grave and tell him personally that an aiming method was the greatest thing ever then Lou would tell Mosconi to go back to sleep. A guy like isn't easily impressed.

Me, I'd be freaking out if Mosconi was alive and likely to try whatever he came back from the grave to tell me :-)

Looking forward to the book Freddie!!! Just the sort of thing an iggy like me needs to fuel the pool fantasies.
 
Freddy, what number you on now ?? I'm waiting for "my" number to come up so I can pull the trigger !!!
 
lfigueroa said:
Did you read the link, Jay? It's about involuntary and unconscious cuing, not blatant hand signals and head nodding.

And if Jerry needed change, he'd probably rehearsed the specific coins he wanted retrieved for that particular trick. IOW (bubble about to be burst), King wasn't actually doing the math, like all you "smart guys" thought ;-) And if he wanted the 9ball retrieved, King could probably figure out that one rubbed with the bacon in Jerry's hand, a little while before anyone noticed, was the one to bring back.

Man, the carnies must smack their lips when they see youze guys coming down the midway.

Lou Figueroa
jeez
talk about
gullible
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I picked the ball, not Jerry! Sorry you missed King, he was a wonder to behold. Remember what an old wise man said a long, long time ago. "Son, if a guy tells you he can throw that deck of cards up in the air and when it comes down it will pop open and the Ace of Spades will pop out and jump into your shirt pocket, don't bet against him! Cause sure enough it will happen and you will lose your money."

Lou, in this scenario you would have been the sucker if you ever met Jerry and King. He thrived on disbelievers like you. I can't tell you how many times he got guys to bet against King picking out the correct ball or pulling the correct change out of handful of coins. You could hold out the change and tell Jerry how much to get. If you said 45 cents, Jerry would say, "King, give me a quarter and two dimes," and he would grab them right out of your hand. BUSTED!!! :thumbup:

P.S. I remember one wise guy who picked a ball that wasn't on the table. King stuck his nose in the ball box and pulled it out. You still think rubbing the bacon was the trick? Good luck!
 
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jay helfert said:
I picked the ball, not Jerry! Sorry you missed King, he was a wonder to behold. Remember what an old wise man said a long, long time ago. "Son, if a guy tells you he can throw that deck of cards up in the air and when it comes down it will pop open and the Ace of Spades will pop out and jump into your shirt pocket, don't bet against him! Cause sure enough it will happen and you will lose your money."

Lou, in this scenario you would have been the sucker if you ever met Jerry and King. He thrived on disbelievers like you. I can't tell you how many times he got guys to bet against King picking out the correct ball or pulling the correct change out of handful of coins. You could hold out the change and tell Jerry how much to get. If you said 45 cents, Jerry would say, "King, give me a quarter and two dimes," and he would grab them right out of your hand. BUSTED!!! :thumbup:

P.S. I remember one wise guy who picked a ball that wasn't on the table. King stuck his nose in the ball box and pulled it out. You still think rubbing the bacon was the trick? Good luck!
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I am going to take pity on everybody and post the only known pic of King the Wonder Dog. As you can see, he is in pretty fast company. At that time King was probably more famous than Ronnie. It is hard to tell in the photo, but King is wearing sun-glasses, like the celebrity that he was.

Beard

What we havent even talked about Jay, is that King not only could do everything we said he could, he could also stall, to drag in suckers and naysayers. He would screw up some bets in order to catch guys like Lou. He would act goofy and grab the wrong ball for the small bets. Only when Jerry would give him the "George" office would King come off the stall and take down the money.

King would put a plow on Clever Hans' ass and have him plow out Jerry's back yard.
 

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