Good Unknowns

Paul Brown

In Hinesville, Ga there was a guy named Paul Brown who use to teach 3rd grade (I think). He beat Archer in a tourny once. When I knew him he was always studing, never playing anybody (nobody there would!!!!). I've watched him practice once for about 45 min. and not miss a shot. I don't live there anymore so who knows what he's doing now.
 
Little Ricky Van Um

kollegedave said:
Are you thinking of Ricky Van Ume? AKA "Little Ricky"?

kollegedave
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Ricky Van Um doesen't play pool anymore. Last heard he was in Tunica. Sammy Sota was visiting here for a while but is gone now. In my opinion - The best St. Louis players now are - Mark Wilson, Andy Quinn, Joe Woolford, Jerry Terbrock, Danny Hill, & soon to be THE BEST is "Kid Justin (?17?) - He has already beaten most of the above at one time or another. Also can and has played & won many sets for multi K's. As far as some of the other players mentioned previously in the St. Louis metro area - I'm just going by the old adage - If You Can't Say Something Nice, Etc, Etc.
NEWS FLASH - Another great player in St. Louis, "Little Pat" has just made it to the final table In A Huge Aruba Poker Tourney. Many, Many K's involved! - Good Luck, Pat
 
JLW said:
There used to be a guy who played pool here years ago named Bobby Legg. I think one of his nicknames was Bobby Smallsteps. He played Nick Varner, Minnesota Fats and others and won pretty consistently. I remember watching him play one handed, which was a popular style of play over in Johnson City years ago. He never really played tournaments, just backroom games after the tournaments were over. The first time I ever saw a 100 dollar bill was at his house. He had some hustler in from out of town, and they were betting hundreds of dollars on games. This was back in the mid seventies. I believe he was actually on the Senior tour a few years back. Not sure what he is doing now.
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That used to be the cry around my way when you did something flashy/ awwesome, "BOBBY LEGG!!".

I saw he won some amature seniors event, I think it was the big APA thing in Reno this year. Definitely a bad MFer!!

-pigi
 
Bobby Legg lives in the Baltimore area. He did place 3rd at the BCA Mens Open Singles in Vegas this year (not the seniors...he won the Seniors BCA Singles in Vegas last year). Being from the Baltimore area myself, I have had the pleasure of watching Bobby play more than once, and he is very impressive, and has a personality as well. Whats more impressive is that Bobby had surgery just a few months before the BCA event in Vegas. We chatted out in Vegas, and I congratulated him on 3rd in the Mens Open, and he congratulated me on 2nd in the Womens Open. I consider myself lucky to live in an area where I get to see great players like Bobby play :)
 
Bobby Leggs

I guess we are talking about the same Bobby Leggs who played out of Prinction, IN & Olney, IL back in the late '70's. I had 3 or 4 great matches with Bobby on a bar table back then. Our best match (in my opinion) came when the locals in Peoria, IL called him to play me because I was beating them all. When he got there, I was in dead stroke on this particular table and he didn't have much of a chance. He had come all the way to play and I'm sure they were backing him but he got pretty mad at how fast I was able to defeat him. All the other times we had played were real gunfights. I think Bobby played as fast or faster than anyone on a bar table. Never saw him play on a 4.5 X 9 although I can imigine he playes very well. Other than that one time, I can say he is a very good player & gentelman. A real nice fellow who would always bet all he had - on the spot. He wouldn't remember my name (I had too many) but I'll bet he would sure remember the avatar pic here because it is from the same general time frame. Let me know, and say HI for me.
 
Vernon Elliot

I can't believe between, Tom, Sam and many of the other, over 40 guys, no one has mentioned the "GREATEST" unknown player of all time, Vernon Elliot...........................$Bill
 
Wow,

I'm surprised so many people have heard of or played Bobby Legg. As far as whether he played on bigger tables, yes. He used to practice a lot on 5x10 snooker tables. I've heard that he actually ran the table a few times playing snooker on those tables. I can't verify it, but from my recollection of his playing, I wouldn't doubt it a bit. And anyone who's played snooker on a 5x10 table knows that's some bad*** shooting.

He also had a tavern years ago in Princeton called the Little Track Lounge. I know there were some real shootouts there back in the 70's.

Glad to hear he's doing well. I had heard a rumor that he died recently. He used to live down the street from me, and he and his wife were friends with my mother and father, so I'm glad he's in good health.

If anyone has any other info about him, I'd love to hear from them. Bobby was always a gentleman to me.
 
Vernon Elliot

A good choice out of Louisville, in Vernon. While on the road, Terry Clark and Greg Sullivan were a tough twosome to separate from their money. In his prime before he moved to Louisville, Norfolk Charlie Jones was a handful. A bit off key...anybody around that remembers what speed Clyde Childress, of Berea, and One-eye Tony, of Corbin, played before their untimely deaths? It was jam-up!

Mike
 
Someone on this board mentioned him not too long ago, his name is Gabby. When someone on this board said they would stake him against Efren, or any top champion, I asked my friend if he knew him. Turns out they were good friends a while back, and he told me that this guy is phenominal, and that yes, he plays better than most or all of the top pros out there.
 
sheaprek said:
In Hinesville, Ga there was a guy named Paul Brown who use to teach 3rd grade (I think). He beat Archer in a tourny once. When I knew him he was always studing, never playing anybody (nobody there would!!!!). I've watched him practice once for about 45 min. and not miss a shot. I don't live there anymore so who knows what he's doing now.
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Not surprising, Sheaprek. Two members of the teaching profession have won world championships at the pool table. Steve Mizerak was an elementary school teacher in New Jersey, and won many world championships. Tom Jennings, a two time world champion in the mid-70's, was a professor at Middlesex County College in New Jersey.

Some of those teachers can really get it done over the green felt!
 
Vernon Elliott, Clyde Childress & One-Eyed Tony

Vernon Elliott -
I played Vernon in Memphis (Richie Austin's Poolroom) for about an hour and about $200 worth. "VERY IMPRESSIVE".
Him & John Hagar put me on a very good $core in Dallas about 1 year later.
Brought him to St. Louis and dressed him in a Gas Co. Shirt and he took off a lot of cash from a Bowling Alley owner who had just won $140K in Atlantic City. He had the Mark giving him 9 to 7. He could have given the Mark 11 to 5or4.

Clyde Childress -
He was one of my first stops on a road trip to Florida once. After playing him for 9 hours on his home poolroom Gold Crown I had to go back to St. Louis to recoup mentally & monetarily. "GREAT PLAYER & GAMBLER"!

One-Eyed Tony -
Just spent 1 hour on OnePocket.org telling a story about Buddy & Tony in Tulsa. Before Matlock, Tony was the Bar-Box King. "What A Player & All Around Nice Guy" You could "Bite" him for all he had with a good enough story. Louie Did! What happened to Tony was THE reason I stopped doing "Blacks" to drive.

Bill - The reason I didn't mention Vernon is because most of his victims NEVER found out Who He Was - Even Afterwards. Like me (but much better) - Most People & Players never heard of him.
I'll mention one I don't think even you have - Maybe the best at the
"If you believe what you see - It won't be long before you'll be looking for what you had" HUSTLE, - JACK COONEY
Oh, oh - Who's that guy practicing back on table #5 ???
 
OldHasBeen said:
Vernon Elliott -
I played Vernon in Memphis (Richie Austin's Poolroom) for about an hour and about $200 worth. "VERY IMPRESSIVE".
Him & John Hagar put me on a very good $core in Dallas about 1 year later.
Brought him to St. Louis and dressed him in a Gas Co. Shirt and he took off a lot of cash from a Bowling Alley owner who had just won $140K in Atlantic City. He had the Mark giving him 9 to 7. He could have given the Mark 11 to 5or4.

Clyde Childress -
He was one of my first stops on a road trip to Florida once. After playing him for 9 hours on his home poolroom Gold Crown I had to go back to St. Louis to recoup mentally & monetarily. "GREAT PLAYER & GAMBLER"!

One-Eyed Tony -
Just spent 1 hour on OnePocket.org telling a story about Buddy & Tony in Tulsa. Before Matlock, Tony was the Bar-Box King. "What A Player & All Around Nice Guy" You could "Bite" him for all he had with a good enough story. Louie Did! What happened to Tony was THE reason I stopped doing "Blacks" to drive.

Bill - The reason I didn't mention Vernon is because most of his victims NEVER found out Who He Was - Even Afterwards. Like me (but much better) - Most People & Players never heard of him.
I'll mention one I don't think even you have - Maybe the best at the
"If you believe what you see - It won't be long before you'll be looking for what you had" HUSTLE, - JACK COONEY
Oh, oh - Who's that guy practicing back on table #5 ???
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Great post, Tom. Yea, Jack Cooney was, "My Kinda Guy". Here's one that only about 1-2% of the folks out there will have ever heard of, Bill Lawson. Bill Lawson trapped the humble, $Bill, for more $$$ than any of em.

Bill Stack and I are on the road in southern Missouri and run into Clyde Childress. We knew how he played, Stack's speed or at best the last 2 over Stack on the bar table. Stack and I were on very short $$$. In fact, we only had $150 between us. Clyde had Stack's speed under rated and offered him the 7 ball for $10 a game, just to have something to do. Clyde allways had big $$$ on him. This $10, 9 ball fit out budget quite well so we told him to flip a coin. Clyde wins the break and 14 games later, Bill Stack has yet to shoot. This 14 racks, to this day, is the most racks strung together I have ever witnessed. The only good thing about it is that we didn't have any real $$$. Because we would have gone off big time.
 
eldridge tucker

tom, did you ever meet eldridge tucker, from charleston,sc? he rarely played tournaments, but matched up with the best of his time (mid 60's to early 70's). wondered if you could share your observations?
 
Eldridge Tucker sounds familiar, BUT

I remember the Name but right now I can't place where or when. Maybe he beat me. I don't remember those as well as the wins. Like my wife says I have selective hearing when she speaks - I have selective recall when it comes to remembering players & matches. It will probably hit me tonight about 3 am. Will let you know!
Bill - Thats a good one - Bill Lawson - I snuck up on him once in a bar in Dayton - He was totally drunk - Beat me out of ONLY $120 at $10 a game. Got to know him pretty well - He spent quite a lot of time in St. Louis after that. He reminded me of Long Beach. - Could drink you under the table and then beat you on top of the table. - NICE MAN THOUGH & A TRUE GENTLEMAN. $$$ always came up right when we took off scores here in St. Louis.
Man, The more post I make on here, the more I know I really am an "OldHasBeen".
Now I've had a few beers tonight because this young "wippersnapper" decided he could give me the break playing $30 One-Pocket tonight. I explained to him that if he gave me the breaks, he was really only giving me 1/2 of the breaks because I already had the other 1/2. After playing about 5 hours he quits and says he will bet what he lost - $330 - On the 49ers playing the Rams -3.5 - Right now it is 24/6 Rams w/ 8 min to go.
Please see the signature below!
 
How about Clem Metz from Cincy?

hemicudas said:
Great post, Tom. Yea, Jack Cooney was, "My Kinda Guy". Here's one that only about 1-2% of the folks out there will have ever heard of, Bill Lawson. Bill Lawson trapped the humble, $Bill, for more $$$ than any of em.

Bill Stack and I are on the road in southern Missouri and run into Clyde Childress. We knew how he played, Stack's speed or at best the last 2 over Stack on the bar table. Stack and I were on very short $$$. In fact, we only had $150 between us. Clyde had Stack's speed under rated and offered him the 7 ball for $10 a game, just to have something to do. Clyde allways had big $$$ on him. This $10, 9 ball fit out budget quite well so we told him to flip a coin. Clyde wins the break and 14 games later, Bill Stack has yet to shoot. This 14 racks, to this day, is the most racks strung together I have ever witnessed. The only good thing about it is that we didn't have any real $$$. Because we would have gone off big time.
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Chris Szuter, J.R. Gay, Ben Zimmer in a few years, Jarrod Clowery is also underestimated I believe.
 
Before last year Jason Miller was a top unknown. I know him well as I am a former Ohioian, he has all the skills to play top notch pool.

Kevin

henho said:
Chris Szuter, J.R. Gay, Ben Zimmer in a few years, Jarrod Clowery is also underestimated I believe.
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I think a lot of player can beat the pros in 9 ball (not over the long haul though) which is more reason the game needs a change. I think 10 ball with called pockets and nine on the break gets spotted is a good start.
 
LastTwo said:
Someone on this board mentioned him not too long ago, his name is Gabby. When someone on this board said they would stake him against Efren, or any top champion, I asked my friend if he knew him. Turns out they were good friends a while back, and he told me that this guy is phenominal, and that yes, he plays better than most or all of the top pros out there.
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Does Gabby still play? I haven't heard that name since I was a kid.
 
Jimmy M. said:
Does Gabby still play? I haven't heard that name since I was a kid.
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Hi Jimmy,
A top pool player from Houston,Tx was sent to prison for attacking a women and cutting her fingers off to get the gold rings she was wearing.Cheers
vagabond
 
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