All time greats- who do you play?

[ShootingArts]

UJ Puckett would be my first choice I think. Something about him holds a fascination and while we seem to be opposites in many ways we also had much in common in the way we plied our trade.

I would have liked to play Jimmy Moore just to watch a master's slip stroke.

I would think everyone would want to play Willie Mosconi. The problem being what Jay mentioned. Nobody more likely to make you just a spectator holding a cue stick!

One serious player in history I would have liked to play was Marie Antoinette, she of let them it cake fame! The lady was serious about her pool. She had a solid ivory cue. If she wasn't using it, it stayed in a locked cabinet, the key stayed on a ribbon around her neck. Apparently nobody else played with her cue! We generally consider the silver ginacue the most valuable in the world but I wonder if that ivory cue still exists. What would it be worth?

Hu

 

[sammylane12]

He's only 44. Does he still play? Heard he took up pro fishing at some point. Helluva player. UD: three yrs ago:

I am guessing not, only because he is never mentioned any more at tournaments. I have not heard his name in a long time, or the name of his mentor, Fong Pong Chow.

 

[3kushn]

Fats. Zero question. Playing the man looks like more fun than hookers and blow.

Fats was more enjoyable to watch than play. Unless it was all for fun, which he rarely did unless you wore a skirt.

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Fats was more enjoyable to watch than play. Unless it was all for fun, which he rarely did unless you wore a skirt.

I don't mind good banter whist gambling as long as the guy doesn't get all in his feelings. Fats strikes me as a guy who can take it. Makes the competition feel more like contact sports when I was younger.

 

[Banger]

Bugs......banks.

Or Eddie Taylor.

 

[skogstokig]

efren in his 1p prime

 

[MitchAlsup]

Jimmy Caras.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Jimmy Caras.

I was lucky enough to get a lesson from him in 1998. He apologized for charging as much as $20/hour. He could still hit the ball pretty well at 88, but his high runs were down in the 30s.

 

[dspaboss]

hell, it'd have to be Smorg....IYKYK.

 

[3kushn]

I don't mind good banter whist gambling as long as the guy doesn't get all in his feelings. Fats strikes me as a guy who can take it. Makes the competition feel more like contact sports when I was younger.

I was fortunate. When we played, it was on a carom table. A very shitty one at that. 9' AMF with shag carpet.
He obviously loved the game since he'd walk back to that table to play when his game hadn't arrived yet.
Maybe to just let his stroke out?
Who knows.
Our games Always Ended before done. His game just arrived was the excuse.
Never Beat Fats.... LOL Of course, in those early days, there's no way I could have.
Maybe not now or ever.

 

[wakuljr]

The devil .......get my soul back

 

[jasonlaus]

The devil .......get my soul back

At least he'd be off my shoulder for a bit

 

[Fatboy]

Cornbread

 

[grindz]

Nice bit of dreaming. I'd love to play some of my home town players. First Harold Worst, as he and my day were childhood friends and I'd love to hear some scoops... next his (HW) sparring partner George Ellis whose company was always fun, and lastly an unknown (except in GR) Boyd Pierce who was always making it fun, win or lose. I miss the old days in Grand Rapids. Shout out to all the old players there from Grindz.

 

[jay helfert]

Yang Chin Sung. I used to wonder how he ever lost. Busty would be next.

I saw him at his best around 2009-12. I watched a couple of his matches at the World Ten Ball in Manila in 2010 or 2012. He could be a very diliberate player (yes, slow), as he would really study his shots, and the more difficult ones even longer. But he would come with some remarkable shots, where the cue ball had to thread a needle to get shape and he needed to make a tough bank as well. Yang would make shots that no one else would even consider shooting (they would play safe). I was mesmerized watching him play. The only guy who could put a beat down on Dennis, and he did it twice. Once in Taiwan and once in Manila.

Check out his shot on the two ball at the 33:20 mark or his kick safe at 28:00. That will give you an idea what he was capable of.

 

[jay helfert]

Cornbread

If you played with Cornbread you had a tiger by the tail! He would beat you and eat you afterward. He devoured his opponents! Of course, you would have loved him for sure! He's your kind of guy.

 

[SmoothStroke]

Can't have just one.
Alfredo De Oro
Welker Cochran
Willie Hoppe
Harold Worst
Ralph Greenleaf
MIke Euphemia
James Evans

 

[Fatboy]

If you played with Cornbread you had a tiger by the tail! He would beat you and eat you afterward. He devoured his opponents! Of course, you would have loved him for sure! He's your kind of guy.

He’s my hero

Only met him once, we spoke for just a couple minutes waiting for an elevator and in it. He took 2nd to Ed Kelly in Reno at the 1P tourney in January 93

 

[Rusty in Montana]

I'd like to play Steve Mizerak , Cowboy Jimmy Moore , Grady Mathews , Luther Lassiter and Frank McGown .
UJ Puckett I think would be a hoot to rack for also .

 

[tomatoshooter]

Earl for the stories, instruction and to watch him spin the rock up close.

It's amazing what you see up close compared to any video. It's also amazing how Earl can put so much energy into the cue ball without much effort. It's like all the energy from his arm goes into the cue and into the ball. Only about 35% of my energy seems to get there. He can be intense and has a big stroke, it's easy to miss how much finesse he has.