Chicago player

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What ever happened to Artie B(dont know the spelling) in Chicago ? Never hear anyone refer to him in stories players . If i remember his high gear was as good as about anyone.
 

Kobachi

Scarred but Smarter
RJ would be the all knowing to answer this question. I’m sure he’ll chime in shortly.

It’s Betendorfer or something like that.
 

KRJ

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Artie lives in Las Vegas. He's retired. Plays some 1P in his garage now and again. And yes, he was as good as advertised. I grew up watching him play. Unorthodox style but he just rarely missed any shot that was makeable. But, the good ones never do :)

He had a knack at winning at gambling, including sports gambling in Vegas.
So good, the Casino's didn't want his action anymore. He's a hustler's hustler. Always made the right game pool game, always jacked up the bet. If you wanted to bet $500, he wanted to make it $1500.

He knew he was going to play the same for $1 or $1M but the other guy, not so much. His life story would really be a good movie, especially his "dealings" with the Casino's. He can eat at the Casino's, as I was out there about 10 years ago, he just can't even sit down and play a hand of $10 black jack. Pretty funny if you think about it.

He is in the 1P Hall of Fame as one of the better road hustlers around. Now, he likes being a grandpa and do plenty of babysitting these days :)
 

AtLarge

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Artie Bodendorfer


edit -- oops, I see garczar already posted his name.
 
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KRJ

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Nice. That was my fathers old pool room (with Freddy the Beard and Race Track Phil) Had to ring the buzzer to get in :) Members only allowed it to be open 24 hours a day. Cut my last class of the high school, jumped on the Belmont bus and I was usually there by 1pm just in time for lunch, then played a few racks and then worked the 4 to midnight shift ;) Good times, good times :)
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nice. That was my fathers old pool room (with Freddy the Beard and Race Track Phil) Had to ring the buzzer to get in :) Members only allowed it to be open 24 hours a day. Cut my last class of the high school, jumped on the Belmont bus and I was usually there by 1pm just in time for lunch, then played a few racks and then worked the 4 to midnight shift ;) Good times, good times :)
Too cool. You must have seen some awesome match-ups in that spot.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Artie lives in Las Vegas. He's retired. Plays some 1P in his garage now and again. And yes, he was as good as advertised. I grew up watching him play. Unorthodox style but he just rarely missed any shot that was makeable. But, the good ones never do :)

He had a knack at winning at gambling, including sports gambling in Vegas.
So good, the Casino's didn't want his action anymore. He's a hustler's hustler. Always made the right game pool game, always jacked up the bet. If you wanted to bet $500, he wanted to make it $1500.

He knew he was going to play the same for $1 or $1M but the other guy, not so much. His life story would really be a good movie, especially his "dealings" with the Casino's. He can eat at the Casino's, as I was out there about 10 years ago, he just can't even sit down and play a hand of $10 black jack. Pretty funny if you think about it.

He is in the 1P Hall of Fame as one of the better road hustlers around. Now, he likes being a grandpa and do plenty of babysitting these days :)

His rep was that he was unbeatable in Chicago (Bensingers and North Shore) at One Pocket. He took on all comers and I never heard of anyone escaping with the money. He was smart enough to know when he had a bad game too. He played me one game of Banks for $50 and I ran three and out and he quit me. :rolleyes:
 

KRJ

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His rep was that he was unbeatable in Chicago (Bensingers and North Shore) at One Pocket. He took on all comers and I never heard of anyone escaping with the money. He was smart enough to know when he had a bad game too. He played me one game of Banks for $50 and I ran three and out and he quit me. :rolleyes:

You are suppose to get out of bad games, that's what the smart folks with money do :) He made so much money in sports gambling that he really stepped away from pool for a long time. I know he played John Henderson at DCC a few years back, but they were both in their golden years already. Maybe he can give us some tidbits on his 1P prowess. I'm sure they've seen each other play many times over the years ??
 

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks to all ,I kept thinking it was Boedenhofer escaped a big mistake with him at North shore when i heard Dick Weaver talk about him.
 

KenRobbins

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
He had a knack at winning at gambling, including sports gambling in Vegas.
So good, the Casino's didn't want his action anymore. He's a hustler's hustler. Always made the right game pool game, always jacked up the bet. If you wanted to bet $500, he wanted to make it $1500.

Mentally outdoing your opponent before stepping up to the table, taking them out of their comfort zone. Would've loved to seen this action in person.
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The story that got back to me is Artie would only play on one table.

He was far from a "road player".

Freddy was his friend, and with his politics he advanced him for the HOF. Did he deserve it? I don't know, but is probably the least known and least traveled of all of the HOF players.

Ken
 

KRJ

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The story that got back to me is Artie would only play on one table.

He was far from a "road player".

Freddy was his friend, and with his politics he advanced him for the HOF. Did he deserve it? I don't know, but is probably the least known and least traveled of all of the HOF players.

Ken

Not true actually. We had 2 dozens tables and he saw action on all of them. Now, I can't speak for Bensingers as it was a dive, rumors of malaria and a history of malcontents that enjoyed this little slice of hell. So, yeah, between the rats and the malaria, I'm sure he figured out where he could survive without needing a shot ;)
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
He definitely needed a poofreader...
 

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KRJ

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He definitely needed a poofreader...

Oh, there is no doubt you would win money in a spelling contest. As good as Artie was in making money, real money, gambling, you could spot him the C and the A in spelling cat and you'd rob him ;)

But, he never had a paying gig for his wordsmithing :)
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Oh, there is no doubt you would win money in a spelling contest. As good as Artie was in making money, real money, gambling, you could spot him the C and the A in spelling cat and you'd rob him ;)

But, he never had a paying gig for his wordsmithing :)

Then we will have to play a set of spelling bee and a set of 1p.

Tiebreaker, something fair...like bicycle!
 

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
The late Grady Mathews told me stories about Artie that put his 1-P skills up there with Jack Cooney,not necessarily based on pure offense but the fact that he knew every move,how to get out of it,and almost never sold out a makeable ball.

He said that Artie could probably spot more people than Cliff Joyner,because even guys that could flat out shoot him would visibly age waiting on him to give them an open ball to their hole. Tommy D.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Chicago style ain't just a pizza, I guess.

The late Grady Mathews told me stories about Artie that put his 1-P skills up there with Jack Cooney,not necessarily based on pure offense but the fact that he knew every move,how to get out of it,and almost never sold out a makeable ball.

He said that Artie could probably spot more people than Cliff Joyner,because even guys that could flat out shoot him would visibly age waiting on him to give them an open ball to their hole. Tommy D.
 

KRJ

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The late Grady Mathews told me stories about Artie that put his 1-P skills up there with Jack Cooney,not necessarily based on pure offense but the fact that he knew every move,how to get out of it,and almost never sold out a makeable ball.

He said that Artie could probably spot more people than Cliff Joyner,because even guys that could flat out shoot him would visibly age waiting on him to give them an open ball to their hole. Tommy D.

You would be correct. But, if I go on and on about him it sounds like i'm just a "homer", so I'm glad someone else chimed in :)

and yes, he has a certain disdain for anyone that tried to shoot at their hole. Even attempting a 4 rail bank shot made him a little pissed. He didn't like anyone trying to take it "home". LOL
 
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pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
You would be correct. But, if I go on and on about him it sounds like i'm just a "homer", so I'm glad someone else chimed in :)

and yes, he has a certain disdain for anyone that tried to shoot at their hole. Even attempting a 4 rail bank shot made him a little pissed. He didn't like anyone trying to take it "home". LOL

It would’ve been fun watching Artie play Tony Chohan.
 
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