Best Current Pool Players 70+ Years Old?

if you keep your mind ,body in shape then 70 is only a minor hindrance.

if you smoke, do drugs, and are inactive then 70 can be crippling.
 
westcoast said:
In the Legends of the Cue podcast interview a few months ago, Keith stated he can't really play any more due to an eye condition- I think he has macular degeneration
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I think it was last month, but Billiard Digest had an interview with Keith, and yeah, he's done playing. Not done gambling, but done playing pool.
 
Mensabum said:
When your rep overshadows your current ability, everybody uses the rep as a guideline when trying to match up.
You might catch a gear or have that 'night' and take it all. Nobody 'Gambles' anymore.
It's not called 'sure thing.' Supposed to be a 'gamble.'
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in general most dont gamble in pool rooms anymore, and even in the past most didn't give up bad games. but some still do and you have to find them and play in such a way they want to play you.
has little to do with rep. but with what they see or results. which you have complete control over.

if you have just one speed and that is your best at all times, you likely wont be a winner gambling at pool.
i can most times find sociable games of 20 to 100 a game with the best of it. and also at other forms of gambling much higher stakes.
 
Mensabum said:
Hard pill to swallow.
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It is in many ways. But it is life too. Getting old means you’ve made good choices as well. I watched many friends die from drugs, alcohol, car accidents, cancer and a host of other things. Some were gone well before 30 years old.

Personally I’ve dodged a lot of bullets literally and figuratively to get here. So for me not playing pool as well as I used to is a very small price to pay for seeing the sun arise on another day.

Pool never meant a living to me it was a fun game and a great way to socialize. For me that loss of social time is the big loss. That is a choice I made and am quite happy with.

I don’t miss league pool in the least. The last few leagues I was involved with had too much petty bullshit from players to league operators. It was time for me to say adios..
 
mikemosconi said:
In terms of competition - a tournament - the over 70 guy needs to stay in the win bracket through the first several matches. The less matches that they play - the better chance for stamina to stand up to the end.
Going into the one loss column early on is a huge obstacle to a win for the much older player.
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Stamina, just one more thing to lose as we age. Agree with you completely!
 
Our locals Jeff Sargent and Mike Bandy are still killing it, their masters team has won Vegas twice in the last 5 years I believe. Bandy had some great achievements at Derby this year. Went deep in all the events that he played in.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Just curious who are some of the best current living pool players who are at least 70 years old, as far as how well they are still playing right now?

Obviously Efren would be near the top of that list. Others that come immediately to mind for me are Nick Varner, Mike Sigel, Jose Parica, Ronnie Wiseman and Ernesto Dominguez.

Many of the greats have lost so much of their game by this age or have completely stopped playing, but there are some exceptions of players who are still very formidable players at 70+.

Obviously any list of 80+ year old current strong players would be even more limited. As for 90+ year old players still playing good pool, Cool Cat Ray Martin at 91 would most likely stand alone the at the top of that list, assuming he may still play occasionally. Just looking for names and opinions - thanks!
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I would've said Frank DaBarber, but sadly, we just lost him.
 
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mikemosconi said:
In terms of competition - a tournament - the over 70 guy needs to stay in the win bracket through the first several matches. The less matches that they play - the better chance for stamina to stand up to the end.
Going into the one loss column early on is a huge obstacle to a win for the much older player.
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I'm going on 73 and hate to say it but feeling it. I practice ( at home) every day and go to the poolhall every Friday and play with a guy that's 83. I'm good for the 3 hours that we play and am bagged after that. All the events I've played in lately I find I'm waiting a good 5-6 hours to play and I just want to have a nap. The 1st event after a 25 year hiatus was my best result as i started right away and went 4 rounds before I fizzled.
 
benjaminwah said:
Our locals Jeff Sargent and Mike Bandy are still killing it, their masters team has won Vegas twice in the last 5 years I believe. Bandy had some great achievements at Derby this year. Went deep in all the events that he played in.
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I met Jeff at Red Shoes at an AZ meet up a while ago. The minute I started shooting he sat straight up watching me. Had a nice chat later on. At the time I was on a team with me, Scott Cohen and Mike Eck as the best players on the team.

Jeff had been asked to join that team as well but turned it down. Happy to hear he is still shooting, like me he was just diagnosed with BET. Great to know his have been controlled!
 
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I play my best pool today over a span of the past 60 years. I’m making shots that amaze me and dazzle others with the difficulty. 3 rail kicks to backwards cuts, frozen rail shots, banks aren’t daunting. I’m sure there are others in my age range that feel like me and I turn 80 shortly. I had cataract surgery 12 years ago that restored my vision to 20/20.

My biggest limitations are I have two really painful shoulders that inhibits my ability to play for extended duration. And if I do, then I typically can’t play pool again for a couple of days. So. I have to manage my playing time to stop before the ache worsens. The problem is my shoulders still ache even not doing much but pool really aggravates it because of my arm extension and shoulder joint movement. I’ve had 6 shoulder surgeries since 2010 so I have a legitimate excuse why my game is not what it used to be except for short durations. But then I’m as good as I ever was. Colonel Colt could have also invented the pool cue besides the Colt .45 because anyone can beat someone on any given day & some days I can play like shit too.

Here’s the medical note from my last visit with my surgeon for Cortisine injections. Obladi Oblada……it could be worse.
 

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Is Ron Casanzio over 70? He just won a Predator tour stop in Toronto, beating Jason Klatt and some other 700 + Fargos along the way. He still plays great.
 
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