60's- 90's
Pool rooms were illegal n Texas when the Hustler came out. They had to be private
clubs. They sprang up everywhere. I had over 20 membership cards from Dallas
clubs alone. The 60s,70s had by far the most easy action. Everyone wanted to
be like Paul Newman. People who could not hit the end rail gambled. At the Cotton
Palace I can think of 20 or so full time pool hustlers, and that is just one place. The
place was so packed with players,stake horses, sweaters, etc you literally had to
part the crowd to shoot. That's just one place, every pool room had them.
Everyone wanted to live a little bit on the edge.
Up scale rooms started, with restaurants, dress codes, no gambling, cussing, ladies
welcome, blah, blah, blah. They all went busted. Some players would hit the bars
and there would be 20 quarters lined up with everyone gambling, play until 2;00 am
when they closed then head for some all night pool room. It slowly started dying out
as cheap tournaments, and leagues started. To get any real competition you had to
gamble, but then the easy scores (the ones that kept money in your pocket) could
get their play out playing all night a cheap tournament, or league. Then TCOM gave
it a boost but for me it was never like the 60s and 70s. I like a lot of the old timers
miss those times. You were one of those guys that the nice people whispered about
you were part of something very unique, living on your wits, flush one day busted
the next with no worries, you knew you pump right back up,or move back in with
mom. Seems like so many today want to make pool a true gentlemen game, but
that was tried when it was at its peak and it didn't work and it never will. I don't
think pool would have boomed if Paul Newman wearing a bowling shirt, leaped from
his chair after Fats busted him, ran over and gave him a hardy hand shake (with
eye contact) and told him what a great match, and what a truly fine fellow he was.
Naw, he passed out drunk, falling on the floor, probably in his own waste, Yeah
and we loved it.
jack