Denver Pool Halls -- '60s and '70s.
- Thread starter 9BallPaul
- Start date
Mr. Lucky's
We used to go to Mr. Lucky's in Glendale all the time. They had 3 or4 tables in the lower level. There was action there, my friend Bill Walker & I played a lot of partners 8-ball for 2 or 5 bucks a man, and we won a lot of drinks playing there. Bill was another great player at the time, some of you guys may remember him.
ironman said:
We used to go to Mr. Lucky's in Glendale all the time. They had 3 or4 tables in the lower level. There was action there, my friend Bill Walker & I played a lot of partners 8-ball for 2 or 5 bucks a man, and we won a lot of drinks playing there. Bill was another great player at the time, some of you guys may remember him.
Haha! Bill Skinner and I were great friends. Him and I played on the same BCA traveling bar league team for a couple years as a matter of fact. With me and Mark Teckavic. You forgot to mention another place that Bill would hang out at was The Pool Hall in Aurora just off Havana with Lyle and Dottie Goodman. All the usual suspects, Skinny, Jonesy, Melvin Sharp, Dallas Tourney , etc. Good stuff wasn't it?
Old thread but a good one to bring up. I didn’t go to the Pool Hall much. I remember Jonesy from AAA. One time he went to that non players room at Iliff and Chambers - Main Event I think it was- to hit balls. They told him no gambling. He said fine I’m just hitting balls today. He starts practicing alone and they watch him and came over more times to tell him no gambling. He said fine, I’m just practicing and won’t gamble. After more than one warning about gambling when he wasn’t gambling he figured it wasn’t his type of place and left.
The Pool Hall in Aurora.... the back bar wall/glass.Old thread but a good one to bring up. I didn’t go to the Pool Hall much. I remember Jonesy from AAA. One time he went to that non players room at Iliff and Chambers - Main Event I think it was- to hit balls. They told him no gambling. He said fine I’m just hitting balls today. He starts practicing alone and they watch him and came over more times to tell him no gambling. He said fine, I’m just practicing and won’t gamble. After more than one warning about gambling when he wasn’t gambling he figured it wasn’t his type of place and left.
If you ever get to CO. Springs, it's location.... it's in use as their back bar.
On North Tejon Street downtown, east side of Tejon it was the Original Location for Tonys Bar, right next to the old Jinxs bar.
Lyle and Dottie, yep the sold it too me, I think it was in their garage for about 7 yrs and I knew they wanted the room
. This was back when Niclole met Mike and became Nicole Hellmer/matchups pool room Ft. Collins.Only met Hellmer once. We played in a league match at Patrick’s at Buckley and Mexico in Aurora. I had zero chance of winning needless to say. Did Patrick’s change names and us it the place that had that big bar table tournament recently? I missed out on some things. I had a relatively short window between turning 21 and when I had life interfering with pool too much. Before turning 21 I was limited where I could go. AAA, Colfax and FFC were all available though. Then I left Colorado and didn’t play for a long time. With family moving or passing away I don’t get back to Denver much. But I will get back some in the coming years probably.The Pool Hall in Aurora.... the back bar wall/glass.
If you ever get to CO. Springs, it's location.... it's in use as their back bar.
On North Tejon Street downtown, east side of Tejon it was the Original Location for Tonys Bar, right next to the old Jinxs bar.
Lyle and Dottie, yep the sold it too me, I think it was in their garage for about 7 yrs and I knew they wanted the room
From my first time in Denver.
The ‘Big Sky’ Montana gives up my second BIG score!
Part 1:
I'll share a story about my second biggest score in 3C. In 1970 a friend of mine, Nicky and I decided to go West, Nicky was a VERY good "short card" player, and I handled pool in the right spots and the 3C. One of the last stops before we got to the West coast was, Denver. We stayed off of Colfax Ave., and across from the Capital building was a billiard room, with 2 3C tables and about 20 pool tables.
It was early in the morning; I always would to get to a room early before any of the regulars, so I could practice without getting "eye-balled". When players started coming in a round noon, I quit, and just sat around the 3c table to clock players. A couple hours later, the room started to get a little action in it on the pool tables. By that time a guy asked me to play some $50.00 a game 15 points, so I'm involved in a game and Nicky is in the middle of some action on a table in the opposite corner of the room, but, I could tell I knew it wasn't pool.
A big loud black guy, Nicky and 3 or 4 other white guys were gambling on something. After about 30 minutes, I'm almost done with the billiard bird and Nicky comes over to ask me for some cheese, "Give me two hundred Billy," I asked, "For what?" He says, "We're gambling with the black guy on the 3 cards." I yelled, "Are you f***I ng crazy," "You're done!" So I finished the billiard game, and went to sweat the, “Three Card Monty.” So, naturally the black guy tries to get me involved, along with the two young white “Cap Men” he had down with it. I said, “NO” and “He’s done too!”
Now, by this time, I’m steaming, Nicky had blown $800.00 of our $2,500.00 bankroll. This is the first, and may I add the last time I took the heat like a sucker. The guys keeps asking and egging me on, finally I say, “I’ll play you some of that,” pointing to the 3C table. He shouts, “Nobody plays that but old men, and they don’t bet nothing!” I reply, “I don’t care how old or young they are I’ll play,” and I'll play for what Nicky lost to you, now go find someone!” He says, “You that good boy, maybe we can make some money with you.”
No cell phones back then, the guy goes to the payphone and comes back and says, “You got a game,” “OK,” at another poolroom, Colfax Billiards. So, we follow the “Monty” crew to the room, now, I really know what’s going on, these three are “Double steering” us in this spot. The guy their going to have me play had NEVER been beaten playing 3C before. Meanwhile, I already about knew the guy they were having me play. He was the BIGGEST “bookmaker” in the Denver area, his name was “Pic” short for an Italian name they couldn’t pronounce. The guy I had been given the 411 on before we started out on the trip.
Our bankroll now was $1,700.00, We agreed to play 15 points for a $1,000.00, Nicky bet $300.00 on the side, we found out later it was the, “Monty crew” that bet the 3 bills. After about 10 minutes, I can see just how the guy plays, a cake walk! I let him get close, 15-12. Next game, the guy bets $2,000.00, I wasn’t sure why, but we did and Nicky bet $600.00 on the side this time. I beat him this time 15-11, He quit, He just quit! I said, “Make a game,” “I can’t I’m broke.” I was astonished, he said, “maybe some other time.” He said, “Thanks for the game,” You play good for a kid,” and walked out the door. Got a REAL bad break with this score, the "BM" had just lost $150.000.00 on the sports that week. After Nicky had blown that money, I could see He wasn’t sharp enough to be with me on the road, I gave him back what He’d lost and 50% of the money we had won so far. Then He drove back to Chi-Town!
When the smoke cleared a couple days later, the “Monty crew”, by the way, the black guy’s name was, Harold Densen. After that first meeting of ours we would become very close partners and friends until his untimely death in 1991. Harold and his crew came over to ask me, “You hanging around town for a while?” “I don’t know, is the action here better than this?” “We have a spot to take you to, and you’ll win as much as you can carry, if you do it the right way.”
The crew takes me up to, Billings Montana. At that time there was a chain of poolrooms around called, “Corner Pocket Billiards,” owned by, “One Eye George” George Franks, pretty fair player/hustler in his day. The guy Harold was steering me to into was a guy they called, “Smitto” he was about 40 years old then. One of the cap men for Harold was a pretty good pool player, Denny Port. He had played Smitto already 6 ball, $20.00 a ball. Denny already beat him a couple of times for about $2,000.00, one of the sessions went on till the room closed, and Smitto invited them to come to his house to play, He had this huge home built into the side of a mountain. In his basement, He had a ping pong table, 4.5x9 GC and a GC 3C billiard table, plus a beautiful bar, with part of the mountain as the back wall. When they got there, Smitto says, “I’ll play you some of this,” pointing to the 3C table. Denny played 1 game, 10 points and quit.
The ‘Big Sky’ Montana gives up my second BIG score!
Part 1:
I'll share a story about my second biggest score in 3C. In 1970 a friend of mine, Nicky and I decided to go West, Nicky was a VERY good "short card" player, and I handled pool in the right spots and the 3C. One of the last stops before we got to the West coast was, Denver. We stayed off of Colfax Ave., and across from the Capital building was a billiard room, with 2 3C tables and about 20 pool tables.
It was early in the morning; I always would to get to a room early before any of the regulars, so I could practice without getting "eye-balled". When players started coming in a round noon, I quit, and just sat around the 3c table to clock players. A couple hours later, the room started to get a little action in it on the pool tables. By that time a guy asked me to play some $50.00 a game 15 points, so I'm involved in a game and Nicky is in the middle of some action on a table in the opposite corner of the room, but, I could tell I knew it wasn't pool.
A big loud black guy, Nicky and 3 or 4 other white guys were gambling on something. After about 30 minutes, I'm almost done with the billiard bird and Nicky comes over to ask me for some cheese, "Give me two hundred Billy," I asked, "For what?" He says, "We're gambling with the black guy on the 3 cards." I yelled, "Are you f***I ng crazy," "You're done!" So I finished the billiard game, and went to sweat the, “Three Card Monty.” So, naturally the black guy tries to get me involved, along with the two young white “Cap Men” he had down with it. I said, “NO” and “He’s done too!”
Now, by this time, I’m steaming, Nicky had blown $800.00 of our $2,500.00 bankroll. This is the first, and may I add the last time I took the heat like a sucker. The guys keeps asking and egging me on, finally I say, “I’ll play you some of that,” pointing to the 3C table. He shouts, “Nobody plays that but old men, and they don’t bet nothing!” I reply, “I don’t care how old or young they are I’ll play,” and I'll play for what Nicky lost to you, now go find someone!” He says, “You that good boy, maybe we can make some money with you.”
No cell phones back then, the guy goes to the payphone and comes back and says, “You got a game,” “OK,” at another poolroom, Colfax Billiards. So, we follow the “Monty” crew to the room, now, I really know what’s going on, these three are “Double steering” us in this spot. The guy their going to have me play had NEVER been beaten playing 3C before. Meanwhile, I already about knew the guy they were having me play. He was the BIGGEST “bookmaker” in the Denver area, his name was “Pic” short for an Italian name they couldn’t pronounce. The guy I had been given the 411 on before we started out on the trip.
Our bankroll now was $1,700.00, We agreed to play 15 points for a $1,000.00, Nicky bet $300.00 on the side, we found out later it was the, “Monty crew” that bet the 3 bills. After about 10 minutes, I can see just how the guy plays, a cake walk! I let him get close, 15-12. Next game, the guy bets $2,000.00, I wasn’t sure why, but we did and Nicky bet $600.00 on the side this time. I beat him this time 15-11, He quit, He just quit! I said, “Make a game,” “I can’t I’m broke.” I was astonished, he said, “maybe some other time.” He said, “Thanks for the game,” You play good for a kid,” and walked out the door. Got a REAL bad break with this score, the "BM" had just lost $150.000.00 on the sports that week. After Nicky had blown that money, I could see He wasn’t sharp enough to be with me on the road, I gave him back what He’d lost and 50% of the money we had won so far. Then He drove back to Chi-Town!
When the smoke cleared a couple days later, the “Monty crew”, by the way, the black guy’s name was, Harold Densen. After that first meeting of ours we would become very close partners and friends until his untimely death in 1991. Harold and his crew came over to ask me, “You hanging around town for a while?” “I don’t know, is the action here better than this?” “We have a spot to take you to, and you’ll win as much as you can carry, if you do it the right way.”
The crew takes me up to, Billings Montana. At that time there was a chain of poolrooms around called, “Corner Pocket Billiards,” owned by, “One Eye George” George Franks, pretty fair player/hustler in his day. The guy Harold was steering me to into was a guy they called, “Smitto” he was about 40 years old then. One of the cap men for Harold was a pretty good pool player, Denny Port. He had played Smitto already 6 ball, $20.00 a ball. Denny already beat him a couple of times for about $2,000.00, one of the sessions went on till the room closed, and Smitto invited them to come to his house to play, He had this huge home built into the side of a mountain. In his basement, He had a ping pong table, 4.5x9 GC and a GC 3C billiard table, plus a beautiful bar, with part of the mountain as the back wall. When they got there, Smitto says, “I’ll play you some of this,” pointing to the 3C table. Denny played 1 game, 10 points and quit.
Here's Part 2
When I went to the “Corner Pocket,” I went in by myself, I knew what day, (Friday night), and time, about 10:00 pm that Smitto came in every week, also the table He liked to play on, right in front of the counter. I was on it already hitting balls in 8 ball, He came in and saw someone on his table, and asked me, “you just practicing, or would you like to play some?” “Ok, what do you want to play?” He said,”6 ball,” I told him, “I never played 6 ball, is it like 9 ball?” “Yes. But faster, since we don’t’ have much time to play.” So, we decided to play for $10.00 a ball, pay after every game, I’m the stranger! We raised the bet to, $20.00 after about an hour, about 12:30 am, they started to clean up the poolroom. When we quit, I was about $850.00 winner, and could still see he still had a knot that would choke a horse on him. So, I asked, “Is there was any bar or room that stays open to continue playing, since you’re stuck,” “I have a couple of tables at my house, we can play there.” I looked at him sort of funny, and he said, “Don’t worry everyone knows me around the state!” He looked towards George for the nod, George speaks right up and says, “Are you kidding, this guy’s as good as gold, He’s the biggest electrical contractor in the state of Montana!”
I follow him to his home, a mansion, just beautiful! WE go down to the basement, I already knew what to expect! Pool table, billiard and ping pong table. He says, “I don’t think I can beat you playing pool, I’ll play you some 3 cushion.” I reply, “Are you kidding me, I don’t know the first thing about that, “old man’s” game!” “Besides, I don’t even know all the rules!“ “If you don’t want to play some more 6 ball, I’m leaving!” He says, “Hit some balls on the table, maybe I’ll make a game with you.” I stalled with the “open hand” bridge, like in the pool game. After a dozen shots, the guy was convinced I couldn’t play a lick. He says, “I’ll give you 2 points going to 10,” “no way, I need 5 and the break!” We agree on, just 5 points on 10, for $300.00 a game pay after every game. We jockey back and forth for the first few games, He’s one game winner and asked to raise the bet to, $500.00, I said, “OK, this billiards takes too long anyway!” By 4:00 am in the morning, We’re playing for a $1,000.00 a game and I’m only getting 2 on 10, and I’m about , $9,000.00 winners, after another 5 games, he runs out of cash in his pocket, but, still wants to keep playing. He tells me, he has more money in the safe, and gets another $10.000.00 out!
Now the Sun’s coming up outside, it’s about, 7:00am,and it’s Saturday, and He’s lost the other 10 dimes, but He’s steaming now, he can’t quit, and by now , I’m only getting the break going to 10 points. I’m about, $20.000.00 winners and the guy wont’ quit, I F***en couldn’t believe it! He’s out of cash, but, still wants to play, He says, “If I lose, I’ll write a check for it, my checks are good as GOLD!” I said, “listen Smitto, we been playing for 9 straight hours, I’m not use to this, we have to set a time limit.” I’ll tell you what I’ll do, since you’re stuck, I’ll play some till 9:00 am, (when the banks open on Saturday), and We’ll play even for $3,000.00 a game, this way you may have a chance to win some money back!” He says, “OK, that’s fair enough.”
Well, 8:30 rolls along and He’s stuck another, $21,000.00! I say, “Smitto, I’m exhausted, let’s quit, you’re not going to get your money back this way, He adamantly says, “NO, give me 2 points and we’ll play till 9 am, I promise. Meanwhile, what I didn’t realize is that, Smitto, every time he went to get a drink, He was popping, “Benny’s,” and just couldn’t stop! Need I elaborate on the final outcome, Smitto lost, a check for $30.000.00 on top of the, $19,000.00 in cash!
He writes out the check, and it dawns on me, it’s Saturday, the inside bank most likely won’t be open. Now, I’m a little worried, I ask Smitto, “Is the inside bank open today, it’s Saturday?” He says, “NO,” ONLY the drive-thru.” Now, I thought to myself, “They’re NOT going to cash this BIG check at the drive-thru window, NO way!” I knew if I waited till Monday, someone would wake him up when he came off the pills. I said again, “Smitto, are you sure they’ll cash it at the drive-thru!” “I’m going to call them right now.” He did, I left and went to the bank, put my ID and check in the tube and sent it away. A few minutes later teller says, “Mr. Smith,” I said to myself, “Here we go, He stopped the check already.” “Do you have another form of ID?” I sent in my SS card, 5 minutes later here comes one tube with my ID’s and a stack of hundreds and then another tube with a stack of hundreds and a, “Thank you!” I met up with Harold at the Hotel, we cut up the money, went to sleep, woke up, got a couple of chicks and partied! Harold and I went on the road together for 25 years.
A funny ending to this story, years later, when I more or less stopped going around the country hustling, I was playing in a huge international 3C tournament in NYC. At Abel Caulderon’s room in Queens, first time I met Sang Lee, he finished second. I had just finished playing the Belgian Champion at the time, Marin Spoormans, I won the game and had the high run of the tournament 16. After the match, a tall lanky older guy with a not so good grey-haired rug, but, with a gorgeous young blonde on his arm. He says to me, “good to see you again after all these years, “can you sign my program?” I ask, “What’s your name?” He says, “make it out to Paul,” you want your last name too.” “Instead, just make it out to, “Smitto!” I take a closer look at the guy and yell out, “SMITTO!” Didn’t recognize him with the rug, we laughed together about the past. His parting words to me were, “You taught me a VERY valuable lesson, that I was only a BIG fish in a LITTLE pond!” “And, I can see you certainly know this game, good luck in the FINALS!”
Remembering the good old Hustling days!
Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion"
When I went to the “Corner Pocket,” I went in by myself, I knew what day, (Friday night), and time, about 10:00 pm that Smitto came in every week, also the table He liked to play on, right in front of the counter. I was on it already hitting balls in 8 ball, He came in and saw someone on his table, and asked me, “you just practicing, or would you like to play some?” “Ok, what do you want to play?” He said,”6 ball,” I told him, “I never played 6 ball, is it like 9 ball?” “Yes. But faster, since we don’t’ have much time to play.” So, we decided to play for $10.00 a ball, pay after every game, I’m the stranger! We raised the bet to, $20.00 after about an hour, about 12:30 am, they started to clean up the poolroom. When we quit, I was about $850.00 winner, and could still see he still had a knot that would choke a horse on him. So, I asked, “Is there was any bar or room that stays open to continue playing, since you’re stuck,” “I have a couple of tables at my house, we can play there.” I looked at him sort of funny, and he said, “Don’t worry everyone knows me around the state!” He looked towards George for the nod, George speaks right up and says, “Are you kidding, this guy’s as good as gold, He’s the biggest electrical contractor in the state of Montana!”
I follow him to his home, a mansion, just beautiful! WE go down to the basement, I already knew what to expect! Pool table, billiard and ping pong table. He says, “I don’t think I can beat you playing pool, I’ll play you some 3 cushion.” I reply, “Are you kidding me, I don’t know the first thing about that, “old man’s” game!” “Besides, I don’t even know all the rules!“ “If you don’t want to play some more 6 ball, I’m leaving!” He says, “Hit some balls on the table, maybe I’ll make a game with you.” I stalled with the “open hand” bridge, like in the pool game. After a dozen shots, the guy was convinced I couldn’t play a lick. He says, “I’ll give you 2 points going to 10,” “no way, I need 5 and the break!” We agree on, just 5 points on 10, for $300.00 a game pay after every game. We jockey back and forth for the first few games, He’s one game winner and asked to raise the bet to, $500.00, I said, “OK, this billiards takes too long anyway!” By 4:00 am in the morning, We’re playing for a $1,000.00 a game and I’m only getting 2 on 10, and I’m about , $9,000.00 winners, after another 5 games, he runs out of cash in his pocket, but, still wants to keep playing. He tells me, he has more money in the safe, and gets another $10.000.00 out!
Now the Sun’s coming up outside, it’s about, 7:00am,and it’s Saturday, and He’s lost the other 10 dimes, but He’s steaming now, he can’t quit, and by now , I’m only getting the break going to 10 points. I’m about, $20.000.00 winners and the guy wont’ quit, I F***en couldn’t believe it! He’s out of cash, but, still wants to play, He says, “If I lose, I’ll write a check for it, my checks are good as GOLD!” I said, “listen Smitto, we been playing for 9 straight hours, I’m not use to this, we have to set a time limit.” I’ll tell you what I’ll do, since you’re stuck, I’ll play some till 9:00 am, (when the banks open on Saturday), and We’ll play even for $3,000.00 a game, this way you may have a chance to win some money back!” He says, “OK, that’s fair enough.”
Well, 8:30 rolls along and He’s stuck another, $21,000.00! I say, “Smitto, I’m exhausted, let’s quit, you’re not going to get your money back this way, He adamantly says, “NO, give me 2 points and we’ll play till 9 am, I promise. Meanwhile, what I didn’t realize is that, Smitto, every time he went to get a drink, He was popping, “Benny’s,” and just couldn’t stop! Need I elaborate on the final outcome, Smitto lost, a check for $30.000.00 on top of the, $19,000.00 in cash!
He writes out the check, and it dawns on me, it’s Saturday, the inside bank most likely won’t be open. Now, I’m a little worried, I ask Smitto, “Is the inside bank open today, it’s Saturday?” He says, “NO,” ONLY the drive-thru.” Now, I thought to myself, “They’re NOT going to cash this BIG check at the drive-thru window, NO way!” I knew if I waited till Monday, someone would wake him up when he came off the pills. I said again, “Smitto, are you sure they’ll cash it at the drive-thru!” “I’m going to call them right now.” He did, I left and went to the bank, put my ID and check in the tube and sent it away. A few minutes later teller says, “Mr. Smith,” I said to myself, “Here we go, He stopped the check already.” “Do you have another form of ID?” I sent in my SS card, 5 minutes later here comes one tube with my ID’s and a stack of hundreds and then another tube with a stack of hundreds and a, “Thank you!” I met up with Harold at the Hotel, we cut up the money, went to sleep, woke up, got a couple of chicks and partied! Harold and I went on the road together for 25 years.
A funny ending to this story, years later, when I more or less stopped going around the country hustling, I was playing in a huge international 3C tournament in NYC. At Abel Caulderon’s room in Queens, first time I met Sang Lee, he finished second. I had just finished playing the Belgian Champion at the time, Marin Spoormans, I won the game and had the high run of the tournament 16. After the match, a tall lanky older guy with a not so good grey-haired rug, but, with a gorgeous young blonde on his arm. He says to me, “good to see you again after all these years, “can you sign my program?” I ask, “What’s your name?” He says, “make it out to Paul,” you want your last name too.” “Instead, just make it out to, “Smitto!” I take a closer look at the guy and yell out, “SMITTO!” Didn’t recognize him with the rug, we laughed together about the past. His parting words to me were, “You taught me a VERY valuable lesson, that I was only a BIG fish in a LITTLE pond!” “And, I can see you certainly know this game, good luck in the FINALS!”
Remembering the good old Hustling days!
Bill Smith “Mr3Cushion"