60's-70's houston, tx pool scene- ?

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evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
specifically looking for info. about a place called "mary's" in the oak forest hood
but am interested in any historical info., players, spots, etc. back then in the h
thanks in advance
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
evergruven said:
specifically looking for info. about a place called "mary's" in the oak forest hood
but am interested in any historical info., players, spots, etc. back then in the h
thanks in advance
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That was a place we were told to avoid and I did. I won't go into all the reasons why, but I liked the idea of being able to win and get out with the money, so I stuck to LeCue when I was in Houston.
 
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evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
That was a place we were told to avoid and I did. I won't go into all the reasons why, but I liked the idea of being able to win and get out with the money, so I stuck to LeCue when I was in Houston.
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interesting..thanks jay
my grandmother lived in that area and evidently my dad hung out at mary's
but that's all I know
 
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garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There was a famous/infamous joint in Houston called Mary's. Let's just say that pool wasn't the main game there.
 
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Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
That was a place we were told to avoid and I did. I won't go into all the reasons why, but I liked the idea of being able to win and get out with the money, so I stuck to LeCue when I was in Houston.
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HAhah. I was going to TN for work years ago and asked where the action was. An AZBro told me where they '...will bet it up and lose. They don't care coz you arent leaving with the money anyway'.

Some places arent worth the gamble, truth.
 
justnum

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
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at the derby I met some people from Texas, bet on 9ball, I lost the bet, I only played one match.

turns out he was a friend of a friend and we had people in common.

pool events, you never know who you will meet, way more action than league nights.

hope a major event pulling in all the big names happens soon.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
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The average ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows.

The amount of rows in a given ear is almost always an even number.

justnum said:
at the derby I met some people from Texas, bet on 9ball, I lost the bet, I only played one match.

turns out he was a friend of a friend and we had people in common.

pool events, you never know who you will meet, way more action than league nights.

hope a major event pulling in all the big names happens soon.
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Hungarian

Hungarian

C'mon, man!
Silver Member
I think you are correct. That Mary's is in the Montrose area.

evergruven said:
thanks 'nut, that's pretty cool
but I guess that's a different mary's
there was a spot in oak forest that was maybe called something different
but was owned/run by mary? it's a mystery to me
thanks tho- dig the history-
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rottenrod

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
34th Street Cue Club was near the intersection of 34th Street and Alba in the Oak Forest area. The manager's name was Mary. I hung out there a lot and worked there in '77-'78. There was a little action, but mostly it was a juke box and beer crowd.
 
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evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
rottenrod said:
34th Street Cue Club was near the intersection of 34th Street and Alba in the Oak Forest area. The manager's name was Mary. I hung out there a lot and worked there in '77-'78. There was a little action, but mostly it was a juke box and beer crowd.
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that's it! thanks a heap rod, you don't seem so rotten to me..:grin:
 
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rottenrod

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Yes, Oak Forest is north of 610 and east of 290, and mostly south of Pinemont and west of Ella Blvd. Part of it jogs over to Shepherd Blvd. I lived in that area until I was around 30.

rottenrod is a nickname given to me by a pool hustler that came to Houston in '78. It was a reflection on my erratic play which could range from really rotten to my opponent, or just plain rotten.
 
Hungarian

Hungarian

C'mon, man!
Silver Member
I was curious about this thread so I did some digging. If it's the place I'm thinking of, it was at 1207 W 34th Street, Houston, TX 77018. Renamed Bank Shot Game Room.

I never knew it as Mary's and never set foot in the place until the mid 1990's. Sonny, the guy who owned the Cue and Cushion bought it and it was renamed Bank Shot Game Room. That must have been in the late 80's / early 90's when he bought it.

It was a long skinny warehouse, metal building I think. It had bench seating along both long walls with two row of tables down the length.

I only went there a few times. The place gave me the creeps. I can remember the smell. It was very low class, nothing at all like a nostalgic smokey / dingy pool hall. It had zero charm and appeal.
 
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Korsakoff

Korsakoff

AzB Gold Member
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The BCA team (traveling league) I played on played out of Cue & Cushion on the 9 foot Gold Crowns. To tune up for Vegas, we’d practice over at the Bank Shot because they had the 7 foot Valleys. It was quite the dive. I remember that Sonny owned that one, too.

I will say that a Mexican guy used to drop in a couple times a week with fresh tamales his wife had made. I always bought a dozen and took them home. Wife & I both loved them. Did not go often but would try and hit a day when he was likely to come by.
 
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rottenrod

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
That's the place. I believe it was still 34th Street Cue Club in '81 when I moved out of Houston so your dates sound right for the change. When I worked there it was owned by Jimmy (I don't remember his last name), and managed by Mary.
 
Hungarian

Hungarian

C'mon, man!
Silver Member
Jimmy "Flyboy" Spears?

rottenrod said:
That's the place. I believe it was still 34th Street Cue Club in '81 when I moved out of Houston so your dates sound right for the change. When I worked there it was owned by Jimmy (I don't remember his last name), and managed by Mary.
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rottenrod

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
I don't know. Never heard him referred to as Flyboy. I think he owned more than one pool hall/club and I never saw him play. It was a popular place with a young crowd through the 70's. A mix of beer drinkers and drug takers/smokers. Only a little good pool.
 
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