gambling stories

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wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am always interested in gambling stories involving pool. I wish there were more books written by great shooters about their adventures. I am starting this thread in the hopes that some of the pool fans out there will relate some of the stories they know. Thank you all. :cool:
 
wahcheck said:
I am always interested in gambling stories involving pool. I wish there were more books written by great shooters about their adventures. I am starting this thread in the hopes that some of the pool fans out there will relate some of the stories they know. Thank you all. :cool:
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There used to be a guy who came into the pool room we called the whale (Not big Steve from NJ). He was a race track degenerate and a good bar table player. I am in a bar one night and he comes in from the dog track broke as usual. There is a challenge game going on on the pool table and he takes a quarter from my change on the bar and puts in up on the table. When he is up the guy who has the table says "Play for five" The whale says sounds good and they play. Luckily he wins the first game and keeps the table. One of the players wants to raise the bet and they end up playing heads up for the rest of the night. The whale wins like $200. and it is closing time. The guy asks whale if he wants to go somewhere and play some knock poker. To make a long story short whale beats the guy for about a thousand and over the next few weeks about $30,000. all from a borrowed quarter.
 
DeadAim said:
Another one.

It’s 1967, Memphis Tenn.; still 18 (I aged gracefully) :D and by myself.

I’m playing 9 ball against the “local hero”. In the “olden” days we use to play 9 ball and spotted the 9 when it was made; so it was possible to win a considerable amount of money in just one game.

The bet was $100 a game, we never heard of “races to….” back then; the guy was a real wise a##. I won the first six games and due to the type of game we played (spotting the 9, he made some 9's) I was $600 up. Naturally, he was one of those “I always win so I don’t need money” players; he only had $400. I really got peeved, 18 and alone but I still blew a fuse. I said; I’ll take your stick for the other 200 (it was a 9mm tip snooker cue with two shafts, one 3 inches longer made in France). He said, “okay”. I took the stick and decided to really fix this guys a##, in front of all his friends I threw the $400 on the table and told him “you couldn’t bet me in a million years because you don’t know how to play the game”. I immediately left before the humiliation began to sink in.

Another one of those “stick and move” days, you do a lot of sticking and moving when you're on the road :p You don’t hang around and wait for congratulations to be handed out to you.

Joe R.
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1967, $100. a game? Are you sure you haven't adjusted the money involved in that story for inflation? I played on the road a lot back then and $5.00 or $10.00 a game was what you usually played for if you were lucky. $2.00 wasn't out of the question. Remember, gas was like .35 cents a gallon and a motel room $6.00 to $15.00 a night. You could come home with a pretty good bank roll easily in a few weeks. Although you may get the bet up betting on the side with multiple people a $100. a game bet with one guy was very rare.
 
Hey Joe,

Blytheville Arkansas huh! You weren't by any chance stationed there in the Air Force were you? I was there in 90-91 when it was called Eaker AFB and it closed the end of 91. Middle of no-where or so it felt but a lot of good times.

Regards,
Koop
 
DeadAim said:
Well Mac,

Here I go.

It's always sad to be a WEAKER player and have to play small time pool, I grew up in Wilkes-Barre playing pool with Lou Butera; I came out of the box playing for big stakes. If you don't like the stories I'm sorry but they are TRUE, I don't know where you played pool but it CERTAINLY wasn't big time; I saw many single games for thousands of dollars back in the 60's. At the age of 13 I was playing rotation for nickles, dimes, and quarters a game, then; moved into the bigger stakes games with the "big guys" (meaning people out of school with jobs); graduating to multi spot 9 ball for 5 or 10 dollars with REAL gamblers. Did you ever see a REAL gambler Mac? They DON'T gamble for nickels and dimes.

Joe R.
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Sorry if I offend you. I used to hang around the congress billiards in Miami one of the top actions rooms in the country at that time . Yes there was a lot of big action there. I watched Mike Caralla play $3000. a game 9-ball with Larry Huberd and $100. a game was common there. Your story involved being on the road playing a sucker and they did not bet much. There is a guy around here that likes to tell about playing Straight pool for $300. a game getting 100 to 60 with Hopkins. The problem with the story is, I was there and he was getting 100 to 40 and they were playing for $40.00 a game. I don't think he himself even knows what the truth is anymore. No offense I was just goofing with you but serious to a degree. Another guy likes to tell a story that actually happened to me he has just forgotten where he heard it as has now made himself the star of the story. I always laugh when I hear him tell it. I have found that pretty common, the story is true but didn't happen to one telling it. What ever no harm done.
 
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Ever get ready to play someone and they start telling you how playing pool put them through college? Then you start playing them and they can't make 3 balls? That is kind of what happened to me. I used to be a pretty fair player in my teens and very early 20's. I used to go to this club where they had pool tables in the back and two bars and a dance floor in the front. The place was called Frenchies and it was in Hayward Ca. I think Earth Wind and Fire got their start there. I used to go early and play pool for a $1 a game and make enough to drink and party for the rest of the night.

I didn't play again until I was 33. I was working out with a fellow martial arts instructor at his house. He had a pool table and we took a break from the martial arts and played a game of pool. I told him that I used to play pretty sporty. I couldn't make a ball and I was so embarrassed, I haven't stopped playing since and I'm 54 now. I can make 3 balls in a row now, maybe even more on a good day.
 
Any good stakehorse stories out there? For example, like the one where Paul Newman was staking Tom Cruise and left the poolroom, so when it was time for Cruise to pay off his debt, he didn't have the money.

I remember a stakehorse who took a dinner break. His horse was getting the seven from a top Atlanta hustler for 1,000 a set in the late 80's (no, it wasn't the young Archer) and doing rather well. The stakehorse's instructions to his horse were "under no circumstances are you to adjust the game while I'm gone." To his disgust, when he returned from dinner, his horse was playing with the eight and had raised the bet, and he gave back everything he'd won. Big fight broke out between the stakehorse and his horse when it was over.

Aslo interesting is when a horse or stakehorse doesn't show for a pre-arranged match. Happened one time in the late 70's (my best guess is 1979). Steve "Stevie Wonder" Dobrowoski had arranged to gamble at nine ball with Ray Martin one night in Philadelphia, and the stakehorses each posted $1,000 a day earlier. This was a "freeze out" situation, meaning the stake would be forfeited if the player didn't show. I went to watch the match, but there was nothing to watch, Ray Martin didn't show up and the stake was forfeited. Stakehorse didn't look all that happy about things.

Just taking note of the fact that stakehorses are part of the action scene, and stakehorse stories are often very interesting and/or amusing.
 
DeadAim said:
Now that that's over with, let's get on with the stories.

1979, Holiday Inn, NYC US OPEN 14.1

Rempe loses to Balsis who loses to Sigel, good job Mike; he shot great.

That night we're all in the Holiday Inn Bar, drunk as skunks; we're all drinking Martini's.

Ray Martin's wife is dancing on top of the piano.

I'm in the middle of Ray Martin and Willie Mosconi, we're doing a Radio City Music Hall dance routine where we move side to side kicking out legs up in the air in front of us like the "Rockeets". I don't remember much but I did see Rempe holding his forehead in the palms of his hands and shaking his head back and forth in disgust/awe/whatever. :eek:

A lot more happened as I moved "downtown" to the 42nd street area, but all that's in the police report :D

Joe
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Great story, Deadaim. That's the year Margo ran all those 100's, right? I can walk to that Holiday Inn from my apartment in under three minutes. Who says poolplayers aren't party animals?
 
DeadAim said:
Yapper,

I stayed there until Dec of 68'.

I was the only pool player with any talent at the base so I traveled alone. Bought myself an old junk car and after work drove to surrounding areas to shoot pool, on week ends I would travel as far as New Orleans to play. Played in all the Southern States, up to Chicago, St. Louis; down to Texas and West to Kansas City, Kansas. Played some in California but only when I was on leave there.

Between Florida to Kansas, Texas to Illinois I played in every pool hall I could find; mostly for 5's and 10's as Mac said, but many times for in excess of $100 a game.

If I had not joined the service I probably would not have been able to get this experience.

I'm pretty hard on Mac, but I get Pi##ed off when people call me a liar; and I'm not sorry for saying it either.

Edits start here:

Okay, I won't delete my last sentence; but I just read Mac's reply and he was just "jerking me around"; that's okay :D Pool players are allowed to jerk each other around, I think that's what we do best :rolleyes:

But I AM a SERIOUS player, I'm NOT an APA 6 or 7 or whatever; I shoot pool with Jim Rempe and I BEAT him from time to time, not just a game, matches. He is my teacher and I respect his ability but MY object is to WIN. If anyone reads my posts they can see I KNOW what I'm talking about, and very rarely respond to posts like this; but I thought that people might like to read some humerous stories about SOME of my pool experiences.

Joe
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I mentioned Mike Caralla in the other post. He was an unbelievable player who if he had not been killed would have taken 9-ball to another level much as Efrin did. If you get the DiLiberto book I am sure there will be a lot about Mike in there. Danny hung around the Congress for about 15 years and during the time when the Congress was at it's height. He had a lot to do with Mikes playing. Regarding the Larry Hubbard story, I don't think he knew Mike and really had no real Idea what he was like to play with. They started playing and wanted to bet on the side. They had loads of money with them and got all the action they wanted. I can only guess how much was being bet on the side maybe $3000. to $4000. At one point in the session Hubbard won about 10 games in a row and Hubbard and his entourage were feeling pretty good, laughing collecting all their money, probably wondering what a bunch of suckers they had wandered into as people kept betting. At one point Hubbard scratched on a 9-ball. They were playing push-out and the ball spotted up and you shoot from behind the line. The cue ball hardly reached the ball box and Carella is at the head of the table ready to shoot. He fired in the spot shot in with like two strokes and began running racks. Within the next hour or so he went from 10 or 12 games down to even then ahead. Over the next two nights he beat Hubbard and his backers for an huge amount of money. I just remember Mike hitting that spot shot with the confidence of a player that was 10 games up, not 10 games down and playing for that kind of money. He was an amazing and fearless player.
 
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DeadAim said:
I AM a SERIOUS player, I'm NOT an APA 6 or 7 or whatever; I shoot pool with Jim Rempe and I BEAT him from time to time, not just a game, matches. He is my teacher and I respect his ability but MY object is to WIN. If anyone reads my posts they can see I KNOW what I'm talking about, and very rarely respond to posts like this; but I thought that people might like to read some humerous stories about SOME of my pool experiences.
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No need for you to play defense here, Deadaim. The quality and content of your posts show they can only be those of a serious player and true scholar of pool, its theory, and its history. I know you've only joined the forum fairly recently, but I think you've been a wonderful addition. I appreciate that you're willing to share your vast knowledge and experience with me and so many others on this foru, andf look forward to many more of your superb posts.
 
First time I ever saw Cliff Joiner he came down to a Pro event at the Wagon Wheel in Atlanta. He was traveling with a really rough crowd of stake horses. They were willing to bet just about any amount on anything. When they couldn't get any more action on Cliff and after they were really drunk, one of them got bets up that he could stand on top of one side of the dumpster and and take a leak across it without one drop hitting it. He won the bet. Next time we saw Cliff we asked him where his backers were and he said those guys were crazy and he had to get away from them.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
 
Here is another non-pool gambling thing that happened at the pool room I used to own. One of my regulars liked to bet $100 against $20 that no one could drink a full gallon of whole milk within one hour and still have hold it down when the hour is up. One after another they couldn't finish it or threw it up before the hour was up. Once my partners son came walking up to a group standing outside and said, 'What's up?" About that time the latest mark turned around and threw up all over him.
Well a larger guy who hung around offered to put up $10 against the guys $50 that he could do it. The guy insisted it be $20 against $100, not $10 against $50. Well the big guy wasn't the smartest guy around and finally said, "Okay I will just bet you $10 even then."
They got the gallon of milk which he drank down pretty fast. Then he played pool and went on like business as usual until the hour was up. He got his $10 and went directly up the street to Subway and bought a foot long sub and a 32 ounce coke to celebrate. He ate it all and never complained one bit. All for $10 bucks.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
 
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cueman said:
Here is another non-pool gambling thing that happened at the pool room I used to own. One of my regulars liked to bet $100 against $20 that no one could drink a full gallon of whole milk within one hour and still have hold it down when the hour is up. One after another they couldn't finish it or threw it up before the hour was up. Once my partners so cam walking up to a group standing outside and said, 'What's up?" About that time the latest mark turned around and threw up all over him.
Well a larger guy who hung around offered to put up $10 against the guys $50 that he could do it. The guy insisted it be $20 against $100, not $10 against $50. Well the big guy wasn't the smartest guy around and finally said, "Okay I will just bet you $10 even then."
They got the gallon of milk which he drank down pretty fast. Then he played pool and went on like business as usual until the hour was up. He got his $10 and went directly up the street to Subway and bought a foot long sub and a 32 ounce coke to celebrate. He ate it all and never complained one bit. All for $10 bucks.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
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Our esteemed and greatly missed friend Larry Lisciotti was often associated with the milk huslte, too.
 
Blytheville

DDKoop said:
Hey Joe,

Blytheville Arkansas huh! You weren't by any chance stationed there in the Air Force were you? I was there in 90-91 when it was called Eaker AFB and it closed the end of 91. Middle of no-where or so it felt but a lot of good times.

Regards,
Koop
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Did you play at Pastime Billiards in Blytheville? I live only about an hour and a half from there in Poplar Bluff, MO and played down there a few times when I was younger. I haven't been playing pool nearly that long but I heard the action used to be good in Blytheville. Gary Crumb used to gamble some around there and has been there for years. He has owned a fitness center there for years. Did you play many other places in this area?

Chuck Raulston
 
Chuck Raulston said:
Did you play at Pastime Billiards in Blytheville? I live only about an hour and a half from there in Poplar Bluff, MO and played down there a few times when I was younger. I haven't been playing pool nearly that long but I heard the action used to be good in Blytheville. Gary Crumb used to gamble some around there and has been there for years. He has owned a fitness center there for years. Did you play many other places in this area?

Chuck Raulston
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Hey Chuck,

Sad to say but I really didn't know the first thing about pool while I was there. My next duty station was in upstate New York and that's where my addiction started. I did however wind up in Poplar Bluff a couple of times. I was only 18-19 years old so wherever the guys said there were good looking women, that's where we went :-)

Dave
 
the lion roared

That's right....it's in the late 90's at JOB billiards in Nashville, back when they had camel pro tournaments there. Two young players were there but weren't old enough yet to play on the camel tour. There names, Corey Duel and Alex Pagulyan. Well, if you all have ever been to JOB's you will know that there used to be a tight diamond that was right to your left when you walk in. There, on that table, Alex decides to bet everything he has playing the 10 ball ghost, only there was a stipulations, he could not make the 10 on the break, if he made more than one ball on the break they spotted up, and i believe but am not sure, he could make no 10 ball combo's either. (if anyone was there they can help my memory). So, he agree's to play 8 ahead for like 7 or 8 thousand i believe. He starts play and is stuck 6 games in about 40 mins. He ask Corey to go out to the car and get him a t-shirt and some baby powder. When Corey comes back he says "alright, i got my t-shirt and baby powder, i'll let you suckers out right now for half of the bet" remember, he is stuck 6 games playing 8 ahead. Long story short, they should of took him up on his offer, because about 7 hours later he beats the ghost and win's the cheese. Guess the lion is the king of the jungle after all eh?
 
Thanks again

1on1pooltournys said:
That's right....it's in the late 90's at JOB billiards in Nashville, back when they had camel pro tournaments there. Two young players were there but weren't old enough yet to play on the camel tour. There names, Corey Duel and Alex Pagulyan. Well, if you all have ever been to JOB's you will know that there used to be a tight diamond that was right to your left when you walk in. There, on that table, Alex decides to bet everything he has playing the 10 ball ghost, only there was a stipulations, he could not make the 10 on the break, if he made more than one ball on the break they spotted up, and i believe but am not sure, he could make no 10 ball combo's either. (if anyone was there they can help my memory). So, he agree's to play 8 ahead for like 7 or 8 thousand i believe. He starts play and is stuck 6 games in about 40 mins. He ask Corey to go out to the car and get him a t-shirt and some baby powder. When Corey comes back he says "alright, i got my t-shirt and baby powder, i'll let you suckers out right now for half of the bet" remember, he is stuck 6 games playing 8 ahead. Long story short, they should of took him up on his offer, because about 7 hours later he beats the ghost and win's the cheese. Guess the lion is the king of the jungle after all eh?
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Thanks again to all of you who related some stories in this thread....I thought I'd tell a few that I HEARD about but cannot be sure about...for instance....
Was it true that Earl Strickland matched up with Morro Paez in Las Vegas many years ago for a 20,000 dollar set (Morro got the 8-ball) and won in a breeze? Heard this one on one of the Accu-stats videos...Grady Matthews once beat somebody out of 10 thousand at pool, but didn't get paid right away...when Grady got back to his hotel room he gets a phone call from the guy who owes him the money...the guy says, "Grady, will you take $7,000 instead of $10,000?" Grady says, "OK", (because he wants to be paid), and then the guy says, "Thanks a lot, Grady, I owe you 7,000," and hangs up.
 
`King `James Rempe`

DeadAim said:
It’s 1966, Blytheville Arkansas; I’m 18 years old, by myself, and a good “ole” boy from Northeast Pennsylvania.

This is short and sweet.

I played snooker on 6 x 12 table all day long and into the night against some of the worse Yankee haters I’ve yet to meet, could have been my imagination since I was still young.

Anyway, it’s two o’clock in the morning and I’m $1800 ahead; and locals have developed a distinct dislike for me. I had to go to the restroom to relieve my tensions, I was only 18 but still knew this is not a good situation. The restroom had one of those old style fogged windows, so I opened it, crawled out, and ran for my life (at least I thought); unfortunately, I left my cue behind; but the bottom line is at least I’m here in one piece to tell the story.

Joe R.
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Howdy Jim,
U are not Joe.I recognize that photo and the the stories.You are the hall fame ,Ambassador of pool,`King James Rempe``.I am glad that u choose to post here.Cheers
Vagabond
 
vagabond said:
Howdy Jim,
U are not Joe.I recognize that photo and the the stories.You are the hall fame ,Ambassador of pool,`King James Rempe``.I am glad that u choose to post here.Cheers
Vagabond
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touche....
 
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