Hopefully humorous story about Jersey red and me

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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have told the story how I first met and played Jersey red for the first time

It was a n interesting event ,but afterwards we became friends
he even signed his one pocket book and gave it to me

it says"if you could play like you match up,I would need 8 to 6"

Well i came under his spell,I never saw anyone that played so dynamic'especially whren playing lambs

well he was in a tournament at CJs and I was on the side getting offers to play, Red missed an easy shot,he was not young anymore but I figured everyone missed,byt Kim Davenport made a curt remark about Reds play, he was of course trying to goad red into playing him for money

I thought Kim was just another wise acre pool detective or know it all so I said
Maybe you would like to play him for $500 a game
he said"no how about a $1000?'

Red came around the rail and started whispering in my ear

I pushed him away saying ,Do you mind i am trying to match uo,then to Kim,
let me see some money,I am not shooting at air

he began counting up over $10,000 and i said 'lets get your stupid friends down too asI began countoing with both hands and trying to keep Red from queering the game

Kim had friends and they began to count

Then Red,in what was probably the most humiliating moment of his entire life puts both hands around his mouth and shouts
I CAN"T BEAT HIM DEAN

I said"no bet then,i can't go against the nuts"

Kim says I thought we had a bet

I said "we almost did,let me buy a round for the house while I celebrate my save

Red looked so dejected,I don't think he hadeveradmitted that he couldn't beat anybody

I sheepishly said something like good move Red,no body could ever move
like you do

"You really think so"

and not too much later Red passed away,I cried
 
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ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
Good Story

It is a good story Dean. Comes off a bit more sad than funny to me though.

Hu


deanoc said:
I have told the story how I first met and played Jersey red for the first time

It was a n interesting event ,but afterwards we became friends
he even signed his one pocket book and gave it to me

it sais"if you could play like you match up,I would need 8 to 6"

Well i came under his spell,I never saw anyone that played so dynamic'especially whren playing lambs

well hewas i a tournament at CJs and I was on the side getting offers to play, red missed an easy shot,he was not young anymore but I figured everyone missed,byt KiM Davenport made a curt remark about Reds play, he was of course trying to goad red into playing him for money

I thought kim was just another wise acre pool detective or know it all so I said
Maybe you would like to play him for $500 a game
he said"no how about a $100?'

Red came around the rail and started whispering in my ear

I pushed him away saying ,Do you mind i am trying to match uo,then to Kim,
let me see some money,I am not shooting at air

he began counting up over $10,000 and i said 'lets get your stupid friends down too asI began counytoing with both hands and trying to keep Red from queering the game

well Kim had friends and they began to count
Then Red,in what was probably the most humiliating moment of his entire life puts both hands around his mouth and shouts
ICAN"T BEAT HIM DEAN

I said"no bet then,i can't go against the nuts"

Kim says I thought we had a bet

I said "we almost did,let me buy a round for the house while I celebrate my save

Red looked so dejected,I don't think he hadeveradmitted that he couldn't beat anybody

isheepishly said something like good move Red,no body could ever move
like you do

You really think so
and not too much later Red passed away,I cried
Click to expand...
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
sorry fellows kinda sad in the end but picture red shouting i can't win

that part was funny

when i got to thinking about it being over i was too sentimental
forgive me
thanks,i will try to get up beat
 
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ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
all stories aren't happy

deanoc said:
sorry fellows kinda sad in the end but picture red shouting i can't win

that part was funny

when i got to thinking about it being overi got morose
forgive me
thanks,i will try to get up beat
Click to expand...


Dean,

Good stories aren't always happy or have a happy ending. I pictured Red's frustration having to admit his skills weren't there anymore. I'll never play at the level I once did, most of us older fellows won't. Sucks to have to admit it in the middle of a pool hall though.

Hu
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
deanoc said:
sorry fellows kinda sad in the end but picture red shouting i can't win

that part was funny

when i got to thinking about it being overi got morose
forgive me
thanks,i will try to get up beat
Click to expand...

No worries Dean. I loved the Redbird too. He was one of my all time favorites. Just a really friendly, jovial guy win or lose. He sharked me once in Dayton. I had just beaten Cannonball and Dan Louie back to back in the 9-Ball tournament and had to play Red next. He came over to me and said he wasn't feeling so good and may not show up for our match. He had watched my match with Danny and he said he probably couldn't beat me now anyway.

I liked the sound of that since the match was worth an extra 250. So the next day I'm there early hitting balls and no sign of Red when they call the match. I'm fully expecting to win by forfeit. Then out of the crowd he emerges, a big smile on his face, looking real chipper. I never got over that shark and he beat me fairly easily. You and I both know sometimes you win matches off the table as well as on. :wink:
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I hate to be repetitive on my stories but Red and I encountered each other for the first time in san antonio at a big tournament

I always need to be known to get action ,I play so bad i need to be sure everyone knows it so I matched up with Red ,he took the break and gave me 3 pockets to his one,played even

Only played for small stakes so I figured it was an opportunity to play in front of a crowd and
display my ineptitude, my ignorance( pretty much playing Red was a sign of being a sucker) and my bankroll in action

In other words a spread playing in front of perhaps 200 -300 sweaters. this iswhat they came for,to see the famous player beat the square with the sport coayt and white shirt

i lost game after game after game,everytime i went to the restroom I woud be at the urinal between two guys telling me i had a bad game.

I told them they were crazy I had 3 pocketsto his one,no way was it a bad game. Just watch

They ansewered "then why are you losing"

I explaimed some lame excuse about a standard deviation and a bell shape curve working out in the long run,wait till i jack the bet and bet on me. Rhetoric common to the sucker( me)

Finally Red was called to his tournament game and had to quit. I said you can't quit winner?

He replied it was better than quitting loser I sat down and ordered lunch, the crowd surrounded me
you can hear their typical talk common to every pool room in America

No action here,everybody is on the shorts,people lookig for the nuts,no body here has any gamble but you sir"

Now the hook was set. Nobody with any sense wanted to play anybody but me

I was as popular as a car hop at closing time.
The offers began to flow
I accidently dropped my bankroll on the floor and spilt my drink in a practiced move
designed to show the mallards without a flagrant flash that might spell an experience hand.

Well ,this is about how I first encountered Red. I am afraid to go on with the rest of the story and how i matched up with Danny Medina covered every bet in the house and as Paul Harvey used to say, that's

The Rest of the Story

we will hold off on that one untill you guys are ready


Jay,you have so many good stories,why not share a few during this shut down

Give the fellas a look at what it was really like in action nobody knows these better
than you
 
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jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
deanoc said:
I hate to be repetitive on my stories but Red and I encountered each other for the first time in san antonio at a big tournament

I always need to be known to get action ,I play so bad i need to be sure everyone knows it so I matched up with Red ,he took the break and gave me 3 pockets to his one,played even

Only played for small stakes so I figured it was an opportunity to play in front of a crowd and
display my ineptitude, my ignorance( pretty much playing Red was a sign of being a sucker) and my bankroll in action

In other words a spread playing in front of perhaps 200 -300 sweaters. this iswhat they came for,to see the famous player beat the square with the sport coayt and white shirt

i lost game after game after game,everytime i went to the restroom I woud be at the urinal between two guys telling me i had a bad game.

I told them they were crazy I had 3 pocketsto his one,no way was it a bad game. Just watch

They ansewered "then why are you losing"

I explaimed some lame excuse about a standard deviation and a bell shape curve working out in the long run,wait till i jack the bet and bet on me. Rhetoric common to the sucker( me)

Finally Red was called to his tournament game and had to quit. I said you can't quit winner?

He replied it was better than quitting loser I sat down and ordered lunch, the crowd surrounded me
you can hear their typical talk common to every pool room in America

No action here,everybody is on the shorts,people lookig for the nuts,no body here has any gamble but you sir"

Now the hook was set. Nobody with any sense wanted to play anybody but me

I was as popular as a car hop at closing time.
The offers began to flow
I accidently dropped my bankroll on the floor and spilt my drink in a practiced move
designed to show the mallards without a flagrant flash that might spell an experience hand.

Well ,this is about how I first encountered Red. I am afraid to go on with the rest of the story and how i matched up with Danny Medina covered every bet in the house and as PaHl harvey used to say, that's

The Rest of the Story

we will hold off on that one till you guys are ready


jay,you have so many good stories,why not share a few during this shut down

Give the fellas a lookat what it was really like in action,no body knows these better
than you
Click to expand...

Okay, one more Redbird story. I first met him in 1963 in New York at the 7/11, where all the good players were hanging out at the time. I saw how good he and Ervolino and Shorty could play right up close. I hung out in there and Guys and Dolls for the next few months until I got sent to Basic and Advanced Training at Ft. Polk.

I was finishing up my stay at Ft. Polk just in time to go to Johnston City in 1964. I got there the first day of the tournament and who do I see but Red and Ervolino sitting on the sideline in the back room. They were not as well known back then as they were to become later. Ervolino had already made a name for himself but Red had not yet ventured far from the New York/New Jersey area. I hear Johnny telling some old hustlers that Red used to play in the Dodgers farm system and is a real good baseball player who also likes to play pool. Johnny says he plays pretty good too, but will only bet 20 a game at 9-Ball.

I can see that some guys seem hep to Johnny and don't fall for this conversation but a couple of them seem interested. A hustler named Bill Mullen strikes up a conversation with Red and they ultimately decide to play $20 9-Ball. They go back and forth and Red wins about $100. Now Johnny Edwards, who has been watching challenges Red. Same thing, a little back and forth and Red wins another hundred or so. Finally Jr. Goff gets involved. He's a better player and this time the match is closer. Red has to come completely off the stall to beat Jr and his true speed begins to show. After losing a couple of games Jr. looks at Red and blurts out, "Who was better, Pee Wee Reese or Bobby Richardson?" Red looks at him and says, "How the fuc' should I know!" BUSTED!! :smile:
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Red actually claimed he was a ball player for years
He entertained Dennis Glenn and myself with stories

One thing he was very sure that Johnny Bench was the best catcher to ever live.
Practically every position was debatable buy catcher.I claimed Yogi Berra was better as well
as Pudge Rodriques but there was no way to settle the discussion

Ervolino was a bit of a character as well.,both Red And Johnny could really play
 
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Charlie Hustle

Charlie Hustle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dean, in your first story, whenever you ask Kim if he wants to play Red for $500, and he replies "no, for $100"

Did you mean to type $1000? Not trying to correct you, but the story would make more sense that way.

Thanks in advance
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Charlie ,you are right ,I fixed it

I don't type,I just hunt and peck so I make countless errors

Also I am not 100% it was Kim ,I had never met him before or seen him since

I naver was a tournament fan,but this was in Dallas and I liked to see Red and Dennis
CJ really had a talent for promotion,I think Willie and Jimmy Caras were there as well

Looking back,I always enjoyed being at the tournaments when I was there, I got to visit Jean Balukas,
Willie, and others. I didn't usually watch the play or even participate in the calcutas but

I would meet the most interesting people. I guess I would compareit to big family reunions




I am trying to remember the name of a Kentucky bank pool player that I played twice,he passed away just a few years ago.Not the very best,but a very good player,lots of action.
 
PoolFan101

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I really Enjoy your Stories Dean , it is cool to hear from the people who were there and seen 1st hand. Do you have any stories about Willie Mosconi , I am a fan of him. Also did you ever met Fats . I bet he could tell a story or 2
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
my only dealings with willie mosconi were limited to friendly conversations

there are those in the gambling community who think less of willie because he was not a gambler

at least not primarily and they felt compelled to criticize him as having no heart etc

right up front letme state that i was not one of their kind,nor was eddie taylor,eddie kelly,jersey red, wimpy,billy stroud or some of my other friends

we held mosconi in the highest esteem, i never met anyone that would play willie for money,
they would have been "mad at their money"

so when I met willie it was with an attitude of awe and appreciation, he responded to me with sincere friendship and kindness.

We sat for some time ar a big Billiard expo in Ft Worth,Tx 20 some years ago,he signed pictures and autographed them one after another for me and pulled out his beautiful Balabushka cue.

At this time i was just getting hooked on cues,Willie offered me his Balabushka for $2750,
I looked at him and said "are you nuts,$2750?"

he replied "no,but I thought you might be"

we laughed

My friend will Prout later bought this cue for around $100,000"

hearsay

I felt like crying when I heard how I had lost $100,000

My countenance was not happy

My friend Denny glenn said to me"cheer up you didn't lose $100,000
you only lost $1000!"

How so,I replied

Renmember back in the 90s you sold everything you found to me for $1000 profit"

"Dean,you would have sold it to me and I am the one who lost the $100,000"

I felt so much better that i took Denny out to dinner

Denny owns Willie's cue that he ran 526 balls with and several other of his cues
They spent much time together if you want Willie Mosconi stories

I hope you enjoyed this one, I had 2 other encounters ,but not now


Someone requested the Danny Medina story,perhaps later,I am tired already
 
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PoolFan101

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you Dean , Wow That is awesome that you got to be friends with Willie and more so that he gave you the op to buy his Cue. Man it is crazy had you only known, But that is Life thru and thru. Please keep the stories coming. I really enjoy them my Friend.
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i started to tell a story about Johnny Ervoline,but it was pointed out that I had told the story before

Isn't that just like a poolplayer

1 day of excitement ,years on the commentary

me culpa
 
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pvc lou

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
you've told this story twice recently, Deano...tell us what happened with you in Vegas while Ervolino was being kept busy in Dallas..please
 
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