Fever

peteypooldude

peteypooldude

I see Edges
Silver Member
When did you really get the pool fever,Mine came in the 80;s when I first went to a real poolroom,It was called Caswell Billiards in Whiteville NC.Reid Caswell was an older man who ran this poolroom since the 40s,it was up a long flight of stairs, and mosconi and most of the legends in that day had visited.It had Brunswick tables from the 40s and cigarette burns all over the floor underneath the tables and a great player in his time Larry Fisher racking the balls for everyone. Mr reid would take pill bottles and shake you for anything in the room rather it be a meucci or a drink and you paid nothing if you won and double if you lost,He had amos and andy boards and stories that I could listen to all day from mosconi running 150 upstairs and going to wilmington and setting his 526 ball record,Mr Reid died about 15 years ago and the old poolroom died with him,its where I bought my first cue (a mali)and caught the Fever
 
Mine was in the late 80s when I was stationed overseas. We worked 12 hour shifts but played pool about 4 or 5 of those hours. I got really involved when I read Jack White's book. He is quite the salesman.

On a side note, as of yesterday I was finally able to replace my lost copy of "Come Let Us to Billiards Away". Thanks Mr Lee for pointing me in the right direction.
 
I got dragged by friends from work to bang 'em around on the barbox and that was it. They commented I seemed to have a knack for it so I grew it and they kind of stopped playing as much while I started spending all my free time there.

Wasn't that long ago, and I can't say there's anything famous about our pool hall except it was in an old church and we once had mike massey do an exhibition there. Miss the place.
 
Dan...The FEVER hit me the first time I saw Jack White play, at my college, in little bitty Gunnison CO...now almost 40 years ago! Those were the days! Glad you were able to replace your book!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

NewStroke said:
Mine was in the late 80s when I was stationed overseas. We worked 12 hour shifts but played pool about 4 or 5 of those hours. I got really involved when I read Jack White's book. He is quite the salesman.

On a side note, as of yesterday I was finally able to replace my lost copy of "Come Let Us to Billiards Away". Thanks Mr Lee for pointing me in the right direction.
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When I first looked at a pool table.

peteypooldude said:
When did you really get the pool fever,Mine came in the 80;s when I first went to a real poolroom,It was called Caswell Billiards in Whiteville NC.Reid Caswell was an older man who ran this poolroom since the 40s,it was up a long flight of stairs, and mosconi and most of the legends in that day had visited.It had Brunswick tables from the 40s and cigarette burns all over the floor underneath the tables and a great player in his time Larry Fisher racking the balls for everyone. Mr reid would take pill bottles and shake you for anything in the room rather it be a meucci or a drink and you paid nothing if you won and double if you lost,He had amos and andy boards and stories that I could listen to all day from mosconi running 150 upstairs and going to wilmington and setting his 526 ball record,Mr Reid died about 15 years ago and the old poolroom died with him,its where I bought my first cue (a mali)and caught the Fever
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My dad would take me along to the bars when I was just a kid about 11. I could reach up the hole and get the balls out for free so I became dads go to the bar buddy. This was accepted in the areas of Wis I lived in back then. The bars were a normal part of the whole town. All 450 of us.

I was instantly fascinated with the pool balls and the colors. We always played caroms on a board at home with little sticks so I had an idea about angles and banks.

The first time I tried to hit some balls my dad and uncle were amazed that I made most of the balls.

My father instantly made me his pool league partner. I got to play once a week during the winter.

When I was 16 he bought a table at wards. A month later they kicked me out of the pool league.

My father never let me go to the pool hall in town. By the time I turned 18 there was no pool hall. By now we lived in Eau Claire ,Wi. A little bigger town of about 50,000. The pool hall had created some pretty good players.

A friend of mine that I met at that time saw that I could play and lined up a match with every single player in the area one at a time. He got half the money of course.

Then I went on the road to Madison and ran into Jerry Brieseth and took a quick 30 minute lesson on how to really stroke the cue. After that there was no stopping. I was on the road off and on for the next 15 years.

A tough life sometimes but I wouldn't change it for the world.

I'd have to say that first road trip did it for me. What fun. I couldn't believe it. And you could even make money doing this.

Then the fun really began because it was a game in itself to get a game and then get the cash.

Unbelievable fun...................
 
When I was in my teens my cousin was in town and we went to a late show for something to do. It was in the early 60's. Went to the local dive theater and at the time they were showing 3 features and we went because it was the best bargain. Didn't really care what the movies were and didn't pay any attention to the titles.

The first movie was "Walk on the Wild Side". The second was "The Hustler". Both movies were starting to make the rounds to the local theaters and at the time I don't think either were on the must see movie list. After that opening hustle scene I was hooked.

Don't remember the third movie and I think I fell asleep during it.
 
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