Greg "Big Train" Stevens
- Thread starter Fast Lenny
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ironman said:
Kenny was a great guy and an excellent money player. He had tons of heart, as you know. The bottle finally got him, and destroyed his liver. We lost him about 7-8 years ago. He was maybe mid 50's, if that.
Kenny played the seven under Richie and they played many times. He was Richies buddy and main sparring partner. I played Kenny one time at Ye Billiard Den when we first met. Must have been '67 or '68. He beat me at 9-Ball for fifty. We played five ahead, a popular scuffler's game back then.
Then I got him to play me $20 One Pocket, and I won the first four games and he pulled up. He was pissed, because it took him hours to win the fifty and I got it back (plus some) in less than an hour. He had to pay time on the first match and I paid time on the One Hole. But we became friends after that.
You know it's funny, when you play pool with someone and have a tough match, you develop respect for each other. Kind of like two kids who fight on the playground and then become buddies. I don't think Kenny and I ever gambled again. We did play in quite a few local tournaments in the 70's and 80's.
punter said:
Punter,
Danny was a pretty solid player in all disciplines. One pocket was not his best game. He was an easy going good ole country boy. We shared a few drinks, and told a few lies, over the years. There are a lot of really funny stories out there about Danny, but I was not around him all that much. We never played.
Grady would be one to ask. I also don't know if he ever played Greg.
If he did, I would doubt he liked it.
Dick
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i agree kenny was a really nice guy. i first ran into him at the previously mentioned tournament in houston. i remember him being with san deigo dave at the time. the month before he passed on we played one pocket 5 or 6 times, he had gotten to like the game. i don't know what he died from but i believe he was driving his car back to where he was staying, but did no harm to anyone or thing.jay helfert said:
Random recollections form the times
I knew Kenny well. Jack Roberts staked him and he beat me out of a pretty good car, playing 9 Ball at the Tropicana Bowl. That was the last and only time I lost merchandise but I was always willing to win same. We played quite a few times and he was always a perfect gentleman to play with and he had much gamble.
I broke a ring game at Ralph's Supper club in Colo. Spgs. once when Kenny was there. Also playing was Dick Henry and Al Romero. Al reminded me of this game the last time I saw him. I had forgotten about it. What was memorable was that nobody but me got to shoot. I have no idea how many racks I ran but of course it was the big rock on the bar table.
Danny Jones was a very fine player at all the games. I played him lots of times. He, along with Johnny Vivas, Greg Stevens and Jersey Red usually spotted the players like me, James Christopher, Jack Terry and so on, not a lot, maybe a ball or two. Of course I improved a lot quickly there under the watchful eye of Red.
It should here be mentioned that the equipment at Le Cue was very difficult for road players to handle. The pockets were tough and the rails came unnaturally short. One time Toby Sweet came to town and I beat him badly on that equipment but he was a better player than I at the time. Toby was something else. He travelled in a Jaguar. He had hippie style hair and played great pool, although 9 Ball was his only game.
I knew Kenny well. Jack Roberts staked him and he beat me out of a pretty good car, playing 9 Ball at the Tropicana Bowl. That was the last and only time I lost merchandise but I was always willing to win same. We played quite a few times and he was always a perfect gentleman to play with and he had much gamble.
I broke a ring game at Ralph's Supper club in Colo. Spgs. once when Kenny was there. Also playing was Dick Henry and Al Romero. Al reminded me of this game the last time I saw him. I had forgotten about it. What was memorable was that nobody but me got to shoot. I have no idea how many racks I ran but of course it was the big rock on the bar table.
Danny Jones was a very fine player at all the games. I played him lots of times. He, along with Johnny Vivas, Greg Stevens and Jersey Red usually spotted the players like me, James Christopher, Jack Terry and so on, not a lot, maybe a ball or two. Of course I improved a lot quickly there under the watchful eye of Red.
It should here be mentioned that the equipment at Le Cue was very difficult for road players to handle. The pockets were tough and the rails came unnaturally short. One time Toby Sweet came to town and I beat him badly on that equipment but he was a better player than I at the time. Toby was something else. He travelled in a Jaguar. He had hippie style hair and played great pool, although 9 Ball was his only game.
"Handsome" Danny Jones was an old time "crossroader" as Cornbread used to say. Danny is the only pool player I know who gave himself a nickname. 
Danny was one of these guys who showed up every place there was action from the East to the West, and North to South. As others have said, he was a real player, and could play all games just a hair under the best players. But they couldn't give him anything. Danny was one of these guys who played too good to get the eight ball from just about anyone. And he played good One Pocket (maybe a ball under the champs), good Banks and was one of the best American snooker players.
He was from the South originally, I'm not sure where. Danny didn't like to talk a lot, just go somewhere and play. He was a hard core pool player! If there was a good player around, Danny wanted to play him. There were probably only 10-15 guys in the whole country he didn't figure to beat in his day. And Danny could gamble pretty good, although he was known to get a little tight if the bet got too high. He was no Cornbread. Of course who was?
Danny's comfort zone was $20 9-Ball or $40 One Pocket, good action in the 60's. Not that he didn't occasionally play three to five hundred dollar sets. He made his best scores giving up weight to suckers. Danny wouldn't hesitate to give an average player the 7,8 & 9 or 10-6 in One Pocket. And even more playing snooker.
I remember when he owned a poolroom in Columbus, Ohio in the mid 60's. Probably one of the only jobs he ever had, besides selling used cars. Little Miami used to hang out in there. Miami offered to play me 9-Ball one handed to my two hands, but I was still learning then, and afraid to gamble with well known hustlers. How I knew all these guys already I don't know. But I had already been to Johnston City four or five times and spent time in New York, so I had seen many hustlers when I was still pretty young. No one else knew Miami in that spot except me, and I kept my mouth shut.
Danny could be a funny guy with that Southern humor, but he was a true hustler, so you had to be wary around him. Guys like him were sharp cookies and would relieve you of your cash if given the opportunity.
He hurt his back in a car accident when he was in his 40's, and from then on walked a little hunched over. You wouldn't think by looking at him he could still play. But looks can be deceiving. I think he is another one who died playing pool. I heard he keeled over playing in a bar somewhere. He may have been 60 when he died, a good 15 years ago.
Danny was one of these guys who showed up every place there was action from the East to the West, and North to South. As others have said, he was a real player, and could play all games just a hair under the best players. But they couldn't give him anything. Danny was one of these guys who played too good to get the eight ball from just about anyone. And he played good One Pocket (maybe a ball under the champs), good Banks and was one of the best American snooker players.
He was from the South originally, I'm not sure where. Danny didn't like to talk a lot, just go somewhere and play. He was a hard core pool player! If there was a good player around, Danny wanted to play him. There were probably only 10-15 guys in the whole country he didn't figure to beat in his day. And Danny could gamble pretty good, although he was known to get a little tight if the bet got too high. He was no Cornbread. Of course who was?
Danny's comfort zone was $20 9-Ball or $40 One Pocket, good action in the 60's. Not that he didn't occasionally play three to five hundred dollar sets. He made his best scores giving up weight to suckers. Danny wouldn't hesitate to give an average player the 7,8 & 9 or 10-6 in One Pocket. And even more playing snooker.
I remember when he owned a poolroom in Columbus, Ohio in the mid 60's. Probably one of the only jobs he ever had, besides selling used cars. Little Miami used to hang out in there. Miami offered to play me 9-Ball one handed to my two hands, but I was still learning then, and afraid to gamble with well known hustlers. How I knew all these guys already I don't know. But I had already been to Johnston City four or five times and spent time in New York, so I had seen many hustlers when I was still pretty young. No one else knew Miami in that spot except me, and I kept my mouth shut.
Danny could be a funny guy with that Southern humor, but he was a true hustler, so you had to be wary around him. Guys like him were sharp cookies and would relieve you of your cash if given the opportunity.
He hurt his back in a car accident when he was in his 40's, and from then on walked a little hunched over. You wouldn't think by looking at him he could still play. But looks can be deceiving. I think he is another one who died playing pool. I heard he keeled over playing in a bar somewhere. He may have been 60 when he died, a good 15 years ago.
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toby had the hippie hair, bell bottoms and a pea coat. pretty much everybody he played beat him. spinning his ball didn't work well on those damp tables at LeCue. he got broke and i took him to Texas City, to a bar spot near the waterfront. he looked perfect for that place full of seamen,we won $800.00 or so, we went back to LeCue, i went home, he went upstairs and got broke again.Grady said:
rodney
jay helfert said:"Handsome" Danny Jones was an old time "crossroader" as Cornbread used to say. Danny is the only pool player I know who gave himself a nickname.
I think he is another one who died playing pool. I heard he keeled over playing in a bar somewhere. He may have been 60 when he died, a good 15 years ago.
Danny died on the dance floor at a casino in Gulfport Miss. he was from Kennisaw Ga.(quote) Puckett also said danny named himself (handsome danny),said he really looked like a georgia ground squirrel.(quote) Fats said if you gave him a blood test it'd be 90% coka cola and 10% lipstick.
PS; if you staked him, nobody tried harder,and you always got a square shake, just like Jersey Red. when these two played to see who picked the teams to put in a baseball parlay, Red always said light sharking only.LOL
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androd said:jay helfert said:"Handsome" Danny Jones was an old time "crossroader" as Cornbread used to say. Danny is the only pool player I know who gave himself a nickname.
I think he is another one who died playing pool. I heard he keeled over playing in a bar somewhere. He may have been 60 when he died, a good 15 years ago.
Danny died on the dance floor at a casino in Gulfport Miss. he was from Kennisaw Ga.(quote) Puckett also said danny named himself (handsome danny),said he really looked like a georgia ground squirrel.(quote) Fats said if you gave him a blood test it'd be 90% coka cola and 10% lipstick.
PS; if you staked him, nobody tried harder,and you always got a square shake, just like Jersey Red. when these two played to see who picked the teams to put in a baseball parlay, Red always said light sharking only.LOL
Come to think of it, I did hear that story about Danny dying dancing. I guess it just sounded better with him playing pool.
Fats did have some FUNNY lines!
A few more Gregisms for your perusal
Greg was at the hospital one time when his life was in danger. The attending doctor wanted to give him an enema. "No, I'd rather just die if you have to do that to me," protested Greg. He survived, barely, without the enema.
"This game is like sugar over s--t", Greg would say to regular stakehorses. To a cardplayer he'd utter," This is like aces over kings."
One famous time he had lost all the multiple backers money and all of his own stuff, some four thousand bucks. So what do you suppose our stalwart did, go home and sleep? No, he played a local bookmaker and tushhog, 15 to 3, One Pocket for a dollar a game. He ended up winning $8,000.
There was a young, good looking guy playing next to Greg when he admired the gentleman's shoes: "Say. Are those alligators?" Greg queried.
"Yes", responded the man proudly. Ten per cent Denny then said to Stevens, "Do you think that guy might be a cop?" "
In vintage "Big Train" style, Greg says loudly in front of everyone, "Absolutely not. You know how cops are, boys. They'll steal but they won't lie."
You never knew what might come out of Greg's mouth or what he might do on the pool table.
Greg was at the hospital one time when his life was in danger. The attending doctor wanted to give him an enema. "No, I'd rather just die if you have to do that to me," protested Greg. He survived, barely, without the enema.
"This game is like sugar over s--t", Greg would say to regular stakehorses. To a cardplayer he'd utter," This is like aces over kings."
One famous time he had lost all the multiple backers money and all of his own stuff, some four thousand bucks. So what do you suppose our stalwart did, go home and sleep? No, he played a local bookmaker and tushhog, 15 to 3, One Pocket for a dollar a game. He ended up winning $8,000.
There was a young, good looking guy playing next to Greg when he admired the gentleman's shoes: "Say. Are those alligators?" Greg queried.
"Yes", responded the man proudly. Ten per cent Denny then said to Stevens, "Do you think that guy might be a cop?" "
In vintage "Big Train" style, Greg says loudly in front of everyone, "Absolutely not. You know how cops are, boys. They'll steal but they won't lie."
You never knew what might come out of Greg's mouth or what he might do on the pool table.
The funny Fat man !
jay helfert said:androd said:Come to think of it, I did hear that story about Danny dying dancing. I guess it just sounded better with him playing pool.
Fats did have some FUNNY lines!
Very true Jay, one of the funniest bears repeating ( I know you've heard it) Fat's once said of the Johnston City Jansco's, " Yeah, 'dem Jansco brother's are real nice guy's, Paulie would steal your eyeball's, and George would tell you, you look better widout 'em "
I know, when your book comes out, you'll be devoting at least a chapter to the greatest con man, ever. ( If you don't get moving on it, Some of us older guy's may need a braille edition! )
Dick
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My dad who was a pretty good player in the 60's once played Greg Stevens at le cue. It was a crazy spot. All my Dad had to do was drive the nine ball to a rail anytime during the game, just drive it to the rail, Greg got the breaks. My Dad didn't win one game and like I said he was a decent player his high run of racks was 8. He never got a chance. Greg would either run out or hook dad so bad he couldn't drive the nine to a rail. Needless to say Dad would never play him again. :grin:
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Grady said:
I've heard this one several times. By the time the story got to Denver, just 60 miles up the road, you had run 17 racks in that ring game.
It's rarely mentioned, but Grady played good 9 ball.
I had an absolute ball with Kenny Anderson. We were all over Texas and Oklahoma and don't remember us booking a loser. He was such a funny guy and had a voice that just drove me nuts. I laugh now thinkiing about it.
We had been drinking one night and got stopped by a patrolman. He got us out of the car and was looking at Kennys license and asked had we been drinking and Kenny replied, "absolutely". The cop then asked Kenny "well why are you driving"? Kenny replied< Surely you gest, I'm too drunk to walk"!
I couldn't believe he said that and thought we were gonners. The cop then followed to the motel, took the keys and gave them to the desk clerk.