gambling

xianmacx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know Steve is mainly known for his tournaments and exhibitions but Im sure in his younger days he was a big gambler....Lets hear some of those stories.
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jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
xianmacx said:
I know Steve is mainly known for his tournaments and exhibitions but Im sure in his younger days he was a big gambler....Lets hear some of those stories.

Sorry to disappoint you, but Steve was not known for his gambling. He did occasionally play a 14.1 match for a few bucks but that just wasn't his thing.
He worked hard for his money as a schoolteacher and had a family to support, so gambling didn't appeal to him.

In tournaments he was a big favorite to win the money, and he didn't consider that to be a gamble. And besides, who really wanted to play Steve Mizerak Straight Pool for money (or 9-Ball for that matter). I can only recall a couple of occasions where someone barked at Steve to play. Once they saw that he was willing, they backed down.
 

xianmacx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know this may sound funny but Im always suprised that someone can get to that level at pool without years of gambling. Seems like thats what really puts that killer edge on alot of players. Although im not condoning it, being busted and playing on the nerves seems to teach alot of players "how to win". I think to get to his level of play and win under those big pressure tourneys is a HUGE feat without getting "seasoned on the road".

This says even more to me about the mans ability.
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thepavlos

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
One of the best comments I remember was from the Legends of One Pocket final match (on video) when he lost to Steve Cook and says with a joking demeanor that everyone there is lucky that him and Steve Cook don't shoot pool full time like the rest of them?????
 

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
seems like i remember reading one of miz's books and he talked some about gambling early on before he got to be well known.......but yeah you could tell gambling wasnt big on his list.
 

StraightPoolIU

Brent
Silver Member
I really liked the point that Jay made about "who would want to play Steve Mizerak". Just like Fast Eddie says in TCOM if you were woofing to play The Miz for the cash you probably had "too much of one and not enough of the other".
 

gin314

Registered
i know larry liscotti busted him once and got a balabushka off him and the a few months later he beat him in the finals of the world stright pool with the same cue
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
gin314 said:
i know larry liscotti busted him once and got a balabushka off him and the a few months later he beat him in the finals of the world stright pool with the same cue

Larry beat Steve in One Pocket when Steve knew nothing about the game. He hustled him and Larry was one of the best hustlers ever. Got me once too. After this Steve determined to learn how to play One Hole and eventually became one of the best at it as well. In fact, I believe Steve beat Larry in the only tournament One Pocket match they ever played in Philly.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
Larry beat Steve in One Pocket when Steve knew nothing about the game. He hustled him and Larry was one of the best hustlers ever. Got me once too. After this Steve determined to learn how to play One Hole and eventually became one of the best at it as well. In fact, I believe Steve beat Larry in the only tournament One Pocket match they ever played in Philly.

And yes, Steve did do some gambling when he was in college in Louisiana and Iowa I believe. He was well known around Lake Charles and Alexandria in the mid 60's. I went thru there and they tried to match me up with him and I already knew Steve. Once he became a teacher and started working his gambling career came to an end.
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Forest Park Billiards in Dayton, OH

jay helfert said:
Larry beat Steve in One Pocket when Steve knew nothing about the game. He hustled him and Larry was one of the best hustlers ever. Got me once too. After this Steve determined to learn how to play One Hole and eventually became one of the best at it as well. In fact, I believe Steve beat Larry in the only tournament One Pocket match they ever played in Philly.

Steve and I played 4 out of 7 Onepocket in Dayton, OH at Joe Burns tourney for 500$. I could have bet 1000$ if I had wanted to. He was trying to give me 10 to 7 but couldnt outrun that much spot and quit after the first set. He ran 10 and out all three games that he won.

the Beard
 

uwate

daydreaming about pool
Silver Member
Didnt Miz bet $5k with Shannon Daulton on their finals match for an early 90s Legends of One Pocket Tournament?
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
Steve and I played 4 out of 7 Onepocket in Dayton, OH at Joe Burns tourney for 500$. I could have bet 1000$ if I had wanted to. He was trying to give me 10 to 7 but couldnt outrun that much spot and quit after the first set. He ran 10 and out all three games that he won.

the Beard

I'm not saying Steve never gambled, but it was not his M.O. He had a lot of pride and wouldn't let anyone woof at him. I never say him play for high stakes or heard of it either. I don't know about his match with Shannon, but knowing Shannon, he might have tried to stir Steve up. And Steve might have gone for it. In a sitiuation like that, I would have bet on Steve. He had a lot of pride, and was a fierce competitor.
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
I'm not saying Steve never gambled, but it was not his M.O. He had a lot of pride and wouldn't let anyone woof at him. I never say him play for high stakes or heard of it either. I don't know about his match with Shannon, but knowing Shannon, he might have tried to stir Steve up. And Steve might have gone for it. In a sitiuation like that, I would have bet on Steve. He had a lot of pride, and was a fierce competitor.

I was at West End (NJ) one night and Steve beat Frankie giving him the 6 in the tourney. Frankie barked and they played downstairs even after the tournament and Frankie got the cash but im not sure how much. Pretty lame story i know but but it's better than nothing...maybe.
 

vagabond

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nostroke said:
I was at West End (NJ) one night and Steve beat Frankie giving him the 6 in the tourney. Frankie barked and they played downstairs even after the tournament and Frankie got the cash but im not sure how much. Pretty lame story i know but but it's better than nothing...maybe.


west End`s parking lot is not favorable to a Roadie.I felt that one can have his jaw broken easily by a sour looser .:cool:
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
vagabond said:
west End`s parking lot is not favorable to a Roadie.I felt that one can have his jaw broken easily by a sour looser .:cool:


No matter-The place is history now-been closed for 3 years maybe.
 

cdavis9771

Yes this dog will bite;)
Silver Member
Gambling for money is a totally diferent mentality than tournament playing. I know many gamblers that looked as if they could beat the best in the world. But when they play tournaments they just don't get the job done. There are some exceptions but percentage wise the tourney players come out on top. Just as when the tourney players try to gamble they dont fair as well. It is just a different mentallity.
 

cuetechasaurus

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
cdavis9771 said:
Gambling for money is a totally diferent mentality than tournament playing. I know many gamblers that looked as if they could beat the best in the world. But when they play tournaments they just don't get the job done. There are some exceptions but percentage wise the tourney players come out on top. Just as when the tourney players try to gamble they dont fair as well. It is just a different mentallity.

I've noticed that too, unless a tourney player is getting staked by someone. They have a tendency to play the way they usually do in tourneys as long as they aren't gambling with their own money.
 

Pinocchio

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
???????????

I was at Joe burns tour. in Dayton maybe 1989. The Miz was playing in the tour. in between matches he would play poker in the back room. He was hardly paying any attention to his cards mostly watching TV. They had a little TV mounted on wall. Burn's tour. was schuled while NCAA mens basketball toun. was in progress. I was sitting beside him an we got in conversation about one of the teams. He told me his team was down in the game. He told me he was on a bad run. He had bet on every single game that was being played that day. So he was playing pool,poker and
betting on ball games. My guess would be he did gamble. He just seemed like one of the guys. I've always been a fan of The Miz he was a great player.
Pinocchio
 

SteveMizerak

Registered
Steve and Gambling

jay helfert said:
Sorry to disappoint you, but Steve was not known for his gambling. He did occasionally play a 14.1 match for a few bucks but that just wasn't his thing.
He worked hard for his money as a schoolteacher and had a family to support, so gambling didn't appeal to him.

In tournaments he was a big favorite to win the money, and he didn't consider that to be a gamble. And besides, who really wanted to play Steve Mizerak Straight Pool for money (or 9-Ball for that matter). I can only recall a couple of occasions where someone barked at Steve to play. Once they saw that he was willing, they backed down.

Jay,

Thank you for the kind words about my father (especially in SI)..but, I have to ask.....do you really think gambling wasn't something he didn't do? Every time I'd see him play at West End when he was through NJ, he'd be right there on Table 1 and it wasn't to put an exhibition on. In his younger years he and my Uncle Pete Margo gambled and they did it often. How else did he stay sharp if not a friendly wager here or there to keep him fresh?

Thanks,
Steve
 

lou the greek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched Steve give Hawaiian Brian the 7 and the break for a 1g, a game in the late 70s at 4 Seasons Steve came up a few games after 2 days.
 
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