Do you know of players who had such Natural Talent, that they could have been a World Champion?

[WobblyStroke]

World champ is a high bar. Guys with the arm talent to get there are a dime a dozen compared to the ones who have the mentality, dedication, and fire. Everybody knows someone who can get around a table beautifully. But to grind hard enough to win out against the guys at the top who are working on all their talent for many hours a day takes an intangible quality and level of sacrifice the vast majority of super talented players aren't equipped with or capable of.

 

[straightline]

World champ is a high bar. Guys with the arm talent to get there are a dime a dozen compared to the ones who have the mentality, dedication, and fire. Everybody knows someone who can get around a table beautifully. But to grind hard enough to win out against the guys at the top who are working on all their talent for many hours a day takes an intangible quality and level of sacrifice the vast majority of super talented players aren't equipped with or capable of.

Actual potential notwithstanding, this is where I went maverick. I could make a few bucks sweating and still preserve my poolmanship. Probably not a unique condition given the sheer volume of non players.

 

[middleofnowhere]

World champ is a high bar. Guys with the arm talent to get there are a dime a dozen compared to the ones who have the mentality, dedication, and fire. Everybody knows someone who can get around a table beautifully. But to grind hard enough to win out against the guys at the top who are working on all their talent for many hours a day takes an intangible quality and level of sacrifice the vast majority of super talented players aren't equipped with or capable of.

My highlighted words I think the most important thing you wrote. Pool is not the hardest game on the planet and there's lots and lots of good players that reach a certain level of play and they're satisfied. They are not willing to sacrifice their lives to a game.

 

[camaro69926]

In our area we have Jesse Bowman. I have heard that a lot of traveling players would avoid playing even. I have also heard the same thing about Larry Nevel in Wisconsin. Jesse doesnt play very much anymore if at all and I still think he could enter a barbox tournament and win it.

 

[gangofone]

Best "natural talent" I ever saw was Nick Vlahos, known as "Little Nicky" when he was a young teenager in the DC area. He mostly stuck to gambling around New England, invested his winnings in real estate, and died way too young in his early 40's. The only video evidence I've seen of him is an Accu-Stats DVD where he torched Earl in a Maine straight pool tournament, but his best game was one pocket. He was about the same age as Michael "Geese" Girace, another one pocket wizard who was also from the DC area, but from everything I saw of them, Nick was the better player.

He moved up to New England when he was in high school and except for that one DVD I never saw him again. Tom Wirth (AKA "Tom-Tom"), the one pocket guru, was also around at the time and would back me up about Nicky.

the greatest
natural . and a kind soul to boot