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That could be a Tom O'Connor cue. Tom mentored under Burt Schrager in the late 80's, early 90's and then struck out on his own. He mostly sold cues to the bar league players around Los Angeles, in the low to mid hundreds range. Tom moved his shop to Ridgecrest, CA in the 2000's and continued...

Simple rule to remember. When your bank or any legitimate organization (IRS etc.) wants to communicate with you they will do it via regular mail. Still the safest way to communicate. Hackers can't touch it! Only flaw is a mail thief, who are few and far between these days since so much business...

Delete, Delete, Delete! Never open one of these links!

Pretty sure that's not a Paradise cue. I saw dozens of them and never one that looked anything like that.

I was quick to compliment my opponent if they made a good shot and laughed along with them if they got a lucky roll. I learned early on if they liked playing with you they will come back again and again. I even let some guys cheat me out of a game on the wire once in a while, like if we were...

I believe that Harold did play in the Canadian Snooker Championship one year and lost his match against Chenier. Maybe there is a record of that somewhere, I don't know.

Wasn't "Three Fingered" Ronnie Sypher from back there. He was a damn good pool hustler.

Ed Kelly was from Baltimore and nobody mentioned him. Only one of the best all time! Nobody mentioned here could have beaten him, and only Keith could have hung with him at 9-Ball. Kelly played all games great! The best All Around player in the world for many years. Ask Tom Vanover about him.

Gump was my friend. A helluva guy, always had a big smile on his face. I miss you man.

Eric Cole grinded for fourteen years on the mini-tours before finally getting through qualifying to play on the PGA Tour. Now, he's making millions! His parents were both successful pro golfers, Bobby Cole (from Great Britain) and Laura Baugh.

I learned early on to play my best from beginning to end for two reasons. One, no one could say I hustled them and two, slow playing will get you out of stroke and you will start playing bad. There was another funny phenomena in pool that old scufflers like me will recognize. When a guy was...

Tough life but someone has to do it!

In the old days, promoters often stiffed pool players on the prize money. There was a big One Pocket tourney in Birmingham (if my memory serves me right) where the notorious Preacher Red finished second. He and the winner did not get paid, the promoter pleading he had no money left. Red went to...

Pool is as much a niche sport as bowling and the prize money more closely aligns with it. That said the bowlers are making more than their pool counterparts by a fairly large margin. Mostly because a billionaire now owns the Pro Bowlers Tour. They have about a dozen tournaments a year with first...

I never shied away from rough spots. I was intrigued by them and wanted to see what they were like. My M.O. in tough spots was to find a way to befriend someone who looked like one of the toughest guys in the joint. I'd usually strike up a casual conversation with him and show as much interest...

The pool equivalent of this is when an opponent asks you innocently enough, "Do you look at the cue ball last or the object ball?"

That's nothing! I played in bars where you might get bumped into accidentally or people sitting next to the table might have a loud conversation, including yelling when it's your shot. Of course there were always threats on your life if you win. Now that's what I call sharking!

No. True, golf pays big money but there are many other sports that pay less than pool. MANY! You should play the game you enjoy playing. It's that simple. I've been to several pro golf tournaments and did not enjoy it that much. You can only see one shot from one angle most of the time. You will...

#7 is your answer to most big money matches back then. And most of the time they had backers, but not always. Some players would bet their own, some would put up a share of the bet and some preferred 100% backing.

He beat Effie for the cash too - at 9-Ball!