Greatest lock up artist of all time?

BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
We were kicking this question around here at the pool hall today and wondered what the AZ community might come up with. Now just mentioning a name won't be worth much, you need to stick a story or two in your post to validate your choice. I'm thinking that the word "artist" in "lock up artist" is not an accident as it surely takes some "artistry" or skill to keep making games where you have the nuts. Now I am not starting this thread to knock anyone's action or reputation, just to encourage some of you to share some interesting and/or funny stories with us. BTW, a friend of mine who is playing on a nearby table (Billy Carrelli) just nominated Dick Winkler of Covington, KY for the title of "greatest lock up artist" even though Dick hasn't played a game of pool in over 30 years!:wink:

So have at it ladies and gentlemen, who was (is?) the greatest at locking them up tight?
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Jack Cooney! He had guys spotting him 10-6 who he could give 10-5 too. And betting high!
 
SJDinPHX

SJDinPHX

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
2nd place for sure.

jay helfert said:
Jack Cooney! He had guys spotting him 10-6 who he could give 10-5 too. And betting high!
Click to expand...

It's hard to argue that statement Jay. The only one who comes to mind who might come close to Jack, would be Philidelphia Nicky Vachianno. (sp)
I don't think I ever saw (or heard) of Nick NOT having the nuts in any matchup he made. Nicky had one thing over Jack, If he made a misstep, he NEVER went off for the big $$$$. Jack would, on rare occasions, get his nose open, and he WAS a through ticket.

Dick
 
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freddy the beard

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Greatest All-Time Win Percentage (hustler: non-pool):

Quinn, a Ping-Pong player out of NY. He was stoop-shouldered and weighed about 95 lbs. He looked like he had been recently rescued from a death camp. He was so uncoordinated, that when he ate, only about 2 out of 3 forkfuls would actually land in his mouth. The rest would just run down his chest. Somehow, that wasn't the case when he played Ping-Pong. When he played an egg Ping-Pong, he barely moved, drool would run down his cheeks, and he returned every shot until the sucker finally banged one into the net. It was very difficult for his victim to realize the trap he was in, and to quit playing while he (the victim) still had money in his pocket. When I asked him if he ever lost in 40 years of hustling, Quinn replied, "A couple of fins ($5), never a sawbuck ($10)."

the Beard
 
PIRANHA

PIRANHA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
Quinn, a Ping-Pong player out of NY. He was stoop-shouldered and weighed about 95 lbs. He looked like he had been recently rescued from a death camp. He was so uncoordinated, that when he ate, only about 2 out of 3 forkfuls would actually land in his mouth. The rest would just run down his chest. Somehow, that wasn't the case when he played Ping-Pong. When he played an egg Ping-Pong, he barely moved, drool would run down his cheeks, and he returned every shot until the sucker finally banged one into the net. It was very difficult for his victim to realize the trap he was in, and to quit playing while he (the victim) still had money in his pocket. When I asked him if he ever lost in 40 years of hustling, Quinn replied, "A couple of fins ($5), never a sawbuck ($10)."

the Beard
Click to expand...

The great Titanic Thomphson, #1, even in pool
 
S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bill...Maybe I'm mistaken, but I have always understood that a "lockup artist" is somebody who won't play without the mortal nuts (which normally nobody is gonna give up), but woofs it up all the time. Bucktooth is someone who I think of, as a lockup artist.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

BillPorter said:
We were kicking this question around here at the pool hall today and wondered what the AZ community might come up with. Now just mentioning a name won't be worth much, you need to stick a story or two in your post to validate your choice. I'm thinking that the word "artist" in "lock up artist" is not an accident as it surely takes some "artistry" or skill to keep making games where you have the nuts. Now I am not starting this thread to knock anyone's action or reputation, just to encourage some of you to share some interesting and/or funny stories with us. BTW, a friend of mine who is playing on a nearby table (Billy Carrelli) just nominated Dick Winkler of Covington, KY for the title of "greatest lock up artist" even though Dick hasn't played a game of pool in over 30 years!:wink:

So have at it ladies and gentlemen, who was (is?) the greatest at locking them up tight?
Click to expand...
 
Richardson

Richardson

Who me ?
Silver Member
Scott Lee said:
Bill...Maybe I'm mistaken, but I have always understood that a "lockup artist" is somebody who won't play without the mortal nuts (which normally nobody is gonna give up), but woofs it up all the time. Bucktooth is someone who I think of, as a lockup artist.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...


Thats who i was thinking, saw him barking at scott frost and gabe ownes in vegas in about 2004 he ended up getting like 12-4 or 11-5 and the breaks from gabe, after like 4 games and bucktooths break and run they were even and gabe pulled up.
All he kept saying was, i have alot of money thats why i get the big spots, i dont care if they play me.
 
BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PIRANHA said:
The great Titanic Thomphson, #1, even in pool
Click to expand...

While he was surely one of the greatest gamblers of the last century, pool was not one of his better games or hustles. He was a world class golfer, but not even shortstop level playing pool. On the other hand, you make a good point about him being a great lock up artist as I rarely saw him bet a nickle unless he had the nuts.
 
BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
Quinn, a Ping-Pong player out of NY. He was stoop-shouldered and weighed about 95 lbs. He looked like he had been recently rescued from a death camp. He was so uncoordinated, that when he ate, only about 2 out of 3 forkfuls would actually land in his mouth. The rest would just run down his chest. Somehow, that wasn't the case when he played Ping-Pong. When he played an egg Ping-Pong, he barely moved, drool would run down his cheeks, and he returned every shot until the sucker finally banged one into the net. It was very difficult for his victim to realize the trap he was in, and to quit playing while he (the victim) still had money in his pocket. When I asked him if he ever lost in 40 years of hustling, Quinn replied, "A couple of fins ($5), never a sawbuck ($10)."

the Beard
Click to expand...

Great story, Freddy! That's the kind of yarn I was hoping for when I started this thread.
 
BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Scott Lee said:
Bill...Maybe I'm mistaken, but I have always understood that a "lockup artist" is somebody who won't play without the mortal nuts (which normally nobody is gonna give up), but woofs it up all the time. Bucktooth is someone who I think of, as a lockup artist.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

You are undoubtedly correct, Scott. For some reason, I didn't even think of Mr. Richard Cook (aka Bucktooth).
 
bud green

bud green

Dolley and Django
Silver Member
Didn't Buddy Halls' "Rags to Rifleman" book describe a coin flipper/tosser who who never lost for $$?

My copy is in storage so I have no idea of the guys name, but I believe he could flip a quarter into a beer bottle cap on the head spot with three tries or something ridiculous.
 
BillPorter

BillPorter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bud green said:
Didn't Buddy Halls' "Rags to Rifleman" book describe a coin flipper/tosser who who never lost for $$?

My copy is in storage so I have no idea of the guys name, but I believe he could flip a quarter into a beer bottle cap on the head spot with three tries or something ridiculous.
Click to expand...

That was Gary Bright as I recall, one of those freakishly skilled coin laggers.
 
bud green

bud green

Dolley and Django
Silver Member
Thanks Bill...while I'm thanking you, I might as well thank you for all the great pictures you post also.

Anyone else have stories about him? I've never tried it, but like stories about people throwing coins into payphone coin slots, flipping, etc... for some reason.
 
Chi2dxa

Chi2dxa

Lost over C&D Triangle
Silver Member
Deathball Atlanta Georgia, if you make a game with you have already lost you just don't know it yet. He will talk and talk and talk until your ears bleed and you would play him just to shut him up. He was trying to talk Buddy Hall into him a huge spot and mention that this person they both knew would give him the same game and Buddy's answer to this was then you better go and find him.
 
wood600rr

wood600rr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"Gainesville" John Furber, aka the chicken man always made good games for himself. He told me a story of him busting a poolroom for about $30k playing with a cue with the tip held on by bubblegum! Haha
 
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