Best bar table player with the big rock?

Barred

In response to Watchez, There are some narrow minded establishment owners out there, that will not let good players in because it scares off the average player when they see that they have to play against a good player, most people don't like to donate case in point I beleive Bj Urssery plays in a local tournament, that they wanted to bar him from, instead they have it weighted heavily against him. Not every owner is open to negotiation. I am sure there are several good players out there that have been told they can't play in a tournament or two, especially if they are local.
 
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I'll jump in. In Buddy Hall's own biography he states that he wouldn't play Dave Matlock with a big cueball. Also, I watched Alex give Keith the 7 on a 7' diamond table a couple of years ago at the Derby for 10 ahead and won with the big cue ball. (That was a fun match as the wolfing took at least 2 hours and Alex was staked by about 40 people in the room, including me) It was fun just to watch them play. Everytime the cueball scratched it would get stuck in the table and take a few minutes to get out........ :cool:
 
If my memory is correct, Jimmy Reid was at the DCC last year. I would expect you would see him again this year.
If my memory is also correct, Matlock was in line for the overall title at the DCC last year after the 1st two events. Efren winning the one pocket & then the 9 ball knocked him down to 2nd (or maybe 3rd). That being said, I don't think you need to argue about the Matlock from 10 years ago playing players of today. Vagabond, if you wish to do so I am sure that there is a minimum 20k in cash here in STL that would put Matlock up against Jason or Richie. If it is Richie, make that 40k. Just as JAM states that Keith's game is still alive & well, so is David's. I have never seen Keith play on a bar table but I have seen David, & in my mind he is the best ever.
 
dardusm said:
I'll jump in. In Buddy Hall's own biography he states that he wouldn't play Dave Matlock with a big cueball. Also, I watched Alex give Keith the 7 on a 7' diamond table a couple of years ago at the Derby for 10 ahead and won with the big cue ball. (That was a fun match as the wolfing took at least 2 hours and Alex was staked by about 40 people in the room, including me) It was fun just to watch them play. Everytime the cueball scratched it would get stuck in the table and take a few minutes to get out........ :cool:

Yeah, I was there, too. The game was supposed to go off with Eric Durbin who was the BIG winner that year in Louisville, but he elected to leave the "Durbin City Classic" with full pockets and pulled out at the last minute. The barking continued, to include Shannon Daulton issuing a challenge to any and all takers to post up a dime and let the best man win. Amar Kang kept piping up every 5 minutes, "I'll play anybody in here," hoping to get a game.

Then came the problem of locating a "big rock." One of the stakehorse's messengers brought in a strange-looking mud ball. Then finally, after another heated barkfest, consisting of side-betters and backer committee members, the match went forth which ended up being 10-ball, with Keith getting spotted the 7. It wouldn't have matter of Alex spotted him the 4-and-out on this day. It was over in minutes, with Alex coming out on top.

It may be difficult to judge a player's capabilities by one event, which in the big picture is not very statistically significant. FWIW, Keith has beaten Alex Pagulayan more times in the tournament setting on 9-footers in my presence than Alex has beaten Keith. Does it mean that Keith is a better player on a 9-foot table than Alex? I think not.

JAM
 
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Well, all this talk about big-rock bar box mechanics compels me to post up my favorite pic of Keith McCready and David Matlock, taken at the 2004 U.S. Open. :)

I do know Keith has the utmost respect for Dave's game, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. It would be interesting to ask them who they think is the best bar table player with the big rock. :D

JAM
 

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Best bar box

Josh Palmer said:
Too bad Sergio's game dropped off- heard the man could play... Maybe you know Jay, but Little Al used to tell me of a guy from Colorado(wanting to say his name was Dick, or Richard), that beat everyone, including Buddy a couple of sets 11-0... Little Al's brother would stake him everywhere, but he was a nut/genius.. they would pick him up at the nuthouse when they thought he was ok to leave, and would have to drop him off after their trips. Heard he died pretty early.

Dick Henry was the Colorado player you are referring to. He was a very fine player.
I don't usually weigh in on things like this but I have to, given some of these posts. I beat hubbart, when Mike Sigel was with him. Mike didn't want any of it either. I played Buddy even on the bar table quite a few times and believe me, it was always a close game. Ask him, if you don't believe me.
I also beat Sergio but the stakeholders left with the cash. One Eyed Tony was another of my victims and boy, could he play pool.
I'd say, that from about 1970 to 1979, I could at least play with anybody on the bar table, with any rock. It never came up where Keith and I played. He was probably the best bar player back then. He gave good players things like the lime crush and if they couldn't run out 50 per cent of the time from the break, they couldn't win.
 
OldHasBeen said:
I was on the road (for 2 years) and made a ton of $ with a relatively un-known bar box player.
It was a fellow named "CALIFORNIA BOB"...Bob is about 62 or 4 now and the last I heard he is in Canada.

My in-house player expert on player identification is out practicing 8-ball today. I do recall meeting this guy named "Bob" from California at last year's Glass City Open in Toledo. I had thought he said they called him "Newport Beach Bob." Is this the fellow on the left "California Bob", next to Buddy Hall?

As an aside, we're heading for Toledo next week to the 2005 Glass City Open, November 8 through 13. This will be a hard-fought competition with a variety of players, to include Hall of Famers, veterans from yesterday, young guns, roadsters, and maybe a few new kids on the block. Nick Varner has won this event twice and will be there because, as we all know, three times is a charm! :)

JAM
 

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Tap, Tap & I will bet!

watchez said:
- but I have seen David, & in my mind he is the best ever.

As I may have said before - I Like David's end of playing anyone (including) Jesse on a Bar Box.
Personally, I also would like the game here in St. Louis - not only do I think it can happen BUT- I know there would be a lot of local interest a rail action. David has already kinda agreed it could happen.
Come on people including David & Jesse (as the song says) - "Let's Get It Going In Here"!
I have the resources & professional equiptment to have this match viewed LIVE via the Internet ONLY, (NO Tapes made) & I think it could become something very big.

TY & GL
 
Jam - Thats Not California Bob!

JAM said:
My in-house player expert on player identification is out practicing 8-ball today. I do recall meeting this guy named "Bob" from California at last year's Glass City Open in Toledo. I had thought he said they called him "Newport Beach Bob." Is this the fellow on the left "California Bob", next to Buddy Hall?

As an aside, we're heading for Toledo next week to the 2005 Glass City Open, November 8 through 13. This will be a hard-fought competition with a variety of players, to include Hall of Famers, veterans from yesterday, young guns, roadsters, and maybe a few new kids on the block. Nick Varner has won this event twice and will be there because, as we all know, three times is a charm! :)

JAM[/QUOTE)

1st of all - I don't think any photos exist of Bob until maybe after the '90's - Unless it is an old one that used to hang in a Post Office.
He stayed under the radar even more than me.
I know this fellow in the photo and I know him pretty well. We have played more than once years ago and if I'm not mistaken, he is from this part of the country. Nice fellow as I remember. We are even on a first name basis. Only problem is - I can't remember his name.

TY & GL
 
Here is a picture of Bob....on the right with the goatee.
 

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And here is a picture from 7 years ago when he was NINE of probably the best bar box player in the St Louis area today. Not sure if he even knows what a big cue ball looks like. His father looks so happy because back then his son let him play on the same team as him.
 

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yeah justin is a great player and a great person he has already paid and will be here in memphis in nov. hope to see yall here.
 
watchez said:
And here is a picture from 7 years ago when he was NINE of probably the best bar box player in the St Louis area today. Not sure if he even knows what a big cue ball looks like. His father looks so happy because back then his son let him play on the same team as him.



The picture Jam showed looks like Bill Meacham, Colo. Spgs.
 
Grady Got It - As usual, and has won a ..................

Grady said:
The picture Jam showed looks like Bill Meacham, Colo. Spgs.

Grady - You got it! As soon as I heard the name, I remembered it.
But I still think he was relocated to Colorado from somewhere around here. Or (as my wife says - maybe that is the "Old-timers kicking in again).
I'm pretty sure JAM was offering a reward for anyone that came up with the correct name and if it was someone in our age bracket it was going to be a years supply of Viagra, Metamucil & a pair of orthopedic shoes.

TY & GL
 
Yep,

That's Bill Meaham in the picture alright. He still lives in Colorado Springs and owned a pool hall which closed about a year ago or so. Bill was/is a very good player.

Regards,

Doug
 
This is a post I made a while back on another forum discussing who is the best on a bar box:

"Two years ago there was a match set up at Whitey's Billiards in Burlington, Iowa between Matlock and Bowman...sort of a promotion to kick off the pool league season. They played best two out of three sets, each set race to 15. Matlock won the first set 15-6 and then if I remember right got down 1-5 in the second and ended up winning the second set 15-6.

I would say that Bowman was not playing his best, making a few simple errors, but Matlock played nearly flawless in that second set. Not stringing too many racks, but tactically outmoving Bowman in the push out and safety game."


Just playing two sets is relatively short, and it was two years ago, and I haven't seen Matlock play since then. I do think it would be something to watch them play again.

OHB, I am wondering why you wouldn't want to video tape a match like that? It would be a tape I would definitely be interested in, as I am sure many others would.

Mike B.
 
Did anyone ever beat Joe S.

I know I have heard of him beating several on the lists so far but just wondered if it ever went the other way. I know he was feared playing with the Big Ball.
I think like Grady mentioned that there was a small group that was better than everyone else on a barbox with the big ball but that it could swing
either way when those guys played each other.
I saw both Keith and Matlock play in the mid to late 80s and I would have loved to see them play each other.

Others that many have not heard about that play well IMO would be
Paul Turner (on the barbox he tore it up), Brian Atchley, Scotty Townsend,
Mark Tadd( the guy could play on anything),Greg Stevens, Tommy Sanders
and a popular name on here right now.......Stevie Moore(he won a few barbox titles...I think he won the US Bar Table Championships.

The big ball is long gone (thank god). With all the talk I think it would be great for someone to promote a huge bar box tournament with 8 ball and 9 ball. Reno still has theirs but some of the top guys dont play.
 
Mike B. said:
"They played best two out of three sets, each set race to 15. Matlock won the first set 15-6 and then if I remember right got down 1-5 in the second and ended up winning the second set 15-6.

I would say that Bowman was not playing his best, making a few simple errors, but Matlock played nearly flawless in that second set. Not stringing too many racks, but tactically outmoving Bowman in the push out and safety game."
Mike B.

Nice post Mike. Jesse is a great player & probably was just having a bad day. I have seen Jesse at many tournaments/action spots and no one ever steps up to play him. That being said and I am not making a comment against Jesse, it should also be noted that pool players are a lot like race horses. They can feel the pressure of a better player. An allowance horse might run a race in 1 min 38 secs but put it in a Grade I stakes race & it couldn't break 1 min 40 secs. All of this talk of players on who could beat who means nothing til they play but I would imagine many would falter playing Matlock, Keith or Jesse.
 
Very true watchez. A great player can be made to play terrible when faced with the best competition. Meanwhile if they are playing in a comfort zone they string racks together effortlessly. Just like the Efren factor in the big 9ball tournaments, I think on the bar box, faced with the like of Matlock, Bowman and McCready, alot of the names mentioned in this thread would wilt. Thats not just heat, thats flame thrower heat.
 
I played Sammy a few years back. The first night for about 5 hours, he won 10 games at $20 a pop. 3 nights later he came back and we played 4 more hours and he won 6 games at $20 again plus a little on the side. He had the option to bet another $50 a game and passed on it. I was told later I couldn't beat him and shouldn't have been playing. My buddy beat him twice right after that for a total around $2500. Maybe I caught him at the right time. This was with the regular size cue ball though. Anyone heard of Weldon Rogers???? Sam
 
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