Favorite Moment in Pool

The moment that stands out in my mind is a big eight ball tournament that I lost my very first match in but played all the way through the losers side and faced one of my mentors in the final match.

I had grown up watching this guy play, traveled with him, practiced with him, etc. he was a very strong player and well known in the Midwest, so anyway I beat him the first match so we had one more to play and I overhead him tell a friend of mine 'I don't think I can beat him' that statement rang in my ears like sweet music, this guy had come to respect and even fear my game a little.

Well I know you all think I won but I didn't, he beat me 5-4 in the final match and I got second but it was a defining moment in my pool career and I did end up beating him in some later tournaments.

That was my first big tournament way up in the money and the first time I realized the teacher had come to respect the student.
 
'Charlie Brown' and I played a cheap set of 1 pocket every time I came into Baker's Billiards in Fontana,Ca. He gave me 10-8, and he let me get close many times. But I finally got him one day with no mistakes on my part. Pretty sure he didn't dump.
Jay, if you're reading this, do you know CB?
 
shut down a pool hall in Atlanta

Hard to call anything a defining moment but one thing that was entertaining was when I shut down a pool hall in Atlanta many years ago. I was flying back to New Orleans and got to Atlanta with an hour to kill. My ride knew where a pretty ratty old hall was so we went there, my kind of place!

Atlanta was outside my stomping grounds so stalling wasn't in the program and I was just playing my ride for grins so I gave him the usual spot I gave bangers at eight ball then although he was a notch or two above banger. Legal banks and combinations for me and he was playing plain eight ball. We had grabbed cues off the wall and I was mostly getting out in one or two innings.

I was into the games and didn't notice a small crowd gathering until I looked up and saw that play had stopped at all other tables and everyone was watching my play. Folks were very excited and wanted to know who I was, they were sure I must be somebody. I had to tell them the truth, I was nobody and everybody in South Louisiana played like that back then.

Hu
 
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