Jimmy Reid update

Just watched his dvd's yesterday, hopefully he'll be better soon.
Said a prayer for him already.

Jimmy was the first one to turn me on to weed, when I was 22. Boy did he change my life that day. I spent a lot of time with him and Barbara in California, and she was still new to the pool scene. Barbara was one girlfriend who would become famous in the pool world, just like Harry Platis' wife Aletha. These two ALWAYS knew the score, and knew when to let their man play and when to pull him up. :wink:

Even at age 20, Jimmy was never afraid to play anyone at any game. Which did get him in trouble a few times. But boy did he improve. He just kept getting better and better, and within a few years he was one of the most feared money players alive. Shot for shot, no one could stand up to Jimmy's firepower. And he wore out a lot of famous players. He was a ring game Godzilla!

Many people don't realize that Ten Ball was alive and well way back in the 70's. It WAS the standard for ring games back then among the top players. Regulars in the big game back then were names like Jimmy Reid, Denny Searcy, Jim Mataya, Larry Lisciotti, Bob Osborne, Richie Florence, Jimmy Marino, Ronnie Allen, Ed Kelly, Boston Shorty, Jersey Red, Richie Ambrose, Don Watson and Cornbread Red. You might see any of these guys playing in a five or six handed game.

Twenty a man was the standard bet in the 60's and 70's, so if you were playing six handed and won a game, you would get paid $100 total. It was possible and even likely that the big winner for the night, might win a couple of thousand (or more). A healthy score in the early 70's. Sometimes a player like Jimmy Reid or Denny would run four or five racks (Ten Ball!) and the game would start to break up, with players dropping out. It was possible to go eight or ten games without shooting in a strong field like this.

And yet, you would see games where everyone shot twice! That was the beauty of Ten Ball. Only the very best players got in these games. Occasionally a lesser player would find a two or three hundred dollar stake horse and get in. They would burn that money up fast! :grin-square:

I staked Jimmy one year in Dayton and he won $2,800 that night. We chopped it up and he didn't need me the next night. :wink:
He went on to win another $7,000 over the next few days, and I wasn't in. But hey, that was how the pool world operated. I got a game playing Joey Spaeth 8-7 and the Break for fifty a game. This was not one of my best moves. He beat me out of $400, and I felt like I played good.

I dont think it is a lack of concern, I think we all wish him well in our own way. I myself pray he gets better, and hope his days are filled with joy while he is recovering. Jimmy Reid is... And Jimmy Reid will always be......... Great for the game of pool.

Thanks for the updates Freddy.

freddy the beard said:

Just a bump. I'm surprised at so little concern for one of the really great players and fighters. 3 years ago Jimmy was given NO chance to survive his cancer. He competed at DCC last Jan.!

the Beard

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Most of the posters here do not know much about old timers and that may be the reason for not having many posts.Yes I agree with you that he is a eye candy for women.He always had a Gigle/Smile and 'no saint' billy incardona used to call him Mr.Gigles. He is a Double leo.
Good to know that his cancer is gone.Wish him full recovery.

i'm glad to hear jimmy's winning his battle. i hope he makes a fast and full recovery. i got to know him a bit while writing for inside pool. he was a regular at the ip party during hopkin's expo in valley forge. the man knows how to enjoy himself.

I was a regular at his website but haven't as yet bought the dvd's. Certainly I'll be praying for him as well.

JimS said:

I was a regular at his website but haven't as yet bought the dvd's. Certainly I'll be praying for him as well.

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I've been a friend of Jimmys since the 70's and I talk to him on a regular basis. He's quite a talker and was the best money player I've ever had the pleasure to watch through the years. If you are interested in the DVD's, I am running a link for Jimmy on the Wanted For Sale forums to his e-bay auction. You will say a ton of cash getting them from his e-bay site vs. his website. I am going to update the link and bump the post in a few minutes from now.

freddy the beard said:

Talked to Jimmy Reid for about an hour yesterday. He still cant eat anything, he still has a bad infection in his stomach and he is still not healthy yet. However, he is still alive, and has no more cancer. Also, he still has his famous sense of humor. He was telling me that an unnamed, newly-reformed old-timer, famous for traps, dumps and treachery, told Jimmy that he would "pray" for him. Jimmy objected saying, "Wait a minute, I ain't so sure about how good you stand with the man upstairs. Maybe I'd be better off if you prayed for the cancer!"

One small snitch: While cutting up jackpots, Jimmy reminisced about when he beat Richie Florence in Detroit playing 10 ball. They played for 72 hrs and it was a good score, but Jimmy multiplied it (as us old timers are wont to do) by 10x. I finally said, "Jimmy, you do remember that I was staying with you and Barbara at the time and watched the whole match?" I even once wrote about the end of the match, whereby he made Barbara, after 3 days of sweating, go to the store to get groceries and make her cook us breakfast rather than go out and eat. He was legendary "eye-candy" for the girls, but definitely not a day at the beach. I suppose it would be redundant to tell the Florida orange and the five-ball-on-the-dresser story. He was also credited with the Mike Sigel story about Sigel bragging so much about his pool knowledge that he put "N -one" on his licence plate. Jimmy, you are still the greatest and I will pray for you --- carefully.

the Beard

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Just shows the lack of respect for the history of the game and its pathmakers. Jimmy Reid put out what I believe to be the best set of instructional tapes called "No time for negatives", he was a top shelf tournament player and shut many a player right down for the escarole`. Shame on you young folks, everyday you dont know someone like Jimmy or Freddie is one day less the folklore can stay alive. Today should take a page outta yesterdays playbook, get some character back in the game and show some fuggin heart instead of get on the net and bash or knock players...Jesus that piss's me off. :angry:

Hey Freddy, how are ya buddy?

Please give my best to Jimmy and wish him the speediest revovery for me, even though I'm from the UK, I'm only too aware that Jimmy has given alot to pool and is also a BCA Hall Of Famer and deservedly so

I think that alot of younger pool players, could learn a great deal from the older players, as the older players have many years of invalueable experience behind them

Willie

I goofed

Thanks Freddy, I happily stand corrected

Willie

Jimmy

Got To Meet Him At Dcc In Jan. Mr. Positive. My Best Wishes To Him.