My Life in Pool

dnbnt

dnbnt

Just a little "stituos"
Silver Member
Thanks to those who've participated! Great story sjm, thanks.

Don't post much in this forum cause what value can I add over guys like these?
Way more knowledge and experience than I possess.

Would love to hear more from guys like Mr. Mosconi, Chris, Cuebuddy, evergruven,
Patrick, etc... How they got started, hooked, to where they are today - whatever!

Hope maybe some other interesting folks crawl out of the weeds & fess up!
 
lfigueroa

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Logandgriff said:
Hey Lou -- two questions from an admirer:

(1) Did you ever play at Grand-Olive? To me, it was and is the best pool room I've ever played in. It was total old school, classic and beautiful. And the Garavelli's Restaurant below it was great too.

(2) Did you know or have you heard of Rotten Mouth Johnson?

Thanks.
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No, I didn't move to STL until '92, so Grand - Olive was before my time here.

Also negative on RMJ, although I have to say that's one of the more interesting pool monikers I've ever heard. But here's a photo that used to be in one of the other pool rooms here, commemorating G-O.

Lou Figueroa
 

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ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
lfigueroa said:
No, I didn't move to STL until '92, so Grand - Olive was before my time here.

Also negative on RMJ, although I have to say that's one of the more interesting pool monikers I've ever heard. But here's a photo that used to be in one of the other pool rooms here, commemorating G-O.

Lou Figueroa
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Grand indeed! my personal preference is to have some division without such large open areas but that is purely nitpicking. I would be in seventh heaven to find a hall still like that one!

Hu
 
L

Logandgriff

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thanks Lou. That is a great picture. I have that same postcard proudly hanging in my basement pool lair.

The picture is somewhat misleading in that the room in the picture is brightly lit. During the late 60s, there were often only a few players there at any one time, and only the tables in use were lighted; the rest of the room was very dark and it had a very eerie appearance. So you were basically playing in a dark room. That is how I remember G-O.

Also, there was a big brass spittoon next to every table. Maybe they had been removed permanently by the time the picture was taken but I don't think they were ever removed permanently -- I'm guessing they were removed just for the picture.

G-O had cabinets in the back with drawers, kind of like chart or map cabinets but they were used for pool cue storage. Regulars would put their cues in laying horizontally, like putting silverware in a kitchen drawer. I was a regular but I brought my cue back and forth because I had a home table and also played in other places.

I mentioned this before but a lot of guys had their own cues but no cue cases. Some had one piece cues but cut in half with a joint added. Others had Harold Worst cues made by A.E. Schmidt. Others like me had Willie Hoppe cues made by Brunswick. Or Brunswick Master Strokes which were similar to Hoppes but without veneers in the points. They would carry both halves of their cues in one hand. Also a lot of guys used rubber bands to hold them together and carried them like that. I had a 1x1 soft case and thought I was special. I later graduated to a 1x2 box case which I lined with foam rubber.

And I say "guys" because never once did I see a woman ever set foot in the place.

And G-O was on the second floor so you had to walk up a flight of very steep stairs.

Those were the good old days.
 
ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
toting a cue

Logandgriff said:
Thanks Lou. That is a great picture. I have that same postcard proudly hanging in my basement pool lair.

The picture is somewhat misleading in that the room in the picture is brightly lit. During the late 60s, there were often only a few players there at any one time, and only the tables in use were lighted; the rest of the room was very dark and it had a very eerie appearance. So you were basically playing in a dark room. That is how I remember G-O.

Also, there was a big brass spittoon next to every table. Maybe they had been removed permanently by the time the picture was taken but I don't think they were ever removed permanently -- I'm guessing they were removed just for the picture.

G-O had cabinets in the back with drawers, kind of like chart or map cabinets but they were used for pool cue storage. Regulars would put their cues in laying horizontally, like putting silverware in a kitchen drawer. I was a regular but I brought my cue back and forth because I had a home table and also played in other places.

I mentioned this before but a lot of guys had their own cues but no cue cases. Some had one piece cues but cut in half with a joint added. Others had Harold Worst cues made by A.E. Schmidt. Others like me had Willie Hoppe cues made by Brunswick. Or Brunswick Master Strokes which were similar to Hoppes but without veneers in the points. They would carry both halves of their cues in one hand. Also a lot of guys used rubber bands to hold them together and carried them like that. I had a 1x1 soft case and thought I was special. I later graduated to a 1x2 box case which I lined with foam rubber.

And I say "guys" because never once did I see a woman ever set foot in the place.

And G-O was on the second floor so you had to walk up a flight of very steep stairs.

Those were the good old days.
Click to expand...



The few times I toted my own cue was mostly hitting small tournaments, maybe a little gambling surrounding the tournaments. I started off wrapping it in a large new dark blue bath towel so I could separate shaft and butt instead of them rubbing together or against anything else with just rubber bands. Plus rubber bands were subject to melt in the heat. I then cut up an old blue blanket and hand stitched my own cue case, again with multiple pockets so I could keep shaft and butt from rubbing on each other.

It wasn't until decades later when I was working on other people's cues and felt the need for a nice case that I finally purchased a leather three by five or something. Still got the case, don't remember what size it alleges to be. Ah well, no memory to speak of anyway!

I wouldn't have been caught walking into a place with fancy looking stuff on a bet when I was gambling nightly. I had a bunch of nicknames too. I would answer to any of them, as long as they weren't pool related! Several times I finally had to explain to some nice guy in no uncertain terms that they could either drop the nickname or I would lay a most serious ass whupping on them. I wasn't just whistling Dixie either, last thing I wanted was a name indicating some folks thought I could play pool. I never played cards with somebody named Ace or Lucky myself!

HU
 
dnbnt

dnbnt

Just a little "stituos"
Silver Member
Alright, Hoped we'd get more stories from this. Thought maybe we could draw some of the
NPR denizons out of the hate and discontent over there back to what we're here for.
I know I'd love to hear more guys from both sides over there. Robin, Sev, Coco, RJ,
Boxie, Slide, Hawaiian, Jimmy, J2, PT, Chop - if he ever comes back, etc...

Mike, I love that D-19! Can't really speak on it's hit cause I've only played
with several McD's (D series) and Brunswick cues.

Didn't really get into my more recent life in pool. The last 20 years or so I've
been limited to 1 session a week, 2 - 3 hours. Feel like I can't really compete
with high level players due to having no real safety game.

The I game play with the guys I know is a weird bank the 8 game. 1 rail or more with
the 8, 3 or more with the cue ball. No safeties, each shot must be an honest attempt.
No ball in hand - all fouls - cue goes in the kitchen. I enjoy the challenge of attempting
to break and run out with all the clutter on banking the 8. We quite often see attempts
at banking the 8 one rail to the side from the end rails and occasionally it goes!

The guys I shoot with give me hell cause I carry the 2 McD's. D-3 for breaking and the 19
for shooting. Call me "2 cues". They're all fair players - several cash in local tourny's
frequently. One close friend who's a very consistent player doesn't know who Efren, Shane,
Earl, etc. are! Won a bet with another guy who said he's played 3C and thought the balls
were the same size as pool balls. Part of our game is the "Shark". They figured out early on
that they can't piss me off cause that brings out my game. They have to make me laugh.
We had a state champ come in, win the table and change the game to BCA rules. Everybody
freaked and wanted to act up, I just came back a couple of games later and took the table
back to "our game" and he bailed.

My Dad used to say, "There's always a shot on the table, you just have to find it." And, "Don't be afraid to win!"

Just hoping we can all get back to our game in whatever way soon!

Dave
 
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ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
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Silver Member
Adding to the forum

No need to think you need to surpass others to tell stories. Some of my funnier memories are no big deal in the scheme of things. Had an idiot always trying to dream up something new. We tried to play pool with barstools one day. Even the biker bar wouldn't put up with that carnage!

Same bar, we played with every mop and broom in the place. Found an old industrial mop that weighed about ten or fifteen pounds since it had been sitting in filthy water for months after the wringer broke. Neither of us was willing to hand wring that sour stinking mophead so we were dripping and slinging the drippings everywhere. Didn't take long to figure out the stroke could be controlled a little bit by timing the swing of the mop head with the stroke. Didn't explain this to the other guy of course and I took him for a few bucks. Even bikers couldn't stand the stink of that old mop head and that was another game that got shut down. The bar wasn't huge, a few bar tables and tables to drink at and a bar, that stinking mop got the smell in every corner! Had to open the street door awhile.

We played with just that big handle, various mops and brooms. It was very possible to have short runs and break out balls on those bar tables with almost anything. When you couldn't get much spin on a cue ball and no draw speed became of primary importance.

Sounds like you and your friends have fun during your weekly get-togethers and fun is what pool is about for most of us.

Hu
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
What makes this forum a cool place is the multitude of backgrounds possessed by its members. As a group, we can have a conversation about virtually anything pool-related, but each of us will have more to offer in certain types of threads than others.

We have American, European, and Asian posters, and almost no aspect of world pool lies outside the knowledge or experiences of this forum's contingent of members. We have bangers, serious amateurs. and pro players posting here. We even have equipment manufacturers, pool instructors, referees, event producers, and poolroom owners posting here.

We're not competing with each other, but gaining knowledge from each other while we share our passion for pool.

You don't need any credentials to join in the conversation in a thread, just jump in when you are so inclined.
 
L

Logandgriff

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I agree with you Stu. And maybe its because I'm nostalgic by nature and like old things, but I like best the conversations about old pool halls and equipment, old players and the way things used to be. Plenty of good stuff like that on this forum with a lot more to come I am hoping.
 
K

Kdogster

Registered
For me, pool has always been playing in the leagues and local tournaments. Some funny stuff happens in league play.

The very first league I played was APA playing 9 ball on 9 foot tables. I got placed on a team randomly and we were a motley crew. One guy was an older distinguished gentleman with a moustache, who was very particular that pool must be played on a big table. He brought a zip-loc bag with a high-end cigar to every league night. As soon as he got there, the waitress would automatically bring him a hot cup of coffee and a scotch. He'd go through his routine to enjoy the cigar, then he'd be all set to play. He was actually pretty darn good. I learned a bunch from him. We had another guy named Bobby, who was frankly too busy to play pool. I don't know how he did it, but he would somehow keep a cell phone craned against his ear with his shoulder, while he shot at the table. He'd normally be talking to his kids to put them to bed. If he ever lost, he liked to say, "if this were a barbox, I'd be crushing you". Another guy on our team was in prison for part of the season. The day he got out, he came to shoot pool on league night. He said this was the first place he went after getting released. He was our best player by a mile, and he would destroy us after our matches playing one-handed.

I played in a number of 8 ball leagues after that. I remember we were in the playoffs and one of my teammates got matched up to a good woman player. A guy, who was friends with our team captain, said if you take the chalk away from the table, it will drive her nuts. So, even though it was very uncool, that's just what my teammate did. On any critical point in the match, he'd leave the table for her turn and he'd take the chalk with him. She would get to the table and start hunting for the chalk and then my teammate would say, "oh sorry I accidentally took it. here you go". Needless to say, she couldn't concentrate and she lost that match.

I remember playing in the big end-of-year team tournament at the horse track venue. Our team captain would always wear his lucky hawaiian shirt with macaws on the front. His son played on our team as well. Whenever his son played, the captain would get so nervous that he'd start pacing in the hallway. He'd peek at the table now and then, while he agonized about the match. We all thought he was going to have a breakdown, so we'd walk along beside him and try to remind him it's just friggin pool. He wore his emotions on his sleeve though!
 
S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
dnbnt said:
Good day!

A thread here several months ago about when you first played pool got me thinking.

I've hung out here since the RSB days.

Honestly can't remember playing for the 1st time, was too young. Having thought alot
about it I recall my Dad pounding fundamentals; closed bridge, 4 points of contact, stroke, etc...

My Dad was a 3 cushion player who played Hoppe in the thirties in an exhibition in or near Hammond Indiana. Said they played even to about halfway through match, then realized who he was playing and he got the "Willy's".

Never had a table at our house cause Dad said then he'd have no excuse to take me to the bar. I played alot in high school cause we had 4 or 5 nice old Brunswicks in what we called the Commons. Spent more time down there than I did in class. Teachers would come down there to get me. Dropped out as soon as I turned 16 and worked as a bellman at a Sheraton for $1.31 an hour. Lied bout my age and served alcohol.

Went on to several factory/manufacturing jobs and realized wasn't getting anywhere, so joined the Marines at 19. Played sporadically through-out these years. Was always a little better than the guys I knew. Was playing at a hall in New London, CT. in '78 or '79 and ran into a Road Player I'd still love to identify. We played several games of 8 Ball for 5 bucks a game about even and then got hustled bad. He asked if I'd like to make it interesting, play some 14.1 to 100 for a buck a ball. Won lag, made the 2 balls he broke out, buried him in the back of the rack on a safety. He commenced to make a through the rack combo to a far corner and then run
99 balls, mostly one handed. Really brought me down to earth as a pool player. Haven't gambled seriously since.

Got discharged, went home to take care of my Dad (Mom died while I was in the Corps). Got married to a vapid blond, she cheated, gave her the boot. Didn't play at all from '82 - '87. After divorce started playing leagues for fun and a social life. Used to argue with the Bar owner about which one of us would anchor cause neither of us wanted to "work that hard".

My "claim to fame" on the table came one Friday night at that bar when a beautiful lady dressed to the nines comes in with a guy carrying her cue puts Quarters up on my table. Her turn comes up, asks to play for $, which I decline - play for the table. Apparently my "spidey sense" was triggered, had the right # of beers and hit a gear. Commenced to run 4 or 5 racks and she "stormed out". Owner comes over and says, "Do you know who that was?". No. Just know she kinda pissed me off. "That was Eva Mataya". I'm like, "I coulda been somebody!"

Met my current wife (26 years and 2 grown Sons) as she worked at that club. She's a good player (Banks like there's no tomorrow) and we play weekly to this day.

Turned 62 in April and started drawing Soc. Sec.. Hope as this Covid thing calms down at some point to end up in Northern Wisconsin/UP Michigan near water with a table in my house.

Don't have stories like Jay, Deanoc, CJ, Kickin', Robin, Lou, Danny H., etc... but I sure do enjoy lurking/learning here. I can't even look at certain subjects here like aiming discussions for fear of screwing up my own systems. Saw the wars start on that subject and ran screaming into the night.

I know there's a ton of folks that lurk here and hope this thread (My 1st started thread) doesn't get flamed too hard and may bring out some other posts on people's life in pool!
Click to expand...

Fixed that for ya Dave! Nice story.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
 
sgonzalez34

sgonzalez34

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ChrisinNC said:
Are you referring to Eva Mataya Laurence? I seriously doubt her being at a bar in Wisconsin asking someone to play for $ on a bar box, but a nice story!
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It could’ve been Inigo’s sister. I wonder if she told him, “You killed my father, prepare to die!”


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