Greatest 9 Ball Player Dead/alive

buddy hall

from 1970 to 1983 buddy played a level of nine ball that nobody else has ever been able to dublicate. nothing was safe no roll outs, etc. buddy would fire it in and be out. he played hours without missing a ball other players have had a year or two that they played at untouchable levels, but buddy had it going for more than ten years. in the 1974 world nine ball championship nobody in the world got past four. during his time buddy gave allen hopkins the eight ball at his room and beat him. the story of buddy giving efren the eight is not true according to a very close source the only time they played was in houston in a race for 5K that buddy won in about 45 minutes. props to earl, efren, and luthur but for the cash over time buddy was the man.

ps from s'port and have the pleasure of knowing buddys road partners nothing like sitting at the pool hall listening to the storys of who buddy played and how they came out. be nice to have these guys write a book like jay did would be a lot of fun to read.
 
JAM said:
Very astute opinion, one which I have been trying to form into words for years now. It's just too hard to explain, unless you lived through it and witnessed the transformation of pool, American style! :)
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I'm a bit older than you, but I guess this just comes with age. I really miss the lold days and the old players. It was a different day and a different game altogether back then.

One contrbuting factor was the change from 2 shot, shootout, to one foul. Two shot took so much luck out of the game and equaliaed things quite a bit. Those big spots where guys were getting multiple balls and so forht fell by the way side. The stronger player could manipulate the seaker player far better with two shot and in those days the straighter shooter had a pretty good advantage.

Today we have one foul and Simonis. You don't have to shoot very straight and rarely need a stroke at all!
 
ironman said:
I'm a bit older than you, but I guess this just comes with age. I really miss the lold days and the old players. It was a different day and a different game altogether back then.

One contrbuting factor was the change from 2 shot, shootout, to one foul. Two shot took so much luck out of the game and equaliaed things quite a bit. Those big spots where guys were getting multiple balls and so forht fell by the way side. The stronger player could manipulate the seaker player far better with two shot and in those days the straighter shooter had a pretty good advantage.

Today we have one foul and Simonis. You don't have to shoot very straight and rarely need a stroke at all!
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Sing it Lewis !!! tap,tap, tap !
 
ironman said:
I'm a bit older than you, but I guess this just comes with age. I really miss the lold days and the old players. It was a different day and a different game altogether back then.

One contrbuting factor was the change from 2 shot, shootout, to one foul. Two shot took so much luck out of the game and equaliaed things quite a bit. Those big spots where guys were getting multiple balls and so forht fell by the way side. The stronger player could manipulate the seaker player far better with two shot and in those days the straighter shooter had a pretty good advantage.

Today we have one foul and Simonis. You don't have to shoot very straight and rarely need a stroke at all!
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I have read on this forum that players of today are MUCH BETTER than players of yesteryear. Every time I read it, I am reminded of exactly what you say, Ironman. Some of them don't understand what pool was all about in times gone by, before they changed the rules and made it a luck game.

Then they boast about what high-rollers they are, proclaiming, "I'll play you some, as long as I get all the breaks, the wild 7, and we have to do it a Diamond table with 4.9999-inch pockets and simonis cloth in French Lick, Indiana, on Tuesday, no later than 3:30 p.m. Oh, I almost forgot. If I win,you gotta give me 8 to 5 on my money."

None of these young bucks today would have lasted very long in Houston, Texas, Detroit, Mobile, New Orleans, Johnston City, Arlington, Virginia, et cetera. If they'd have dictated action terms like that, they would have been laughed out of the pool room and never given a second thought. :grin-square:
 
JAM said:
Then they boast about what high-rollers they are, proclaiming, "I'll play you some, as long as I get all the breaks, the wild 7, and we have to do it a Diamond table with 4.9999-inch pockets and simonis cloth in French Lick, Indiana, on Tuesday, no later than 3:30 p.m. Oh, I almost forgot. If I win,you gotta give me 8 to 5 on my money."
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Spits coffee ALL over my screen...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Priceless :rotflmao1:
 
JAM said:
I have read on this forum that players of today are MUCH BETTER than players of yesteryear. Every time I read it, I am reminded of exactly what you say, Ironman. Some of them don't understand what pool was all about in times gone by, before they changed the rules and made it a luck game.

Then they boast about what high-rollers they are, proclaiming, "I'll play you some, as long as I get all the breaks, the wild 7, and we have to do it a Diamond table with 4.9999-inch pockets and simonis cloth in French Lick, Indiana, on Tuesday, no later than 3:30 p.m. Oh, I almost forgot. If I win,you gotta give me 8 to 5 on my money."

None of these young bucks today would have lasted very long in Houston, Texas, Detroit, Mobile, New Orleans, Johnston City, Arlington, Virginia, et cetera. If they'd have dictated action terms like that, they would have been laughed out of the pool room and never given a second thought. :grin-square:
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face it there are a lot more real good players today.
 
14-1StraightMan said:
Well, I had lunch with LeRoy Kinman (81 yrs. young) the other day and I picked his brain to see what he thought about this subject. LeRoy a great straight pool player in his own, winning many tournaments. The only player who ever won the College National Championship three times. Also does comentary on the Mosconi & Caras match.
I asked "who was the best 9-ball player that you ever saw and played?
He stated without a doubt it was: Luther Lassiter
Now let me tell you that LeRoy can name, name after name of great players and tell stories on each one.
I asked: who was the best 14-1 player.
He stated: Willie Mosconi in a long match lets say to 300 or more.
In a short match (150) it was Jimmy Caras
He also stated that Lassiter not only was a great 14-1 player but was the best one pocket player along with Eddie Taylor (one pocket & banks). Lassiter was the best all around player that he knew.
He stated that there is nothing wrong with the players of today saying that Earl is the best b/c that is the player of their times and that is who they know. I totally agree with that but if we can bring those old players back. I would put my money of them any day of the week.
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Sorry buddy, but (most likely) you would lose all your money then.

In which other sports, the 'developement' goes (/would go) into negative direction?

The old skoolers might have had more heart, but skills definitely not.


We people have tendency of thinking about the past with some decorations and as we get older we see the present more dull. Also, it is hard to accept new things, especially when your memories are so attached and in love with the old ones.
How do they say it in english; 'Time glorifies the memories'? Time makes the memories golden'? 'Time goldens the memories'? I don't know..
 
JAM said:
I have read on this forum that players of today are MUCH BETTER than players of yesteryear. Every time I read it, I am reminded of exactly what you say, Ironman. Some of them don't understand what pool was all about in times gone by, before they changed the rules and made it a luck game.

Then they boast about what high-rollers they are, proclaiming, "I'll play you some, as long as I get all the breaks, the wild 7, and we have to do it a Diamond table with 4.9999-inch pockets and simonis cloth in French Lick, Indiana, on Tuesday, no later than 3:30 p.m. Oh, I almost forgot. If I win,you gotta give me 8 to 5 on my money."

None of these young bucks today would have lasted very long in Houston, Texas, Detroit, Mobile, New Orleans, Johnston City, Arlington, Virginia, et cetera. If they'd have dictated action terms like that, they would have been laughed out of the pool room and never given a second thought. :grin-square:
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so the players are not only better they are smarter.
 
JAM said:
I have read on this forum that players of today are MUCH BETTER than players of yesteryear. Every time I read it, I am reminded of exactly what you say, Ironman. Some of them don't understand what pool was all about in times gone by, before they changed the rules and made it a luck game.

Then they boast about what high-rollers they are, proclaiming, "I'll play you some, as long as I get all the breaks, the wild 7, and we have to do it a Diamond table with 4.9999-inch pockets and simonis cloth in French Lick, Indiana, on Tuesday, no later than 3:30 p.m. Oh, I almost forgot. If I win,you gotta give me 8 to 5 on my money."

None of these young bucks today would have lasted very long in Houston, Texas, Detroit, Mobile, New Orleans, Johnston City, Arlington, Virginia, et cetera. If they'd have dictated action terms like that, they would have been laughed out of the pool room and never given a second thought. :grin-square:
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i dont know about tourney play cause i dont care but 10 ball for the money orcollo is the best.
 
real bartram said:
face it there are a lot more real good players today.
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They are allot more better players in todays time.. But the old players had more sand in them.. They had to play in the depression era If they didnt win they didnt eat.. And they help fellow pool players out there wasnt many dumps double dumps.. something like in the Flippinos today..
 
Robertduke said:
They are allot more better players in todays time.. But the old players had more sand in them...
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I agree with your opinion. The players of yesteryear didn't go around begging for spots. They rolled into town and played the best player in the joint, no questions asked, no handicaps or spots. Sometimes they didn't even play with their own cue and would pick a stick off the wall and play with a house cue. And you better be able to play ALL POCKET BILLIARD GAMES if you enjoyed getting in action, not just one or two.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ones that I agree with, I might add! :)
 
For me...Rob Wolfe.....greatest road player I've seen. I grew up in Eastern/Central PA in the mid to late 80's...Allen Hopkins, Low Butera, Jim Rempe, Ray Martin, and of course Jimmy Matz are all from that neighborhood in that time frame and Rob should be in that class. He styled his play after Jimmy Matz, fast and loose. Appearing to be aloof about the whole game but unconsciencely knowing where he was in every match. Never left the road game to "go pro"...but should have in my opinion. Word on the street growing up was that he beat Jimmy Matz in a tourney at Fusco's joint in Philly about then...the other word was Jimmy maybe didn't have his full faculties at the time due to "outside influences"...but a "W" is a "W"...My vote is for the RoadPlayer Rob Wolfe.
 
I've gotta go with Earl Strickland on this one. Buddy Hall, Sigel and Lassiter are all excellent choices as well. Efren is an obvious pick because he was the greatest at everything.

Earl Stricklands top gear was better than any of the other players listed IMO. He possessed the greatest natural stroke of all time, the true definition of a natural. This is why I say he was the greatest at the game, because if he was firing on all cylinders and keeping his cool.... no one in history could beat him, it's not possible... he was just too dominant. 5 US Opens over a span of nearly 20 years also demonstrates his unbelievable resilience.

Mike Sigel was pretty freakin excellent as well, but I think anyone would be hard pressed to argue that if Earl was on one of his runs and charging like Earl could do... no one coudl withstand it, ever period.
 
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