Best Teen Pool Player Ever

[freddy the beard]

Cole Dickson

Cole was about 16 or 17 yrs old when he came into Bensingers in Chicago. He was standing at the counter with his back to me. He had long gorgeous honey blonde hair, jeans and sandals. I thought to myself what is that dynamite broad doing in here? Then he turned around and I seen he was a guy. I asked him to play me some banks and he obliged. I took him to my favorite 5 by 10 table and he banked 8 and out the second game! I finally broke him because he didnt have a clue how to play safe. He was a monster as a teen. In the Vegas Stardust Tourn. he was 19, he went to the crap table and lost $5000. He went and borrowed 200 more from someone and went back to try and get even. It was then that they asked him for ID (they knew he was short now) and wouldnt let him play anymore because he was underage. He howled like a banshee but the creeps wouldnt let him play.
Old school pool. Bank on, brother!
the Beard

 

[satman]

I remember Denny Searcy!!!

Thank you! He gets my vote too. All the way.
Keith at 16 was a world beater! He didn't need weight. He gave up weight...to top players. I saw Shannon at 14, 15, 16. Very good but not in Keith's class at the same age.
Keith was playing Pay Ball (on a 10' snooker table) at the Billiard Palace in Bellflower at 14 and 15 against the best players in the world, for big bucks. And winning more often than not.
At that time the best bar table players anywhere were the top Mexican players: Sergio, Mario, Little Al, Al Nicaraugua, Tracy Joe. By age 18 Keith had his first nickname, "El Diablo" the devil. He had bar-b-qued all these Mexican champions over and over again on their tables. He was giving all of them the 7 or the 8 and busting them relentlessly. He retired Tracy Joe.
I'm not talking about winning some Junior titles or any tournament for that matter. I'm talking about getting down on the table and playing until someone went broke. Keith was robbing everybody and taking on all comers at 17 and 18. He had some fierce battles with Kim that went on for days. He had to give Kim the eight. Only other one like him was Cole. Cole was flying around the country at 18 and 19 looking for the best players to play big money games. And winning them too!
The best players always have been the guys that could tee it up for the cheese and take it off. Who ever heard of Denny Searcy? He used to go to tournaments and challenge the winner to play for everything he just won.
He didn't care if his name was Sigel, Mizerak or Hopkins. They really didn't want any part of Denny. So you tell me who the best player is.
And last but not least lets not forget Little Richie from Torrance. Richie Florence was damn good by age 16 or 17 and playing the best on the coast.
By his early 20's he had to be the best 9-Ball player in the world, bar none.
Greatest teenage pool player ever - KEITH McCREADY!

In the early 80's we used to go to Forest Park Billiards in Dayton Ohio. We spent a big part of the tournament watching the pay-ball game instead of the tourney. The day before we got there, Denny won something like $26,000 playing the best players in the country and they barred him from the game. I don't know how old he was, but that's impressive when the best in the country won't let you in a ring game with them. Sam