How interesting! That is the *exact time* that Keith busted all of Baltimore. There was so much pool action at Hot Shots all night long that the prostitutes living next door at Regal Inn were kept quite busy. They were rolling in the dough, and Regal Inn, the dirtest and worst hotel I've ever seen in life, a real dump, was filled up every night with no vacancies. :embarrassed2:
Capital City Classic tournament had just ended, and so some of the players decided to stay in town. They came to Hot Shots in Baltimore to try to get played. Mark Gregory, Marcus Chamat, Monica Webb, and Helena Thornfeldt were some of the players who remained behind after the tournament concluded. Keith had no ID on him, and Marcus had to put up his passport for Keith to get a room at that filthy Regal Inn next door.
I had been away from the pool world, working on my career, so I was unfamiliar with the new generation of pool peeps in my area. That's the first time I met Pookie, White Max, Ryan McCreesh, Black Henry, Mark Ford, and a few other local players. Pookie managed to score a win against Keith, because nobody knew him, and he asked for a huge spot. Keith granted his request, wanting to see what Pookie could do on a field of green. I think it was the last 3 and the breaks. Pookie was stealing, but Pookie didn't have the art of the hustle down pat, because he only got played one set. He showed a little too much finesse and didn't lay down the lemon. Keith recognized Pookie had a little more talent than he was letting on. I did know all the old-school players, but there was a new generation afoot that I did not know.
Keith literally busted Tony Long a few times at the Rosedale Inn. Nobody could believe it because Tony Long was King of the Bar Tables in Baltimore and would bet it as high as you could stack it.
Players came out of the woodwork and tried to sneak in Hot Shots when they heard about the non-stop action, thanks to Keith. Punky from Hagerstown made an appearance, though I don't think he got played the night I was there.
That player from West Virginia, who probably was one of the best hustlers ever, flew under the radar, he came. Man, I can't remember his name now. I want to say Lloyd, but that may not be right. He passed away a few years ago. He played strong. They called Keith from his hotel room next door to come in and play him when he first walked in, but when Keith stepped his first foot in the pool room and saw who it was, he immediately walked out, not wanting to blow the West Virginia player's cover. They were friends. :wink:
Grimes (can't remember his first name) came to Baltimore to see what all the fuss was about. He stayed for 2 weeks with a Virginia stakehorse who drove around in a Lincoln. I met the stakehorse out in the parking lot, and for some reason, he wanted to show off his gun that he carried in his glovebox. I didn't care to break bread with this guy and kept my distance from then on.
The Glen Burnie old-time regulars were in full force at Hot Shots to sweat the festivities when Keith came to town. They literally came out of the woodwork, to include Fat Wayne and Piano Man. Even Cigar Tom made a cameo appearance, though he preferred to stay at his hangout, Running Out Billiards, in Dundalk. Cigar Tom had as much action as he wanted by appointment, and he is probably Baltimore's most heralded pool player of all times. Everybody loves Cigar Tom, a no-nonsense, unassuming kind of player. Cigar Tom lets his stick do the talking for him. Fat Wayne, Piano Man, and me were betting on the side 24/7. We had a blast, all three of us. :grin-square:
The late Little Petey, Nate and his Uncle Jake, and Bus Driver Ronnie also came to Sonny's to get in on the happenings.
After a few weeks of busting every bar known to man in the Baltimore metropolitan area, Sonny, the owner of Hot Shots, asked Keith if he would consider being the house pro at Hot Shots. The business in his pool room increased ten-fold when Keith came to town, but that's about the time I snatched Keith and brought him to D.C. with me. I actually think I saved his life. The occupational hazards of being in action 24/7, hustling pool in Baltimore, well, it wasn't a healthy lifestyle. And I'll just leave it at that.
Even as well known as Keith McCready was at this time in the underground pool world, he still hustled and got played. Everybody wanted to take a shot at him and tried to match up to get a game. Keith gave up the world sometimes, too much weight, I think, but that's what a gambler does who wants to win that money. Keith was hustling, even though every single person he played knew who he was. It didn't matter who he was. That was the beauty of it.
It wasn't all big W's, though, for Keith in Baltimore. The best coin throwers in the world hail from Baltimore, and my poor Keith didn't know it. One night, when I was not in the pool room, these coin throwers came to Hot Shots and got Keith's nostrils wide open, to throw some quarters against the wall. They busted Keith that night. It wouldn't have happened on my watch if I was there.
Word to the wise ---> Don't ever throw coins with anyone from Baltimore. You will go home with empty pockets. :yes:
It's amazing to me, the timing of this who's-the-best-hustler discussion, but I'll roll with it and contribute my 2 cents. I've hung out with the the cream of the crop when it came to road agents and hustling pool in my neck of the woods. Everybody boasts about their regional favorites because these are the players they know and have seen up front and close. I consider many of the players in my area as good friends, but none of them have the charisma, the gift of gab, and the ability to play all games, to include snooker, as Keith. Most pool players today are one-trick ponies and specialize in only one game of pocket billiards, like Cliff Joyner's expertise in the one-pocket game. A good hustler plays all games on any equipment and gets played wherever he hangs his hat, and that's Keith McCready.
Here's Keith circa about 2002 when he first came to Baltimore and played anyone who asked. It didn't matter who they were. They would get played. :smile:
