I just finished watching a bank pool match between Buddy Hall and Gary Spaeth. Both guys put on an awesome display. Gary prevailed with some ridiculously amazing banks in the deciding game. I'm just curious did Gary excel at other games? In fact any information on his career would be appreciated.
Thanks,
krelldog
Gary was my best friend and road partner for over 20 years. When he was in his prime no one could stay with him at bank pool, but contrary to what a lot of people think he was also a very good Nine ball player. In all the years
Gary and I ran together, he played Buddy Hall about 5 or 6 different times in tournament play and only lost once. I've seen him beat Earl Strickland, Ginky, Archer, Parica, Daulton and most all the top players at one time or
another at nine ball, but to be honest, his nine ball break probably held him back a little. His position play was as good as anyones and his shot making and safety play was better than most. And of course if he got in a bad spot,
he often banked his way out of trouble. Gary was also a truly good friend and someone I could trust with my life. I was his stakehorse throughout most of his career and there was NEVER any doubt that he wasn't trying his best
to win. He had several people over the years ask him to do "business" which he flat out refused. One time a player asked him to dump and he said "hell no, my stakehorse is my best friend!" Then the guy asked him to "catch" and
he said "no I don't think so, but I'll run it by my stakehorse" When he told me he explained that the guy first asked him to dump, which of course he refused, then he asked him to "catch" which he didn't feel right about but since
I was his partner he felt I should also have some say on the subject. I told him"HELL NO, beat that MF like a red headed stepchild! He did exactly as I suggested only a little more vigorously! Gary was a great player and his
biggest weakness, if you could call it that, was his love for his kids. It was hard to keep him out on the road long enough to build up a really big bankroll. Once we made enough for him to pay his bills and give him a few weeks
spending money he wanted to get back home to his family! Around Cincinnati, he got no action, unless a road player came through, and most of them knew better than to try him. He gambled with Bugs 5 times and won 4 out of
the 5 times the other time Bugs won a grand but we'd jacked the bet and they came up even in sets won. In all fairness, Bugs did spot Gary a ball playing one pocket, one of those times, but I don't think the spot really made
any difference in the outcome. He wore Cecil Tugwell out playing one pocket. About the only guy who came to Cincinnati and beat Gary was a young CJ Wiley and he refused to play anything but nine ball and the break was the
deciding factor that night. Gary's only weak game was straight pool. He just hated the game. It bored him and he never gambled at it, or played it for that matter!
Gary was taken from us way too early. To be honest, he was playing the best pool of his life, the last few years. He'd matured and had gotten more patient. Played more & better safeties, took less chances and just played
better pool. I still miss him every day and he's been gone 10 years now!
God Bless You Gary! I hope you're up there playing One Pocket with your Dad, Joey Spaeth!
