Francisco Bustamante stories

[patmoran]

CJ Wiley said on a podcast that the only time he was ever intimidated playing pool was against Busty in Chicago for 14 k.
It was a time CJ was riding high and feeling confident with scores against Efren and Mark Tadd who was one of if not the most feared gambler at that time.
CJ said he ran the first eight racks on a tight table, missed and Busty ran nine racks and went on to win the match.
It was only a few years earlier and new in the U.S. when he played Johnny Archer a best of three races to twelve. Archer runs out the first set and Francisco asks him to double the bet. Archer wisely refuses losing the next two sets.
Many pool players and athletes in other sports are at their best when ahead but not so much when the pressures mount when losing. One of the best comebacks ever in any sporting match was Efren rallying from a 106 to 89 deficit against Earl in the race to 120. For two and a half days Earl had his way and you could sense the resignation on the faces of Efren’s supporters. Efren never showed any give up. He got his break working finally and slowly chipped away and won the match. Earl shot well ( while Efren astonishingly missed with ball in hand while ar 117).
Efren and Busty are joined at the hip as pool players. Like twin brothers from different mothers as they say or a 1 and 1a entry in a horse race which would be my ticket. I have no argument against Earl or Buddy being the best ever nine ball player but if they are gambling I got Efren or Busty.
In fact Earl was in the Philippines last year and lost to busty in a race to 90 before playing alcano who he lost to and I believe Kiamco as well.
I would like to hear any stories you may have.
Cheers!

 

[bbb]

Heard busty has his visa in order and plans to play in buffalo’s onepocket in may

 

[GoldCrown]

Heard busty has his visa in order and plans to play in buffalo’s onepocket in may

He was at Tacony Billiards with Efren years ago … fun watching both of them

 

[maha]

two of the best nine ball and all around players that ever lived. you can argue better but cant prove that.

 

[ShootingArts]

I always felt that Bustamonte had a huge respect for Efren and if Efren was looking like winning first place Bustamonte was content to be second. Francisco always seemed to play just a little better when he and Efren were in different places. Not a matter of heart but respect.

May be the same story as above with a slightly different version, Bustamonte's opponent in a gambling match won the first break and ran out the set for $3500. Busty put up his money again. The other player was astonished. Francisco just said he hadn't shot yet.

Hu

 

[straightline]

That's the way I heard it. Archer stacked 13 and Django (never met 'im lol) said play again. Sounds about right though. Back then at HT, those two might've had a couple hundred K on tap.

 

[Double-Dave]

I was able to share a nice dinner with Efren, Earl and Bustamente when they were over in Germany a couple years ago.

That was great fun and they shared a lot of stories.

From what they told Efren and Busti shared all costs and winnings when they were travelling together. Over the years Efren did win more so that was good for Busti but to be able to share hotel costs and always have someone there that has you back and pick off a tournament when you're having a bad day was really good for Efren aswell.

I'm sitting next to Efren here. Tobias Hoiss is also at the table along with the rest of the doubledavecues.com team.

I always felt that Bustamonte had a huge respect for Efren and if Efren was looking like winning first place Bustamonte was content to be second. Francisco always seemed to play just a little better when he and Efren were in different places. Not a matter of heart but respect.

May be the same story as above with a slightly different version, Bustamonte's opponent in a gambling match won the first break and ran out the set for $3500. Busty put up his money again. The other player was astonished. Francisco just said he hadn't shot yet.

Hu

 

[easy-e]

I love all of these old gambling stories where neither player missed a ball for the whole set, ran 8 and 9 racks, etc. I'd like to see the videos, since all of the old accu-stats matches make their games look a little different than their memories do.

 

[u12armresl]

I love all of these old gambling stories where neither player missed a ball for the whole set, ran 8 and 9 racks, etc. I'd like to see the videos, since all of the old accu-stats matches make their games look a little different than their memories do.

It was a CJ story, so take the racks run and cut them in half.

 

[ShootingArts]

I love all of these old gambling stories where neither player missed a ball for the whole set, ran 8 and 9 racks, etc. I'd like to see the videos, since all of the old accu-stats matches make their games look a little different than their memories do.

I have told this tale before so I will try to keep it short. Bobby had cut a deal to swap eighteen wheeler transmissions and came to me for help. Working in gravel parking lots and with just a floor jack and piece of plywood we were going to pull four transmissions, put two in the other trucks. After two or three days on this project daylight to dark we stopped for a beer on the way home. Bobby and I had banged balls around on pool tables so I went to the pool table to stick some quarters in.

Two guys came up, wanted to play partners eight ball for a beer. Sure, why not. They won the coin flip and one of them broke dry. Bobby ran out from their break, dead cold and with arms that had to be as sore as mine from fighting those diesels with nothing but hand tools, no air or electric help. He ran seven more racks and halfway through the ninth before I got up. When he missed I cleaned up that rack and halfway through the next. When the other guys quit I had gotten up twice and and we had won thirteen games. I hadn't ran a full rack.

We were doing the transmission work dirt cheap. As we walked out the door I said, "Bobby, we have to talk." Two days later we took off on the road. My plan was simple, let Bobby do the heavy lifting and I would take whatever came my way on the side and bat clean-up if we got in partners action. I don't think Bobby strung two racks together in two weeks and I did all of the heavy lifting! So much for my easy money plan.

I have seen video of more strung but the run out from the dry break and seven racks from the break remains the most runs I have seen personally. I don't even know what my high run is. I was gambling and high runs wasn't what gambling was about, maximizing profit was.

Some of the pool stories do sound a lot like racing stories some car owners told. I was the driver involved, the stories sounded mighty good, but they were just fairy tales or highly enhanced at best. I forget the player now, but there was a string of about a dozen break and runs, a full set, in competition on youtube. Most of the stories I lump into the pile, could have happened, probably didn't.

Hu

 

[kingwang]

while Efren astonishingly missed with ball in hand while ar 117

@patmoran do you have a link to when this happened? I was looking for it, but it doesn't happen when Efren had 117 wins, nor does it happen at rack #117. Here's a video of days 1 and 2 and here's a video of day 3.

 

[ahk10]

@patmoran do you have a link to when this happened? I was looking for it, but it doesn't happen when Efren had 117 wins, nor does it happen at rack #117. Here's a video of days 1 and 2 and here's a video of day 3.

At 118-117 Efren misses the 2 with ball in hand (about 4:35:00 into the day 3 video)

 

[jay helfert]

I love all of these old gambling stories where neither player missed a ball for the whole set, ran 8 and 9 racks, etc. I'd like to see the videos, since all of the old accu-stats matches make their games look a little different than their memories do.

The best pool I've ever seen played took place in gambling matches. When great players got down in the dirt and played for hours until someone dropped than you saw some astonishing pool being played. They were playing for more than money. They were playing to prove who was the best! Yes, Johnny Archer ran 13 racks on Busty and yes Busty won the next set and Johnny quit. It wasn't at Hard Times. I believe this happened at Starchers in Akron, Ohio.

All that said, Earl would regularly string five, six and seven racks in tournament matches and leave his opponent in the dust! He had the biggest game of them all and we all knew it. The only man I ever saw make a 9' table look like a bar table. That was Earl in his prime!

 

[patmoran]

That's the way I heard it. Archer stacked 13 and Django (never met 'im lol) said play again. Sounds about right though. Back then at HT, those two might've had a couple hundred K on tap.

They were races to 13. I said 12 and stand corrected. More impressive,

 

[patmoran]

At 118-117 Efren misses the 2 with ball in hand (about 4:35:00 into the day 3 video)

Thanks for pointing to it at 118. My bad.

 

[straightline]

They were races to 13. I said 12 and stand corrected. More impressive,

I get my pool news third hand anymore lol. I heard or presumed Hard Times, Jay Helfert says it wasn't Hard Times... At least it happened. Lol...

It's also said Dennis Orcollo was about to slam the door on Ko Pin Yi and Ko ran maybe 12 racks to win the tournament.

 

[u12armresl]

I want to say this was in St. Charles Pheasant Run. I had a local guy in the tournament, and several of the IN contingency made the trip.

 

[u12armresl]

The best pool I've ever seen played took place in gambling matches. When great players got down in the dirt and played for hours until someone dropped than you saw some astonishing pool being played. They were playing for more than money. They were playing to prove who was the best! Yes, Johnny Archer ran 13 racks on Busty and yes Busty won the next set and Johnny quit. It wasn't at Hard Times. I believe this happened at Starchers in Akron, Ohio.

All that said, Earl would regularly string five, six and seven racks in tournament matches and leave his opponent in the dust! He had the biggest game of them all and we all knew it. The only man I ever saw make a 9' table look like a bar table. That was Earl in his prime!

Sorry Jay, I started a new post and should have added to this one. I thought it was at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL.

 

[jay helfert]

Sorry Jay, I started a new post and should have added to this one. I thought it was at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL.

I think not.

 

[patmoran]

An article regarding the Archer- Francisco match:
This month, our story is from the Scorpion himself, Johnny Archer.

It was in Toledo, Ohio, right after the Glass City Open Tournament, either 1992 or 1993.

Francisco Bustamante had just started coming over to America and playing the tournaments. Johnny Archer, on the other hand, was on top of the World at this point in his career.

Johnny and Francisco discussed gambling and finally decided on a game: race to 13 for $2,500.

Bustamante beat Johnny Archer the first set, 13-8. Johnny is down $2,500 and decides to play Bustamante again. They lag, and Johnny wins the lag. Johnny breaks and runs the first rack. Then, he broke and ran the next rack and then the next rack! Before you know it, the score is 5-0 and Francisco has been able to do nothing but watch. Johnny continues to break and run racks until he has won the set by running 13 racks in a row! Bustamante never made it to the table! Johnny was exhilarated after such a great run and the railbirds were going nuts. Amidst all of the excitement of this 13 rack run, Bustamante slides out of his chair and walks over to the pool table. Certainly he is coming to congratulate Johnny and call it quits after watching Johnny run so many racks.

Instead, Francisco calmly asks Johnny if he wants to double the bet! Double the bet? After watching his opponent run 13 racks, Bustamante wanted to double the bet!