Is the Profession alive and well today

[PoolSleuth]

I have been reading some of the stories about OHB who has left us,find all this fascinating, and wonder if any more of the Colorful Characters, are alive and Practicing the art of Hustling Today in year 2006. Or is hustling a dying art...

 

[BillPorter]

I have been reading some of the stories about OHB who has left us,find all this fascinating, and wonder if any more of the Colorful Characters, are alive and Practicing the art of Hustling Today in year 2006. Or is hustling a dying art...

I'm sure there are some still out there on the road, operating as a relative unkown. Stevie Moore was sort of in that category until recently. But one thing that has made a huge difference is the Internet. Now news travels very fast and the identity of good players spreads everywhere. But as long as there are pool halls, there will probably be low-profile road players moving around the country. Not necessarily as colorful as OHB.

 

[jay helfert]

I have been reading some of the stories about OHB who has left us,find all this fascinating, and wonder if any more of the Colorful Characters, are alive and Practicing the art of Hustling Today in year 2006. Or is hustling a dying art...

Mark Haddad, Tommy Delfonso and GARY ABBOUD come to mind.
Of course, Tony Watson is all about the road, as is Eric Durbin and Little John. Probably the most undercover today is Billy Ray.

But there are many players out there no one knows. In California there is a black player called Mojo, who they say is the King of the ghetto. He is a jam up One Pocket player, almost Billy Palmer's speed.

I did manage to get old Mojo at banks in my poolroom a couple of years ago (and Gary A. too). After beating Mojo at banks, I declared myself the new King of the ghetto. lol

P.S. Mojo robbed me at One Hole, and then offered me a ball. No thank you sir, I've had enough.

 

[jay helfert]

Mark Haddad, Tommy Delfonso and GARY ABBOUD come to mind.
Of course, Tony Watson is all about the road, as is Eric Durbin and Little John. Probably the most undercover today is Billy Ray.

But there are many players out there no one knows. In California there is a black player called Mojo, who they say is the King of the ghetto. He is a jam up One Pocket player, almost Billy Palmer's speed.

I did manage to get old Mojo at banks in my poolroom a couple of years ago (and Gary A. too). After beating Mojo at banks, I declared myself the new King of the ghetto. lol

P.S. Mojo robbed me at One Hole, and then offered me a ball. No thank you sir, I've had enough.

I left out T-Rex and Amar, his cousin. Two high line roadmen. And another great undercover player working all the time is the Lizard, Steve Smith. He's in action with Cardone right now in Dallas. Beat him for 5K a week or so ago.

 

[PoolSleuth]

Thanks for the replies. Internet put someone else out of BIZ....

 

[onepocketchump]

Thanks for the replies. Internet put someone else out of BIZ....

The internet hasn't put anyone out of business. In fact - the internet was probably modeled afer the poolroom network. Back in the day when there was action - all the hustlers in the country knew about it and people were flying in within a day.

I wouldn't know Steve Smith if he came up to me and showed me his driver's license. There are PLENTY of hustlers still working the poolrooms and bars around the country. Some are more high profile than others. Some I know will NOT play for more than $200 a set getting the five out from Helen Keller because they don't want to blow their cover.

I don't consider Gary Abood, Amar Kang, Tony Chohan or anyone else who bets real high against good players to be hustlers. I consider them them to be high profile free wheeling gamblers. A hustler sneaks up on you, sizes you up and sets you up for the kill. Rarely does the mark have a shred of a chance against a hustler.

Road agents like Abood are always in danger of matching up wrong and coming up against a guy they are "supposed" to beat who is playing lights out.

I personally don't care if someone's action gets knocked on the internet - if they played in the public domain and the details are know then the information is fair game. I care if I am in a pool room and someone knocks me when I have a decent game lined up. I have had games lined up with people who are even player with me but get scared and ask for weight becuase someone else knocked me. It's unreal. One time I had a guy who wanted to gamble with me knock my opponent by telling me I had no shot to win against him. I told that guy that he could bet what he wanted and he wouldn't bet a quarter. I won that match for $900 and then proceeded to take another $200 off the knocker.

Funny game - this gambling on pool...

John

 

[Rickw]

The internet hasn't put anyone out of business. In fact - the internet was probably modeled afer the poolroom network. Back in the day when there was action - all the hustlers in the country knew about it and people were flying in within a day.

John

Good post! I agree that there is a huge difference between guys like Amar Kang, TRex and others like them as opposed to hustlers. Hustlers will go into a room without a cue and sit there sipping a cup of coffee watching everyone playing. He will then pick out a pidgeon and start plucking.

Amar and Tony and guys like them don't hide their game a bit. They go into a town looking to play the best players there. They play for more than just the money, they play for their ego too. A hustler has very little ego, they are looking strictly for the cash. The hustlers would much rather play a c player getting a spot than play a short stop even.

 

[Gerry]

You want to hear something funny?!....When I first moved down here, I got knocked with the net while I was waiting for a table at a room I've never played in!. I joined the rooms "mailing list" and got a free coffee, then I guess the guy Googled me, and asked if I was "on the road"....I'm like WTF are you smoking?.....then he showed me a website that showed I won a couple small local tourneys back home in Pa. I just laughed and told him, no I live down here now, and I"m no raod agent, just looking for a game.....I got no action there!...I got the feeling it wasn't a room where they liked unknown guys looking for action....So I hit some balls, showed some guy one of my cues, and went home......

Gerry

 

[shooter777]

You want to hear something funny?!....When I first moved down here, I got knocked with the net while I was waiting for a table at a room I've never played in!. I joined the rooms "mailing list" and got a free coffee, then I guess the guy Googled me, and asked if I was "on the road"....I'm like WTF are you smoking?.....then he showed me a website that showed I won a couple small local tourneys back home in Pa. I just laughed and told him, no I live down here now, and I"m no raod agent, just looking for a game.....I got no action there!...I got the feeling it wasn't a room where they liked unknown guys looking for action....So I hit some balls, showed some guy one of my cues, and went home......

Gerry

Damn!!!!



That is a funny story!!!!

 

[jjinfla]

It sounds like the one who is really hiding his speed is good old Jay Helfert.

Somehow, he just manages to keep beating the best.

And, they keep coming back looking for more of Jay.

LOL.

Jake

 

[9Ball_JJ]

And another great undercover player working all the time is the Lizard, Steve Smith. He's in action with Cardone right now in Dallas. Beat him for 5K a week or so ago.

I've been watching those two guys go at it for a few weeks now. I just happen to be at the same pool hall for league and there is plenty of action to go around.

 

[jay helfert]

It sounds like the one who is really hiding his speed is good old Jay Helfert.

Somehow, he just manages to keep beating the best.

And, they keep coming back looking for more of Jay.

LOL.

Jake

Thanks Jake, but if you read closely, I gave both those guys props for beating me in One Hole. And I play pretty good. Banks is my road game and all the old guys know that about me.

It's funny, but I directed so many tournaments for so long, people come up to me and ask me if I play pool. I usually tell them I play a little.

If you check the results for Derby City 2003, you will see I finished in the top 40 or 50 in Banks. And there were 300 plus players. I won five matches in a row over some strong Bankers.

I never get many props for my pool playing, but I have a few good wins under my belt. Check out the book Shots, Moves and Stategies by Eddie Robin. There is a story about my match with Jimmy Fusco in the last Stardust tourney, over 30 years ago. He was on top then, one of the best players on the East Coast. He had just won the Eastern States Champion-ship a couple of months before. But he couldn't beat me that day.

I'm proud of the fact that I can still get up there and play when I have to.