70s/80s Era Questions

[Pawlowski424]

So, here's my list of questions lol:

What was the general pocket size for pro-speed tournaments?

What were table conditions like?

I've noticed players of this era (Varner, Hall, Sigel, etc) playing with steel joint. What was the belief behind forward balanced/steel joint cues?

Is the information that's available today (pocket lines, cue ball physics, navigating the table, etc. Advanced details, so to speak), the same information as back then? If not, what has changed?

 

[Mensabum]

Scruggs, Frye, Stroud, etc... had figured out, as have many cuemakers worth their salt, that certain combinations of wood and other 'material' in cues, provided what many deem the ultimate 'Hit'. That's why cues w these combinations are so highly sought after. By players and collectors alike. The 'Strads of Axes', if you will.

Btw... I know this to be true as I had one - that I jokingly refer to as having an 'Auto Pilot.' Lol.

 

[Island Drive]

So, here's my list of questions lol:

What was the general pocket size for pro-speed tournaments?

What were table conditions like?

I've noticed players of this era (Varner, Hall, Sigel, etc) playing with steel joint. What was the belief behind forward balanced/steel joint cues?

Is the information that's available today (pocket lines, cue ball physics, navigating the table, etc. Advanced details, so to speak), the same information as back then? If not, what has changed?

14.1.... Brunswick Centennial ball set had the blue circle cue ball, great cue ball for churning into and keep spinning after breaking into the side of of a rack, plus Balabuska, was a very good instrument for follow shots.

 

[gregcantrall]

In the '80s I had the pleasure of watching Dan Louie and Rich Geiler play a post tournament match on the 9' gold crown. Maybe , probably at least 4 times. Probably $500 range, a good chunk of 1st. Can't remember the race, maybe 9. Dan won the first 3 times giving the 8. The 4th time Dan declined the offer as he was packing his gear. So Rich said to the effect of staidght up and Dan accepted. The only time Rich won. Rich did have his Club. He mistakenly thought I was a member. Miffed at a simple miss and then even more when I applauded his opponent. As he was walking the to the rack. He was clear and concise at his "knock me" statement. So Was I. That's Life.

 

[gregcantrall]

Gotta be a fan for Fan. Now trailing but alive playing Judd in the World snooker. Matchroom for 5 bucks. 4-3 going to 5.

 

[gregcantrall]

Gotta love the lessons.
I was a fan of Dan when he went hill/hill with Earl Strickland at the Sands.
I got his confess as he was wrapping up his gear and I held the cornerman spot. He missed the simplest of shots in the final game. So did Earl! But Earl got the roll. "I just got nervous ".

I remember as a Cadet at the White Spot t Academy thinking, "when my hands quit shaking" then realized that I needed to Make A Ball first.

 

[MitchAlsup]

You're joking ,right?

His tretis on colliding spheres still defines how CB and OB interact physics level.

 

[book collector]

His tretis on colliding spheres still defines how CB and OB interact physics level.

I should have been more specific, I'm talking about the Hoppe and Mosconi books compared to Bob Byrnes. imo the Hoppe and Mosconi books are on a 1 to 10 scale a 2 max and the Byrnes books were 10s at the time of their printing ,and they are still great sources of information 45 years later.
I won't comment on Coriolis Treatise because I don't play billiards , so I have no way of telling if the information in it is of any relevance to playing the game or not.

 

[Island Drive]

Dan and I played a few times, wonderful man, tough for anyone in match play. One of the ''very'' good guys. Like Louie Lemke.

 

[smiling_Hans]

You know I'm getting old when I know answers to this and this was asked in early 2000's as well.

 

[gregcantrall]

I should have been more specific, I'm talking about the Hoppe and Mosconi books compared to Bob Byrnes. imo the Hoppe and Mosconi books are on a 1 to 10 scale a 2 max and the Byrnes books were 10s at the time of their printing ,and they are still great sources of information 45 years later.
I won't comment on Coriolis Treatise because I don't play billiards , so I have no way of telling if the information in it is of any relevance to playing the game or not.

Byrnes is definitely my number 1 in reference department. I feel negligent that I haven't organized a library, yet. The McGoorty book was such a treasure. It never came back from loan. No problem, just hope it got passed on. I could so identify with the bars on the bathroom window. My test was similar. Whew, passed. ☺
That's why I Practice Practice practice. Well now it's a total fitness program.

 

[book collector]

Dan and I played a few times, wonderful man, tough for anyone in match play. One of the ''very'' good guys. Like Louie Lemke.

Louie Lemke There's a name you seldom hear, he came through Columbus in 1987 I think, Someone called me and told me there was a guy beating everyone at this bar where all the best players in town drank and played. I found out later he had beaten everyone in town playing with his off hand. When everyone quit him, he said I'll play with my other hand , {they thought it was his weaker hand} but it was his stronger, then he got the rest of their money. That was also the year I first saw Swanee play, what an amazing player, I always wondered how big guys like him and Buddy moved around the table like they were on a magic carpet , and never missed a shot.

 

[hurricane145]

Dick Trichler is Ray's son and a good sport and a pleasure to compete with and learn from.

One night at the Name of the Game Tavern, a couple of us watched Dick and Mike Collins play for money. Dick was a pretty good run out kind of player and Mike was a maniac about riding the nine. We watched for a couple hours or more as this went on. In the end, they were very close to even. The games were pretty crazy to watch! Dick should have won many more games than Mike. I am still befuddled! It was probably frustrating for Dick since Mike was savagely rearranging a lot of the balls with every shot. Just good practice in the end.

The old Name of the Game tavern is now a church of some sort. Just about NONE of the taverns that drew a good pool player crowd back then are still around.

 

[MitchAlsup]

I should have been more specific, I'm talking about the Hoppe and Mosconi books compared to Bob Byrnes. imo the Hoppe and Mosconi books

Those people are 150 years younger than Coriolis; thus they cannot possibly be "the first".

are on a 1 to 10 scale a 2 max and the Byrnes books were 10s at the time of their printing ,and they are still great sources of information 45 years later.
I won't comment on Coriolis Treatise because I don't play billiards , so I have no way of telling if the information in it is of any relevance to playing the game or not.

Yes, those people were leaders of the day.

 

[jay helfert]

Louie Lemke There's a name you seldom hear, he came through Columbus in 1987 I think, Someone called me and told me there was a guy beating everyone at this bar where all the best players in town drank and played. I found out later he had beaten everyone in town playing with his off hand. When everyone quit him, he said I'll play with my other hand , {they thought it was his weaker hand} but it was his stronger, then he got the rest of their money. That was also the year I first saw Swanee play, what an amazing player, I always wondered how big guys like him and Buddy moved around the table like they were on a magic carpet , and never missed a shot.

Nice to hear Louie Lemke's name. A good player and even better guy. He had other talents like playing the harmonica and singing, and he was good at both. We played a Bank Pool match in Kentucky (I got lucky) and afterward we went out bar hopping together, supposedly looking for action (which didn't happen). In one bar they had a band and they were rocking the place. Louie asked to join in and pulled out his harmonica and got right with it. He was damn good and when he started to return to his seat, they asked him to stay. He must have done four or five songs with them and began singing along with the lead singer. The singer pulled him in on the mic and Louie really began ringing it out there. He sang just as good as the pro. I was so damn impressed and let him know. Yes, we got high after on weed.

We lost Louie too soon in the 1990's. Maybe only in his 40's then. Forget what got him. Super cool dude! Good memories. Thank you Louie.

 

[gregcantrall]

Yes, we got high after on weed.

That strikes a chord with my encounter with Doug Medina, cousin to Denny. . My home court tavern in Puyallup. ( South hill Salloon) We often had cheap ring games. One night he came in when 2 of us were playing a quarter fifty cents 9 ball. When he inquired as to the game and was told, he wanted in. We offered one and two, which he declined. His first shot he was dead hooked on the 5. About a foot from the blocking full ball and the big cue ball on Steven's cloth. He made the jump shot and ran out. Now he was ready to play for one and two with the dollar fifty he just earned. He did have some good weed and good stories. The most memorable was going on the road with Bobby Hunter and Bobby did not miss for a week and a half.

 

[Quesports]

I began playing pool in 66 and as everyone knows there was next to nothing to learn from. Never saw a book, never heard of an instructor and had no idea what a custom cue was. Played with a one piece Brunswick out of the rack on the wall.

Place had a creaky oak floor and cigarette smoke hung in the air like an ever present fog. Tables had rails full of burn marks from cigarette butts burning into them. No girls allowed and you were supposed to be 16 to enter. I was 14 and hid in the very back of the place on the last table so I might not get tossed out.

No one and I mean NO ONE would show you how to play. You just learned by missing and watching better players.

Back then there were three pool halls in a town of 15,000 folks and they were always busy. Renting a tables was a penny a minute. Sixty cents an hour. Straight pool and 8 ball were the big games. Nine ball was the money game.

Never saw a custom cue in those early days of my playing so I can’t say about steel joints we all played with cues from the rack.

 

[George the Greek]

Gotta be a fan for Fan. Now trailing but alive playing Judd in the World snooker. Matchroom for 5 bucks. 4-3 going to 5.

Judd capitalized on Fan"s mistakes and when his long potting is on he's tough to beat. By the end of the match you could see Fan was frustrated

 

[gregcantrall]

Judd capitalized on Fan"s mistakes and when his long potting is on he's tough to beat. By the end of the match you could see Fan was frustrated

Ding Ding Ding. Would definitely bet him, with Vafaei dispatching his Master/Mentor mental block. Look what he did to Vafaei. 5-0 White wash.

 

[white1]

I think I always had that “extra sensory” touch you talk about. I could feel the weight, balance and most important the ‘hit’ of a cue, just by hitting a few balls. I could also detect imperfections in a cue! YES! Just ask Fatboy about that. He made sure to have me check any high end cue he was thinking about buying.

One time we rolled to the poolroom with
13 Szambotis two Bushkas. It was a 200K deal! Fatboy rented two tables side by side, one table to lay the cues on and one to test them one at a time. I was the tester.

I took each cue and played with it, noting how well they played and how solid they felt. They were all good cues! The Bushkas felt the best to me, and they were the most expensive. I liked all the Szams except one cue. I could feel something wrong with it, like it had a loose part or a crack somewhere.

Now we go back to chat with the sellers who were waiting at Fatboy’s house. I stayed out of the conversation, just sat there listening. Finally Eric asks about this one cue and tells them I told him something was wrong with it. I was really on the spot now! OMG

Now the guys make an admission. The butt cap on that cue had been badly cracked so they had it replaced. BOOM! I was vindicated. They reduced the price on that cue to 6,000 and Eric bought it anyway.

If Eric (Fatboy) sees this he will surely chime in. Just another day in the life.

Haven’t heard anything from fat boy. He still around

 

[pt109]

Haven’t heard anything from fat boy. He still around

Eric is busy at the moment.