Jack Cooney

jay helfert said:
It's a two rail kick out of the corner into the bottom of the pack. When you see it once, you know it. Then it's just a matter of practice. This is no real secret.
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Oh Jay you're such a knocker :-) Don't you know this thread is about keeping things secret, laying low, and springing the trap.

LOL - I tried to get short rack 1p action at the US Open 98ish if anyone would give me the breaks and no one was biting. Could have also been because I was being nitty with the bet at $10 a game too.
 
JB Cases said:
Oh Jay you're such a knocker :-) Don't you know this thread is about keeping things secret, laying low, and springing the trap.

LOL - I tried to get short rack 1p action at the US Open 98ish if anyone would give me the breaks and no one was biting. Could have also been because I was being nitty with the bet at $10 a game too.
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John, you'd have to trap a lot of guys for $10 a game to make the nut! :smile:
 
markgw said:
Back in 1993 I was on tour with my band Great White and on everyday off I would go to poolhalls around the Country to find someone to match up with. That year I saw Jack Cooney in 5 different poolhalls matched up in 5 different States. When I saw him for the 5th time he came up to me and asked if I was following him. I just laughed and explained I was on tour with my band and it was a coinsidense. But I would watch him play and he always gave weight and it was always 1 pocket.
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I liked Great White. When my buddy and I went on the road one year that was one of the tapes that we listened to over and over again. I think it was "Once Bitten Twice Shy."

Picture this. We were in an old beat up porche, without a tape deck or stereo because we couldn't afford one. So we had a boom box in the back and a stack of tapes next to it. We had to get batteries when we got gas.

Good times man, good times.

Then I saw you guys live at the Buffalo Rose in Golden, CO much later.

Great show. Bad night. Really bad night.

~rc
 
My experience with Frisco Jack wasn't pleasant. I played him in one of the local tournaments back in the early eighties. Back in those days I played pretty good. It was 9 ball, a race to seven in the finals and I handicapped two games to most players there.

When it was him and I in the finals of course he said that he didn't want the spot of two games. I won the toss and ran six racks and almost seven. I missed (dogged) the eight in the seventh game. To make it short he would up winning the match. I had chances but didn't get there. What a smooth operator he was.

I believe our HRHendy was there that day.
 
The 5th time I saw Cooney playing it was in Toledo. I was hanging with Richie Rich and Jack was playing some guy giving him the hit and pick 2 spot and they were playing on the same table that Archer ran the 13 racks on Bustamante. The owner of the room asked if I wanted to make a $100 sweat bet and he said I could pick either player he doesn't care. So I pointed to Cooney and said I'll take him. He goes no bet, you picked the wrong guy.
 
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markgw said:
The 5th time I saw Cooney playing it was in Toledo. I was hanging with Richie Rich and Jack was playing some guy giving him the hit and pick 2 spot and they were playing on the same table that Archer ran the 13 racks on Bustamante. The owner of the room asked if I wanted to make a $100 sweat bet and he said I could pick either player he doesn't care. So I pointed to Cooney and said I'll take him. He goes no bet, you picked the wrong guy.
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I seem to remember that you don't play too shabby yourself.
 
definitely some that people dont know

jay helfert said:
Oh there's a couple, don't kid yourself. I ain't saying anymore, but there are a handful of very good players out there who not many people know about. More than a handful actually. Two Handfuls!
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I dont want to give anybody away either but there are definitely some players who dont bother with the tournaments that are very good players. I had heard about one player in particular and after seeing him play, I had heard he was a top hispanic player in Los Angeles. I had no clue he wasnt playing in tournaments until I mentioned his nickname and nobody knew him at Hard Times except for the Ernesto, Morro, and the other top Mexican Players. I actually saw him play Cole Dixon about 15 years ago, and I wont mention what game they played but I will tell you that after Cole played him one game (and Cole actually won the game).. Cole quit and said you are a very very good player and I have no chance of beating you at that game.
 
JAM said:
There used to be a room named at the Derby City Classic in his namestake and James Walden.

The two of them had a high-stakes match -- (I can't remember the money amount) -- between Jack Cooney and James Walden.

News travels fast when it comes to pool players. When a road agent comes to down, all the best players in the land come to the place where the stranger is, hoping to get action.

In the '70s, I think it was, me and my pool buddies were hanging out at Champion Billiards in Silver Spring, MD, where I used to work, and somebody came in and said there was a stranger in town at the Golden Cue in Bladensburg who was betting it high. The stranger was Jack Cooney, who was accompanied by his girlfriend.

I did not get the opportunity to see him play at that time, as I had to work graveyard shift, and that's when the action would begin. I did hear about a horrible incident through the pool grapevine. Word had it that he not only had deep pockets, but he was winning and holding a bundle.

Jack Cooney was playing some guy at the Golden Cue, and some thugs came into the pool room and put a gun to his face, demanding all of his dough. His girlfriend refused give up the money, and they shot her. She survived, but it is one of pool memories that taught me to never flash my cash and/or hold large amounts on my person when in a pool room.

We almost got robbed in Upstate New York holding 18 large one year, and I drove out of town in a snow blizzard at 3 o'clock in the morning.
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Jam, you got a good memory there & i have to know you, but jacks girlfriend got shot because she wouldnt give up all that bling she was wearing. that was a f***ed up deal that night, jack even said & i quote"i'll never come back in this f***kin state again, but he did, he robed a guy in oakland at that ambo station/pool room across from the high school & almost got it(shot) from 2 guys
 
huckster said:
I seem to remember that you don't play too shabby yourself.
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I'll bet on Mark against ANY professional entertainer in the world playing pool. Musician, actor, singer etc. etc., all are welcome to take up this challenge. I will extend this offer to any professional athlete in any other sport besides pool, and I'll even throw all professional writers into the mix.

The one caveat is for professional poker players, which I don't consider a sport anyway. So that narrows it down to about a million entertainers, athletes and writers worldwide that I like Mark against playing pool. How do you like them apples? Go find your guy and I'll go find Mark. We can make it a TAR challenge match. :)
 
jay helfert said:
I'll bet on Mark against ANY professional entertainer in the world playing pool. Musician, actor, singer etc. etc., all are welcome to take up this challenge. I will extend this offer to any professional athlete in any other sport besides pool, and I'll even throw all professional writers into the mix.

The one caveat is for professional poker players, which I don't consider a sport anyway. So that narrows it down to about a million entertainers, athletes and writers worldwide that I like Mark against playing pool. How do you like them apples? Go find your guy and I'll go find Mark. We can make it a TAR challenge match. :)
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LOL - define professional entertainer. I pick Mike Massey, the country western singer. ;-)
 
jay helfert said:
I'll bet on Mark against ANY professional entertainer in the world playing pool. Musician, actor, singer etc. etc., all are welcome to take up this challenge. I will extend this offer to any professional athlete in any other sport besides pool, and I'll even throw all professional writers into the mix.

The one caveat is for professional poker players, which I don't consider a sport anyway. So that narrows it down to about a million entertainers, athletes and writers worldwide that I like Mark against playing pool. How do you like them apples? Go find your guy and I'll go find Mark. We can make it a TAR challenge match. :)
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Jay,
As far as athletes I have heard stories on how well Pacman plays, but you are up to snuff on the topic does he play as strong as many claim (shortstop in the US?)
 
jay helfert said:
I'll bet on Mark against ANY professional entertainer in the world playing pool. Musician, actor, singer etc. etc., all are welcome to take up this challenge. I will extend this offer to any professional athlete in any other sport besides pool, and I'll even throw all professional writers into the mix.

The one caveat is for professional poker players, which I don't consider a sport anyway. So that narrows it down to about a million entertainers, athletes and writers worldwide that I like Mark against playing pool. How do you like them apples? Go find your guy and I'll go find Mark. We can make it a TAR challenge match. :)
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Kevin Trudeau is on T.V all the time and isn't he a 200 ball runner in straight pool:rolleyes:
 
onepocket1 said:
Hi MarkGW - I just wanted to say hello. I enjoyed our matches.

Ken ( former owner of Hard Times )
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It is a cool pleasure to have him, isn't it? And to find out he runs out too- alllrightee!
 
Ronnie W. and Jack at

the old Hit-n-Run in Flint, Mich. played for 2 or 3 days. One stretch was about 30 hours and I came in and out because I had to actually work for a living. I know the bet was in the thousands, but do not know exactly how much. I was more interested in their moves and was constantly amazed at how Jack could freeze the cue on not one but two balls with no way out. They were playing backgammon where you had to double the bet or lose when it was called. From what I heard, Ron quit even. Never saw the man before or since, but what an education!
 
JB Cases said:
LOL - define professional entertainer. I pick Mike Massey, the country western singer. ;-)
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I don't know the other guy but Mike was never more than a good shortstop pool player.
 
huckster said:
Jay,
As far as athletes I have heard stories on how well Pacman plays, but you are up to snuff on the topic does he play as strong as many claim (shortstop in the US?)
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Mark would beat Manny.
 
JG-in-KY said:
Not trying to be difficult or anything, just very curious. I know you are a fine player so I value your opinion but I thought Mike Massey played a little better than shortstop speed. Just wonder what others here think.:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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The Tennessee Tartan, they used to call Mike Massey. He got the nickname, Tennessee Tarzan, when he was 20 while Bob Graves and he were hustling pool in bars, and arm wrestling as well.

Most young'ns today know Mike Massey as a trick shot artist, but in his heyday, before he settled down, I guess you could say, he was a very strong tournament competitor. He used to be ranked in the top 10 on most tours when he was actively competing on the American tournament trail.

Today, he is a very religious man and takes his faith very seriously. He and his lovely wife travel together most times, and even bring their two pooches with them. Mike's good people! :)

Here's Mike's Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Massey

I just may have to contribute some additions to his article when time allows. I have many pool mags from the '80s that feature Mike's accomplishments.
 
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