Cigar Tom Question
- Thread starter asmith74
- Start date
I don't know if he's still running a room in B'more but if you have the time, I have an interesting story about Cigar Tom and myself playing in the Md. State 9ball championships many years ago. I don't recall the exact year but I would guess it would be somewhere around '89 in Ocean City. Teddy Harris was running the place back then and even then he was doing cue repairs.
Well I had hooked up with this woman I met at Dietle's tavern in Rockville, Md. which is about 150 miles from O.C. and she offered me a ride out there to play in the tournament. Having no car at the time I naturally took her up on the idea. She wasn't bad looking either but she did have a rather strange way of walking. She had a kind of a waddle. A Bull legged kind of walk. So what, I thought. I need a ride and she's offering. And besides, I was thinking... well you know what I was thinking. We pulled into O.C. late that night. The tournament was to begin the next morning. I booked a hotel room fairly close to the pool room. It was only then that I found out she wasn't interested in me in any, let's say, romantic way. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. Unlucky at love, lucky at pool.
I still had the tournament to win and that was the main objective anyway. But yikes! I had no idea what was in store for me with this "lady". While I was in the shower she took off for the bars. No word to let me know she was heading out. Just gone.
It was a few hours later that she returned, with a guy on her arm! "Look what I found". She says. "I might not be back tonight but I'll see you at the pool room tomorrow to watch you play." What! She needs my approval of this stray turkey? Some people are just plain nuts and she's out of the shell.
Next morning, no "Duck". Fine with me. I grab my stuff and head down for some breakfast and off to the pool room with a smile on my face and ready to do battle. I'm about to take revenge out on every opponent I meet for the indignities of the night before.
It's interesting how somethings can affect a person. I could have had a really sour disposition that day. I could have had a scowl on my face and been angry towards all the other tournament players but I didn't. I couldn't have been happier or more at ease. I told everyone who would listen about the Duck Girl who waddled in and out so quickly from my life. By the time she eventually walked into the pool room everyone knew who she was. "Hey Tom, Here's the Duck" one fellow yelled! And he was right. The laughter took ovr the room. She looked around not understanding why that was so funny and who the "Duck" might be. There she was, waddling toward me with a queer look on her face. "You left your key on the table. How were you going to get back into the room?" she asked. Some people haven't a clue in life. "I'll find my own way back, thanks for the ride, though." I turned and walked away never to see the "Duck" again.
The tournament began, and I was ready. Everyone was in a good mood. We all had fun at the "Duck's" expense and now we were eagar to shoot pool. I ran through my first opponent and started chasing down my next victim. This is my kind of tournament. Get an opponent, get an open table, go for it! I loved this. "Hey you! Yes you! Come on, it's you and me right over here." I was leading them to slaughter. Tom V. (Cigar Tom) was doing the same thing on his side of the draw. We were heading for a showdown and eventually it came right down to that. Tom and I found ourselves in the finals. It was a race to nine, one set for the Maryland State Championship. One Tom was bound to win. I was determined it was going to be me.
Cigar Tom got the early lead and held it. But I wasn't far behind and I was still very confident. I had never played Tom before and he played great. He ran out whenever he had a clear opening. I did the same, keeping close to his heels. The match moved ever closer to the finish line. He had me seven to six and running the next road map of a rack. No mistakes. Eight to six and breaking. He was on the hill. "Just let me get to the table", I was thinking. He came up dry! He came up dry, and I've got an open shot at the one! Road map! I sprung from my chair so fast I could have ducked a bullet. No problem, eight to seven. "What a break!" I've got an easy billiard on the nine right in front of me. "Bingo" hill, hill and breaking.
This is too sweet but It ain't over yet. Dry, I came up dry and there is Tom Vanover at the table for the match. I can do nothing but watch the grim reaper do his stuff. The One in the side, two in the corner, three up table, and the four in the side, but wait! He's just a little out of line on that five ball in the right hand corner. He's got to kill the cue to hold it for the right angle on the six. He jarred it! The match is right there for me wrapped up just like a Christmas present! All I have to do is tear off the paper and see what's inside. No sweat. five in the corner, stop, six in the opposite corner, Seven and eight back to the right hand corner, everything is here down table a sitting there like fish in the bath tub, and stop for the easy nine straight in and it's over, the tournament was mine.
But here is the really interesting part of the story. The real lesson to be learned by one of the great players out of the Maryland area. Tom was gracious in defeat congratulating me on my victory and then he set up that five ball shot. Over and over again he set it up and knocked it down. He was still shooting that same shot some two hours later after I returned with friends from celebrating at one of the local bars on the boardwalk. They said he never stopped shooting that same shot the entire time we were gone. What dedication. I know he was stunned by what had happened to him but what a work ethic this man had. Here was a man who you know got everything there was to get out of his talents. I will always remember and admire Tom Vanover for showing me what it takes to get the most out the abilities we possess.
Thanks Tom.
Tom Wirth
Well I had hooked up with this woman I met at Dietle's tavern in Rockville, Md. which is about 150 miles from O.C. and she offered me a ride out there to play in the tournament. Having no car at the time I naturally took her up on the idea. She wasn't bad looking either but she did have a rather strange way of walking. She had a kind of a waddle. A Bull legged kind of walk. So what, I thought. I need a ride and she's offering. And besides, I was thinking... well you know what I was thinking. We pulled into O.C. late that night. The tournament was to begin the next morning. I booked a hotel room fairly close to the pool room. It was only then that I found out she wasn't interested in me in any, let's say, romantic way. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. Unlucky at love, lucky at pool.
I still had the tournament to win and that was the main objective anyway. But yikes! I had no idea what was in store for me with this "lady". While I was in the shower she took off for the bars. No word to let me know she was heading out. Just gone.
It was a few hours later that she returned, with a guy on her arm! "Look what I found". She says. "I might not be back tonight but I'll see you at the pool room tomorrow to watch you play." What! She needs my approval of this stray turkey? Some people are just plain nuts and she's out of the shell.
Next morning, no "Duck". Fine with me. I grab my stuff and head down for some breakfast and off to the pool room with a smile on my face and ready to do battle. I'm about to take revenge out on every opponent I meet for the indignities of the night before.
It's interesting how somethings can affect a person. I could have had a really sour disposition that day. I could have had a scowl on my face and been angry towards all the other tournament players but I didn't. I couldn't have been happier or more at ease. I told everyone who would listen about the Duck Girl who waddled in and out so quickly from my life. By the time she eventually walked into the pool room everyone knew who she was. "Hey Tom, Here's the Duck" one fellow yelled! And he was right. The laughter took ovr the room. She looked around not understanding why that was so funny and who the "Duck" might be. There she was, waddling toward me with a queer look on her face. "You left your key on the table. How were you going to get back into the room?" she asked. Some people haven't a clue in life. "I'll find my own way back, thanks for the ride, though." I turned and walked away never to see the "Duck" again.
The tournament began, and I was ready. Everyone was in a good mood. We all had fun at the "Duck's" expense and now we were eagar to shoot pool. I ran through my first opponent and started chasing down my next victim. This is my kind of tournament. Get an opponent, get an open table, go for it! I loved this. "Hey you! Yes you! Come on, it's you and me right over here." I was leading them to slaughter. Tom V. (Cigar Tom) was doing the same thing on his side of the draw. We were heading for a showdown and eventually it came right down to that. Tom and I found ourselves in the finals. It was a race to nine, one set for the Maryland State Championship. One Tom was bound to win. I was determined it was going to be me.
Cigar Tom got the early lead and held it. But I wasn't far behind and I was still very confident. I had never played Tom before and he played great. He ran out whenever he had a clear opening. I did the same, keeping close to his heels. The match moved ever closer to the finish line. He had me seven to six and running the next road map of a rack. No mistakes. Eight to six and breaking. He was on the hill. "Just let me get to the table", I was thinking. He came up dry! He came up dry, and I've got an open shot at the one! Road map! I sprung from my chair so fast I could have ducked a bullet. No problem, eight to seven. "What a break!" I've got an easy billiard on the nine right in front of me. "Bingo" hill, hill and breaking.
This is too sweet but It ain't over yet. Dry, I came up dry and there is Tom Vanover at the table for the match. I can do nothing but watch the grim reaper do his stuff. The One in the side, two in the corner, three up table, and the four in the side, but wait! He's just a little out of line on that five ball in the right hand corner. He's got to kill the cue to hold it for the right angle on the six. He jarred it! The match is right there for me wrapped up just like a Christmas present! All I have to do is tear off the paper and see what's inside. No sweat. five in the corner, stop, six in the opposite corner, Seven and eight back to the right hand corner, everything is here down table a sitting there like fish in the bath tub, and stop for the easy nine straight in and it's over, the tournament was mine.
But here is the really interesting part of the story. The real lesson to be learned by one of the great players out of the Maryland area. Tom was gracious in defeat congratulating me on my victory and then he set up that five ball shot. Over and over again he set it up and knocked it down. He was still shooting that same shot some two hours later after I returned with friends from celebrating at one of the local bars on the boardwalk. They said he never stopped shooting that same shot the entire time we were gone. What dedication. I know he was stunned by what had happened to him but what a work ethic this man had. Here was a man who you know got everything there was to get out of his talents. I will always remember and admire Tom Vanover for showing me what it takes to get the most out the abilities we possess.
Thanks Tom.
Tom Wirth
Gentleman Jim's...long gone, sadly!
Love the suspense at the end... I was reading it slowly as to squeeze-out the outcome. I thought you lost up until the 9ball, based on the way you wrote it. Excellent story.
Cigar Tom worked at Running Out Billiards in Dundalk, MD for many years. Back then my buddies and I would go there every Friday night. Back then, I *really* couldn't play, and one time he gave me the 5-out for $5/game and spanked me 19 games in a row.
What was especially humiliating about that night was that the place was frequented by a loudmouth in a wheelchair called Norman, who would roll up to the table after almost every game, look at the counters and cackle at the score. Tom was the houseman back then and a local favorite, so a lot of these guys idolized him.
Well, we eventually stopped going in there on a regular basis (back in the 90's) and I heard the place was in a fire, has been renovated and now Tom allegedly owns it, but I don't know any of this for sure. There is an AZB member called "richiebalto" that is a regular up there, and he has even posted a couple of threads about Tom himself.
I have not seen Tom in years as he does not play in any of the regional nine-ball tournaments. He might be in his 70's now, not sure about that either.
Tom-Tom one of the greatest 1pocket players of all time,Cigar Tom Vanover is in his early 70s, still plays a little, nothing like he used to and his speed has drop like most would exspect, he is still working at running out billiards in dundalk (410-284-1032) Tom has played so many great players down in dundalk, Strickland (they broke even playing even 9ball 50 game for over 20 hours back in the early 80s) played Rempe also around that same time at 50 a game also, Rempe had Tom stuck over 10 games and Tom came back and got it to even and Rempe unscrewed his stick and told HIs backers i think i can beat this guy but iam wasting my time, Only one that came to dundalk and beat Tom in his prime was Archer in the early 90s, for some reason Tom played Archer with getting the 7 but Archer had the breaks, Tom never shot, Archer broke and ran away, Amdam did come in dundalk and give Tom the 7 playing 9ball winner breaks and Beat TOm very soundly, but at the time Toms game was starting to fade, and Amdam played the best pool any human has ever played!
The place was called Cigar TOMS, it didnt last very long, although the signs still hangs today (it went out of business in the 80s) place was very small maybe 5-6 tables at the most, place just never did take off. Tom is still around, you can see him all most every day down in dundalk at the old pool hall!
He is...
And I wanna know: what is up with Bo and Mike these days, Tom?
And...Iplayed Tom in a 1p tourney a few years ago. he beat me by squeezing my head thru the middle and end parts of every game. I was collecting apples early, just couldn't ever fill the bushel.
Ahh yes. Kinda hard to tell the difference between Tom and Tom.
It was Cigar Tom that got me...