Shameful Refusal to take his half of the money,Jack Potter

just when you think you know someone

I had known Jack since child hood,I had seen him in Johnson City when he was 10 years old
(at least he looked 10,He had been winning big bucks since junior high school.


He traveled with Billy Stroud,Alfie Taylor and those guys because he didn't have a drivers liscense
,he was either too young or too short

He looked better than Willie Mosconi over the ball, I saw him play Mosconi when he was 12,
he once won a huge score that I had planned on taking off because he hitch hiked across town
to get there first and slip out the bath room window in search of safety

But oh, the shameful ness of what I am about to tell you.

I was playing golf with pool players,they were not good at golf,I was almost ashamed to be
seen with such duffers,but they played everyday and played for $1000 per bet,
so I didn't let my scruples interfear with my business

Finally they wanted to play best ball partners,the most common match where inmatch play
only the best score made by the partners counts

So I took Jack for a partner,I didn't even know if he could play golf,but when I told him
I would put up all the money ,and he got half the winnings

Well he started panting like a collie dog on a hot day

On with the story.
On the front 9, I beat these guys with no help from Jack,he might as well not ebven been the
.I shot a 36 on 9 holes and beat their best ball for 2 bets.The original and the press


Any way I won $2000 and on the way to the back 9, I offered Jack his half.

Here comes the shameful part,I thought he was going to cry,I was so ashamed of him

Jack said "You keep it,I didn't help on a single hole"

Well Jack is such a cut up,I figured he was joking,right?

So I said ok lets play golf We won again on the back side

and decided to play another 9,it wasn't unusual to play 27

At the end of the day we were splitting the profit and Jack wouldn't
take his half on the front 9

Said "its only right"

Just when you think you know somebody. I had to review the basic lessons of life with Jack,

kinda like when you teach your children "don't eat any yellow snow"

You always take the money,you never ask questions, who cares how bad you play
you take the money

Jack quickly took the money

we have never had any problems like that ever crop up,but it
does kind of make you worry doesn't it?

PT!)(

you sir have profited from your years in the pool room
truly you have caught on
nonetheless I will not be availing myself of your escrow services


Jack didn't explain that the putt was over 50 feet long and I was getting 500 to 1 on the money

The butt was not only long but on the side of a hill,making it break maye 20 feet to the right

the short version is,i missed

Bill,
I was also surprised,he was ashamed of himself.
I didn't tell him the game was very soft,I expected to win
whether Jack helped or not.

But it was funny watching Jack try to let me keep the money.
After the back nine Jack fully recovered and took his half with
a little urging.

I hear you are going to the derby with mike the cop frequently.
He enjoys seeing you. Have you heard about his winning streak in Oklahoma?

I hope we see each other again,but I quit getting out, Jack P is making cues again
and this gives him something to do.His wife is suffering health issues and Jack is
so concerned, He really loves Pam,he takes care of her and worries.

I told Pam to get well, I was afraid Jack would want to move in with us if something happened to her.

i told him I was surprised that he turned into such a great husband. I thought he was such
a character as a kid. He responded that he was just pretending to be a derelic to fit
in with the rest of us.

He has such a funny sense of humor.Do you speak with Billy Stroud?

He still gets on here,he lived through a cancer scare,I thought we were going to lose him,
but he claims to be healthy. funny I didn't realize how much Billy had done for pool.

Not being a hustler or player,but the cue making thing. Looking back i put Billy as
more important to the industry than George,Gus or even Ernie. Billy put
the whole thing on the map,and then he took the cue making into the
21st century. His innovations were many.

He went beyond the sharp pointed veneer cues that we all new. I am not sure
if I can go that far,but wow what he did. He was also reliable about deliveries and commitments.

I bought an ebony merry widow with an ivory joint from him in 73 or so,played better than
my Balabushka, a friend bob mapes offered to buy one and I said you pick and he took the Joss.
You know Mapes?

Hard to believe all the creative innovations he made.I didn't even consider it till lately.
To me he was the essence of a pool hustler,you were there at the Cotton Palace.
Nobody could beat Billy.

Good to see your name,I suppose you are an old man too.

dean