Don Willis: The Greatest Pool Player Ever, As Told By Garten Bierbower

maxeberle

maxeberle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Legend Continues to Grow...

Luther Lassiter's road partner, Don Willis, was reported by those who saw him play (and by himself) as being the greatest human to ever pick up a cue...

In this exclusive video, Garten Bierbower (a great pool legend himself) and great cue maker from Ohio, tells his now famous stories of the magical exploits of Don Willis.

Watch the Video Here

Enjoy!

Max Eberle
 
Thanks for the link and the video Max. Fun to watch and listen to.

I think pool is a lot like baseball in that stories of the game and stories about the exploits of its greatest players play a significant role in its popularity and appeal.

45 racks of 9-ball from the break without a miss? 10 to 1 odds from the break with no ball in hand for 1G a rack? Let's just say I'm a bit skeptical.

Still, I think it's more likely than that Don Willis was the greatest human to ever pick up a cue.

maxeberle said:
The Legend Continues to Grow...

Luther Lassiter's road partner, Don Willis, was reported by those who saw him play (and by himself) as being the greatest human to ever pick up a cue...

In this exclusive video, Garten Bierbower (a great pool legend himself) and great cue maker from Ohio, tells his now famous stories of the magical exploits of Don Willis.

Watch the Video Here

Enjoy!

Max Eberle
Click to expand...
 
I know Willis was something else but a 45 pack? Did i hear that right? What did he need the break for? He would get it anyway if he could shoot like that.

There is a standard lock bet that you can bet any living human they cant break and run to the 5 even money. The odds say you wont even make a ball more than half the time and if you do, u might be hooked or have an impossible shot.

Fun to listen to but hard to swallow.
 
maxeberle said:
The Legend Continues to Grow...

Luther Lassiter's road partner, Don Willis, was reported by those who saw him play (and by himself) as being the greatest human to ever pick up a cue...

In this exclusive video, Garten Bierbower (a great pool legend himself) and great cue maker from Ohio, tells his now famous stories of the magical exploits of Don Willis.

Watch the Video Here

Enjoy!

Max Eberle
Click to expand...



Here one of the few pictures of Don Willis, some really good company, the gentleman on the far left was Don "Cap" Watson. I received the original negative from Cap son and had it blown up and digitally enhanced

5.jpg

7.jpg

Enjoy
 
Nostroke said:
I know Willis was something else but a 45 pack? Did i hear that right? What did he need the break for? He would get it anyway if he could shoot like that.

There is a standard lock bet that you can bet any living human they cant break and run to the 5 even money. The odds say you wont even make a ball more than half the time and if you do, u might be hooked or have an impossible shot.

Fun to listen to but hard to swallow.
Click to expand...

They re-spotted the 9 after every time it was made as long as there were other balls on the table.

I guess he was the best combo/carom player of all time.
 
Nostroke said:
Jay swears Willis could beat almost anyone running backwards to their forward.
Click to expand...

I have heard Jay talk about this also, man that guy is walking talking encyclopedia and I have heard it from others as well. I also have heard he could play about any type of mental game like Scrabble, domino's, and cards as well as he could play pool. It seems he may have had a photographic memory and above average intelligence.
 
PoolBum said:
Well, I think it's damn hard to play pool running backwards OR forwards.
Click to expand...

No PoolBum, he was saying he'd run the rack backwards faster than the opponent ran it forwards. So Don would start at the 9-ball, and run it backwards. :D

-Sean
 
Bierbower

PoolBum said:
Thanks for the link and the video Max. Fun to watch and listen to.

I think pool is a lot like baseball in that stories of the game and stories about the exploits of its greatest players play a significant role in its popularity and appeal.

45 racks of 9-ball from the break without a miss? 10 to 1 odds from the break with no ball in hand for 1G a rack? Let's just say I'm a bit skeptical.

Still, I think it's more likely than that Don Willis was the greatest human to ever pick up a cue.
Click to expand...



I love the wide-eyed exaggeration in how these stories are told.
 
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If Garten said it, it's probably true. He has always been on the level with me and has backed up every story.

Max wrote of Garten's instruction in his book Zen Pool. I have seen him in action and the man is for real. 45 racks....23 9-balls in a single rack...if Garten said Willis did it, I believe it.

Garten made me a box cue a while back that I'm pretty sure was drawn on the folder he used to diagram one of Willis' great 9-ball combination shots.

His cuemaking is the best kept secret in Ohio.

The fact that Max learned from Garten for a time, then eventually earned his place in the top 3 of a world championship event is not hard to believe either.

DSCN0540.jpg
 
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Drawman623 said:
If Garten said it, it's probably true. He has always been on the level with me and has backed up every story.

Max wrote of Garten's instruction in his book Zen Pool. I have seen him in action and the man is for real. 45 racks....23 9-balls in a single rack...if Garten said Willis did it, I believe it.

Garten made me a box cue a while back that I'm pretty sure was drawn on the folder he used to diagram one of Willis' great 9-ball combination shots.

His cuemaking is the best kept secret in Ohio.

The fact that Max learned from Garten for a time, then eventually earned his place in the top 3 of a world championship event is not hard to believe either.



Well partner it is not a well kept secret anymore, that is a beautiful looking cue that anyone would be proud to own.

Thanks for sharing
Click to expand...
 
Garten said Don would bet he could run around a house backwards faster than the other guy could running forwards... hahahahaha... :)
 
JoeyInCali said:
They re-spotted the 9 after every time it was made as long as there were other balls on the table.

I guess he was the best combo/carom player of all time.
Click to expand...

NO that game was with the kid. This is the one with the NY bookie Im pretty sure.
 
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