How to deal effectively with the Knocker

2nd installment,How to deal with the knocker for fun and profit

When Johnny gets to the man,he hands Johnny an envelope with $1000
and a note telling him to welcome the kid with open arms,the kid is the one who won that $2,850,000
score you probably heard of,but not at pool.The poor kid is the best gambler Ty has ever known except for pool
.It further instructs Johnny to offer our hero 9 to 3 at one pocket and win 3 games and quit

'Ty explains he is trying to teach the kid his limitations.Not to worry writes Ty"I am staking this too>

BRIEF ASIDE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES
,I realize this may seem strange to some of you on AZ
but I digress so you can understand keep up

(when you absolutely want to get the action going I have never seen anything more effective than to stake
stake your opponent through a blind trust, no time to explain this but he will give up the nuts quickly and
without quarrel if he is given a wad of cash and told to play.

Remember the line in Argentina"When the money starts rolling in ,you don't ask how" )

The episode resumes where we were before this brief interlude

Now if it isn't enough that these two hot tomatoes are both with the kid,the loud page and all
calls all the attention to our hero.Who sends his gentleman's man to get his fancy 2 piece cue,
the dumplings are soon seen carrying two stuffed shoulder bags that look like doctors satchels.

Johnny says "wanna play for 5,
our hero says sure,but i gotta warn you,with this big spot you better be a world champion"

JE says"I am" and means it literally

,but says it ,like what's happenin, things are goin way too fast
and I don't feel in control,but I do have money and Ty said to so...

,So they play 3 games in which our hero never makes a ball ,so he calls the aforementioned dolls over with a nod,meaning bring the dough

Well the first doll seems to trip and spills a huge wad of cash on the floor, hundreds of hundreds (literally hundreds of hundreds)
and with a quick glance at the kid,our hero. Tomato #1 says "Sorry"and scoops up the money by wadding all the bills carelessly into her purse
like you do when you pick up a plate full of pennies ,scooping the mallards nonchalant without care as if she is tryin to get it
done before anyone notices her practiced move and wants not a soul to notice her,fat chance of that,in fact most of the bystanders are hardly noticing
her money at all
other than the quick move she makes to put not a few clams exactly where they were noticing with mouth agape

the crowd knowingly approves of her larceny,nodding their heads in deep understanding as if to say we knew this relationship to the kid was based on
a commercial understanding between consenting, ( remember this is Vegas and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Our patrons are now beginning to think the rest of the dough should stay in Vegas.The greed in their hearts is beginning
to express itself in avarice and is growing in almost every man standing within eye shot


This is what is called the "FLASH" in the trade,and it is done in a perfect non affected clumsy manner

Every eye in the joint is watching with quiet astonishment

the other doll steps up to the kid and says
how much"
the kid says "15 "
and she hands him $1500 which he,the kid, our hero .,takes without so much as a glance and hands to Johnny

Now Johnny thought they were playing for $5 so he looks like the cat who done swallowed the canary
,the kid says,"not enough?"
Johnny slobbers out "no its all here "as he stuffs it in his pocket with the ticket on Braniff airlines that leaves about 6
in the morning

By now its 4am so the kid says,"the car is waiting ,you ready" so Johnny says he is ready and the dolls say come on with us

who is gonna say no to this invitation?

Johnny's eyes seem to glaze over with anticipation of future adventure and untold riches,he has heard of Titanic's well Titanic scores
and his thoughts are hard to control.his mind is numbed,but his feet are moving,you could actually almost see him pinch himself,
"Am I dreaming?"

Then they look at the kid and say ,"you going with us ?"
The kid says "no,gimme some money'

the tall doll with the short skirt prances over to the googling admiration of the patrons of the game,
many a mouth is wide open but you could hear a mouse pee on cotton as they neither know what is going on or what to say or do
not so much as a slot machine makes a peep

the doll reaches into her purse and hands our hero a wad of money but doesn't count it

The kid kinda stands there stunned himself as if he has forgotten his lines,which he has

So the gal says loudly tryin to spur his memory pronouncing clearly,"whatza matter need more,?"
the kid says dully " yeah"
so she hand the youngster another wad of 100s with a beautifully practiced move that seems careless,
dropping 3 franklins on the floor where she apparently doesn't notice them and walks out the front door

"'see you later after you drop him at the airport and get some breakfast." the kid shouts
By now the floor has been cleaned of the debris mentioned above and every soul in the house has both of his two eyes glued on the kid

So he says "what?/" in a funny way with a shrug of his shoulders

"so now who wants to play,but let me warn you ,I play better than what you think"

Greed avarice coveting of all sort runs rampant and about this same time
before the least hint of cynicism can enter into t even the most suspicious veteran of the gaming culture
can give voice to the sentiment of "here we go "
the two tomatoes , both luscious dames we noticed in passing earlier before, come in saying in perfect harmony of thought and
intent maybe just a little rehearsed to the adept but going completely un noticed by this drousy lot "come on kid its no fun with out you"

The hook is set and now the kid says"what you gonna do "apologetically playing to the fellas
and leaves with the tomatoes on each arm having just accomplished ACT ONE...Entice and Withdraw"

Johnny is off to Dallas,the pool room is a buzz,no one knows what just happened but even the tightest drum in the pool room sees an unusual business opportunity ,but no one knows for sure that they will ever see the kid again but he did say in parting "I'll be back" tomorrow
A pall like silence hung in the air,no one knows what it was that he see or saw
You need to ask yourself,honestly would you be back tomorrow if you had just seen what these guys saw?

All they know at this time is that things in their previously hum drum routine had been interrupted by an event so
out and out earth shaking different that it was plum thrillin...in a kinda woozy unrealistic way
surrealistic might be a better word in today's words

But,what ever this interlude was,
they liked in,they liked it,they wanted more
now this is what life is supposed to be like in the fast lane,and now their mothers son was
right smack dab in the life he had always thought of,I want more he felt himself think if not say out loud
this is the stuff i thought i would be doing every night at the pool room
but it ain't happen to mamas offspring till tonight

So the patrons cling to that hope which hangs eternal in the human breast,perhaps tomorrow that lucky break they always expected will be theirs


So what has happened so far in review..
Johnny is out of the way,THE FLASH has been expertly delivered down to the careless loss of 3 clams and the spread (flashing the bankroll while displaying a picture of ineptness and total lack of ability in the kid",country has come to town
and this ain't no ordinary town baby this is Vegas

Breathes there the man in his right mind who frequents the pool room who will not dream of a future "
This is after all Las Vegas,people do
they gamble there ya know" its not like your local pool room where the headline on the bill of fare is the knockers expert commentary

The flames of desire are now being fed with the fan of the cool breeze of withdrawal.
The kid's not chasing them,he is withdrawn voluntarily from the action ,and for all they know the time may be past,maybe not?"
Should the door to the avenue of commerce slam right now,surely this is not going to get so close and vanish?

What is that clueless youngster doing with those seasoned babes and all that money?
is now germinating into application as their though process applies the question a step closer to
"all that money that could be mine"

Even the timid feeder is beginning to think,"I am coming back till I get some of that money.


johnny is on the biggest adventure of his life
cash,adventure ,dreams of financial rewards,new friends and the best Mexican food in the world

and every thing is on the pad

ie..titanic is sponsoring old JE to the life he expected when he turned to The LIFE

now he knows why he left the stable everyday life of security,a womans love ,a place to sleep in the knowledge that
it would be the same forever.

not enough for an aspiring pool player,the dream keeps him going when the good life he promised himself was not what he was experiencing now.
 
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someone posted something about Titanic in the main thread
refer to it
 
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O.K, you have put out plenty of bait, the fish are circling, It may be time to set the hook and reel us into the rest of the tales.
 
I don't believe it

I know better. You would't change a thing if you could. Doctor? I don't think so.
I can't see myself standing there in the operating room telling you "Deano, this
op is no good, you'll never get that part out, whatever it is, pull up before she
croaks. Trying to sell scalpels on AZsawbones (without pictures). "these scalpels
cut a ton". Yeah sure. Lawyer ? em, now that might have worked. Where we grew
up there would be no lack of clients. Just our friends alone would have kept you
busy until now. Indian Chief ? maybe. But there is no way any of these would
have produced the fun,the characters,stories,and memories that you have now.
Best game ever hands down. No age limit, no size limit, play year round, weather
does matter, far and away the coolest tools used to play any game.
jack
 
We call knockers AK's (action killers) over in this neck of the woods. Honestly, people talk about people... but NEVER when there is even the possibility of action going down and certainly not with someone you do not know very very well. I share what I know about players in the region, but only with regulars that a fixtures in the scene. I play just about everyone that will walk or crawl through the door (crawling in with wads of cash preferred).

Real action games are set up in advance mostly against people that just have long-standing itches against. Someone will bark at an old nemesis and the bidding begins, or someone from outta nowhere will come in and jump in a ring game that just escalates.

There have been instances of people that behave poorly while on the rail... sharking in all its sweet succulent forms, mindless idiocy that staggers the imagination of sentient beings the world over. Suggesting concepts and philosophies regarding shots and positions for the game at hand that quickly identify them as complete idiots.A wise man once said, "Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All Doubt."

However, among friends... sharking and mindless conjectification is mightily encouraged.

Lesh
Greater Tampa Bay Rail Bird Society Charter Member
 
Dean you are a special guy and I mean that in a good way. Keep being you buddy. Now after I have polished you up a bit can you please for the love of the God finish your story? :grin:
 
pt109 said:
Windsor Bowling and Billiards..Montreal....late 50s....it was THE action room at that time.

An old time French player told me how he handled a pool room detective...
...he was playing a collector for the Mob...guy was good action....
....but everybody knew you better not screw him around.

So, my buddy is playing him snooker...giving weight...but has the best of it.
The 'detective' is sitting on the bench...making his usual mental notes.

So my buddy makes a red ball.....and goes the the toilet...comes back to the table...
...and lines up on another RED...looks up at the 'detective' and says "Oh, thanks."...
...lines up on the color that he had played position for.

The collector turns his gaze on the 'detective'...and the guy hits the door...:eek:

...nobody saw him for like six months....:(
Click to expand...

The only trouble with this move is you have to be playing a collector for the mob.
 
I was at Tightpockets in Hapeville,Ga.one night playing someone when Don Ballard asked me who the guy that just asked him to play was. Don was a friend of mine and i told him i think it is Cornbread.He had gray hair then and I wasn't real sure.Don turned around and looked at him and said,I think I can beat him anyway. Of course Don went off.Wasn't knocking,just answering a friend's question. Wouldn't made any difference anyway.

.
 
deanoc said:
This is the sad picture of the scurve of the pool scene public enemy number one.the knocker.david slew 1000 philistines with the jaw bone of an ass,but this self appointed pool pontificater has slain many more with the same instrument David used
Click to expand...

David......Sampson......whatever
 
The knocker is a strange beast with a sole existence of denying others of pleasure.

I witnessed one of the best knockers in the world at work in its native surroundings, and it's a thing of beauty to watch, or partially see.

Walk in the door, set up a decent game, do the obligatory bathroom break before playing, washing hands, etc. Come out to see the wiley creature has stolen my game after sitting and listening to our matchup talk.

This creature strikes fast, and can derail any game plans you might have in 30 seconds or less.

More evolved knockers can resort to all kinds of attacks on their prey.
You have the "call the pool hall from your cell phone (when you are a few feet away from the pool hall house phone) and ask to get the prey on the phone. They mention to the player that they are in a bad game and they should come and play them instead.

You also have the "I'm going to go get my stick out of the car" knocker. After discussing the game, your opponent says they are going out to their car to get their stick. Little do you know that the knocker is lurking and pounces on the opponent as they are outside of the pool hall and removed from earshot.

Less we forget the rarest species of knocker. The blatant knocker. This person will inject themselves into your game negotiation and say you have the worst end of it, only to counter offer a game for your opponent and him to play.

Be on the lookout for these knockers, and know they exist and spread ill will to the entire pool hall.
 
u12armresl said:
The knocker is a strange beast with a sole existence of denying others of pleasure.

I witnessed one of the best knockers in the world at work in its native surroundings, and it's a thing of beauty to watch, or partially see.

Walk in the door, set up a decent game, do the obligatory bathroom break before playing, washing hands, etc. Come out to see the wiley creature has stolen my game after sitting and listening to our matchup talk.

This creature strikes fast, and can derail any game plans you might have in 30 seconds or less.

More evolved knockers can resort to all kinds of attacks on their prey.
You have the "call the pool hall from your cell phone (when you are a few feet away from the pool hall house phone) and ask to get the prey on the phone. They mention to the player that they are in a bad game and they should come and play them instead.

You also have the "I'm going to go get my stick out of the car" knocker. After discussing the game, your opponent says they are going out to their car to get their stick. Little do you know that the knocker is lurking and pounces on the opponent as they are outside of the pool hall and removed from earshot.

Less we forget the rarest species of knocker. The blatant knocker. This person will inject themselves into your game negotiation and say you have the worst end of it, only to counter offer a game for your opponent and him to play.

Be on the lookout for these knockers, and know they exist and spread ill will to the entire pool hall.
Click to expand...

and this sums up why it's difficult to match up! The last 3 times I got in "real" money match, over $100, there has always been a knocker involved ruining the game!

Nobody matches up unless they got the nuts! It has to be a 80/20 in favor for someone to bet. That got old for me so I decided to walk away from the game and get on with my life!

So much more in life than hanging around a pool room full of drug dealers and drug users all trying to get there paws on your money as easy as possible!

A friend of mine the other night who backed me a while back made a comment to me ,"you got beach ball size balls kid, funkin play"! Made me feel good about me and got me thinking if I should start playing again! I thought about for a couple of days,,,,, nah, I got better things to do;)
 
3rd Installment,The Knocker continues

OK here is step two of the Big score

Taking care of johnny while turning a profit at the same time

Johnny is met at love field Dallas by Billy T Dyer
you can read some more in the Titanic thread

Greatest Hustler ever under San Jose Dick's response

So Billy picks up Johnny and educates him on how to act who to play first next
who to lose to etc

An aside,never assume that because a guy shoots good pool that
he has any pool sense,most road players or professionals
would be dead broke if they had to rely on winnings
They must be taught the fundamentals
mainly to shut up



Then the trip around Dallas and the bars,pool rooms and after three weeks of taking every
wanna be off,johnny has increased his stack to nearly $10,000 which in the early 60s was lots of money

Remember Titanic is staking the action so Johnny is getting a free ride and 40% of the take atter expenses so he is happy and actually adding money into the project thus paying his and the teams expenses
,more than paying for himself

Johnny is staying with Billy T so he is under wraps and out of the way of the real project in Las Vegas which he knows nothing about.

Meanwhile back to Vegas,where the real action has not yet begun

the kid continues his show on a nightly basis causing no small stir in the Vegas community
the Kid is playing $500 games losing most and winning a few goofy Titanic prop bets

Crowds are coming into the pool room and staying all day,so the kid says its too crowded I can't get a table.A collection is actually taken by the high rollers and 4 tables are reserved and left vacant so they can play the kid

the kid's group is compted by the owner of the pool room on drinks ,but the kid is tipping $20s which is above anything ever seen
sometimes a mallard,just to show that money means nothing to him

One night in comes a group of Show business personalities to drop by,they come by and shake the hand of the kid,paying homage,a then popular lounge act was a comedian movie star named Sheky Green,the hotel sends him by to say hi,,hang for 5 minutes,public relations,
he gives the kid a bunch of show passes and free drink things,the kid passes them around to each and all after Shecky leaves

The patrons are thinking ,"who is this kid with all the money?"
Where did he make friends with these personalities

No one,and i mean no one is thinking this kid is up to something.

The pool room patrons are a lot like the smarts here on AZ
,the only thing they expect is a road agent they don't know or a dump.But a
spread like this,big money spilled,huge tips,famous show biz people acting friendly

This is beyond their experience even their imagination and the whole town is abuzz,
actors drop by,show girls,plus
the Kid with his two blond bombshells on the elbow
.Right here in the previously all male domain of the pool room.

I hope that these few lines of local color are not too tedious for you guys,in other words this is not like sneaking
in with SVB dressed in a service station uniform saying"anybody wanna play some cheap sets
and hoping someone gets started Jacks the bet and doesn't stop until he is 100 games stuck

Big scores require planning,
preparation is the introductory note to opportunity

The kid gets spotted 8 to 2 ,a hand span,, his fouls don't count,(all huge spots)
he wins $5,000 he loses $500 over and over,he wins a few he loses a bunch
Side bets are paid by the dolls,posted with the dolls
the kid laughs,the kid plays,the kid is actually having fun

this alone separates him from the pool room sorts with cynicism on their face and
sarcasm dripping from their lips
they figure ,"he ain't one of us,therefore he's a sucker"

In walks King Pin the wealthy drug lord gambler wanna bee,lawyer
he gets a table to see the fun,this is fun for him

King Pin,or KP from now on,is attended with a huge retinue of sycophants
hoping to profit from the crums from his table


And also attended by the owner of the casino,no stranger to off site action
and also wanting to keep close watch and tabs on KP who is dripping
sizable amounts in the private room with other high stakes poker players.
These guys are each former world series types and even winners in
the world series of poker(names are out of the question here)
in walks a big time entertainer i better not mention,
the casino sends him over to make calls on high rollers.
The hotel is already comping the kid and the gals,food,rooms,shows etc
They want his business(SOP standard operating procedure)

so guys performing at the casino typically drop by to say hello to our hero the
potential high roller,this encourages the high players to head swell
and lose their money where their friend Elvis is singing

So in walks Mr Big,having been directed to the place and pointed to the kid
suddenly he see KP also sitting nearby,in fact next yo the table where our hero is
holding court

you gotta love this part,so Mr B ( Imean really big)sees KP and the kid and seems unsettled,
with a big smile and a glad hand ask"you two know each other?"

Titanic could not have choreographed it any better.You need a common friend ,an introduction to get
things going.you don't just walk up to guys in this league and say"you wanna play some $100,000 pool?"

you guys have an idea what I'm talking about,lets say some bevy of beauties are visiting
in your neighborhood or one slightly better or even lots better,you seen her face on the cover of a magazine.
Your heart starts pumpin, ,but even here you have the sense to know that this chick is special,you don't just pull up
in your convertible swing the door open and say hop in,"how about a free pizza?"

As good as that approach is,and always will be,here with this class even you know that
it's a situation where you need an invitation,permission to approach,in other words

What you need is an introduction,"have you two been introduced?"
and from there your witty repartee can possibly proceed with hopeful potential
the possibility of amour.

But in the theater of commerce like we have been discussing,Big guys,class guys

or at least money men know that they are sitting ducks,the world is out to get them.So they are on the alert
for someone where a commercial motive might be present,in fact
when ain't it?"

So you see how important it was for Mr Big( a household known saloon singing crooner) to introduce
these two guys

King Pin extends his hand to the kid who reciprocates with a genuine smile,glad to know you
let me
buy you a drink? nods to the bar girl who is always not far and she flies to the side of our hero
knowing that mallards fly is this area.

Now king Pit don't need no free drinks,in fact he is the guy normally in this situation
so he is a bit off tilt for this reason alone.

But before he reasons 'what's goin on ?/"

The kid with a playful and quiet asides says conspiratorially to king pin
"think nothin of it I'm beeing compted enjoy the freebies"


king Pin looks directly at our naive hero ,stares through him for a second and breaks into a grin.
suddenly he is not the richest big shot in international drug trade,he is little 12 year old fun loving KP

he has had so much so long.he is a fun loving little guy like he used to be,King pin smiles ,no he grins and gets up personally
pulls his own table next to the kid,slaps him on the back and announces to the world and yet no one in particular
"I like this kid!"

So KP's guardians relax and suddenly the classless customs of the pool room where
a man's status is in direct relation to his ability to roll balls into the hole defines his
acceptance has been transcended by the larger than life personalities of our hero and
,
king pin,casino owner,etc


In other words let the party begin!!!

the kid says"if you've never been to a place like this,you gotta be careful,
there are a lot of sharks out there"

This is like tellin Noah about the flood ,but it brings these two together

Bonding is da word the swells use today, you guys know what I'm talkin bout

If things were going good before,the temperature is now rising
There was,and probably never will be this much potential in any pool room
in any town in any nation in the world

THE STAGE IS NOW SET FOR BIG TIME PLAY

Possibly the biggest play in the history of pool ever
 
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Oh, STOP IT! I mean please continue!

JoeyA


deanoc said:
OK here is step two

Taking care of johnny while turning a profit at the same time

Johnny is met at love field Dallas by Billy T Dyer
you can read some more in the Titanic thread

Greatest Hustler ever under San jJse dick's response

So Billy picks up Johnny and educates him on how to act who to play first next
who to lose to etc

Then the trip around dallasc and the bars,pool rooms and after three weeks of taking every
wanna be off,johnny has increased his stack to nearly $10,000 which in the early 60s was lots of money

Remenber titanic is staking the action so johnny is getting a free ride and 40% of the take ater expenses so he is happy and actually adding money into the project,more than paying for himself

Johnny is staying with billy t so he is under wraps and out of the way of the real project in Las vegas which he knows nothing about.

Meanwhile back to Vegas

the kid continues his show on a nightly basis causing no small stir in the Vegas community
the Kid is playing 4500 games losing most and winning a few goofy titanic prop bets

Crowds are coming into the pool room and staying all day,so the kid says its too crowded I can't get a table.A collection is actually taken by the high roller and 4 tables are reserved and left vacant so they can play the kid

the kids group is compted by the owner on drinks but the kid is tipping $20s which is above anything

One night in comes a group of Show business personalities to drop by,they come by and shake the hand of the kid,paying homage,a then popular lounge act was Sheky Green,the hotel sends him by to say hi,he gives the kid a bunch of passes and free drink things,the kid passes them around to each and all

The patrons are thinking"who is this kid with all the money?"

No one,and i mean no one is thinking this kid is up to something.

The pool room patrons are a lot like the smarts here on Azx,the only thing they expect is a road agent they don't know or a dump.But aspread like this,big money spilled,huge tips,famous show biz people acting friendly

This is beyond their imagination and the whole town is abuzz,actors drop by,show girls,plus the Kid with his two blond bombshells.Right here in the previously all male domain of the pool room.

I hope tha these few lines of local color are not too tedious for you guys,in other words this is not like sneakingt in with SVB dressed in a service station uniform saying"anybody wanna play some cheap

sets"

The kid gets spotted 8 to 2 ,a hand span, he wins $5000 he loses $500 over and over,he wins a few he loses a bunch
Side bets are paid by the dolls,posted with the dolls
the kid laughs,the kid plays,the kid is actually having fun

this alone separates him from the pool room sorts
they figure ,"he ain't one of us,therefore he's a sucker"

In walks King pin the wealthy drug lord gambler wanna bee
he gets a table to see the fun,in walks a big ti9me entertainer i better not mention,the casino sends him over to make calls n high rollers.The hotel is already comping the kid and the gals,food,rooms,shows etc
They want his business(SOP standard operating proceedure}

i gotta get some sleep,if you guys want to hear the rest please send me a pm
Click to expand...
 
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