'Hippie' Jimmy Reid

[jrhendy]

Thanks Freddie,
It will be good to see my old buddy Jimmy again. I haven't seen him since the 1999 U.S. Open. He was the original "Hippy Jimmy", before Mataya and Marino horned in on the name.

I first saw Jimmy at Verne Peterson's Billiard Palace in Bellflower in the late 60's / early 70's. He jumped in the ring liability snooker game on "Big Bertha", the tight pocket 6 x 12 snooker table there. He played barefoot and beat the game, which was hard to do when you didn't know the table. John

 

[dabarbr]

One brief story about Jimmy, and I have MANY! We're on the road in California and Jimmy is beating everyone and I'm steering him. If I see a top player like Frisco Jack or Richie I warn Jimmy off.

So we go into one joint that's full of soft action and who do I see on the front table but New York Blackie, who was a top 9-Ball player at that time (late 60's). I tell Jimmy he can play anyone in the place except that guy on the first table practicing. Then I go into the restroom for some much needed relief since we had just driven a couple of hundred miles.

I come out in about five minutes and what do I see, but Jimmy on the table with Blackie. And they're already gambling. Jimmy is playing the best player in the house first. A cardinal sin for a pool player. I find out they are playing $20 9-Ball right out of the gate, a pretty good starting bet. I don't like it one bit, because I'm in for half and I know how good Blackie plays.

A couple of hours later when Blackie is stuck over 200, he is asking everyone "Who is this kid"? They finally end up playing a Race to Eleven for the 200 and Jimmy demolishs him. I walk out of there shaking my head, not sure whether to be proud of Jimmy or pissed at him. But that's Jimmy. He always wanted to play the best player in sight.

So this is where The Color Of Money got some of their plot from. Did you take Vinny's cue away from him. err I mean ahh Jimmy's.

 

[poolcuemaster]

Do you mean Bob Ogburn Jay

Thanks Freddie,
It will be good to see my old buddy Jimmy again. I haven't seen him since the 1999 U.S. Open. He was the original "Hippy Jimmy", before Mataya and Marino horned in on the name.

Yes, Jimmy could definitely play One Pocket. He played even with many of the top players and it took a Jersey Red or Shorty to beat him. He did get a small spot from guys like that, maybe 9-8 and 8-7. Although I was in with Jimmy when Bob Osborne got the best of us at One Pocket. Bob played damn good too. I'd love to see "Black Bart" at Derby City. A helluva good guy.

We call Bob Ogburn black bart when he comes through North Carolina so it must be the same person, He usually wont get near a big tournament. But in the last few years I have seen him show up a little more at bigger events.

Leonard