He was ultra cocky as well. Cole could out talk and out hustle the best of the East Coast hustlers, whose style was all high pressure and intimidation. Cole would get right in their face and say, "Come on! Get up there and play!" He had no fear of anyone and let you know it. Cole won matches before he ever hit a ball. In Cole's prime (18 to maybe 27 or 28) he thought nothing of getting on a plane by himself and flying across the country to take on some guy who was beating up on everyone. He earned his reputation as a world beater. Only the very best of that era (guys like Billy Incardona, Cornbread, Ed Kelly, Richie Florence, Wade Crane, Buddy, Toby Sweet and Bernie Schwartz) could hang with him. Cole cut his teeth gambling with Denny Searcy in the Bay area, when Denny was pretty much unbeatable. Throw in Greg Stevens and there you have the very best money players of that era. Johnny Ervolino was the best Straight Pool player for the cash, not Mizerak. And Ronnie was the best at One Pocket of course. Most of the big money games back then were all contested at 9-Ball or Ten Ball.