Vincent Lauria

Donkeybutt

Registered
Who do you believe is today's equivalent of this fictitious character?

I would pick Wiktor Zielinski. He's got the eye, he's got the stroke, not sure if he's got the flake.

Imagine finding this kid playing 20 a rack in some dive bar. You could take him on the road and make some serious bucks.

Also, who would be today's equivalent of Fast Eddie Felson? And who would win in a race to 11?

Thanks in advance.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
FastEddie would win in 9 ball because in the original movie Fast Eddie won 10 straight nine ball racks from the young hustler in the dockside bar where he got his thumbs broken! So guys like Vincent in the second movie were no match for a player like Fast Eddie in the first movie.

Fast Eddie was considered " the best in the country" by the time he beat Fats in the first movie. I don't think the Color of Money portrayed Vincent as the best in the U.S. of all players. Draw your own conclusions.
 

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
Fast Eddie beat Vince in the tournament, so I guess that settles that one.
When Vincent has chance to play him again I may change my mind but for now it is Fast Eddie.
Todays equal to Fast Eddie would be SVB.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Vincent Lauria was a young man who focused more on video games than pool, but just happened to play world class pool, despite playing in neither action matches nor tournaments before meeting Fast Eddie.

Today's equivalent of Lauria is .... nobody. The sheer impossibility of such a character has often been discussed on the forum. Some have used this argument to discredit the film "The Color of Money" as being far too contrived.

Fast Eddie was a top player who turned to being a stakehorse taking players on the road once his own prime had passed. Perhaps Larry Hubbart, who took the young Mike Sigel on the road in the 1970's, was a modern day Fast Eddie.
 

gogg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I dunno, the drunk dude I played the other night did the stick twirl and everything!
Of course he shot like shit, and dropped the cue , bent over and mad 4 or 5 running steps to recover balance.
At least he had several tips to improve my game, so there was that....
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I agree with SJM but I'll play along with OP.

Fast Eddie: Billy Incardona. He speaks softly and rarely mentions he was one of the best 9 ball players in the country for a time. Instead he likes to make games and use his knowledge to get on the right horse.

Vincent: Filler. He's the only guy that has the go go go that wins most people over as fans and drives a few crazy (I'm a fan FYI). Also, if there is one player who can almost play as good as a fictional invincible pool god, Filler might be him.
 

Donkeybutt

Registered
I agree with SJM but I'll play along with OP.

Fast Eddie: Billy Incardona. He speaks softly and rarely mentions he was one of the best 9 ball players in the country for a time. Instead he likes to make games and use his knowledge to get on the right horse.

Vincent: Filler. He's the only guy that has the go go go that wins most people over as fans and drives a few crazy (I'm a fan FYI). Also, if there is one player who can almost play as good as a fictional invincible pool god, Filler might be him.

yeah, Filler. He definitely might have some flake.
 

Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
Let's call it like it is -- Fast Eddie had the stick, the heart, and all of the moves, and Vincent, well, Vincent had Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). Carmen made Vincent -- without Carmen, Vincent is a cue twirling bozo strutting through life to the tune of "Werewolves of London". Problem was, Carmen was way too smart for the likes of Vincent, as was borne out over and over in TCOM. Carmen was simply marking time -- as soon as a smarter cat who fit her bill showed up, she was "outta there". But, to be fair, Carmen probably went on to run her own software company in Silicon Valley, sold out just before things went south, and retired to her 1,000 acre beachfront ranch in Hawaii.
 
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pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
Vincent Lauria was a young man who focused more on video games than pool, but just happened to play world class pool, despite playing in neither action matches nor tournaments before meeting Fast Eddie.

Today's equivalent of Lauria is .... nobody. The sheer impossibility of such a character has often been discussed on the forum. Some have used this argument to discredit the film "The Color of Money" as being far too contrived.

Fast Eddie was a top player who turned to being a stakehorse taking players on the road once his own prime had passed. Perhaps Larry Hubbart, who took the young Mike Sigel on the road in the 1970's, was a modern day Fast Eddie.

agreed...movies are made with a "willing suspension of disbelief" on the part of the audience.
 

wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not sure about that

Fast Eddie beat Vince in the tournament, so I guess that settles that one.
When Vincent has chance to play him again I may change my mind but for now it is Fast Eddie.
Todays equal to Fast Eddie would be SVB.

Unless I'm mistaken, I thought Vincent let on at the end that he let Eddie beat him in the tournament for the big action in the Green Room afterwards?
Seems like that got Eddie kinda pissed and that led to playing a gambling game with Vincent to end the movie?
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Given the way people talk about Earl I suspect if Vincent was a real pool player half of the people on this forum would hate his guts.

A lot of people prefer the guy who will put you to sleep while he wins the tournament.
 

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
Unless I'm mistaken, I thought Vincent let on at the end that he let Eddie beat him in the tournament for the big action in the Green Room afterwards?
Seems like that got Eddie kinda pissed and that led to playing a gambling game with Vincent to end the movie?

I know, that was my point.
Fast Eddie won the match regardless if Vincent let him win.
When they play again we will know the best pool player.

Reminds me way back in 2004 I won the Colorado State Tap MVP tournament.
Had to beat 3 league operators, guys who brought guys along who sharked me, and
the final was against the league owner/operator
People said he threw the match, but I beat a lot of people to get there so who is the
better player.
We never played again, I was in the hot seat he was on the loser side, I didn't lose a match.
Anyway his wife made him quit playing and sell everything.
I got the coat, the hat the trophy, and the cash.
The only trophy I've kept
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Unless I'm mistaken, I thought Vincent let on at the end that he let Eddie beat him in the tournament for the big action in the Green Room afterwards?
Seems like that got Eddie kinda pissed and that led to playing a gambling game with Vincent to end the movie?

My memory was Vincent let Eddie win because his girlfriend had a ton of money bet on the rail on Eddie. The green room only came up after they told Eddie they dumped.
 

jaywheel

Registered
^^This is how I remember it too.

1e48f884f63b37f66c5be08507fc4cda6d37e2d5.gifv
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I agree with SJM but I'll play along with OP.

Fast Eddie: Billy Incardona. He speaks softly and rarely mentions he was one of the best 9 ball players in the country for a time. Instead he likes to make games and use his knowledge to get on the right horse.

Vincent: Filler. He's the only guy that has the go go go that wins most people over as fans and drives a few crazy (I'm a fan FYI). Also, if there is one player who can almost play as good as a fictional invincible pool god, Filler might be him.

BINGO! Billy was the first one that came to mind for me as well. He was (and is) always sharp as a tack when matching up and handicapping games, PLUS he could get down and play some jam up pool when necessary. Played damn good under pressure and was usually the one putting pressure on his opponent.

Billy had a unique "rep" in the billiard world for decades. Pretty much everyone looked up to him. The only guy I would put in his same league would have been Larry Hubbart, another very crafty road man who only took great players on the road with him (like Mike Sigel). Meanwhile he played just as good as anybody out there. The other players had mad respect for Larry H.
 
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