Chicago player

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The story that got back to me is Artie would only play on one table.

He was far from a "road player".

Freddy was his friend, and with his politics he advanced him for the HOF. Did he deserve it? I don't know, but is probably the least known and least traveled of all of the HOF players.

Ken


From what I observed at the 2010 DCC, when Artie played JH, there is more than a little truth to what Ken has posted.

(insert flashback music)

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The action seemed sporadic, but good, I watched a bit of Platis, Lutman, JL, Scooter. And I also watched the first, and last couple of hours of the Artie -- John Henderson match. I think the tape Chicago Mike was making of the whole match will speak for itself, but my opinion is that the “perfect, no mistake, smartest 1pocket of all time” that Artie rants about all the time is a figment of his imagination. In real life, all that would appear to mostly consist of is: every time it's your shot you stare at the table for five to 10 minutes while chalking your cue; then you bunt a ball up-table to your side; and then, you do not shoot, *at anything.* Ever. IOW, with this “strategy” you’re basically relying on your opponent dropping dead out of pure exhaustion, boredom, or both.

At one point in the final game, Artie had managed to bunt all the balls near his side pocket and I whispered to Mike, “This is it! We're about to see the perfect, no-mistake 1pocket Artie has been talking about -- he’s been working on this position for the last 42 shots and now, finally, at last, he’s going to gently pull the trigger and shoot a ball and the cluster along the side rail is going to open up like some beautiful tropical flower and the balls are going to stay on his side and he’s going to run out-- it’s going to be like some ancient Kung-fu martial arts Mortal Kombat Kill Bill thing where he’s just going to gently touch his opponent with the palm of his hand and his heart is going to just stop beating and it'll be like he just dropped dead in his tracks.”

But, alas, there was none of that.

And Artie kept bunting, and John kept shooting and won. Personally, I think John deserves a big tip of the hat for hanging in there for 14 hours of Artie’s stall.
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Lou Figueroa
 

ribdoner

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Silver Member
Although i stopped playing in 12-65 until relocating from CHI in 76 (military, job, life and other sundry bs) to the woderful metropolis of memphis i stayed somewhat abreast of the pool scene and can't recall Artie booking many, if any, losers.

That said i also can't recall any reports of him getting into the pit with monsters such as Shorty, Worst,Cook, etc......not to say he did or didn't

RJ, do you recall him playing "Champions" ?
 

jrhendy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You are suppose to get out of bad games, that's what the smart folks with money do :) He made so much money in sports gambling that he really stepped away from pool for a long time. I know he played John Henderson at DCC a few years back, but they were both in their golden years already. Maybe he can give us some tidbits on his 1P prowess. I'm sure they've seen each other play many times over the years ??

I played Artie twice. Once in Texas during the big tournament in Galveston a few years back, and again at Derby City the following year. Both sets were races to seven for 3k.

The set in Galveston took 12 1/2 hours and we played until it ended, with Artie coming out on top. My mistake was trying to move with him. You were usually froze on the rail, froze to another ball or both. Artie likes to look em over and it is not a shark, it’s the way he plays. He never sits down while he plays.

The set at Derby City took around 16 hours and again, we played until it ended. This time I came out on top. I did not try to outmove him, I just outshot him and won by being more aggressive. I could see what a monster he must have been when he still had ball pocketing and banking skills to go along with his moving.

We have had many conversations over the years since we played and I visited him in his home in Las Vegas where he has a beautiful Diamond set up. Like RJ said, he is busy with his granddaughter. He is a good man who has had a very interesting life, and as he would tell you, he was after the money, not the glory.
 

KRJ

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I played Artie twice. Once in Texas during the big tournament in Galveston a few years back, and again at Derby City the following year. Both sets were races to seven for 3k.

The set in Galveston took 12 1/2 hours and we played until it ended, with Artie coming out on top. My mistake was trying to move with him. You were usually froze on the rail, froze to another ball or both. Artie likes to look em over and it is not a shark, it’s the way he plays. He never sits down while he plays.

The set at Derby City took around 16 hours and again, we played until it ended. This time I came out on top. I did not try to outmove him, I just outshot him and won by being more aggressive. I could see what a monster he must have been when he still had ball pocketing and banking skills to go along with his moving.

We have had many conversations over the years since we played and I visited him in his home in Las Vegas where he has a beautiful Diamond set up. Like RJ said, he is busy with his granddaughter. He is a good man who has had a very interesting life, and as he would tell you, he was after the money, not the glory.


Thanks John, for chiming in. Nice to know someone that actually is a respected player and actually played against him in his prime knows the guy could play. Never leaving someone a shot is quite a bit bigger strategy than folks who think he just bunted balls up table. I know you still had game at DCC as well, I was there for that 1P match, but no, I didn't stay for the entire match. Yep, he truly didn't want medals, trophies or even HOF inductions if there was no money attached ;)
 

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow ,i just was thinking about guys from the haydays and thought of guys that were players i believed could play with anyone. Being older i dont believe that many of the (older) players couldn't win today. I separate tourn. players and gambling when thinking about players.Sweating a 10 ahead match over a race with alternate break is apples and oranges. Thanks to all who brought light to a real player. One of many who could get the cash even today.
 

jrhendy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Oh, there is no doubt you would win money in a spelling contest. As good as Artie was in making money, real money, gambling, you could spot him the C and the A in spelling cat and you'd rob him ;)

But, he never had a paying gig for his wordsmithing :)

When Artie was posting on onepocket.org he drove us crazy with his spelling and composition, but he got his point across. He had what so many lack, street smarts, and was even a genius in some ways. Becoming a millionaire in sports betting in Las Vegas and having them change the law because you were outsmarting them is some indication of that.

He told me he would leave school to go hustling pool with a Chicago Johnny. His pool pedigree runs deep. He did not play a lot of name players because they did not want any. Like I said before, he was all about the money, not the glory.
 

KRJ

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Although i stopped playing in 12-65 until relocating from CHI in 76 (military, job, life and other sundry bs) to the woderful metropolis of memphis i stayed somewhat abreast of the pool scene and can't recall Artie booking many, if any, losers.

That said i also can't recall any reports of him getting into the pit with monsters such as Shorty, Worst,Cook, etc......not to say he did or didn't

RJ, do you recall him playing "Champions" ?


Nick Varner, Boston Shorty, Dallas West, Billy Incardona, Bugs Rucker. But, he stayed closer to home. I know Freddy tells a story of Artie trying to get a game with Ronnie Allen in Wisconsin, but they could not come to terms on the game, table, etc. Artie is not taking a game he doesn't like, plain and simple. Pool was never that important to him. It was about making money, thus, it was just a job.

But, he did have an incredible amount of stamina (no drugs) He could play 24 hours and the last game would be played just like the first game. Hence, why 5 ahead was never a good game for his opponent. I'm surprised more folks didn't realize that?

When he owned Bensingers, he was in big money matches, but still waiting on customers, giving out balls, selling soda's, whatever, and he'd go right back to this game. He could focus that well once he got back at the table. I think it was "Carny" training he got early on working on the fixed carnival games. You had to hustle folks all the while other distractions going on. Nothing really fazed him.
 

KRJ

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RJ..was that your pops in the video near the beginning?

No, my dad had left for Florida by this time. There was one person listed as the owner in the video, Sonny Gaigulardo. One of his partners was Phil Gaigulardo, so I'm assuming Race Track Phil sold his interest and headed for greener pastures as well :) Freddy the Beard was still one of the owners then as well.

You can still buy a t-shirt from North Shore. Freddy's daughters sells them on her website (dad's website) Same t-shirt they had in the 70's, and really, one of the nicer pool hall t-shirts you will ever find.

Check out "FeddyTheBeard.com" Yep, use to wear them in HS 40 years ago. They only came in white back then, but I still thought I was bad ass ;) LOL
 
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watchez

What time is it?
Silver Member
Thanks John, for chiming in. Nice to know someone that actually is a respected player and actually played against him in his prime knows the guy could play. Never leaving someone a shot is quite a bit bigger strategy than folks who think he just bunted balls up table. I know you still had game at DCC as well, I was there for that 1P match, but no, I didn't stay for the entire match. Yep, he truly didn't want medals, trophies or even HOF inductions if there was no money attached ;)

He didn’t play Artie in his prime. He played Artie about a decade ago —- well beyond his prime (whatever that was). Unfortunately there wasn’t much record keeping back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Barely any in the 90s. I’ve been around pool since the mid to late 80s. Never heard of Artie and very little of Freddie for that matter. They have stories of who they beat but no one really knows. All I know is the only one pocket players that were talked about from Chicago from my early years around pool were Bugs, The Dasher....you could also include Jeff Carter. Bugs obviously being the cream of the crop.
 

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ya that Don McCaughy in Iowa couldnt play 1p either because most never heard of him. All around Dallas W.,gambling still take Artie.
 

ibuycues

I Love Box Cues
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This has been a great thread.
Great comments, links, insights and reflections all offered civilly and in great form.
Much appreciated.

Will Prout
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
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hustlers spent a lifetime on the down low

He didn’t play Artie in his prime. He played Artie about a decade ago —- well beyond his prime (whatever that was). Unfortunately there wasn’t much record keeping back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Barely any in the 90s. I’ve been around pool since the mid to late 80s. Never heard of Artie and very little of Freddie for that matter. They have stories of who they beat but no one really knows. All I know is the only one pocket players that were talked about from Chicago from my early years around pool were Bugs, The Dasher....you could also include Jeff Carter. Bugs obviously being the cream of the crop.


Hustlers spent a lifetime on the down low. It is a measure of their success when there is no hard information about them. We hear so and so beat somebody and they beat them for ever bigger figures as the stories are repeated. What was a five thousand dollar score when that was a nice score has grown in the telling to keep up with inflation!:D The same story told today, another zero is added.

To make things even more confusing, when the supposed big loser is alive and commenting, his side of the story is usually a lot different!

Hu
 

usakr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Then we will have to play a set of spelling bee and a set of 1p.

Tiebreaker, something fair...like bicycle!

bicycle!!!! That's the word I missed in my 5th grade spelling bee. If I would have got it right I would have been school champion. Needless to say I ended up school alternate.
I was so excited they gave me that word for the win that I spit out bis then it hit me that I said s instead of c and proceeded to spew out random letters.
Very traumatic.
 

KRJ

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He didn’t play Artie in his prime. He played Artie about a decade ago —- well beyond his prime (whatever that was). Unfortunately there wasn’t much record keeping back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Barely any in the 90s. I’ve been around pool since the mid to late 80s. Never heard of Artie and very little of Freddie for that matter. They have stories of who they beat but no one really knows. All I know is the only one pocket players that were talked about from Chicago from my early years around pool were Bugs, The Dasher....you could also include Jeff Carter. Bugs obviously being the cream of the crop.

Well, Bugs and Artie played all the time. Freddy and Bugs were buddies. Hell, Freddy raised the money to bury Bugs. That's how Freddy rolled. If you needed something, he'd help you out. And Artie beat Bugs regularly. Bugs spotted Artie a ball, not that it made a difference, but Artie never wanted it be known that he beat bugs "even"... just bad for action :) But, if you were from the area, did you know Tommy Spencer, Bill Incardona, Cannonball, Mark Jarvis, Luis Campos, Billy Smith (AKA as Mr. 3 Cushion) There is a long list. If you didn't know all them, i'm thinking you were not as tight as you thought in the pool scene. The guys that played and gambled knew, there is no way they didn't. Mark Jarvis turned pro for awhile. Still plays at DCC in banks. Strickland to Varner to Efren have been to the North Shore. I went off to college and left the pool scene for about 15 years.

and by the 80's, Artie was gone to Vegas to make his millions. But, anyone in the pool world knew both Artie and Freddy in Chicago. Nobody came through Chicago to gamble didn't stop at the North Shore. it was open 24 hours a day and had cash poker games going on in the office. Plus, carom tables, snooker tables and even high action Pinochle games. My old man could not hold his own with local great players, but in Pinochle, nobody could touch him.

And for Freddy, growing up with him, even sometimes I was not sure about his stories to be honest. I mean, he had a story for everything, claimed he knew everyone, etc.

So, about 15 years ago, I'm at DCC for the first time. Freddy had a booth there selling his new book. So, I thought I'd hang and chit chat with him as I had not seen him in a few years. I kid you not, everyone and anyone stopped by to say hi. Pro after pro, hustler after hustler, even the Italian trick shot artist Mr. Pelinga stopped by. Then Efren stops by, and he's wearing one of Freddy's shirts.

I was speechless. He does know everyone. If I had half a brain I would have gotten 3 dozen or more autographs that day, but I was too happy getting to meet everyone. From that day on I never doubted him again, about anything. Sometimes folks with the most stories just did the most stuff ;)
 
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mr3cushion

Regestered User
Silver Member
The story that got back to me is Artie would only play on one table.

He was far from a "road player".

Freddy was his friend, and with his politics he advanced him for the HOF. Did he deserve it? I don't know, but is probably the least known and least traveled of all of the HOF players.

Ken

Your first sentence is completely not true!

Artie was such a good undercover player, no one and even his closest friends, Freddy, myself didn't know when and how he did on the road! He'd always say, "I broke about even!" What really happened is he broke everyone he played!
 
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