I was just fu@#ing off at work, and thought you guys would enjoy one of Ottis Moore's Road Stories.
Mid eighties. Greenville, NC. Campus of East Carolina University (My alma mater). Happy's is a pool hall in the truest of halls. It's a long hall with the D players at the back and the better players progressing all of the way to the front table. There was a wall that separated the front table with the jukebox, pinball machines, poker machines, and bar. Chubby is the barkeep with the half stogie. By the way, when this happened, I was playing near the back (the "c" player section).
Normal Saturday with all of the usual suspects present. Steve Wadkowski, Lenny Crandall, Pokey, Al Gurganis, and Jeff (the owner) were all barking as normal Saturday's go. I'm in the back playing Wheelchair Ritchie. Phone rings. Chubby said that some guy called and within one hour, he'd be here to bust the whole house. He didn't give a name. Well, a short, stocky guy walks in and plays the pinball machine. Guess it wasn't him. Another guy walks in and asks directions. Maybe? No, he left. Well, at the two hour mark, you can imagine the loud talk.
"Liar. I'd bust his a$$ if he did come."
"Get in line. I'd play his tough a$$ some first."
"Probably broke or drunk to make that phone call."
"I'd play him some $100 dollar nineball if he shows."
It's easy to be brave when you think it's a no show.
"I'd play him some for $200 a game if he shows." Laughs Jeff.
Out of the blue, the pinballer turns around and says, "Get the balls. $200 is the bet. And you can get in line like you said."
It was Ottis Moore from Asheville. I watched for about five hours, and he DID bust the poolroom. This was the most I'd ever seen gambled at this time in my pool career. I'd guess $3000 won. Shitload for mid-eighties. I ran into Ottis that summer at home on break. He just laughed when I mentioned I was there. "They trapped themselves. The old 'phonecall, pinball' always works. They have to drink and get just enough riled up."
Mid eighties. Greenville, NC. Campus of East Carolina University (My alma mater). Happy's is a pool hall in the truest of halls. It's a long hall with the D players at the back and the better players progressing all of the way to the front table. There was a wall that separated the front table with the jukebox, pinball machines, poker machines, and bar. Chubby is the barkeep with the half stogie. By the way, when this happened, I was playing near the back (the "c" player section).
Normal Saturday with all of the usual suspects present. Steve Wadkowski, Lenny Crandall, Pokey, Al Gurganis, and Jeff (the owner) were all barking as normal Saturday's go. I'm in the back playing Wheelchair Ritchie. Phone rings. Chubby said that some guy called and within one hour, he'd be here to bust the whole house. He didn't give a name. Well, a short, stocky guy walks in and plays the pinball machine. Guess it wasn't him. Another guy walks in and asks directions. Maybe? No, he left. Well, at the two hour mark, you can imagine the loud talk.
"Liar. I'd bust his a$$ if he did come."
"Get in line. I'd play his tough a$$ some first."
"Probably broke or drunk to make that phone call."
"I'd play him some $100 dollar nineball if he shows."
It's easy to be brave when you think it's a no show.
"I'd play him some for $200 a game if he shows." Laughs Jeff.
Out of the blue, the pinballer turns around and says, "Get the balls. $200 is the bet. And you can get in line like you said."
It was Ottis Moore from Asheville. I watched for about five hours, and he DID bust the poolroom. This was the most I'd ever seen gambled at this time in my pool career. I'd guess $3000 won. Shitload for mid-eighties. I ran into Ottis that summer at home on break. He just laughed when I mentioned I was there. "They trapped themselves. The old 'phonecall, pinball' always works. They have to drink and get just enough riled up."
