Willie Munson stories?!

#Cruncher

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Last minute request for my fellow AZBers. Willie Munson is being inducted into the Wisconsin Billiards Hall of Fame tomorrow night. He has asked me to introduce him.

I am honored to do so, but have only known him the last 14 years (his twilight). I was hoping to add a story or two from his prime years 70s and early 80s.

Any help would be much appreciated!!!
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Last minute request for my fellow AZBers. Willie Munson is being inducted into the Wisconsin Billiards Hall of Fame tomorrow night. He has asked me to introduce him.

I am honored to do so, but have only known him the last 14 years (his twilight). I was hoping to add a story or two from his prime years 70s and early 80s.

Any help would be much appreciated!!!
You might PM Jay Helfert. He knew everyone in the pool scene from the 70s and 80s.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
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I remember how calm The Beadman was in between matches or waiting for his turn.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Willie was 'The Man' in Wisconsin for action back then! He was probably the second best 9-Ball player after George Pawelski and the second best Straight Pool player after Jeff Carter, but Willie would send it in for the real money!

He was widely respected by his peers (the many road men traversing the highways in the 70's and 80's) as a player who would give them action and not quit right away if he got them stuck, which he often did. Willie played all games and was a great competitor and sportsman. I never knew him to shark anybody, just got up there and played! I had the good fortune to play him twice. Once he kicked my ass at 9-Ball and the other time I got him playing Banks. We quit even, lol! We've been buddies ever since.

I don't know how many Wisconsin State Championships he won, but it seemed like every year it was between him and Jeff Carter to see who was the best player in the state.

Willie had a soft spoken way about him that made him very likable. He was not a braggart and didn't woof at people to play. But he was always ready and kept his cue close at hand. He was not afraid to take on a "name" player either. They had to show him! :wink:

Beside the bead shop he had with his wife, I only knew him to play pool. That was his main job all his life.
 
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spktur

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ask him if he would like a toasted almond from the Chattanooga Billiard Club. It's a milk shake with amaretto. When he was here we would bet on the matches and the loser would buy, he loved them
 

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Willie

When you start your presentation have someone yell out Ringgame and Willie will sit straight up.Or wake up. Great guy ,he deserves it .Your up Willie.
 

cscott67

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Willie Munson......

Pops is still probably playing as much as he can at Romines on the southside. I have known him off and on for over 30 years. He certainly deserves to be inducted for his ability and recognized for his achievements.

Willie was not the kind of player to teach you anything directly. You had to learn by watching what he did. He played everyone differently depending on his needs and their ability.

I learned the most from him watching him play in tournaments. Under those conditions he was ALWAYS trying to win and make the right move.

Congrats Willie! Doc Holliday
 

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Well, it's not much of a story. But, in the Fall of 1992, Berry Behrman put on a tournament in Norfolk, not the US open, but another tournament, as his pool room.

Willie Munson played Earl Strickland. Earl destroyed Willie. Neither had a bad word to say, and neither displayed any emotion whatsoever. But, Willie was close to his twilight, and Earl was playing very strong. I forget what this tournament was called, but it was like the US Open. That's my memory of Willie, a very polite guy, and good player.

All the best,
WW
 

CrownCityCorey

Sock it to 'em!
Silver Member
I had the pleasyof being defeated by him about 10 years back at the Derby 9-Ball event. Still played sporty.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Willie finished second in the 1983 World Series of Tavern Pool (7' tables) in the Eight Ball division. There were 57,000 players who attempted to qualify for this event in Local 16 player tournaments. You had to win one of them to get into the Regionals, with 32 players. If you finished first or second in a Regional event you got a free entry and $50 to play in the Nationals in Vegas. If you finished third or fourth you could still play in the Nationals but had to pay a $100 entry fee. There were well over 1,000 players at the Nationals in each division (9-Ball and Eight Ball) and there was a $100,000 purse in each division with the winners getting $25,000!

Willie played Richie Florence in the finals and was running out one game and got hooked on the eight ball. He jumped a full ball with his playing cue and almost made the eight. Richie went on to win the match and Willie got $10,000 for second place. My personal claim to fame was finishing second to Richie in the Regionals and getting top 64 in the Nationals (I won $900).

The event continued the following year and they made me the head referee. There was only one "amateur" 9-Ball division and CJ Wiley won it as a 17 year old high school phenom ($15,000 first prize). Dallas West won the Pro division beating Earl in the finals (also 15K). Then CJ took on Dallas for the overall title and lost that match playing on the big table. Dallas won an additional $5,000 for that match. Not bad prize money for the 80's! We would have several events a year (Willards in Chicago, Caesars events and Resorts in Atlantic City to name three) with similar prize money back then. We've gone pretty much sideways since then with only a few big money tourneys held worldwide.
 
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OLD NO 9

AzB Gold Member
Silver Member
Willie was playing Randy Lamar in the finals of a WI State nine-ball tournament held at the Veterans Home in Milwaukee and the match went hill, hill.

Willie was straight in on the 8-ball and all he had to do was draw the cue-ball back maybe 8 inches to be straight in on the 9-ball in the side pocket.

Willie hit the stroke so pure that the cue-ball just grabbed the draw and it became obvious that it was coming back way to far, as a matter of fact it came back at least 4 feet and ended up in the corner pocket.

The funny part was that as soon as Willie struck the cue-ball he stood up and said

"Oh my gawd, I hit my once a year Cawter stroke"

referring to Jeff Carter who had one of the most powerful strokes in WI at the time.
 

mr3cushion

Regestered User
Silver Member
Willie's been a long time friend from Milwaukee, only 90 miles North of Chicago, which He used to visit often, as I did up there.

In the 70's-80's, Willie was one of the top 3 players in cheese town. He, George Pawelski and George Brunt. Terry Romine, the owner of, 'High Pockets' was always the best action guy, from pool, 3c to Gin.

Willie has always been TOP drawer!

He and his wife have owned a bead shop forever. When ever we saw each other He'd say, "Bill, how you hitn em!"
 

OLD NO 9

AzB Gold Member
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Willie would come to Madison quite frequently in the 70's & 80's to play Jerry Briesath one-pocket.

More often then not he had a cousin or a nephew along and they all played pretty good pool and loved to gamble.

I was astounded at what a large family Willie had, how dispersed from around the country they were and how they all played jam up. Willie took good care of his nephews and cousins.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Willie's been a long time friend from Milwaukee, only 90 miles North of Chicago, which He used to visit often, as I did up there.

In the 70's-80's, Willie was one of the top 3 players in cheese town. He, George Pawelski and George Brunt. Terry Romine, the owner of, 'High Pockets' was always the best action guy, from pool, 3c to Gin.

Willie has always been TOP drawer!

He and his wife have owned a bead shop forever. When ever we saw each other He'd say, "Bill, how you hitn em!"

Can't believe I forgot George Brunt, the best money player of the bunch! George was top speed and could and would play and beat anyone! He ended up in Vegas playing Pot Limit Omaha and made a ton of money. Got way overweight from sitting all day long and died about seven or eight years ago. George was a real stand up guy!
 

dardusm

AzB Silver Member
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Can't believe I forgot George Brunt, the best money player of the bunch! George was top speed and could and would play and beat anyone! He ended up in Vegas playing Pot Limit Omaha and made a ton of money. Got way overweight from sitting all day long and died about seven or eight years ago. George was a real stand up guy!

I've ran into Willie a few times and he was always a gentleman win or lose. George was hands down my favorite player to watch. He had a stroke that was smooth as silk. He also played a mean game of 3C, gin, and I heard he was a good golfer.
 

mr3cushion

Regestered User
Silver Member
Can't believe I forgot George Brunt, the best money player of the bunch! George was top speed and could and would play and beat anyone! He ended up in Vegas playing Pot Limit Omaha and made a ton of money. Got way overweight from sitting all day long and died about seven or eight years ago. George was a real stand up guy!

He moved to the Sarasota, FL area, I think, Bradenton, FL. That's also where he passed away 4 or 5 years ago. I remember at Romines, Artie was playing George B 3 cushion, Artie was giving him 10 on 50 for 3K a game. Artie had the best of it, but, the last game 6 dimes or nothing, George ran 12 & out on Artie! Artie refused to give George the 10 points again, and they quit! Sammy Eubanks, from Little Rock, was in with Artie.

I used to give George Pawelski and George B 17 and 20 on 50. The last time I played George P. was at Freddy 'The Beard's' Northshore Club. Chico, an light weight tush hog outfit guy from Cicero staked George.
Chico was notorious for taking his money back if he lost in the pool room, but, Freddy and Phil wouldn't allow any of that crap in thy're joint! Not even by a, 'wiseguy!'
 
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Zphix

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I was in Wisconsin for a year at school in Green Bay somebody made Willie a Facebook and he got relatively active. He would post about playing people for cheap sets while giving lessons and after seeing the amount of respect and admiration he got I decided to take him up on it a few times.

Got to play with him at High Pockets and the Carom Room a few times and I was happy to donate money to his pockets. I heard a few stories from him about playing on the pro tour but no road stories, unfortunately. Really wish I had gotten to play with him more =/
 
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