Check this amazing runout video, 15 ball Honduran rotation, by Tony Sorto

FastMikie

FastMikie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For your utmost enjoyment, here's the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmwz_XFsUs

Yesterday, Tony stopped by FastMikie's Fun House with the sole mission to video him executing a perfect run at this very challenging game. It is the only way they play pool in Honduras, where Tony was born.

The cloth was very recently installed, using Simonis 760, and quite fast, so it took some getting used to. Another difficulty was the tip on his cue, which was almost completely worn down to the ferrule. It is amazing he gets so much action on the ball with such a minimum tip.

There is a shot-by-shot description of the run on my blog at http://poolshooter.blogspot.com/

I have a couple of questions for the esteemed members of this forum:
1. Has anyone ever seen this game played, and if so, where?
2. Have you ever seen a perfect run at this game?
3. Is there a video of it?
 
Wow! That looks highly difficult! Nice run! I'm gonna try that my next prctice session.
 
Now that is some good shooting, nothing funny about this video. This game is very popular with the Mexican natives in SoCal. But I've never seen anyone run out before. Harder even then running a rack of Rotation. I love the way he banked the seven and never looked back at the ball. He knew it was in. And the bank on the thirteen at warp speed was another beauty.

I know Tony and he is definitely a serious player. Maybe second best after Swanee in the San Diego area the last 25 years. He is right there with Billy Graves and Roy The Cook. Great run out! Thanks Mike.
 
I was shown a similar game by a couple of Hispanic guys in my area, but, IIRC, the one-ball was removed from the table. All of the other balls were frozen to the cushions as they are in the video... I think. The game was played to 61 points, like normal rotation, and the value of the missing one-ball was added to the two-ball, so making it resulted in 3 points.

It was interesting, because I got the opening shot in the first game we played, and I shot it (the object ball frozen to the center spot on the foot-rail) as a spin/cut into the corner with two-rail up and down shape on the 3. They were both shocked that I played it that way, and said they'd never seen anyone try that... apparently the "normal" way of shooting it was to play a one-rail kick off of the long rail. :eek:

I asked the guys what they called the game in Mexico, and they said "pool" :D it was the only game that was played in their local pool hall!

Aaron
 
FastMikie said:
Has anyone ever seen this game played, and if so, where?
Click to expand...

I've seen it played in Mexico and throughout Central America. It's called "straight pool" in some places.

pj
chgo
 
FastMikie said:
For your utmost enjoyment, here's the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmwz_XFsUs

Yesterday, Tony stopped by FastMikie's Fun House with the sole mission to video him executing a perfect run at this very challenging game. It is the only way they play pool in Honduras, where Tony was born.

The cloth was very recently installed, using Simonis 760, and quite fast, so it took some getting used to. Another difficulty was the tip on his cue, which was almost completely worn down to the ferrule. It is amazing he gets so much action on the ball with such a minimum tip.

There is a shot-by-shot description of the run on my blog at http://poolshooter.blogspot.com/

I have a couple of questions for the esteemed members of this forum:
1. Has anyone ever seen this game played, and if so, where?
2. Have you ever seen a perfect run at this game?
3. Is there a video of it?
Click to expand...

Corey deuel used to try to run all 15 balls in order but the difference between this way and the way he does it is... 1. You're not allowed to hit any other balls on the table except the lowest ball on the table. 2. The 1, 2, and 3 were set up different. I believe it took him about 200 hours of play time to finish it.
 
FastMikie said:
For your utmost enjoyment, here's the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmwz_XFsUs

Yesterday, Tony stopped by FastMikie's Fun House with the sole mission to video him executing a perfect run at this very challenging game. It is the only way they play pool in Honduras, where Tony was born.

The cloth was very recently installed, using Simonis 760, and quite fast, so it took some getting used to. Another difficulty was the tip on his cue, which was almost completely worn down to the ferrule. It is amazing he gets so much action on the ball with such a minimum tip.

There is a shot-by-shot description of the run on my blog at http://poolshooter.blogspot.com/

I have a couple of questions for the esteemed members of this forum:
1. Has anyone ever seen this game played, and if so, where?
2. Have you ever seen a perfect run at this game?
3. Is there a video of it?
Click to expand...

1. I have played this game a lot in the pool halls frequented by Latin American people. We call it Mexican Rotation. The way we play it is that the 1 and 2 are left off and you start with the 3 which is worth 6 points. I love to gamble at this game.

2. I have run the table only once on this game. Rafael Martinez told me he ran out three times in a row once. Rafael showed me how to make the ball that sits on the second diamond at the kitchen line from INSIDE THE KITCHEN. (some places play a rule that you have to shoot the cue ball past the side pocket after a scratch - which stops you from shooting directly at any ball above the side pocket.)

3. I have never seen a video of the game being played.
 
I have watched the video several times,
and I am extremely impressed with Sorto's overwhelming sense of CONFIDENCE while he is shooting.
That, and the natural rhythm as he progresses through the run.
It is very intimidating to his opponents during matches!
Here's the link again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmwz_XFsUs
Let me know what you get from his demeanor.

Thanks for the replies, guys...
Especially Bob Jewett for the neat ancient document describing the rules for "Chicago".
 
I never thought I'd see Tony Sorto playing pool on youtube! :D

I miss playing pool with him up at family.. I wish that place didn't get so run down over the years.

How have you been Mike? Not sure if you would remember me or not, I came by the fun house once or twice a few years back. Definately a nice table, and perfect playing conditions.

DJ <---- Dave Johnson

P.S. Tell Tony I said hello.
 
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Latinos all over the USA play a version of that game with all balls on the rail.
I was on a mission trip to Honduras once and saw them playing a game of pill pool that I was not able to watch long enough to figure out how it was played. Are their any Honduran's on here that know how that Pill Pool game down there is played. There were pool tables everywhere there in the late 80's. It was out in the Jungle town where I saw them playing very high level pool. I must be supposed to fast from pool when I go on mission trips as I have tried over and over to get a chance to play and it has never once worked out. So far I have only played in the USA. But being out in a small port village in the middle of the jungle and seeing pool played that good left an impression on me.
The level of pool players south of our border is pretty high. One very good Canadian pro travelled to Mexico in the 80's and said for $5 a game there were all kinds of people who could beat him even. But for $20 or $50 a game the same players needed the 8 ball from him.
 
donny mills said:
I would say the way corey does it is about 4 times harder then the way shown on this thread.
Click to expand...


Yeah this is so easy that I'm going to give you or Corey 6-1 all day to do it. You can bet anywhere from $10 to $100 a try. Four and a half inch pockets, comparable to the Gold Crown table used here.
 
jay helfert said:
Yeah this is so easy that I'm going to give you or Corey 6-1 all day to do it. You can bet anywhere from $10 to $100 a try. Four and a half inch pockets, comparable to the Gold Crown table used here.
Click to expand...

I'll take a piece of that action!!!!!! :smile:
 
SortoTip.jpg


Here's the tip (Moori soft on a Joss cue) Sorto used on the featured video.
Notice that the tip is almost gone.
And if you enlarge the image a couple of times,
you can see the separation between shaft and tip.
It could have gone at any time!

He really tortures his tips, keeping them freshly roughed up
(usually after every trip to the table)
with the Ulti-Mate tip tool,
and mercilessly grinding away with the chalk on every shot,
(as you can hear on the video),
totally wearing out one tip in less than 2 months
of weekly league play (not a lot of play).

Personally, I find the condition of his gear unbearable,
but as he will tell you, in Honduras, you learn to play with
whatever is available, and that's usually a lot worse than you see here.

You can't argue with his results!
:smile:
 
That's sick!

He was destined not to scratch on the last ball.

Great english on the 4 ball to get shape on the 5. Nice stroke.
 
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