Dallas West

[ND Fan]

I had the great fortune of playing many many hours of three cushion with Dallas. When Tom Karabotsos had Cue Can Do I believe on Irving Park Drive. At the time that was all I really played. Dallas worked there during the day during the week. I was completely ignorant of who this man was. I just knew he could play all the games. Since the place opened at noon and there weren't too many players in there at that time I could get Dallas to play me some 3C. We played for a buck a game and for the first few months he just destroyed me. He could play for several hours and average over 1.0, well out of my league. I remember we played to 25 and in 4 innings he was done, broke and ran 8, missed, ran 6, missed then ran 11. He did make one more to continue his run but the game was over. I supposed I handed him $10-12 a day for a 4 or 5 hours of play. One day I won a game. After several months I now knew who he was and relished the opportunity to play with him. After winning I asked him to sign the dollar. Bad form on my part but I was young and stupid then... he looked up at me and said I was about $400 down at that point and he'd be glad to sign that dollar if I just won 400 more games. :wink: I didn't get it then but certainly do now. What great guy. I also enjoyed watching him play and practice straight pool. For the 7 months or so I was there, I remember him not leaving until he ran 100 balls. He was and probably still is a machine. My high in straight pool is probably 19 just a bit higher than my high run in 3C (13)

 

[StraightPoolIU]

A good thread about a great champion, and it's an appropriate week for it with all the 14.1 discussion ongoing. Definitely worthy of a revival. While I don't have any stories I will say that I have the Sigel Schmidt video and Dallas' commentary is excellent. I also have a match of his from the Maine Event 14.1 Championship, but unforunately you don't get to see much of his play because Grady has a run of over 100 and then wins in a 2 inning game.

 

[lfigueroa]

A good thread about a great champion, and it's an appropriate week for it with all the 14.1 discussion ongoing. Definitely worthy of a revival. While I don't have any stories I will say that I have the Sigel Schmidt video and Dallas' commentary is excellent. I also have a match of his from the Maine Event 14.1 Championship, but unforunately you don't get to see much of his play because Grady has a run of over 100 and then wins in a 2 inning game.

I really like the way Dallas thinks about the game of 14.1. His mantra is "work the rack, don't let the rack work you."

Lou Figueroa

 

[LightsOut]

What a great thread. I have an interesting story to share related to the 100 ball commentary tape. A good friend of mine, coach and pool mentor to me, 'Chicago Dave' Gorgas was there in Rockford on the day they shot that 100 ball run. He was one of the few spectators. That video was Dallas' first attempt to get 100 on tape. But, on that day, before reviewing it, he was dissatisfied and wanted to get a cleaner 100...so he set up a new break shot and what did he do? He ran another 100. And then another. And then another...and...then another. And this went on for hours trying to get a more perfect 100. Dave was there and said if he didn't see it with his own eyes he would have trouble believing the story but by the end of the day Dallas had run ten 100's in a row. Not linked but with new ball in hand break shots to start over. Personally, I think this is one of the most incredible things I think to ever be accomplished on a pool table. I've been trying to get Dave to do a video interview and tell this back story on the day that video was shot...but he's shy. Maybe someday soon I'll get him to agree.

Dallas had the smoothest stroke, so beautiful to watch him move that cue like a violinist with a bow. His stroke was 'musical' in its artristry.

 

[macguy]

I hate when I see threads titled like this, I always think someone died.

I met him a number of times and he was always very nice. I was surprised he is not as old as I thought. He was such a good player when he was a kid running like 100 balls at the age of 13 he seems to have been around forever.

Today with players with 18" bridges and goofy cues and stuff Like Earl, Dallas West like Ray Martin plays a game that has a fundamental purity to it. t. He plays a game that is worth imitating by a new player. A back to the basics player.
He epitomizes what a player should look like and be. Not to mention maybe the best name ever.

 

[yobagua]

In 2000 I went to NY to attend the US Open 14.1 Championship. It was held in the old Roseland Ballroom and was magnificent. It had the old time feel that I remembered from the 70's. It was the first time I saw many players. Soquet had beaten a young Taiwanese player Min to win it all and Efren had come in 3rd.

I never saw Dallas West before and thought he was from Texas. Silly me. But I met Tom Karabatsos and he told me he was from Illinois. He played a great game but he is the only guy who I saw Efren get really upset with. Efren was playing a very unorthodox game. Dallas was getting irked that Efren was taking some unconventional break shot. Once Efren banked a break shot cross side and came around 3 rails to break open the rack.

Dallas jumped up in his seat and turned to look at the audience and had a look of shock. This is my interpretation. So were we all. I think Efren ran over a 130 balls to 150 then. But Efren got stuck and played a safe. Dallas did a return and stuck Efren in the stack. After pondering a bit Efren took a scratch. But as in one pocket Efren tapped the white ball with the ferrel of his stick instead of the tip. Dallas held up his hand and said "hold on, get the rule book that was an extreme foul". I don't know the exact 14.1 rerminology. Play was held up and the book was got out. Yep Dallas, the veteran was right. Any part of the cue other than the tip touching the cue ball was an "extreme" foul and 14 points was deducted and Efren had to break open the rack from opening position.

Efren was pissed and pretty perturbed. The game continued. Efren did eventually win. But he learned a good lesson that day from a master.

 

[Cheessehead]

On a more somber note, Dallas lost his son Noah about a month or so ago. Noah played pool around the Rockford/Beloit area and was well respected a person and a player.

 

[Doug]

If current pool players adhered to a similar dress code emulating Dallas when playing in ANY notable tournaments it would unquestionably change the publics perception of pool. While attending the most recent tournament at JOB's in/near Nashville, Tn the majority of the pool players looked like street people who had been rounded up and told to go play pool. Too bad because it tarnishes the overall image of pool and downplays the truth that pool played at the highest level demands great talent and dedication instead of the image that any bum can play pool. In some respect it is a reflection of the lack of respect the pool player has for themselves and the respect they expect to receive from others. Of all the professions that can profit in such attire is a rock star(s) or an under cover cop.

 

[poolmouse]

Dallas had the smoothest stroke, so beautiful to watch him move that cue like a violinist with a bow. His stroke was 'musical' in its artristry.

George Mecula once told me he thought Dallas West had a perfect stroke.

 

[CreeDo]

I have not had much chance to be around Dallas West, but let me offer a few random thoughts.
[snip]
At that tournament, I stopped Dallas West and spoke with him. He was cordial and generous with his time. Can we clone him?

I'd rep you again if I could!
I also enjoyed some of these other details, especially lou's.
West sounds like one of those guys who scares you on the table
but makes you feel welcome off the table.

 

[freddy the beard]

Here is a peripheral story about him leaving California in a hurry one time:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3176904&postcount=14

In the 1975 US Open, he was my first match. I opened with a pretty good safety but he found an off-angle combination in the head of the rack and ran 70. I managed to answer with a 28 which I thought was pretty good for the circumstances (first big tournament, in a suit and tie). He won that tournament, so I felt better about the loss.

Bob, I was at that tournament at the Elks in LA when the earthquake hit. I was up on the top floor, in bed with the flu and a 104 fever. When the earthquake hit (about 4 in the morn) I thought I was just being delirious. With the bldg rocking and plaster dust filling the air I flew out of the bed and headed to the stairs -- in my underwear -- and with my wife along side of me. Suddenly, I realized how sick I was and how cold it was outside, and I just gave up and told my wife I was going back for some clothes, screw it, just go ahead and kill me, but I am going to be warm.

My wife and I jogged down about 11 flights of stairs and everyone else had came down and congregated in the lobby. The bldg was still grumbling. Cisero Murphy was there, he had come down from the top floor also, and he broke everybody up when he said, "This is the last time I go on the road without a parachute!"

Later in the day, I ran into Dallas in the practice room. He was with his wife and he told me they were headed to the next plane out back to Rockford. Dallas was undefeated at the time and Fred Whalen and others were begging him to stay on. To no avail.

I certainly cant fault him for his decision because I flew out the same day myself --- even tho I was deathly afraid of airplanes. However, Fred Whalen didnt spend much time begging me to stay. Were Dallas and I scared? Damn right. This was my 2nd quake (Both occurred at pool tournaments. The other was the quake during the Johnston City tourn. Late '60s?), I wasnt going to take anymore chances.

If I remember right, Dallas was undefeated in all the divisions, including Onepocket.

Finally, yes, he did wear the high-water slacks back then too, with the accompanying D.A. hairstyle. That stands for Ducks-ass for all you youngsters. It was all the rage in the '50s.

Beard

 

[alstl]

I wonder if Dallas West and Amarillo Slim ever matched up.

 

[cajunfats]

When I was living in Janesville,Wisconsin in the early 90's, I would travel down to Rockford to Dallas's little pool room, to visit and play for a few hours. Dallas is a true Gentleman, and is worthy of every accolade bestowed upon him.

I told him the story of how "Famous" he was in Germany back in the late 80's. Virtually everyone I met in the German Pool Leagues was familiar with Dallas West-100 Ball Run Video. This is quite possibly the secret to the German Mastery of Straight Pool that is enjoyed today.

On one occasion, John Wright came to Dallas's Room when I was there. John had some "new" Balabushka Cues he had for sale and stopped in for Dallas to peruse them. Now, most guys would say that seeing 5 original Balabushka Cues in one spot would get the adrenalin pumping. I however, had the pleasure of watching Dallas "Test Stroke" each of them. The fluidity of motion in his stroke is something to behold. It appears to be effortless, and it reminded me very much of Steve Mizerak's stroke. Beautiful.

The last time i saw Dallas was about an hour before his induction to the BCA Hall of Fame. We sat in the Lobby of the Hotel in Minneapolis, and chatted about how much of an influence he has had in the world of Pocket Billiards. I told him how much I admired him, and appreciated his friendship. I asked him to say hello to his son,Noah, whom I had the pleasure of playing often during my visits. Our matches to 100 were "legendary", if only for the trash talking Noah and I would do during the game,with Dallas doing the color commentary,lol.

During my time at the BCA, I had advocated for only 3 people to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. Dallas West, Eddie Taylor and Oliver Ortmann.

Dallas West. Legendary Pool Player. But, much more than that. Great Human Being.

cajunfats

 

[CJ Wiley]

I always looked up to Dallas West while growing up in MO

No, I didn't play Dallas and never went by "Carson J Palmer".....my road names were "Chris, Mike Hulse, Butch, and BB Eyes".....the only big money match I played in Vegas that's noteworthy was against MARK TADD.....I beat him 16 ahead for $20,000 in about 2.5 hours.

I always looked up to Dallas West while growing up in MO....he was a genuine champion at all cue games and a great gentleman representative of the game.

Aloha

CJ, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you play Dallas after winning the World Series of Pool "amateur" division. He had won the pro division and then you guys met in a playoff. You were still Carson J. Palmer then, high school champion!

Dallas was (and is) a good man, who went about his business quietly and matter of factly, kicking ass all the way!
He was always a threat to win no matter who he was playing or what game (except One Pocket which he despised). Dallas was a top ten player throughout his career. He somehow managed to stay under the radar for the most part, but the other players were very much aware of his presence.

In addition to being a great pool player, he was an excellent Three Cushion player as well. He reminded me of Elvis, with his slicked back hair and long sideburns. A cool guy, a real man, soft spoken, who let his cue do the talking!

 

[stan shuffett]

I had the pleasure of playing Dallas West on 2 occasions.
Our first match occurred at the 1984 Tar Heel Open in Greensboro, NC. I ran the the 5 racks and won the match 11-4. Dallas was very gracious in defeat and commented to Grady Matthews, tournament director, that I played very well. Our next encounter was at the 1989 Lexington Allstar tournament. Dallas won 11-8 and I have that match on Accustat video.
During that same event I won against Shannon Daulton 11-6 and was eliminated by Bobby Hunter 11-7. I have those matches on video as well.

Stan Shuffett

 

[sixpack]

In December 2005, Dallas West was one of the BCA Hall of Famers that was given a gift of $30,000 by Kevin Trudeau, the man some on this forum seem to despise with a vengeance, for just coming to Orlando to compete in the King of the Hill event. Each BCA Hall of Famer was also given not only $30,000, but they each had two byes in the tournament, which included Efren Reyes, who won.

Here's Dallas West in December 2005 in Orlando. Quite a dapper-looking gentleman with burgandy tuxedo and cool vest, wouldn't you say?

I found out this weekend that my father-in-law is Dallas’ brother. I showed him (my F-I-L) this picture and he enjoyed it., I thought you might like to know.
Dallas called while my in-laws were at the house this weekend so I got to talk to him briefly. He is doing well. Not taking on many lessons or playing much and enjoying his family. Thought I would update this thread.

 

[KRJ]

I found out this weekend that my father-in-law is Dallas’ brother. I showed him (my F-I-L) this picture and he enjoyed it., I thought you might like to know.
Dallas called while my in-laws were at the house this weekend so I got to talk to him briefly. He is doing well. Not taking on many lessons or playing much and enjoying his family. Thought I would update this thread.

Did you just get married yesterday lol

Still kinda cool to find that out,,,, finally.

 

[sixpack]

Did you just get married yesterday lol

Still kinda cool to find that out,,,, finally.

I couldn’t believe I didn’t know it either! He was saying something about his brother Dallas and his last name is West so I jokingly asked if he was the pool player. And he is! Lol

 

[KRJ]

I couldn’t believe I didn’t know it either! He was saying something about his brother Dallas and his last name is West so I jokingly asked if he was the pool player. And he is! Lol

So, your wife knows you like pool and her uncle is in the HOF and it never dawned on her lol

 

[sixpack]

So, your wife knows you like pool and her uncle is in the HOF and it never dawned on her lol

Her dad died. Mom remarried a couple of years ago. So not quite that bad.