Thought this was worth writing and worth reading as a pretty good pool story.
In 1972 during the Vietnam era, I was in the US Navy, guarding the shores of Athens, Greece. No vietcong got by me on my watch. Found a poolroom downtown Athens and when I walked in there was only one pocket table. Everyone was playing straight rail billiards. I started hitting them around and could see other players watching me. No one would play and I didn't have a clue about billiards. I was a C, maybe a C+ player. They thought I was Mizerak.One guy came over and we played a few games and I won. He said he was the best player in the country in billiards and that I was the best player on the pocket table, but told me that soon he would be the best player at that too. I walked out feeling pretty good. I played every chance I could at the USO and when the fleet came in you had to play hard cause one loss put you in the chair for over an hour on a waiting list. One day this guy comes in and we started hitting em but watching his control I knew he was over me. So now I wasn't the best in the country.but I never admitted that to him. We ended up playing quite a bit over the next year and then I got discharged. Always remembered that guys name and knew with the way he got around the table that he would be hooked for life like we all are cause once it gets ahold of you, you're done for. Found myself practicing a lot over the years, in tournaments every week that I really looked forward to. Played in WestEnd billiards in Elizabeth, NJ for $25. there were always 3,4,5 world champions in it every week, best tournament I ever seen. Won it twice over the years and that was a big accomplishment. Quit, for about 20 years!! WTF!!!!. Forget why, probably one of the ex-wives nagging crap. Like you were out all night and when you walk in at 4-5 am you get the "where the hell were you" question. Your clothes stink like an ashtray and they had to ask anyway. So you hit them with the line "you wanna go next time?" and they take you up on it. Then they sit there for 8,9, 10 hours bored and one foot out the door. Rarely did they go again.
Twenty years later, 2009, I am sitting in my friends basement and he had a 8' table, always ignored it and one day I picked up a cue and 4 hours later I was still hitting them. Even had an audience thinkin I was the world champion. Pat Fleming and I go back about 35 years and he had a Goldcrown 2 for sale so I bought it.
It was around middle of December/Christmas time and I was having trouble finding a mechanic to cover and assemble the table. I went online and found a guy in Baltimore who said he would come up to jersey and do it. I asked him for references and he said he would email them to me. I said to him "incidentally, you ever hear of a pool player down that way named Mike Lambros?" He said "the cuemaker?" I said I don't know,is there a cuemaker with that name? He said hell yeah and a good one. Being out of the game for so long I only knew the guys that are now the old timers. So I googled and found a number. When he picked up the phone I said "is this mike lambros?" about how old are you? ever in the navy? 1972 athens greece? He says yes who is this? We hooked up at Valley Forge 3 years ago after not seeing each other in 38 years. I got one helluva cue now. Seen that Pat Fleming was going to Derby City and I got in the car and made the trip last minute thing with no business getting in but wtf. Entered the 9 ball tourney and drew Rodney Morris and took my beating 7-3 was worth the trip. A few month's later, the World's 14.1 Tournament is happening about 10 miles from me and I get the call from Pat Fleming. "you wanna get in this?" HELL YEAH. Round robin bracket I'm in consists of Mike Sigel, Mika Immonen, Zion Zvi, Jonathan Smith and Jim Gouttier. HOLY CRAP! Played em all, had a blast. Now play about 50 hours a week and lost 30 lbs doin it. Many thanks to Pat and Jim at Accustats and Mike Lambros for the support.
In 1972 during the Vietnam era, I was in the US Navy, guarding the shores of Athens, Greece. No vietcong got by me on my watch. Found a poolroom downtown Athens and when I walked in there was only one pocket table. Everyone was playing straight rail billiards. I started hitting them around and could see other players watching me. No one would play and I didn't have a clue about billiards. I was a C, maybe a C+ player. They thought I was Mizerak.One guy came over and we played a few games and I won. He said he was the best player in the country in billiards and that I was the best player on the pocket table, but told me that soon he would be the best player at that too. I walked out feeling pretty good. I played every chance I could at the USO and when the fleet came in you had to play hard cause one loss put you in the chair for over an hour on a waiting list. One day this guy comes in and we started hitting em but watching his control I knew he was over me. So now I wasn't the best in the country.but I never admitted that to him. We ended up playing quite a bit over the next year and then I got discharged. Always remembered that guys name and knew with the way he got around the table that he would be hooked for life like we all are cause once it gets ahold of you, you're done for. Found myself practicing a lot over the years, in tournaments every week that I really looked forward to. Played in WestEnd billiards in Elizabeth, NJ for $25. there were always 3,4,5 world champions in it every week, best tournament I ever seen. Won it twice over the years and that was a big accomplishment. Quit, for about 20 years!! WTF!!!!. Forget why, probably one of the ex-wives nagging crap. Like you were out all night and when you walk in at 4-5 am you get the "where the hell were you" question. Your clothes stink like an ashtray and they had to ask anyway. So you hit them with the line "you wanna go next time?" and they take you up on it. Then they sit there for 8,9, 10 hours bored and one foot out the door. Rarely did they go again.
Twenty years later, 2009, I am sitting in my friends basement and he had a 8' table, always ignored it and one day I picked up a cue and 4 hours later I was still hitting them. Even had an audience thinkin I was the world champion. Pat Fleming and I go back about 35 years and he had a Goldcrown 2 for sale so I bought it.
It was around middle of December/Christmas time and I was having trouble finding a mechanic to cover and assemble the table. I went online and found a guy in Baltimore who said he would come up to jersey and do it. I asked him for references and he said he would email them to me. I said to him "incidentally, you ever hear of a pool player down that way named Mike Lambros?" He said "the cuemaker?" I said I don't know,is there a cuemaker with that name? He said hell yeah and a good one. Being out of the game for so long I only knew the guys that are now the old timers. So I googled and found a number. When he picked up the phone I said "is this mike lambros?" about how old are you? ever in the navy? 1972 athens greece? He says yes who is this? We hooked up at Valley Forge 3 years ago after not seeing each other in 38 years. I got one helluva cue now. Seen that Pat Fleming was going to Derby City and I got in the car and made the trip last minute thing with no business getting in but wtf. Entered the 9 ball tourney and drew Rodney Morris and took my beating 7-3 was worth the trip. A few month's later, the World's 14.1 Tournament is happening about 10 miles from me and I get the call from Pat Fleming. "you wanna get in this?" HELL YEAH. Round robin bracket I'm in consists of Mike Sigel, Mika Immonen, Zion Zvi, Jonathan Smith and Jim Gouttier. HOLY CRAP! Played em all, had a blast. Now play about 50 hours a week and lost 30 lbs doin it. Many thanks to Pat and Jim at Accustats and Mike Lambros for the support.
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