best ring game players

S

satman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Who's the best ring game player you've watched.
One of the best I remember was Paul Campbell from Michigan.Saw him bust up a couple of games.
Also had the priveledge of watching the pay ball games on the snooker table at Forest park Billiards in Dayton, Ohio. Buddy Hall, Danny Diliberto, Grady Mathews. Any one remember the guys name that tortured that game at one of the last tournaments there? I remember hearing he won about 25G's.
I really miss those tournaments. Sam
 
Denny

It was Denny Searcy who won the money, the time you're talking about.By the way, he's still alive but in very poor health.I always thought Denny had the best stroke I ever saw. As an example, he could take ball in hand behind the line, on a spot shot and draw the cue ball over to the side rail and all the way back to scratch in the opposite long corner.
 
Seems to me that a good ring game player would be someone who is able to stay in stroke at all times. The hardest thing, imho, about a ring game is getting cold while you're waiting for your chance to shoot. Does that sound right?
 
Rickw said:
Seems to me that a good ring game player would be someone who is able to stay in stroke at all times. The hardest thing, imho, about a ring game is getting cold while you're waiting for your chance to shoot. Does that sound right?
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Rick, I would absolutely agree.. I have participated in many many ring games in my time and the biggest challenge is staying in stroke when you go long stretches without seeing and object ball. I have had many great times in those ring games. What fun they used to be..
 
Denny Searcy

Grady said:
It was Denny Searcy who won the money, the time you're talking about.By the way, he's still alive but in very poor health.I always thought Denny had the best stroke I ever saw. As an example, he could take ball in hand behind the line, on a spot shot and draw the cue ball over to the side rail and all the way back to scratch in the opposite long corner.
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Thanks Grady, I've always had trouble remembering his name for some reason. I guess maybe because that was the only time I seen him play. The sad part was I got there too late to watch him play in that game. I did see you and Danny play Frank on the snooker table.
That's an incredible stroke to draw that ball. I'm really sorry to hear about his health.
 
Bellflower in the 70's

Pay ball on the 10' snooker at Bellflower Billiards ...Ronnie / Ritchie / Keith / Cole / Billy Johnson / Portland Don / just to name a few...
Every year in Jan and FEb when Fred Whalen ran the Worlds Tourney in LA.. lotsa players came to LA just to hang out...it was the place to pick up a little pocket money !!! The game just went on and on with different players getting in and out ...all days and all nights...$10 a ball and $20 on the last ball...double on runs...$140 on a table run with 7 players ...not bad pocket money !!!!!
 
sounds like Dayton, Oh.

ajrack said:
Pay ball on the 10' snooker at Bellflower Billiards ...Ronnie / Ritchie / Keith / Cole / Billy Johnson / Portland Don / just to name a few...
Every year in Jan and FEb when Fred Whalen ran the Worlds Tourney in LA.. lotsa players came to LA just to hang out...it was the place to pick up a little pocket money !!! The game just went on and on with different players getting in and out ...all days and all nights...$10 a ball and $20 on the last ball...double on runs...$140 on a table run with 7 players ...not bad pocket money !!!!!
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That sounds like a great game there too. We had the same type and a lot of the same names. It was the best part of the tournament, much more fun than watching 2 guys match up. Sam
 
Grady said:
It was Denny Searcy who won the money, the time you're talking about.By the way, he's still alive but in very poor health.I always thought Denny had the best stroke I ever saw. As an example, he could take ball in hand behind the line, on a spot shot and draw the cue ball over to the side rail and all the way back to scratch in the opposite long corner.
Click to expand...
Grady,
Did you see him do this? Was it on a 9 foot table? Where did he position the cue ball? I always thought it took an unbelieveable stroke to get the cue ball to the side rail and then past the side pocket on a spot shot(I've only tried it for 5 minutes, but I can't get it past the side pocket). I know someone who saw George Breedlove get it past the side pocket one-handed (not resting on a rail either). How often (in your opinion) is that type of stroke necessary (would it be worth trying to develop that kind of shot/stroke)? Thanks for your input.
 
Williebetmore said:
Grady,
Did you see him do this? Was it on a 9 foot table? Where did he position the cue ball? I always thought it took an unbelieveable stroke to get the cue ball to the side rail and then past the side pocket on a spot shot(I've only tried it for 5 minutes, but I can't get it past the side pocket). I know someone who saw George Breedlove get it past the side pocket one-handed (not resting on a rail either). How often (in your opinion) is that type of stroke necessary (would it be worth trying to develop that kind of shot/stroke)? Thanks for your input.
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I've seen him do it lots of times, even when the cloth was new. He could "kill" the cue ball from places that looked impossible. Furthermore, when Denny was at his best, the best 9 Ball players in the world didn't go looking to play him. Or Cole Dickson.
You don't want to waste your time learning things that you'll hardly ever need. Better that you work on good solid position, defense, and shot selection. These things being said, it wouldn't hurt to have an excellent power stroke. Good luck with your playing.
P.S....I deeply regret not even having any of Denny or Cole's great playing on tape.
 
ajrack said:
Pay ball on the 10' snooker at Bellflower Billiards ...Ronnie / Ritchie / Keith / Cole / Billy Johnson / Portland Don / just to name a few...
Every year in Jan and FEb when Fred Whalen ran the Worlds Tourney in LA.. lotsa players came to LA just to hang out...it was the place to pick up a little pocket money !!! The game just went on and on with different players getting in and out ...all days and all nights...$10 a ball and $20 on the last ball...double on runs...$140 on a table run with 7 players ...not bad pocket money !!!!!
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention that we usually played double on the runout. So, six handed at 10 and 20 gave a player a payouut of $700. Most economists figure a minimum of 6 times as much at today's rates. Or about $4000.
 
Grady,
This may be the wrong place on the forum for an unabashed fan, but I really enjoyed your book. I also enjoy your Accustats commentaries immensely (I think I have almost all of them). I, for the life of me, can not figure out what the attraction of Mitch Laurance is for ESPN (I guess they need a "face man" for television - but he spends very little time on screen). As far as voices and insight go, you have him beat by a mile - very entertaining.

If you are ever in the Indianapolis area, I would love to take a lesson (straight pool fanatic). It will probably be a year before I can make it down to South Carolina.
 
Grady,
P.S. - I watched the entire Schmidt/Pagulayan straight pool match at the DCC, it was awesome. Someone in the crowd claimed that you had matched up with Pagulayan twice in a big money straight pool match. I'm sure we would all love to hear about it.
 
Williebetmore said:
Grady,
This may be the wrong place on the forum for an unabashed fan, but I really enjoyed your book. I also enjoy your Accustats commentaries immensely (I think I have almost all of them). I, for the life of me, can not figure out what the attraction of Mitch Laurance is for ESPN (I guess they need a "face man" for television - but he spends very little time on screen). As far as voices and insight go, you have him beat by a mile - very entertaining.

If you are ever in the Indianapolis area, I would love to take a lesson (straight pool fanatic). It will probably be a year before I can make it down to South Carolina.
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Thanks for the nice compliments.
Too bad. My wife and I just spent a week in Michigan. If we had known, I could have easily dropped by Indy and worked with you on your Straight Pool game. We come that way often so stay in touch.
The next thing we are working on is going to be at The Grand Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi in December. We need amateurs, especially league players so spread the word.
As to playing Alex, that was four or five years ago. I lost about $40,000, $25,000 of which was to Alex. I had just quit smoking and wasn't myself, plus he played great.
 
Hey Grady!

Grady said:
Thanks for the nice compliments.
Too bad. My wife and I just spent a week in Michigan. If we had known, I could have easily dropped by Indy and worked with you on your Straight Pool game. We come that way often so stay in touch.
The next thing we are working on is going to be at The Grand Hotel in Biloxi, Mississippi in December. We need amateurs, especially league players so spread the word.
As to playing Alex, that was four or five years ago. I lost about $40,000, $25,000 of which was to Alex. I had just quit smoking and wasn't myself, plus he played great.
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Where you up in Detroit when Sammy Jones was playing there? What was the biggest score you witnessed?
 
Detroit

I and others of my ilk watched Rosie lose maybe 70 million dollars in Detroit over about an 8 year period.Besides him there were 10 or 15 other millionaires from different walks of life who bet high on pool.
 
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