Yes to both questions. It can be difficult to find the story, but Bob Byrne reprinted it in his book, Byrne's Book of Great Pool Stories.
Sunuvagun.....I own everything Robert Byrne wrote...I think...forgot about it.
Looked it up
January 1957
Beat Fats?
- Thread starter AkGuy
- Start date
Sunuvagun.....I own everything Robert Byrne wrote...I think...forgot about it.
Looked it up
January 1957
Hey Jay
I knew John Du Clos fairly well, but he was a few years older then me. When I first met him we played some 8 Ball when I was 16 and I am still sore from the butt whupping he gave me. I got so tired of losing to him I asked him to play Straight Pool. He smiled and said "you don't want to play me straight pool",.right he was.
I also used to play him at a pool hall Mark Griffin owned on Spenard Road as John worked there some times. I might of lucked out and won a 8 Ball game once in a while, but never any Straight Pool against him, he tore me up. The last time I talked to Mark he said Du Clos moved to Washington State and had a Land scaping business.
Come to think of it, I never had much luck beating Mark Griffin either. Him and my brother hung together for awhile and he lived a couple houses down from my parents. But like I said, they were a few years older then me and took advantage of a kid. LOL
Hell, I still couldn't beat them, but would like to see them again. I keep telling my wife I want to go play at Griffs pool hall some day. Surely I could find some one I could beat?
I knew John Du Clos fairly well, but he was a few years older then me. When I first met him we played some 8 Ball when I was 16 and I am still sore from the butt whupping he gave me. I got so tired of losing to him I asked him to play Straight Pool. He smiled and said "you don't want to play me straight pool",.right he was.
I also used to play him at a pool hall Mark Griffin owned on Spenard Road as John worked there some times. I might of lucked out and won a 8 Ball game once in a while, but never any Straight Pool against him, he tore me up. The last time I talked to Mark he said Du Clos moved to Washington State and had a Land scaping business.
Come to think of it, I never had much luck beating Mark Griffin either. Him and my brother hung together for awhile and he lived a couple houses down from my parents. But like I said, they were a few years older then me and took advantage of a kid. LOL
Hell, I still couldn't beat them, but would like to see them again. I keep telling my wife I want to go play at Griffs pool hall some day. Surely I could find some one I could beat?
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sonny burnett
Registered
Jay, I often wondered if fatty ever had a confirmed dump or any other thievery per your memory bank?
I defer to you. I'm from the south and fatty sitings around here were pretty rare and probably never happened.
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I don't think that was in his M.O. He was pretty much a lone wolf as a gambler and never traveled with a partner to my knowledge. He was out to beat everybody!
IMO he was an honorable gambler, trying to get the best of the game if he could and then win the money. I never heard of him not paying off or welching on a bet.
Fats was an "old school" gambler and I seriously doubt he would be involved in a dump. That was just not in his nature. I knew him to be an ethical but very unorthodox man.
His "thievery" was limited to him outsmarting people and winning their money. He was REALLY good at that!
First they called him Double Smart Fats around New York and eventually that morphed into Triple Smart Fats! No one else ever had a nickname like that.
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Just based on 8 or 9 ball, from watching him play, I would guess, more like 620ish. There's no way he could play with Brandon Shuff.
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Jay, didn't Fats travel with Luther Lassiter for a while? I seem to remember reading that somewhere, but then again, maybe I'm losing my mind.
all you ever saw was fats on tv when he was already an old man. he could still play well then but didnt as he always wanted to give those others lots of shots. it was tv pool for pay.
younger he would eat alive anyone but the top players in a nine ball game. one pocket, banks or 8 ball no one had a cinch against him.
he was a good person with a big heart. any broke player could get a stake if asked. he cared about people and animals.
younger he would eat alive anyone but the top players in a nine ball game. one pocket, banks or 8 ball no one had a cinch against him.
he was a good person with a big heart. any broke player could get a stake if asked. he cared about people and animals.
Thanks to all of you!
I now feel like I have went through a small class on "all things Fats" and have an idea of what he was like in life. All of the opinions and road stories paint a picture.
They confirm what I thought. No way I could beat Fats, he would take my cash!
I now feel like I have went through a small class on "all things Fats" and have an idea of what he was like in life. All of the opinions and road stories paint a picture.
They confirm what I thought. No way I could beat Fats, he would take my cash!
Jay, didn't Fats travel with Luther Lassiter for a while? I seem to remember reading that somewhere, but then again, maybe I'm losing my mind.
Not that I know of, but it's certainly possible. Fats spent a lot of time around Norfolk during and after the war and Lassiter was The Man around there back then.
As I mentioned before Fats could out talk me. I’m a world champion talker and he could give me the 5.
As far as his pool game, sadly I’ve only seen what’s on video. He runs balls at ease and when he misses often it’s because he doesn’t bother to set up for the shot. So I don’t think the videos are a accurate representation of his true speed. And I think he was on the lemon more often than not-he always had action(no job, nice cars, what Jay said too) he didn’t stick up banks or have a trust fund.
It’s all speculation at this point. But he will always be one of my hero’s. And inspirations in life. His go go go style had a impact on me and how I do biz and approach things.
Just some thoughts, sorry not well written.
Good night
Fatboy
As far as his pool game, sadly I’ve only seen what’s on video. He runs balls at ease and when he misses often it’s because he doesn’t bother to set up for the shot. So I don’t think the videos are a accurate representation of his true speed. And I think he was on the lemon more often than not-he always had action(no job, nice cars, what Jay said too) he didn’t stick up banks or have a trust fund.
It’s all speculation at this point. But he will always be one of my hero’s. And inspirations in life. His go go go style had a impact on me and how I do biz and approach things.
Just some thoughts, sorry not well written.
Good night
Fatboy
Originally Posted by sonny burnett View Post
Jay, I often wondered if fatty ever had a confirmed dump or any other thievery per your memory bank?
I defer to you. I'm from the south and fatty sitings around here were pretty rare and probably never happened.
Not a dumping story but .........
Fats and a guy I only know as Doc from Duquoin, IL arranged a game of 1P at Stardust Billiards in Carbondale, IL. At that time I was the Daytime counter man. So I got the heads up and made sure all the tables and balls were clean and ready.
Doc was a very good 1P player! When the game starts there's maybe half dozen railbirds. Fats asks if any want to bet on the side. Hour later there's around 25-30 birds. The whole time Fats is asking for side bets. And the whole time he's raising the side, he's losing. Handily. Once the side got really nice, the game changed.
Was it a scam? Was Fats laying down? They agreed to split the side?
Or just one of those things.
I'll say this, once I got in, which was late, he started winning. Every game. I never collected from him. Once. He broke me. Literally. I was dumb and young.
The other thing I remember. Triple Smart Fats????
He never missed collecting from everyone who placed a bet. I was like the 7th guy he'd come to after each game. There were around 15 on the side in a crowd of 30 or so.
Fun times, but not that night as I walk back to my dorm room.
Jay, I often wondered if fatty ever had a confirmed dump or any other thievery per your memory bank?
I defer to you. I'm from the south and fatty sitings around here were pretty rare and probably never happened.
Not a dumping story but .........
Fats and a guy I only know as Doc from Duquoin, IL arranged a game of 1P at Stardust Billiards in Carbondale, IL. At that time I was the Daytime counter man. So I got the heads up and made sure all the tables and balls were clean and ready.
Doc was a very good 1P player! When the game starts there's maybe half dozen railbirds. Fats asks if any want to bet on the side. Hour later there's around 25-30 birds. The whole time Fats is asking for side bets. And the whole time he's raising the side, he's losing. Handily. Once the side got really nice, the game changed.
Was it a scam? Was Fats laying down? They agreed to split the side?
Or just one of those things.
I'll say this, once I got in, which was late, he started winning. Every game. I never collected from him. Once. He broke me. Literally. I was dumb and young.
The other thing I remember. Triple Smart Fats????
He never missed collecting from everyone who placed a bet. I was like the 7th guy he'd come to after each game. There were around 15 on the side in a crowd of 30 or so.
Fun times, but not that night as I walk back to my dorm room.