gambling

While I was in college in Bowling Green KY in 65-66, Steve use to come in and play our pool hall owner Johnnie Edwards 9 ball on a 4x8. The place was always packed, it was about $100 a game or something like that. He was young and went to college. They would make a weekend match. Great shooting, not sure who got the cash, Johnny was a monster on the 4x8, Buddy wrote about him in his book. Tom
 
poolandpokerman said:
While I was in college in Bowling Green KY in 65-66, Steve use to come in and play our pool hall owner Johnnie Edwards 9 ball on a 4x8. The place was always packed, it was about $100 a game or something like that. He was young and went to college. They would make a weekend match. Great shooting, not sure who got the cash, Johnny was a monster on the 4x8, Buddy wrote about him in his book. Tom
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You had to play someone who looked like him. Have you ever seen anyone with glasses that thick that could play that good? Yeah Johnny could play!
 
You had to play someone who looked like him. Have you ever seen anyone with glasses that thick that could play that good? Yeah Johnny could play!

No, looked like bottoms of coke bottles, a group of us followed Johnnie up to Johnson City one year, he was not as good on a 4.5x9 but still could play. Did you play at his pool hall, I remember they had a little counter in the front where they cooked food. I am from Dawson Springs. Tom
 
No, looked like bottoms of coke bottles, a group of us followed Johnnie up to Johnson City one year, he was not as good on a 4.5x9 but still could play. Did you play at his pool hall, I remember they had a little counter in the front where they cooked food. I am from Dawson Springs. Tom[/QUOTE]

No I was never in his room. I saw him play in a tournament in Somerset around 1980 or 81. He seemed to be in his 60s then. He was dominating the tourney until he ran into another home grown KY boy....Bill Stigall. I am from Whitley City, about 25 miles south of Somerset.
 
The old timers in my area have a lot of good stories to tell about a college-aged Miz. I've been told on many occasions that the Miz (wisely) employed members of the football team as protection when "working".
 
danny diliberto states in the commentary of the shannon - corey match of the 2007 us open, that he beat the miz 500:90 playing 14.1 in florida for $500 or $5000. he didnt say when this happened.
 
I once watched him play a match in Huntsville, Allabama against Johnny Tona. Mizerak finished the match with a score of minus 1 after only one inning at the table. Johnny had over a 100 ball run. This was around 1986.
 
bchilton said:
I once watched him play a match in Huntsville, Allabama against Johnny Tona. Mizerak finished the match with a score of minus 1 after only one inning at the table. Johnny had over a 100 ball run. This was around 1986.
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Tona is a nice guy. I haven't seen him in some time. He was having a few health problems last I asked.
 
gpeezy said:
Tona is a nice guy. I haven't seen him in some time. He was having a few health problems last I asked.
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I haven't seen Johnny in at least 15 years and he was close to 70 back then. I'm surprized that he is still with us.

Johnny was a brilliant straight pool player back then. I played with him more than a few times.
 
Steve Liked Gambling

Being one of his best friends I Know he liked to gamble. Four Seasons pool room which he owned he could often be found playing Mike Sica or one of the local players either one pocket, nineball, straight pool, three cushion, banks, one handed or any other game you can name. They didn't have a snooker table so he had to go a few miles to play.
He gave Hawaiian Brian the 7 , he played Grady Matthews nineball, one pocket and snooker. He played Buddy Hall in Detroit for a thousand or two nineball and WON! I could go on and on. Someone is confusing him with one of the champions that would go to a tournament and stay in his room the whole time so that he wouldn't be put in a position to play. Steve came out of his room, he'd play anyone when he was in his prime.
WHAT he didn't do often was HUSTLE. He didn't like to go around and hustle people for money, BUT he'd play anyone that he bumped into and just about anywhere. I could tell you twenty stories , but he's gone and they are stories.
In case anyone is trying to defame him because he didn't gamble, let me know, I'll try and arrange a game with he and you!
 
I'm stuck

I wish he hadn't gambled....he got my cash at gin rummy.
In the 70's when he decided to play 9-ball he went on the road
betting his money to get used to the game.
A lot of people didn't like it.
 
I the early 90s whenever Steve was in town he used to come and play in the weekly handicapped 9ball tournament at West End Billiards in Elizabeth N.J, this tournament was like no other,players who competed regularly there were Rodney Morris,Tony Robles,Alan Hopkins,Jack Colavita, Neptune Joe Frady,Jimmy Fusco, Mike Lebron, and many others,one time even the great Efrem Reyes who happened to be in the NY city area came to play, one week I had the misfortune of drawing Steve in the 1st round, being a handicapped tournament Steve had to give me the 5, anyway everything goes my way, got every roll and then some, and I beat Steve 5-0, Steve the gentleman he was even though it was the luck that got him beat and not the great shooting by me, says to me nice shooting Louie,I proceed to lose my next match and had to play Steve again on the left side, he won the toss and proceeded to break and run 5 racks and out.
 
Hi Jay, I saw Steve at Hard Times Sacramento. Just as regular a guy as could be and here this guy's a legend. Was he better than everyone from the beginning or was he relentlessly driven?
 
cdavis9771 said:
Gambling for money is a totally diferent mentality than tournament playing. I know many gamblers that looked as if they could beat the best in the world. But when they play tournaments they just don't get the job done. There are some exceptions but percentage wise the tourney players come out on top. Just as when the tourney players try to gamble they dont fair as well. It is just a different mentallity.
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efren is definitely more of a tournament player than a cash player.

oh wait, I think I have that backwards, definitely a better cash player than tournament player.

also, mike sigel, nick varner, allen Hopkins, buddy hall and the list goes on of players that you wouldn't want to be on the business end of in either a tournament or for the cheese
 
steve came to emerald city billiards in s. jersey one night to matchup with the owner eddie Sheehan, a very good player in his own right and a character.

so before the coin toss, I suppose in an effort to shark steve, he says, 'you sure you don't want a big mac or something before we get started?'

don't remember the outcome, I was just a kid and probably went home shortly after they started playing. but it was a pretty funny joke, and also it was an honor to meet the miz.
 
jay helfert said:
I'm not saying Steve never gambled, but it was not his M.O. He had a lot of pride and wouldn't let anyone woof at him. I never say him play for high stakes or heard of it either. I don't know about his match with Shannon, but knowing Shannon, he might have tried to stir Steve up. And Steve might have gone for it. In a sitiuation like that, I would have bet on Steve. He had a lot of pride, and was a fierce competitor.
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Jay; I'll relay this story to you since you probably know more about me and my reputation gambling than anyone else involved in this thread.

I don't exactly remember the year, but, Steve had just opened his first room in NJ, Metuchen, I think. I was on the road on the East coast with, New York "Pancho" and Jimmy Fusco, between the 3 of us we had all the, "pool room" games covered.

Myself being the 3 cushion player, and Pancho being one of the BEST instigators in the world, sort of embarrassed Steve into playing me some 3 Cushion. He had a brand NEW GC billiard table, along with all the rest of his NEW equipment in the room!

It was about 10 pm when we started to play, 25 points for $500.00. Two games later, Steve pulled up, He did have someone there that went in with him, don't know who.

It was about 45 minutes from closing, and Jimmy and Steve were trying to make a game, actually, the REAL reason we were there. Me playing the 3 cush was just insurance money! Jimmy and Steve decided on Steve getting 9-8, Steve said, " The Brunswick people gave him a NEW GC 2 for his home, they would play there after the room closed. We all went to Steve's home, including the guy who bet on him in the 3c match.

They started out for $300.00 a game, after a 1 hour or so, Jimmy was up a few games. Steve suggested since it was getting late, they play a set, race to 4 for a Gnote, if Jimmy would play him, 10-8, 9-8, the game was on! I have to mention this, and with NO disrespect to Steve. After the first couple of games, Steve couldn't pocket a ball 4 feet away! Jimmy had broke him down a little, I don't think Steve was used to bunting the cue ball, he was used to letting out his stroke! They only played the one set, the side better had enough, and Steve was a little tired.

So we WON, almost $3,000.00 for the night, and on to the next score.

Bill Smith "Mr3Cushion"
 
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I saw miz in Dallas at Rustys in the the early 80s.He had a shot where he had to make a ball and launch the cue ball off the end rail then roll under another 9 ft. then roll across that deep ass shag carpet to hit a ball on the floor by a guys leg .Got 20 to one odds and then asked for more bets on the 19 th miss.Damn if he didnt nail it.Brought the house down.
 
jay helfert said:
Larry beat Steve in One Pocket when Steve knew nothing about the game. He hustled him and Larry was one of the best hustlers ever. Got me once too. After this Steve determined to learn how to play One Hole and eventually became one of the best at it as well. In fact, I believe Steve beat Larry in the only tournament One Pocket match they ever played in Philly.
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Great story, thanks jay. I always enjoy reading these
 
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