Biggest Air Barrels you have ever seen or heard of !!!

[Dhakala]

Ahhh, the student union... reminds me of what I thought would be an air-barrel story but wasn't.

1973, Florida Tech student union, bar boxes. A freshman from Brooklyn swore that Chicago bums couldn't shoot pool. Being from the South Side, I offered to educate him. We started with 75-cent beers (Florida's drinking age was 18 in that halcyon era), and quickly ramped up from there. After losing eight games in a row Brooklyn wanted to get serious.

"Fook you, man, I got my whole semester's tuition ri'cheer! Whatchoo got?"

I turned to my roommate and asked, "John, do you have the title to Betsy?" Betsy was the 1971 Buick LeSabre that ten of us used to get around town.

John just smiled and nodded, "M-hm!"

"Can I borrow it for about ten minutes?" I asked.

"M-hm!"

Nine minutes later I had a $3,500 personal check made out to Brooklyn, which he had endorsed over to me. I never saw him again. I think he's buried in his parents' back yard.

But to my eternal amazement, the check cleared!

 

[billychips]

it gets even better!

We didnt lower the bet. After see-sawing even playing 8 ball, we switched to 1pkt and raised it to 100k. I was about to win the 200k he had in his pocket when the houseman at the bowling alley made us quit because they were closing. I only needed one ball, but the house only gave us five minutes to play before he shut off the lights.
As to the veracity of this story, Billychips is only flaunting his ignorance because most of the people in the hustling world all already know the whole story. Ask Danny Di, Greg Sullivan, Larry Swartz, Billy Incardona, Artie B, Richie Ambrose, Wade Crane, Buddy Hall, etc., etc., etc.

the Beard

Let me get this straight, you were playing one pocket for 100k a game, and you needed one ball to win, and they shut out the lights without letting you finish. Come on??? 100k a game, and you couldnt get the houseman to let you finish one game, not to mention the last ball??? If this guy was a sucker, and you were a champion, how the hell do you not get up more than 1 game at any time??? You have 10-6 the best of it, and you can't get up 2 games??? Then you cant convince a houseman who cant make a max of $10 an hour to keep the joint open a few more minutes when betting a 100k a game. I will check this story out, and if I can confirm it, I will offer a very heartfelt public apology. However, and I sure many will agree, this just keeps getting better and better. Maybe stories and fish really do getter bigger and better with time.

 

[kennyratt]

This subject has taken a unique turn !!!! Kennyratt

 

[Tommy Joe]

"Rick says well at least give back the hundred! Ronnie belts out, what give you my last hundred, are you nuts?"

These are interesting stories. I've experienced both sides of the situation, on a small scale, and have since determined that players of equal caliber often play for ego more than money. I have reached this conclusion on the basis that if they really cared about the cash they'd put it up beforehand. But they don't always do that. Why? Because they want to win so badly they are willing to play even if it means not getting paid. The funniest is when you say to your opponent, let's put up the stakes, and he says it's not necessary because he trusts you. Then he goes on to lose and you don't get paid. That's funny. It happened to me, more than once. Anyway, that's my theory, that (some) people will allow this sort of thing to happen because deepdown they care more about winning the game than they do the cash for which they're playing. Nothing wrong with that, if that's their choice. But it's a deepdown instincual decision on their part, and of course you'd never get them to admit it. Who who get beat in this manner and don't like it should learn from it and move on. But the stories are entertaining.

Tommy Joe

 

[huckster]

I am a nobody. But I do know bullshit when I see it. I actually looked forward to buying a copy of your book, until I saw this latest post. You and I both know that this is ridiculous. First of all, any gambler, that flies 2000 miles to play a game of pool, is going to make the guy post, especially for 40k a game. If you would have said you were playing some 40k sets, maybe races to at least 5 or more, I might have believed it could be possible. Nobody with ZERO money in their pockets starts out at 40k a game, and lays down. You said yourself you ran out the first rack. The guy could obviously play a little, since according to you, he ran the next rack when you didnt make a ball on the break. You have already established a pay after each game standard. What would you have done if he wins game 3? I suppose you jacked the bet from there to a 100k a game??? I probably shouldnt have even posted on this thread, and stayed out of your business. However, to be perfectly honest with you, I couldnt help myself. It was such a BS story that I just had to call you out on it. If you would have at least made it a little more realistic, maybe I could have kept my mouth shut. Anyway, I too am done with this thread. Good luck with the book!!! Hopefully it will be in the fiction section of our favorite bookstores.

Billychipps,
I do not know Freddy at all, but I have heard some Chicago stories. However I do know Archie and let me tell you very high gamblers do not always post like pool players do. Archie dismantled Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin out of close to 1,000,000 playing 9ball when he did not have 10k. My good friend Huck Seed beat Phil Helmuth out of 20k playing pool and I give Huck 9 to 6 playing one pocket. My point being Archie thought Freddy was a big score and money to the ultra high gamblers has no value it is just a way to keep score My road partner had beaten Stu Ungar out of 35k on the golf course and he only had 2 dimes when they begun playing.
Archie is one of a kind he went on a 50-80 million dollar run and lost about all of it. I played Archie 200-400 limit poker about 6 months ago and I fully believe Freddy beat him out of 100k. I could have trapped him in a 1pkt game, but I am not sure I would like it at the stakes he will play at (10k+ a game) If you can get Archie in a a game of pool when he is pumped up, forget Harry Platis, Hooker, Jew Paul, the Jeweler, Lil John, Humprehy, Rocco, etc. Archie will lose six or seven figures.

 

[freddy the beard]

Cant verify?

Let me get this straight, you were playing one pocket for 100k a game, and you needed one ball to win, and they shut out the lights without letting you finish. Come on??? 100k a game, and you couldnt get the houseman to let you finish one game, not to mention the last ball??? If this guy was a sucker, and you were a champion, how the hell do you not get up more than 1 game at any time??? You have 10-6 the best of it, and you can't get up 2 games??? Then you cant convince a houseman who cant make a max of $10 an hour to keep the joint open a few more minutes when betting a 100k a game. I will check this story out, and if I can confirm it, I will offer a very heartfelt public apology. However, and I sure many will agree, this just keeps getting better and better. Maybe stories and fish really do getter bigger and better with time.

Didnt I mention enough people to verify the story, or is it you just dont know anybody? The whole story is in my next book, The GosPool According To The Beard, you will have to spend $29.95 when the book comes out in a month.

the Beard

 

[freddy the beard]

Ask the man

Billychipps,
I do not know Freddy at all, but I have heard some Chicago stories. However I do know Archie and let me tell you very high gamblers do not always post like pool players do. Archie dismantled Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin out of close to 1,000,000 playing 9ball when he did not have 10k. My good friend Huck Seed beat Phil Helmuth out of 20k playing pool and I give Huck 9 to 6 playing one pocket. My point being Archie thought Freddy was a big score and money to the ultra high gamblers has no value it is just a way to keep score My road partner had beaten Stu Ungar out of 35k on the golf course and he only had 2 dimes when they begun playing.
Archie is one of a kind he went on a 50-80 million dollar run and lost about all of it. I played Archie 200-400 limit poker about 6 months ago and I fully believe Freddy beat him out of 100k. I could have trapped him in a 1pkt game, but I am not sure I would like it at the stakes he will play at (10k+ a game) If you can get Archie in a a game of pool when he is pumped up, forget Harry Platis, Hooker, Jew Paul, the Jeweler, Lil John, Humprehy, Rocco, etc. Archie will lose six or seven figures.

Huckster, since you know Archie, it would be interesting if you asked him about that play. He knows he got hustled. Him later asking around about a guy with glasses and a bad leg that plays 1pkt finally got me fingered (after he had been charged a couple hundred k -- we played more than once). I have never seen him since, and have always wondered about his take on the subject.

the Beard

 

[huckster]

Huckster, since you know Archie, it would be interesting if you asked him about that play. He knows he got hustled. Him later asking around about a guy with glasses and a bad leg that plays 1pkt finally got me fingered (after he had been charged a couple hundred k -- we played more than once). I have never seen him since, and have always wondered about his take on the subject.

the Beard

Freddy,
I have only played high limit poker with him three times I believe. Twice at the Bellagio, and once at the Commerce. He plays anywhere from 200/400 to 1k/2k limits now. I will ask him if I see him in Vegas at the end of the month.

 

[ironman]

Archie the Greek

There are many who don't believe stories about Archie. In case one does not, The Discovery Channel runs the story of Archies unblievable Run of luck about twice a year.
He supposedly had many safe deposit boxes full of $5000 chips and wouldn't cash them because he was afraid to.
As reported in the TV story, he blew 11 million in one night at Ceasers Palace and guess what, he didn't post.
There are countless stories about Archie which don't make any sense at all. But, when a man is $30 million plus ahead and he goes broke, I guess nothing is supposed to make sense.

 

[billychips]

Billychipps,
I do not know Freddy at all, but I have heard some Chicago stories. However I do know Archie and let me tell you very high gamblers do not always post like pool players do. Archie dismantled Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin out of close to 1,000,000 playing 9ball when he did not have 10k. My good friend Huck Seed beat Phil Helmuth out of 20k playing pool and I give Huck 9 to 6 playing one pocket. My point being Archie thought Freddy was a big score and money to the ultra high gamblers has no value it is just a way to keep score My road partner had beaten Stu Ungar out of 35k on the golf course and he only had 2 dimes when they begun playing.
Archie is one of a kind he went on a 50-80 million dollar run and lost about all of it. I played Archie 200-400 limit poker about 6 months ago and I fully believe Freddy beat him out of 100k. I could have trapped him in a 1pkt game, but I am not sure I would like it at the stakes he will play at (10k+ a game) If you can get Archie in a a game of pool when he is pumped up, forget Harry Platis, Hooker, Jew Paul, the Jeweler, Lil Jo
hn, Humprehy, Rocco, etc. Archie will lose six or seven figures.

I know who Archie is and what he is capable of. I don;t know Freddy from Adam, but i can tell you that no matter what thread you read, he usually chimes in with some off the wall story and how you can read about it in his upcoming book (to be found in the fiction section.) I know Freddy used to play really good. I am not denying that. I am simply suggesting that this story is not completely true. I do not doubt that Freddy may have won the 100k, against Archie it surely could have happened. I am just finding it EXTREMELY hard to believe it went down the way he said. I don't think you will argue with me on this one. I mean, come on, playing 100k a game and you cant convince the barkeep to stay open for 15 more minutes??? Freddy, you were a great player. No doubt. You were playing a "sucker," yet you couldnt get up more than a game playing one hole after playing all night. Save it dude! I do know people in this pool world, trust me, I do. I am not going to drag them into such a conversation. No, I don't know any of the people you mentioned. I am 30, and they are all quite a bit older than I am . However, I do know enough people to confirm the story. Like I said, if I am wrong I will apologize. I doubt that I am.

 

[BazookaJoe]

1970, I was playing Daulton in San Francisco, at the time I knew 9-ball would of been a difficult win, so I got him staked and into a 14.1 game and the house man was holding, so I thought. He really didn't have a good chance at this game and I ran 3+ racks and out and when I looked up the steak was gone. About 5 years later in LA at the Sportsmans where they had great baskets of boiled shirimp I ran into him again, I asked him to play some 9-ball on the 8' gold crowns, I proceeded to beat him and noticed he was laying off on some shots so the win came quickly, too bad the stakehorse did not know what was going on, he made up for the prior event in San Fran + some, I know the horse never had a clue.

Daulton? 1970?

 

[Perk]

Stories always seem to get bigger and larger over time. I dont believe this story as stated, just due to the "1 ball away, closing time bit". For 100K action, there wouldnt be a houseman closing, and any compensation for his/her time would be significantly more than their hourly rate. And any player in a 100K game, 1 ball from finish would try to complete that game/set by any means (except maybe the guy losing). I dont believe it.

 

[freddy the beard]

Off the wall story...

I don;t know Freddy from Adam, but i can tell you that no matter what thread you read, he usually chimes in with some off the wall story and how you can read about it in his upcoming book (to be found in the fiction section.) ... I am just finding it EXTREMELY hard to believe it went down the way he said. I don't think you will argue with me on this one. I mean, come on, playing 100k a game and you cant convince the barkeep to stay open for 15 more minutes??? ..... I do know people in this pool world, trust me, I do......... Like I said, if I am wrong I will apologize. I doubt that I am.

Up to now there has been a considerable amount of people who take an interest in my "off the wall" stories. Should I apologize for leading a colorful life around colorful people?

Your attempts at knocking my next book aint gonna have an iota of impact on sales. I intend to sell plenty, just like I did with my first book.

He was not a barkeep. He was running the counter for the bowling alley. We did gave him money (20$)to give me the extra five minutes. He was too scared for his job to go any further. I really hate to talk hustling with a non-hustler. It's a lemon spread you idiot! Don't you understand what stalling means? I am going to get all the money the next time we play. Do you think he flew 2000 miles to play one set?

And if you aint gonna ask any of the people I mentioned, just who else do you think youre going to get the story from?

an irritated Beard

 

[freddy the beard]

How do you think Archie viewed getting more time?

Stories always seem to get bigger and larger over time. I dont believe this story as stated, just due to the "1 ball away, closing time bit". For 100K action, there wouldnt be a houseman closing, and any compensation for his/her time would be significantly more than their hourly rate. And any player in a 100K game, 1 ball from finish would try to complete that game/set by any means (except maybe the guy losing). I dont believe it.

Has anybody considered Archie's point of view? How much do you think he wanted to give to the houseman to keep playing when I need one and he needed five or six? Do you think he may have wanted to adhere to the legal closing time for the bowling alley, especially considering he is a real weasel at heart?

the Beard

 

[Perk]

Freddy,

In my post I alluded to the fact that the player possibly on the losing end of the wager would not be so persistent in keeping the place open.

It was the player (you) that was winning or 1 ball from the match that would be hell bent on finishing. That was my point.

 

[Perk]

He was running the counter for the bowling alley. We did gave him money (20$) to give me the extra five minutes. He was too scared for his job to go any further.
an irritated Beard

Wow, 100K action and a $20.00 is what is getting tossed/offered? This doesnt help make the story believable. Did you not want to finish the match? or did you have a 'bigger' plan with Archie, that involved having an unfinished match, larger score later?

 

[huckster]

Has anybody considered Archie's point of view? How much do you think he wanted to give to the houseman to keep playing when I need one and he needed five or six? Do you think he may have wanted to adhere to the legal closing time for the bowling alley, especially considering he is a real weasel at heart?

the Beard

Billchipps, Freddy,
If you guys get a bet down on the accuracy of the story I will have Archie video his side of it and post it on here. Only if I am given a little Jelly. (Sorry I am always thinking how I can make a buck)

huck

 

[billychips]

i am not trying to knock your book

Up to now there has been a considerable amount of people who take an interest in my "off the wall" stories. Should I apologize for leading a colorful life around colorful people?

Your attempts at knocking my next book aint gonna have an iota of impact on sales. I intend to sell plenty, just like I did with my first book.

He was not a barkeep. He was running the counter for the bowling alley. We did gave him money (20$)to give me the extra five minutes. He was too scared for his job to go any further. I really hate to talk hustling with a non-hustler. It's a lemon spread you idiot! Don't you understand what stalling means? I am going to get all the money the next time we play. Do you think he flew 2000 miles to play one set?

And if you aint gonna ask any of the people I mentioned, just who else do you think youre going to get the story from?

an irritated Beard

Freddie,
First of all, I am not trying to knock your book. I also enjoy most of your stories and find you to be a very good poster. I just do NOT buy this story. Am i not entitled to my opinion??? As for me being an idiot, or a non-hustler, I can assure you that you are out of line with these comments. I do not profess to be a hustler, I choose to make my money in a different way, I have been known to make some rather large scores. I also completely understand what stalling means. I just have never heard of anyone stalling in a race to 1, betting 40k, ON AIR!!! I will ask a person that WILL know to verify the story. Good luck with your book. Just make sure it goes in the right section at the bookstore.

 

[billychips]

lol

Billchipps, Freddy,
If you guys get a bet down on the accuracy of the story I will have Archie video his side of it and post it on here. Only if I am given a little Jelly. (Sorry I am always thinking how I can make a buck)

huck

I would be more interesting betting with you playing Artie for a big number in one hole. Can you still get down??? As for wagering on this story's legitimacy, I would be interested in that. Can Freddie post up an air barrell??? I have seen him in action and heard too many stories about this guy. How bout this,if it is true, I will buy 50 copies of his book. If its not, he has to put it in the FICTION section of bookstores, right where it should be. Look at the bright side Mr. Beard, I WILL buy your book now. YOU GOT ME!!!

 

[freddy the beard]

Me and Artie?

I would be more interesting betting with you playing Artie for a big number in one hole. Can you still get down??? As for wagering on this story's legitimacy, I would be interested in that. Can Freddie post up an air barrell??? I have seen him in action and heard too many stories about this guy. How bout this,if it is true, I will buy 50 copies of his book. If its not, he has to put it in the FICTION section of bookstores, right where it should be. Look at the bright side Mr. Beard, I WILL buy your book now. YOU GOT ME!!!

Artie is helpless, due to non playing for 15 years and the ravages of diabetes. All I do now is bite him. While you are buying book 1 and book 2, you might as well get a couple of Bank on Brother T-Shirt's and a BOB hat. I spent Archie's money years ago.

the Beard