Did Nick Varner gamble.
- Thread starter Dave714
- Start date
He’s got an even better record at gambling than he does at tournaments.
Funny post.
Better question would be who didn't he gamble with.
All amounts all games.
Better question would be who didn't he gamble with.
All amounts all games.
Copy that! He would supplement his tournament earnings by giving big spots to the locals and playing them some "cheap" One Pocket after the tourney was over for the night. He could usually pick up a hundred or two every night doing this. That's how he covered all his (and his wife's) expenses, so his tournament prize money was all profit.
You didn't hear about too many players gambling with Nicky. They all knew better. If he did get a game he liked to keep it as low key as possible, never gambling on the main table or in front of the crowd. After it was over, he never bragged (or said anything) about how much he won. Nick Varner was one of the smartest pool players of his era and made a nice living then and still does. He's a big exception to the model of the broke pool player.
What a player
I was in Chicago at a tournament and Jimmy Reid (who was fearless) started woofin at Nick. I was with Dick Lane Nick"s good friend and we went to the local pool room to sweat it. Nick played petfect and ran over Jimmy . I was managing a pool room in Dallas years ago
and Nick did an exhibition. After all the talkimg and trick shots people got in line to play him a game. He played a dozen or so. He Never Missed A Ball
They played 8 ball, and some of the players were kids or people that couldn"t make a ball. Nick let them break and someome would not drive 3 balld to the rail. It didn't matter he would make one break the stack and run out. It was incredible.
Jaclk
I was in Chicago at a tournament and Jimmy Reid (who was fearless) started woofin at Nick. I was with Dick Lane Nick"s good friend and we went to the local pool room to sweat it. Nick played petfect and ran over Jimmy . I was managing a pool room in Dallas years ago
and Nick did an exhibition. After all the talkimg and trick shots people got in line to play him a game. He played a dozen or so. He Never Missed A Ball
They played 8 ball, and some of the players were kids or people that couldn"t make a ball. Nick let them break and someome would not drive 3 balld to the rail. It didn't matter he would make one break the stack and run out. It was incredible.
Jaclk
I'm pretty sure Nick spent some time on the road with Hubert "Daddy Warbucks" Cokes who staked him against many players.
Lou Figueroa
Nick did an exhibition before a collegiate tournament when I was in school. It was when he was in his prime and he did an exceptional job. After the exhibition and before the tournament started a few of us played a cheap ring game with a couple of bucks on the five and the nine. Something we’ve done at the student union plenty of times. The tournament director got wind of it and disqualified all of us to play in the tournament because gambling is not allowed. No big deal for me but a few of the guys came from out of state. Varner spent twenty minutes calmly trying to explain that a cheap ring game is not considered gambling by anyone except his nit ass. There was a lady with Varner (maybe his wife) and she just kept laughing at the TD for being clueless. I always liked the guy after that exchange and when I started playing one hole every time a wedge game came up I though of that day.
And i never stepped foot into the union again.
And i never stepped foot into the union again.
A quiet confidence like non-other. The "Little Gorilla".
Keith and Harry offered to play me $1000 pr game partners
I asked Jack Cooney to be my partner,he refused
nick stepped up and offered to take me as his partner.
Keith demanded 8 to 6
Nick looked at me and said, no way
Imagine how much better they thought Nick was than Jack
In partners one pocket,only getting to shoot every other turn
they had to figure he was 4 balls better than Jack
Everyone talks about Nicks wedge game, I saw him run out so many times
there was no wedge game. If you think he was some punch and judy
make a ball ,duck,send everthing upstairs and wait for a shot
You greatly underestimate his tremendous run out power.. His banking
was top class,and position play was better than anybody, and lets not
forget his combination shooting
All this wedge talk is fine,but it overlooks the fact that he had no weakness
And nick was eager to bet more in spite of me as a partner
Nick Varner reportedly went to the Philipines and played Efren
on his own table,own countery and won the money handily
Nick was the best player to ever live in my opinion,
and if he played,he bet his own money
I asked Jack Cooney to be my partner,he refused
nick stepped up and offered to take me as his partner.
Keith demanded 8 to 6
Nick looked at me and said, no way
Imagine how much better they thought Nick was than Jack
In partners one pocket,only getting to shoot every other turn
they had to figure he was 4 balls better than Jack
Everyone talks about Nicks wedge game, I saw him run out so many times
there was no wedge game. If you think he was some punch and judy
make a ball ,duck,send everthing upstairs and wait for a shot
You greatly underestimate his tremendous run out power.. His banking
was top class,and position play was better than anybody, and lets not
forget his combination shooting
All this wedge talk is fine,but it overlooks the fact that he had no weakness
And nick was eager to bet more in spite of me as a partner
Nick Varner reportedly went to the Philipines and played Efren
on his own table,own countery and won the money handily
Nick was the best player to ever live in my opinion,
and if he played,he bet his own money
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Jay I put CJ in that category of smart or successful gamblers along with Efrens win percentage. Who else do you put in that category.
Yes, and he has been known to bet it up pretty good on a golf course.
I used to play a half way decent game of golf
I traveled with Titanic,caddied and played after a week of
establishing my identity
I could shoot in the very low 80s with only
one hand,if brought up or laid down correctly
it was not uncommon for me to get spotted 2 strokes per hole for
the cheese
I also had to play from the front tees
With 2 hands i played in the 70s but not consistently enough
to play just anyone.
I guess I was lucky not to play against Nick,or he was lucky
who knows
funny how guys like us don't usually play each other
I guess I just knew he wasn''t easy
I traveled with Titanic,caddied and played after a week of
establishing my identity
I could shoot in the very low 80s with only
one hand,if brought up or laid down correctly
it was not uncommon for me to get spotted 2 strokes per hole for
the cheese
I also had to play from the front tees
With 2 hands i played in the 70s but not consistently enough
to play just anyone.
I guess I was lucky not to play against Nick,or he was lucky
who knows
funny how guys like us don't usually play each other
I guess I just knew he wasn''t easy
I remember when Hubert took em under his wing during the late sixties early 70's at Janscos. ''Tough turtle to drown''.
Low key $100 a game one pocket and selling his cues which I think were made overseas is what he was doing last I heard in St Louis but that's been a while.
He gambled but he was careful. Not like a lot of guys who are addicted to gambling and can't quit until they are broke.
No one ever smarter than Jack Cooney. He made the biggest scores of anyone else by far!
Parica was smart because he played better than anyone else, so he could just play anybody. He had other bad habits gambling though so he wasn't good at holding onto his money.
Buddy was very similar in that he took on the world and won. I found it interesting that these two never matched up gambling and only played each other in tournaments. Just call it mutual respect.
Then there's our own Billy Incardona, probably the most respected pool player of my era. He would match up with anyone, usually having to give up a spot, and bet as high as they wanted. I never saw anyone out bet him. If he had them stuck and they wanted to raise the stakes he would just shake his head okay. His record in gambling matches in the 70's, 80's and 90's is probably as good as the Globetrotters during that same time. He must have won about 99% of time and it wasn't always easy action either. Billy was not just a commentator as he is better known for today.
Honorable mention goes to Francisco Bustamante, who would also play anyone even. He was a great money player and also never turned down a game or a bet. Only the very best (Archer, Buddy, CJ, Tadd and the like) would gamble with him. He won a lot more than he lost against people like this. Then there's Efren, who no one could beat at One Pocket for over twenty years, and he was spotting all of them!
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Jay,you are going to scare people away from Billy
you are probably doing him a favor
i warned him last time I went to his house
He is older,wealthy.not hungry,is liable to be less selective in his games
If I had to pick someone to take a shot at today
It would be Billy
He has money,he is not afraid to play, and it is hard to recognize
when that special something is gone,besides on hs birthday this month
he will be my age
I didn't mention his physical problems with his back forcing him to
adopt a different stance and his loss of stamina
The only thing keeping me from taking a shot at the money is pure fear
of the Billy legend and the same things that damage Billy are killing Dean
you are probably doing him a favor
i warned him last time I went to his house
He is older,wealthy.not hungry,is liable to be less selective in his games
If I had to pick someone to take a shot at today
It would be Billy
He has money,he is not afraid to play, and it is hard to recognize
when that special something is gone,besides on hs birthday this month
he will be my age
I didn't mention his physical problems with his back forcing him to
adopt a different stance and his loss of stamina
The only thing keeping me from taking a shot at the money is pure fear
of the Billy legend and the same things that damage Billy are killing Dean
Dean, notice I didn't say anything about his current game. He has made more than a few donations over the last 10-15 years.
P.S. I even got one small gift from him playing Banks. He did get even with me later by outsmarting me into playing long rack banks. That's much more of a moving game than short rack, which is all about shooting.
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