Best Moves

jackpot · Apr 1, 2019

All of us who have hung out in the action pool rooms for years and years have
seen just about every move there is or think we have. Here's a couple that I
remember, Please no lectures on this is what gives pool its bad image.
The Cotton Bowling Palace in Dallas was jammed with people wanting to be
Fast Eddie. They all wanted to gamble and most couldn't run two balls, so
we made it our goal to win there last dime. My buddy Alf Taylor was playing
one of these guys. Two foul nine ball. Alf has ball in hand. The nine hanging
in the corner the three is on the rail, frozen about six inches down the side rail
of the other corner. (same end of the table). Alf picks up the cue ball and sits
it on the top of the rail above the three aiming at the nine. Shoots and it clips
the top of the three and knocks the nine in. Guy says "nice shot" pays off and
racks.
Merle (not sure of spelling) from Houston If you knew him this will be easy to
visualize, is playing this guy some $10 nine ball. Lizard, Danny Holt,and me
are sitting at the bar watching,along with with this guy that is staking Al Mason
who is playing someone on the bar table up front. The guy that is playing Merle
has the nine on one end rail, and the cue ball on the other. Al walks kind of to
the side and says "broke even" and tosses the folded money ($200) to the
stakehorse and turns and walks away. The money separates in the air and the
guy is scrambling to catch it. A $50 comes off the top and goes right in the
corner pocket. The stakehorse, Al, nor anyone else other than Merle and us
three see it go in. Merle realizes that the guy didn't see it and says "that's
good" and starts to get the balls out of the pockets, and snatches the $50.
His opponent says "THAT'S GOOD ?". Yeah I just had a felling you would
make it says Merle, break the f------ balls.
Now the stakehorse sees he is $50 short and starts arguing with Al .Don't
know how that ended.
Would like to read about some anyone has seen or been in on. Heard enough
about CF shafts .

Z-Nole · Apr 1, 2019

There was an old guy who would prey on us newbies and offer to "teach" us the game of one pocket. He had all of the tricks, spotting fouls with my balls, taking balls out of my pocket when I wasn't looking and of course moving balls around. And this was when he was playing against teenagers just learning to play who he could give 10-6 and completely dominate. For fifteen years he claimed to be senile.

I never thought he was nuts until one day he was playing some one pocket on my favorite table on the far side of the room. He's getting spanked by a young little fat kid and heads to the bathroom when it was his shot in an effort to put the stall on. After a few minutes he walks out of the bathroom, turns to the first table he sees and starts running balls. He ran six and out as a few of us were just grinning. When he finishes and starts to rack we yelled over and asked him if he was done practicing. It was the first time I actually saw the lying POS actually look confused and senile. He even tried to argue it for ten minutes.

I'm sure Mike Andros can guess who I'm talking about. The guy even tried to sue the owner when he dropped the rack on his foot.

pt109 · Apr 1, 2019

Guy playing one-hole....had about the same rep as Detroit Whitey.
...five balls left, they each need three.....he goes for a combo, sells out...it’s over...
...but wait, he left the cue ball almost on the spot....calls a foul on himself...claims he
double hit the cue ball...which would leave the spotted ball froze to the cue ball.

His opponent picked up the spotted ball and threw it in a pocket

Z-Nole · Apr 1, 2019

pt109 said:
Guy playing one-hole....had about the same rep as Detroit Whitey.
...five balls left, they each need three.....he goes for a combo, sells out...it’s over...
...but wait, he left the cue ball almost on the spot....calls a foul on himself...claims he
double hit the cue ball...which would leave the spotted ball froze to the cue ball.

His opponent picked up the spotted ball and threw it in a pocket

That's a good one. Hadn't seen it yet.

ShootingArts · Apr 1, 2019

the fifty reminds me

Old friend of mine who often had my back, Mike, was a 6'-5" tall oilfield roughneck. The fifty dollar bill in the pocket reminded me of something he did. Two guys go to fighting over an argument on a pool table. The people in the bar had moved back as far as they could and these guys had maybe an eight or ten foot circle to fight in. Nobody was stopping them.

One accidentally ripped the other one's shirt pocket off the shirt and twenty dollar bills float down all over the floor. Mike started circling the fight kinda squatting down on one leg and reaching in as far as he could with the other foot raking in twenty dollar bills! He was pawing as fast as he could with that foot. Might have had to see it but I laughed at him trying to dodge around that fight pawing in money until I had tears in my eyes.

A smooth move on a table, I was at a tournament when streams were first being tried. An old road dog was on the next table to the TV table and I was leaning on the wall kinda between the two tables. The road player's opponent had excused himself during the other person's turn and wandered off. The game was nine ball and a breakout was needed.

As expected the next shot only needed a little draw to go down half the length of a bar table to break up the cluster. Oddly enough the shooter made no effort to do this. He casually shot a ball several numbers higher than the one he was supposed to be shooting then shot several more balls before having an easy shot on a ball now about three balls out of order.

I was waiting to see him shutdown when he realized he had made such a dummy move but he casually shot that ball and finished the run out. I couldn't help wondering how many times he had done that over the years.

Hu

deanoc · Apr 1, 2019

`````````````````````Lucky Louie Harper,the absolute coolest customer to grace the pool room .
was playing a little bar pool for $20 pr game until the guy ran out of money

He cashes a check with the bar keep and the game continues until he runs out of money again and again until he runs out of checks.so Louie says "well no money no pool"

The guy gets mad and says "i will fight you for $20"
Tony Abbott our pal,says ok and heads toward the door to fight taking off his rings as he goes,the pool sucker turned $20 fighter is right behind Tony

until Louie calls out,
"since you are out of money ,how are you gonna pay when you lose?"
The guys says"Oh,I forgot about that"

Louie states"we can't fight till the money is posted"

This is the way they did things in the 60s

No money,no fight

bstroud · Apr 1, 2019

Jack,

The ultimate move may have been made by Danny Janes.

We went to a new pool room in Glen Burnie, MD to see what was going on. We stayed for a while and watched the suckers playing. Danny said to me that a lot of people were miscuing. I had noticed it too.

We got some balls and started hitting them around. About the third shot Dan miscued. He picked up the chalk and examined it. We quit. We left and went to a nearby Billiard Supply. Dan bought a large box of Master chalk. We took it back to the pool room and Danny persuaded the owner to trade his box of chalk for the Master.

I didn't think much about it after that until Danny showed up with some Master chalk for me to try. After a few shots I miscued. Danny laughed and explained how he had taken the labels off both brands of chalk and reversed them.

Danny never played again for money without putting in the bogus chalk for his opponent to use. He kept his master in his pocket.

I never would use it in a game because I felt it was unfair.

It made better players of some of the people Dan played because they learned to use center ball.

You can not imagine how effective it was. I have seen a miscue on a straight in 3 foot 9 ball after the guy chalked up very carefully.

There is more to the story that I will save for another time.

Bill S.

jackpot · Apr 1, 2019

Everyone hated me

I was playing in a local tournament that had Men, Women, and Man Woman
Scotch Doubles. I was playing only in the Men Division. This girl that I didn't
know wants to play in the Scotch Doubles asked me to be her partner. I said
no thanks, she says she will pay the entry fee. $25 each I think. Someone I
can't remember says go ahead and play she plays pretty good. Okay a free
roll, why not. Well she couldn't play a lick and we were immediately knocked
into the losers bracket. In the next match somehow we are hill, hill but the
girl on the other team has an easy out. I'm just sitting there looking at the
rules and hoping it will end. BINGO, a light goes on. The girl on the other
team is shooting at the eight to win the match. She is about ready to pull
the trigger and I yell "TIME OUT". Like when the Defensive team in football
does it to try and shark the field goal kicker. Everyone goes crazy, they're
all yelling only the shooting team can call timeout. I have the rules right
here and it says each team has one timeout per game PERIOD. Nothing
about the shooting team. Now everyone in the place is mad at me even
my partner, Well she misses the eight by a foot and is really steamed.
Didn't matter we lost anyway. Boy, some people.
jack

jackpot · Apr 1, 2019

just wondering

bstroud said:
Jack,

The ultimate move may have been made by Danny Janes.

We went to a new pool room in Glen Burnie, MD to see what was going on. We stayed for a while and watched the suckers playing. Danny said to me that a lot of people were miscuing. I had noticed it too.

We got some balls and started hitting them around. About the third shot Dan miscued. He picked up the chalk and examined it. We quit. We left and went to a nearby Billiard Supply. Dan bought a large box of Master chalk. We took it back to the pool room and Danny persuaded the owner to trade his box of chalk for the Master.

I didn't think much about it after that until Danny showed up with some Master chalk for me to try. After a few shots I miscued. Danny laughed and explained how he had taken the labels off both brands of chalk and reversed them.

Danny never played again for money without putting in the bogus chalk for his opponent to use. He kept his master in his pocket.

I never would use it in a game because I felt it was unfair.

It made better players of some of the people Dan played because they learned to use center ball.

You can not imagine how effective it was. I have seen a miscue on a straight in 3 foot 9 ball after the guy chalked up very carefully.

There is more to the story that I will save for another time.

Bill S.

Billy, do you happen to remember what brand that mis-cue chalk was and where
a person might get some. Not that I would ever use it to gain an unfair advantage,
only would like to know what to watch out for..
jack

Michael Andros · Apr 1, 2019

Z-Nole said:
There was an old guy who would prey on us newbies and offer to "teach" us the game of one pocket. He had all of the tricks, spotting fouls with my balls, taking balls out of my pocket when I wasn't looking and of course moving balls around. And this was when he was playing against teenagers just learning to play who he could give 10-6 and completely dominate. For fifteen years he claimed to be senile.

I never thought he was nuts until one day he was playing some one pocket on my favorite table on the far side of the room. He's getting spanked by a young little fat kid and heads to the bathroom when it was his shot in an effort to put the stall on. After a few minutes he walks out of the bathroom, turns to the first table he sees and starts running balls. He ran six and out as a few of us were just grinning. When he finishes and starts to rack we yelled over and asked him if he was done practicing. It was the first time I actually saw the lying POS actually look confused and senile. He even tried to argue it for ten minutes.

I'm sure Mike Andros can guess who I'm talking about. The guy even tried to sue the owner when he dropped the rack on his foot.

Fu**ing Greek basta*d... whaddayagonnado?

I can't say anything, though. He staked me a lot and we made some $$$ together. Plus he put me in more than a few tournaments. :grin:

But, yeah... he was a piece of work.

Michael Andros · Apr 1, 2019

This isn't really a "move", per se, but it's kinda funny. This guy from Boston area, "Kenny" used to come down every winter for 2 or 3 months and played in the bar, the Horseshoe, that everyone from the room frequented. Two 4x8 Valley BBs so lots of action and he was there every night. He played ok but was no champion or even a good shortstop. And like lotsa people, he played @ 2 balls under how he *thought* he played.

So we've got the table to ourselves and we're playing $10 8ball. I've got him at least 100 stuck. I run the last 3 racks and he quits and he's hot, going on and on about how lucky I am. So I tell him, spot me 2 balls, I pick them, and I'll play left handed. He says, ok, but bet 20. I go, ummmmmm ( PLEASE don't throw me in that brier patch Brer Fox! ), ok.

So I get up to break, right handed and he goes "Oh no no no no noooooooooooooooooo! Youuuuuuuuuuu gotta break LEFT handed!" ( so, if there is one, this was the "move", him making me break left handed ) I'm like, "Yo, I'm giving you a chance to get your hundred back. I'm playing you lefty. I'm breaking righty."

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yer not! BREAK LEFT HANDED."

So I go, "Aight. I'll break left handed."

8 goes straight in the corner, never touches another ball.

BLAMMO! He heaves the house cue against the cigarette machine and stomps out the back door.

And stiffed me for the 20...

Ah, memories... :yeah:

ShootingArts · Apr 2, 2019

forgotten move

Michael Andros said:
This isn't really a "move", per se, but it's kinda funny. This guy from Boston area, "Kenny" used to come down every winter for 2 or 3 months and played in the bar, the Horseshoe, that everyone from the room frequented. Two 4x8 Valley BBs so lots of action and he was there every night. He played ok but was no champion or even a good shortstop. And like lotsa people, he played @ 2 balls under how he *thought* he played.

So we've got the table to ourselves and we're playing $10 8ball. I've got him at least 100 stuck. I run the last 3 racks and he quits and he's hot, going on and on about how lucky I am. So I tell him, spot me 2 balls, I pick them, and I'll play left handed. He says, ok, but bet 20. I go, ummmmmm ( PLEASE don't throw me in that brier patch Brer Fox! ), ok.

So I get up to break, right handed and he goes "Oh no no no no noooooooooooooooooo! Youuuuuuuuuuu gotta break LEFT handed!" ( so, if there is one, this was the "move", him making me break left handed ) I'm like, "Yo, I'm giving you a chance to get your hundred back. I'm playing you lefty. I'm breaking righty."

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yer not! BREAK LEFT HANDED."

So I go, "Aight. I'll break left handed."

8 goes straight in the corner, never touches another ball.

BLAMMO! He heaves the house cue against the cigarette machine and stomps out the back door.

And stiffed me for the 20...

Ah, memories... :yeah:

A forgotten move that worked in bars playing eightball, spot the other player balls but the one doing the spotting does the picking after the break! Spot them two to four balls and some can't resist. Of course this spot usually favors the one doing the spotting.(grin)

Hu

bstroud · Apr 2, 2019

jackpot said:
Billy, do you happen to remember what brand that mis-cue chalk was and where
a person might get some. Not that I would ever use it to gain an unfair advantage,
only would like to know what to watch out for..
jack

Jack,

All I remember is that it was an off brand from Taiwan.
Bad as it was I am sure it no longer is being made.

Would like to bet that Danny still has some.

Bill

Michael Andros · Apr 2, 2019

ShootingArts said:
A forgotten move that worked in bars playing eightball, spot the other player balls but the one doing the spotting does the picking after the break! Spot them two to four balls and some can't resist. Of course this spot usually favors the one doing the spotting.(grin)

Hu

Exxxactly! And I've given that spot a lot back in the day. Which is exactly why I wasn't gonna let HIM pick the two balls! :grin: And not being the sharpest tool in the shed, Kenny never gave it a second thought. He just thought he had a mortal lock with me playing opposite hand. Of course, he never found out one way or the other cause I broke, made the 8, he threw the cue and stage-left-ed. :yeah:

bullshooter69 · Apr 2, 2019

Over heard this rescently.
Road player playing a small tourny that may have paid 200.00
Makes it to the finals agrees to split with the local guy. Road player says I will get the money from tourny director. Brings it back but slips a fake 100.00 in the money.

Michael Andros · Apr 2, 2019

bullshooter69 said:
Over heard this rescently.
Road player playing a small tourny that may have paid 200.00
Makes it to the finals agrees to split with the local guy. Road player says I will get the money from tourny director. Brings it back but slips a fake 100.00 in the money.

100'l get ya 20...

in Leavenworth.

billy bones · Apr 2, 2019

bstroud said:
Jack,

The ultimate move may have been made by Danny Janes.

We went to a new pool room in Glen Burnie, MD to see what was going on. We stayed for a while and watched the suckers playing. Danny said to me that a lot of people were miscuing. I had noticed it too.

We got some balls and started hitting them around. About the third shot Dan miscued. He picked up the chalk and examined it. We quit. We left and went to a nearby Billiard Supply. Dan bought a large box of Master chalk. We took it back to the pool room and Danny persuaded the owner to trade his box of chalk for the Master.

I didn't think much about it after that until Danny showed up with some Master chalk for me to try. After a few shots I miscued. Danny laughed and explained how he had taken the labels off both brands of chalk and reversed them.

Danny never played again for money without putting in the bogus chalk for his opponent to use. He kept his master in his pocket.

I never would use it in a game because I felt it was unfair.

It made better players of some of the people Dan played because they learned to use center ball.

You can not imagine how effective it was. I have seen a miscue on a straight in 3 foot 9 ball after the guy chalked up very carefully.

There is more to the story that I will save for another time.

Bill S.

Ive always put my chalk "masters" in my pocket ever since I first started playing and I still do. Simply part of my pre-shot routine. I played at a very fast pace. It helped to slow me down if only minutely. Apparently I safeguarded myself against such a ploy....

billy bones · Apr 2, 2019

When I was in my early 20's I would keep various cue balls in my vehicle, Mud ball, Magneto, Big rock etc. I would find a bar midweek and see which cue ball they had and which one of my other cue balls would work on that table. Once I had found the right ball I would put in some practice. I would return on Friday or Saturday night. Sometime during the course of the night I would switch cue balls. I would make a good score, retrieve my ball and leave. No one ever caught on. As a footnote by my mid 20's I abandoned the practice and never resumed it again.

alstl · Apr 3, 2019

bstroud said:
Jack,

The ultimate move may have been made by Danny Janes.

We went to a new pool room in Glen Burnie, MD to see what was going on. We stayed for a while and watched the suckers playing. Danny said to me that a lot of people were miscuing. I had noticed it too.

We got some balls and started hitting them around. About the third shot Dan miscued. He picked up the chalk and examined it. We quit. We left and went to a nearby Billiard Supply. Dan bought a large box of Master chalk. We took it back to the pool room and Danny persuaded the owner to trade his box of chalk for the Master.

I didn't think much about it after that until Danny showed up with some Master chalk for me to try. After a few shots I miscued. Danny laughed and explained how he had taken the labels off both brands of chalk and reversed them.

Danny never played again for money without putting in the bogus chalk for his opponent to use. He kept his master in his pocket.

I never would use it in a game because I felt it was unfair.

It made better players of some of the people Dan played because they learned to use center ball.

You can not imagine how effective it was. I have seen a miscue on a straight in 3 foot 9 ball after the guy chalked up very carefully.

There is more to the story that I will save for another time.

Bill S.

Wow - that's interesting.

Chip Roberson · Apr 3, 2019

Dupont came out with a product called Teflon wipes about 15 years ago. Was to be used on the dash of your car, and was a warning not to use on the steering wheel. Of course that's where I applied the stuff and then the wheel was so slick, you had to be real carefull driving until it wore off. So I'm thinking about applying the stuff to a cue ball . With Normal draw to make the cue come back about a foot, when the teflon was applied, the ball would draw more than half the table. When plying straight pool and giving a nice high follow shot, the ball would start into the rack and just keep plowing through it like it was an ice breaker ship in the arctic. Needless to say when times got a bit sketchy in a match and the cue ball needed cleaning, the innocent victim of this little move was left talking to himself about what was happening. Last time I saw Wade Crane, he came by for a visit, and I had to show this little goings on. His eyes lit up and shook his head and grinned. I gave him a bottle of the wipes when he headed out,,I hoped it worked out well for him, but with Billy's game, he wouldn't need such, except for a gaff .:thumbup:

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