Best pool match of all time!

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Whats the best pool match you ever seen, weather you watched live or on a stream and was it a gambling match or tournament match? the best i ever seen was Andam(spell) giving Tom Vanover the 7, racing to 11 for 1000, Vanover was winning 7-2, Andam asks Tom if he wants to double the bet to 2000, Tom agrees, Andam goes on to win 11-7, ANDAM PLAYS LIKE GOD I SEEN IT! This was in the late 90s, Bill and billies pool hall in glen burnie,md, on the outskirts of Baltimore.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Varner beating sigel, and having to kick two balls in from an extremely difficult spot to win, I think he was down like 9-1 going to 11 and won on the hill, Mike was sick, but Varner digs in better than ANY living player when its on the line, especially in his prime.
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
Varner beating sigel, and having to kick two balls in from an extremely difficult spot to win, I think he was down like 9-1 going to 11 and won on the hill, Mike was sick, but Varner digs in better than ANY living player when its on the line, especially in his prime.

I agree, that's the greatest match I've ever seen as well. The ending is simply unbelievable. Mike was up 9-2 I believe.
 

fathomblue

Rusty Shackleford
Silver Member
Varner beating sigel, and having to kick two balls in from an extremely difficult spot to win, I think he was down like 9-1 going to 11 and won on the hill, Mike was sick, but Varner digs in better than ANY living player when its on the line, especially in his prime.

Remember the date or specific event? Is it in the Accu-stats catalog?
 

lou the greek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think it was 1985 or 86 in the $100.000 AC tournament the one J.Swanson won, D.Bollman was down 9-1 in a race to 10 to B.Hall Dave won 9 games in a row by breaking and running out or by breaking and putting Buddy in jail after the break, Buddy never got a shot to win the match.
 
Last edited:

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Whats the best pool match you ever seen, weather you watched live or on a stream and was it a gambling match or tournament match? the best i ever seen was Andam(spell) giving Tom Vanover the 7, racing to 11 for 1000, Vanover was winning 7-2, Andam asks Tom if he wants to double the bet to 2000, Tom agrees, Andam goes on to win 11-7, ANDAM PLAYS LIKE GOD I SEEN IT! This was in the late 90s, Bill and billies pool hall in glen burnie,md, on the outskirts of Baltimore.

A lot of the best matches were never recorded or seen by very many people. I am sure people who hung in some of the top action rooms would have a hard time picking a favorite there were so many.

My two favorites were Mike Carella playing Larry Hubbart in the Congress Billiards in Miami. They played for days only taking brief breaks for a little nap. They played anywhere from 1 to 3 thousand a game 9-ball depending on the side action. During the match the game had 20 and 30 thousand dollar swings with each player showing the heart to come back. In the end Mike won a substantial amount. About that same time maybe a week or two later Mike also played Jim Mataya for several days as well and Mike beat him soundly. I have a feeling if you ask Mataya he will not admit to it but a lot of us were there and saw it.

http://www.josscues.com/photo_gallery/more_greats/image/great-24-carella.jpg

My second favorite was a pay ball game played in Dayton Ohio around 1973 a Joe Burns place. It went on for a week with some of the best players in the world of that time playing. It was one of the best exhibitions of play you could ever have the pleasure of watching. Tens of thousands changed hands as player after player took their shot at the game.
 
Last edited:

poolhallringer

Registered
Re: The Rattlesnake...

Andam toured the US in the 90's but haven't heard much about him since then. The best pool match for me was when I put 300 people in shock when I put a 5 pak on Bata to win a match.:thumbup:
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A lot of the best matches were never recorded or seen by very many people. I am sure people who hung in some of the top action rooms would have a hard time picking a favorite there were so many.

My two favorites were Mike Carella playing Larry Hubbart in the Congress Billiards in Miami. They played for days only taking brief breaks for a little nap. They played anywhere from 1 to 3 thousand a game 9-ball depending on the side action. During the match the game had 20 and 30 thousand dollar swings with each player showing the heart to come back. In the end Mike won a substantial amount. About that same time maybe a week or two later Mike also played Jim Mataya for several days as well and Mike beat him soundly. I have a feeling if you ask Mataya he will not admit to it but a lot of us were there and saw it.

http://www.josscues.com/photo_gallery/more_greats/image/great-24-carella.jpg

My second favorite was a pay ball game played in Dayton Ohio around 1973 a Joe Burns place. It went on for a week with some of the best players in the world of that time playing. It was one of the best exhibitions of play you could ever have the pleasure of watching. Tens of thousands changed hands as player after player took their shot at the game.

Thats some awesom matches there, thanks for sharing!
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think it was 1985 or 86 in the $100.000 AC tournament the one J.Swanson won, D.Bollman was down 9-1 in a race to 10 to B.Hall Dave won 9 games in a row by breaking and running out or by breaking and putting Buddy in jail after the break, Buddy never got a shot to win the match.

That was a great match, love Dave Bollmans game, oh Buddys pretty good tooooo!
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Varner beating sigel, and having to kick two balls in from an extremely difficult spot to win, I think he was down like 9-1 going to 11 and won on the hill, Mike was sick, but Varner digs in better than ANY living player when its on the line, especially in his prime.

Thanks for remembering this awesom match, as many agree!
 

miscrewed1989

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wade Crane vs. Gene Cooper

1994 at Chattanooga Biiliard Club. They played a $10,000 onepocket match that lasted several days. Two sets ahead at 4 ahead a set. Gene finally pulled out the win. It was 12 hours of onepocket each day until it was done. There's no telling how much action was on tthe rail! Aahh, those were the good ol' days...
 

miscrewed1989

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1994 at Chattanooga Biiliard Club. They played a $10,000 onepocket match that lasted several days. Two sets ahead at 4 ahead a set. Gene finally pulled out the win. It was 12 hours of onepocket each day until it was done. There's no telling how much action was on tthe rail! Aahh, those were the good ol' days...
 

richiebalto

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1994 at Chattanooga Biiliard Club. They played a $10,000 onepocket match that lasted several days. Two sets ahead at 4 ahead a set. Gene finally pulled out the win. It was 12 hours of onepocket each day until it was done. There's no telling how much action was on tthe rail! Aahh, those were the good ol' days...

Dam Gene Cooper i never ever heard that name, and i thought i heard or knew of all the great players, thanks for that great memory!
 

naji

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Whats the best pool match you ever seen, weather you watched live or on a stream and was it a gambling match or tournament match? the best i ever seen was Andam(spell) giving Tom Vanover the 7, racing to 11 for 1000, Vanover was winning 7-2, Andam asks Tom if he wants to double the bet to 2000, Tom agrees, Andam goes on to win 11-7, ANDAM PLAYS LIKE GOD I SEEN IT! This was in the late 90s, Bill and billies pool hall in glen burnie,md, on the outskirts of Baltimore.

Efren Earl 1995 match hill hill and Efren zigzag kick to win
 

miscrewed1989

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
sorry about the duplicate post

Dam Gene Cooper i never ever heard that name, and i thought i heard or knew of all the great players, thanks for that great memory!

I don't know how the duplicate happened...
Anyway, Gene played good. I don't know what happened to him after that. Haven't heard anything about him in years...
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dam Gene Cooper i never ever heard that name, and i thought i heard or knew of all the great players, thanks for that great memory!

Gene was a very good bar table player. Surprisingly when he was at his best, I saw Allen Hopkins beat the hell out of him on a bar table. I don't think anyone really know how good Allen was on a bar table.
 

thelmstetter

Tomcat
Silver Member
13 racks in a row

It was in Toledo, Ohio, right after the Glass City Open Tournament, either 1992 or 1993.

Francisco Bustamante had just started coming over to America and playing the tournaments. Johnny Archer, on the other hand, was on top of the World at this point in his career.

Johnny and Francisco discussed gambling and finally decided on a game: race to 13 for $2,500.

Bustamante beat Johnny Archer the first set, 13-8. Johnny is down $2,500 and decides to play Bustamante again. They lag, and Johnny wins the lag. Johnny breaks and runs the first rack. Then, he broke and ran the next rack and then the next rack! Before you know it, the score is 5-0 and Francisco has been able to do nothing but watch. Johnny continues to break and run racks until he has won the set by running 13 racks in a row! Bustamante never made it to the table! Johnny was exhilarated after such a great run and the railbirds were going nuts. Amidst all of the excitement of this 13 rack run, Bustamante slides out of his chair and walks over to the pool table. Certainly he is coming to congratulate Johnny and call it quits after watching Johnny run so many racks.

Instead, Francisco calmly asks Johnny if he wants to double the bet! Double the bet? After watching his opponent run 13 racks, Bustamante wanted to double the bet!

Johnny thought about it but decided to keep the bet at $2,500 for the next set. Johnny lost the next set 13-11 and quit.
 

henho

I Beat Fidelshnitzer
Silver Member
The 2001 International Challenge of Champions with Chou Fong Pang vs. Bustamante where it came down to one rack and both were making phenomenal shots. Even though I feel like that tournament is not held in very high esteem by die-hard pool fans, I was just starting in the game and it was an exciting watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcv9KZVo40o
 
Top