I Don't Remember Back In The Day

Johnny,
Growing up in the Greater St. Louis area in the 40's-50's, I had plenty of great places
to play Pool and Snooker. Prior to High School, my best friend and I mostly played at
Bowling Alleys which had very nice Pool Rooms in the basement and we used House
Cues exclusively. They were kept in top condition and pretty darned straight. After
all, these were Family Friendly Pool Rooms (Mom said NO to those Seedy Pool Halls).

We both bought nice cars when we turned 16 (yes, with our own hard-earned money),
and immediately branched out to the darkest, smokey pool halls in St. Louis and E. St.
Louis. We still played with house cues, but lots of old guys had two-piece cues in soft
zippered cases. They didn't allow us in their games, but let us play rail-bird if we kept
our pie holes shut. There was much to be learned from the rail, if you were attentive.

1960 found me enlisting in Uncle Sam's Navy, where I met lots of East Coast fellas
who pretty much grew up in Pool Halls. I bought my first Custom, a beautiful Harvey
Martin Titleist with (2) Shafts and a 1x2 Brunswick Hustler Case. It weighed 23 ozs.,
at my request, as I was a Straight Pool Player exclusively by that time. I gambled a
lot and played in local tournaments most weekends. Most of my opponents played
with house cues with an occasional 2 pc. Cue making an appearance. As for "weight",
I don't recall hearing that term until the 1990's when I returned to Pool after a 15+ yr.
hiatus. I miss the "old days" at Circus Billiards and Cochran's, plus a few others.
 
macguy said:
Are you kidding, years ago if you walked in and were just a stranger that was enough for you not to get played. They would get on the phone and call all over the place trying to find someone to play.

Most would not even give you a try, you could not get them to the table with a gun to their heads. Then when that player would show up you couldn't even get those jack-offs to bet anything on the side. You are living in a fantasy world.
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I just got back from our regional bca event. In the 6-table action room, it took an hour or so to wait for an open spot. From what i saw, the majority was the usual cast of characters, all of whom know each other's games for the most part. Very few lopsided games, meaning weight was pretty standard if needed. The lopsided ones were basically a couple of people wanting to see how bad the beatdown would be. I arrived around 1am, i think, and left at about 6:30. During that time, the tables barely took a break. The first thing people would ask in most cases where they were unknown was what the other person was rated and would go from there. Obviously it wasn't hard to get something going. I can see how folks would nit up without something like that.
 
Bavafongoul said:
Everywhere I played back at that time (Brooklyn, NYC, Staten Island, Trenton & Newark), weight seemed to regularly came up for discussion....People wanted an edge and everyone was looking to give up as little weight as possible or get as much as you could swindle from your opponent....etc.

Matt B.
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Matt, I see you managed to escape from your 'early' roots..and find your way to California..This is true for most people looking for a better way of life, in general !..You made a valid point in your first few comments..That is just a way of life, in the big northeastern cities, and it has been that way forever!

IMO, it stems from a fear of being considered a "sucker" by your local peer's, if you don't seek the absolute nuts, before ANY gambling undertaking !..Fortunately, most of the rest of the country does NOT have that mindset, otherwise there would be NO gambling, NO Las Vegas, or NO casinos !..Any half smart gambler knows, those places operate on a very narrow margin..and only the idiots 'give' their money away !..Any good gambler knows, they can win way more, than they stand to lose...Good money management, will always be the key.

In a pool vernacular, I am not saying we should all challenge Efren to play one pocket 'even' !..I am saying, that if you don't challenge yourself, to ever take on a fairly even game, why gamble at all ?..This is why most decent pool players, got the hell out of that environment, as soon as they were old enough to recognize it !..That is also why, no hustler with half a brain, would ever bother to try and hustle pool, in the northeast ! :cool:

SJD

PS..Freddy the Beard said it best..He only ventured to New York and evirons 'one time' !.. He soon found out, it was tough to even get a $5 game of straght pool, and you better win the first one, because if it was at all close, that would be the ONLY game played ! ;)
 
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liakos said:
It's ok:) this is why until you come to the realization that "liberalism is mental disorder" is a fact, you will consider me an idiot! That's ok, I don't mind;)
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Probably more of a fool than an idiot, but most certainly both.

It appears you are even slower than I thought so, in small easy words, your
preposterous comment has no place amongst those engaged in a civilized
discussion of pool. No more so than an equivalently stupid comment by a
"liberal" fool criticizing wing nuts would have here.

So please - get thee to NPR where you belong and leave pool discussions to the adults.

Dale
 
pdcue said:
Probably more of a fool than an idiot, but most certainly both.

It appears you are even slower than I thought so, in small easy words, your
preposterous comment has no place amongst those engaged in a civilized
discussion of pool. No more so than an equivalently stupid comment by a
"liberal" fool criticizing wing nuts would have here.

So please - get thee to NPR where you belong and leave pool discussions to the adults.

Dale
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In small easy words, "yes sir"! I definitely don't have the intellectual ability to discuss or "see" things as well as you! I'm sorry I'm just a stupid person:(

Eli
 
I stay active when matching up by giving fair spots. When I travel to events I see these guys standing around waiting on a sucker. Makes no sense to me. Usually I have 3 or 4 guys wanting action at all times. Just get there and open up shop. I don't play the world beaters because it's bad for business. I can give up weight just to see how they play. I can fire 3 sets at Godzilla. If I win 60% of my sets I'm making out good. It's rare that I'm stealing and if I do I will give up more to press my winnings. Guy needs all the breaks...granted . If he can't run out does it even matter?
 
Johnny, the reason you can't remember back in the day is because you can't even remember back in the yesterday.
Just kidding!
What I remember Johnny, is that nobody cared what level you were. When you played pool you either won, or you got beat. End of story.
When someone asked, "Is that guy good?" all you heard was, "Beats the hell out of me." or, "Yeah, he beat Joe out of ten bucks the other day." You were what you were, and only when you were at the top of your game were your achievements recognized.
What I'm getting at is today's young people have grown up believing that everyone's a winner. It's participating that's important. Everyone's a winner because everyone cares, and everyone has a passion for caring. Then, when they show up for a job interview and ask if the company offers a government approved lunch program, they get sent back home to their parent's basement.
Worthless little bastards.

There. I feel a lot better now. Thanks. :)
 
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pdcue said:
You're an idiot, now take your stupid a$$ and your stupid post to NPR where you belong.
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Damn. Beat me to it!
macguy said:
Are you kidding, years ago if you walked in and were just a stranger that was enough for you not to get played. They would get on the phone and call all over the place trying to find someone to play.

Most would not even give you a try, you could not get them to the table with a gun to their heads. Then when that player would show up you couldn't even get those jack-offs to bet anything on the side. You are living in a fantasy world.
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Trying to introduce facts into the discussion? He will just pass over your post.
He LOVES Cocco Puffs!!
 
Hey Liakos, I heard Bill O'Reilly asked for and got the orange crush vs. Lassiter back in the 60's. He said it himself. MUST be true. What a Liberal wuss!
 
back in 60's, 70's, etc.

It was a lot different back then for sure. There were so many people too
play that the players didn't have to play each other in order to make money.
In the Cotton Bowling Palace alone there was Alf, and Jack Taylor, Red Fisher
Tommy Lambert, Whoppi, San Jose Dick,Billy Stroud, Marcus Collier, Slim,
Little Hand, Jack Terry,Joey Torma, Jerry Trigg, Bill Porter,Danny Mathews,
Jesse Smith, Coker, Ti, Bobby Stevens, and I'm sure quite a few more that
made their living playing pool. They did match up with each other but there
were so many people that couldn't play at all to play that they could pay
the nut off of them. Dick was the best player around there but I don't ever
remember him playing suckers or the dead nuts. He beat all the local champs
and barred no one, (don't ask for the spot , unless you're ready to play, he just
might give it up). There would be so many people sweating the games that
every time it was your shot the crowd would have to part so you could shoot
For what ever reason I don't remember any one getting the weight that is
given now. If someone got the 7 and eight he had to be helpless. Once
Detroit Whitey gave Bobby Chapman the 5 playing 9 ball, I didn't think anyone
could give anyone that kind of spot. Whitey robbed him. If a player came in
offering to play anyone, first it was Alf then Billy, then call Puckett.
We didn't have jump cues or break cues or ld shafts but only because they
weren't around. We would have gobbled them up if it gave you an edge.
I think it's whenever you were young was the best of times. 60's and 70's
for me, 40's for my, father ,80's 90,s for our kids. But raising my young grand-
son I often wonder what stories he will tell his kids . " once I was playing this
Video game and was attacked by 20 zombies, lucky for me I got them all".
jack
 
9andout said:
Hey Liakos, I heard Bill O'Reilly asked for and got the orange crush vs. Lassiter back in the 60's. He said it himself. MUST be true. What a Liberal wuss!
Click to expand...

Not a fan of him, he is a complete doosh! I'm a huge fan of Michael Savage:) if you know who he is you will get an understanding of how I am!
 
Is the Cotton Palace where "One Eyed Tony" played Dick?

jackpot said:
It was a lot different back then for sure. There were so many people too
play that the players didn't have to play each other in order to make money.
In the Cotton Bowling Palace alone there was Alf, and Jack Taylor, Red Fisher
Tommy Lambert, Whoppi, San Jose Dick,Billy Stroud, Marcus Collier, Slim,
Little Hand, Jack Terry,Joey Torma, Jerry Trigg, Bill Porter,Danny Mathews,
Jesse Smith, Coker, Ti, Bobby Stevens, and I'm sure quite a few more that
made their living playing pool. They did match up with each other but there
were so many people that couldn't play at all to play that they could pay
the nut off of them. Dick was the best player around there but I don't ever
remember him playing suckers or the dead nuts. He beat all the local champs
and barred no one, (don't ask for the spot , unless you're ready to play, he just
might give it up). There would be so many people sweating the games that
every time it was your shot the crowd would have to part so you could shoot
For what ever reason I don't remember any one getting the weight that is
given now. If someone got the 7 and eight he had to be helpless. Once
Detroit Whitey gave Bobby Chapman the 5 playing 9 ball, I didn't think anyone
could give anyone that kind of spot. Whitey robbed him. If a player came in
offering to play anyone, first it was Alf then Billy, then call Puckett.
We didn't have jump cues or break cues or ld shafts but only because they
weren't around. We would have gobbled them up if it gave you an edge.
I think it's whenever you were young was the best of times. 60's and 70's
for me, 40's for my, father ,80's 90,s for our kids. But raising my young grand-
son I often wonder what stories he will tell his kids . " once I was playing this
Video game and was attacked by 20 zombies, lucky for me I got them all".
jack
Click to expand...

Hey there, Jack, I knew many of those players, they were just past their prime. I was always closest to Alfie, and Jack Taylor was one of my all time favorite characters (RIP).....he may have had the best punch out of all of them. ;) LoL

Is the Cotton Palace where "One Eyed Tony" played Dick?
 
He would play them all

C.J.
He might have played One eyed Tony there but I don't remember it. He
played every one. He also played at Times Square and Ft Worth. I was
in Ft Worth with Red Fisher and Dick was giving him the 7 or 8 I don't
remember which on this 4x8. Well I'm in with Red and Dick is murdering
him. After a while I said I give this is no good. Red says well okay but
after I bust him I don't won't to here you were in. Well guess what ?
It only got worse for my old partner. It seemed to me when I watched
Dick play he was playing more center ball than most. His cue ball control
was very good and it was never spinning around the table. He was the
first real good one pocket player I had ever seen. I thought Billy, and Slim
were as good as you get. I was wrong.
jack
 
Wasn't the internet then. Now, someone comes in a takes enough money, their picture, the story is going to end up posted on the internet. Point of trying to hide who you are, what speed you play, and everything else has mostly died.

Yes, local players can still hide from the road player, but not all that well. At least around here, the people who gamble, mostly know each other. Gambling on pool has been replaced for the casual betters by casino's, cards, and the state run lotteries.
 
I do remember back in the day, 25 cent beer and 25 cent bar tables. A couple of bucks could keep you happy all night. We only played for a beer and one go at the table. No one had much money, few had their own cue.

I thought I was living high when I bought an aluminum cue. Wrapped it myself with my fathers old linen fishing line. Those were the days. Still looking for a blue aluminum cue.
 
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