So, a bit of whiskey and I've thought about this story off and on, so I'll tell a (hopefully brief) tale, but likely not. This is a kid story, not a story for the folks here that were Champions at 16 or younger (and there are a few). Just a payin' your dues moment for a kid.
It was June or July 1971 and I was 17 and headed to college. There was a relatively new pool hall open in a basement of a Strip Center on Franklin Rd. in Nashville. (May have been 8th Avenue, but I think the same Rd.) I think it was called "Gold Crown Billiards". There was the cashier to the left as you got to the bottom of the stairs. I'm older now, so I'm thinking there were 19 Gandy Big G's covered in gold cloth (actually, back then, felt). Four in a row, five rows...but, there was a 5x10 snooker table in the 2nd row on the left for a Golf game every afternoon. That was covered in green felt. (I was told it was $100 game, but since that was way beyond my means, I'm not sure what that meant.)
I was going to college a month early in August to be part of a "highly promising" group they were going to track for 4 years. So, naturally, I spent as much time as I could practicing/playing pool. There was never anyone in there at that time of the afternoon except me. And, depending upon how early or late I got there, the Golf guys. One owned the Karate studio.
So, one day I go in and see someone else practicing. I'm guessing 20s, and I'm pretty sure, but no more than early 30s. He's practicing 9 Ball, but he breaks soft, which I had never seen before. So, I'm watching off and on but mostly just banging balls, like most 17 year olds.
(As an aside, I had been told by older players I had a "great stroke". Plus, I had taken a few lessons from a 70-something 3 Cushion player at the upstairs 21st Century Billiards on 21st in Nashville.)
So, the 20-something guy comes over to me and asks if I want to practice some together. I said, "Sure". Dang. Now that I'm playing him, we're not even playing the same game. He wants to know if I want any tips. I say, "Sure". He begins to show me stuff. And, I show up the next day, remembering the stuff and able to execute it. So, he shows me more. That lasted a few days, and he asked me if I ever heard of a tournament in Johnston City. I say, "No."
Well, he's headed there to compete in that tournament, and that's the last I ever saw of him.
I now could beat anyone I ever played in 9 ball.
So, a guy and his buddy are playing 9 ball on a table in the row in front of mine (first row, by the cashier). They ask if we want to play 3-way, $5 a person. I say, "Sure.". Never played 3 way before, but figured I was better than both of them together.
We played, and I went up $20 or so. Then, I just could not win. I lost $60 and quit. I went to close out on my time., and the old-timer manager asked, "You do know you just got hustled?"
Well, no. He pointed out situations where I had no shot, made a reasonably good safe, the next guy looked as if he was shooting safe but left the next guy out.
Hit me like a brick wall. To this day, I have issues with 9 ball. I play 8 ball pretty good, because I see patterns pretty good. I hope this post is therapy and I catch up my 9 ball game to my 8 ball game.
Dang, it was tough being young and naïve.
It was June or July 1971 and I was 17 and headed to college. There was a relatively new pool hall open in a basement of a Strip Center on Franklin Rd. in Nashville. (May have been 8th Avenue, but I think the same Rd.) I think it was called "Gold Crown Billiards". There was the cashier to the left as you got to the bottom of the stairs. I'm older now, so I'm thinking there were 19 Gandy Big G's covered in gold cloth (actually, back then, felt). Four in a row, five rows...but, there was a 5x10 snooker table in the 2nd row on the left for a Golf game every afternoon. That was covered in green felt. (I was told it was $100 game, but since that was way beyond my means, I'm not sure what that meant.)
I was going to college a month early in August to be part of a "highly promising" group they were going to track for 4 years. So, naturally, I spent as much time as I could practicing/playing pool. There was never anyone in there at that time of the afternoon except me. And, depending upon how early or late I got there, the Golf guys. One owned the Karate studio.
So, one day I go in and see someone else practicing. I'm guessing 20s, and I'm pretty sure, but no more than early 30s. He's practicing 9 Ball, but he breaks soft, which I had never seen before. So, I'm watching off and on but mostly just banging balls, like most 17 year olds.
(As an aside, I had been told by older players I had a "great stroke". Plus, I had taken a few lessons from a 70-something 3 Cushion player at the upstairs 21st Century Billiards on 21st in Nashville.)
So, the 20-something guy comes over to me and asks if I want to practice some together. I said, "Sure". Dang. Now that I'm playing him, we're not even playing the same game. He wants to know if I want any tips. I say, "Sure". He begins to show me stuff. And, I show up the next day, remembering the stuff and able to execute it. So, he shows me more. That lasted a few days, and he asked me if I ever heard of a tournament in Johnston City. I say, "No."
Well, he's headed there to compete in that tournament, and that's the last I ever saw of him.
I now could beat anyone I ever played in 9 ball.
So, a guy and his buddy are playing 9 ball on a table in the row in front of mine (first row, by the cashier). They ask if we want to play 3-way, $5 a person. I say, "Sure.". Never played 3 way before, but figured I was better than both of them together.
We played, and I went up $20 or so. Then, I just could not win. I lost $60 and quit. I went to close out on my time., and the old-timer manager asked, "You do know you just got hustled?"
Well, no. He pointed out situations where I had no shot, made a reasonably good safe, the next guy looked as if he was shooting safe but left the next guy out.
Hit me like a brick wall. To this day, I have issues with 9 ball. I play 8 ball pretty good, because I see patterns pretty good. I hope this post is therapy and I catch up my 9 ball game to my 8 ball game.
Dang, it was tough being young and naïve.
