Jack Pool

9BallPaul

9BallPaul

Banned
That's what we called it when I was coming up in Denver during the '60s. Shooting one-handed, with the left hand usually held behind the back.

A guy in Denver named Joe Finesilver was reputedly the best at it, and damn impressive when I saw him. He could run packages in 9-ball, so long as he could break with two paws.

I spent a lot of time trying to learn this skill, and did well enough to earn some spot cash in certain situations. But one thing that Joe always told me was this: "Kid, when you learn the secret to this game, you'll just be amazed."

Took me about 40 years, but recently I've learned the secret. Should I reveal it?

I'll let the board decide.
 
9BallPaul said:
That's what we called it when I was coming up in Denver during the '60s. Shooting one-handed, with the left hand usually held behind the back.

A guy in Denver named Joe Finesilver was reputedly the best at it, and damn impressive when I saw him. He could run packages in 9-ball, so long as he could break with two paws.

I spent a lot of time trying to learn this skill, and did well enough to earn some spot cash in certain situations. But one thing that Joe always told me was this: "Kid, when you learn the secret to this game, you'll just be amazed."

Took me about 40 years, but recently I've learned the secret. Should I reveal it?

I'll let the board decide.
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Joe was good, but Ronnie and Weldon Rogers were better. And Little Sergio was the best of all, at 9-Ball. He could not beat Ronnie at One Pocket.
 
jay helfert said:
Joe was good, but Ronnie and Weldon Rogers were better. And Little Sergio was the best of all, at 9-Ball. He could not beat Ronnie at One Pocket.
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Joe though, was the most incredible character to ever live. He was quite an act.
 
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Incredible don't describe it

ironman said:
Joe though, was the most incredible character to ever live. He was auite an act.
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Joe was an incorrigible drunk who'd storm into Celebrity Sports Center at 3 a.m. and demand a table, even if all of them were in operation. Then he'd challenge the entire room to a game -- any game, really, but Jack Pool was his deal. And intoxicated to the point that I'd guess he'd blow a 0.3, he'd casually run racks of nine-ball and banter with the entire room

What a guy.

His brother was chief judge of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court in Denver -- and quite a story in himself. I'll keep that one private.
 
jay helfert said:
Joe was good, but Ronnie and Weldon Rogers were better. And Little Sergio was the best of all, at 9-Ball. He could not beat Ronnie at One Pocket.
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Weldon was indeed a very good jack pool player. I also know a road player who plays one handed one hole better than most people play with both.

To answer the OP's question, please do share!
 
9BallPaul said:
Joe was an incorrigible drunk who'd storm into Celebrity Sports Center at 3 a.m. and demand a table, even if all of them were in operation. Then he'd challenge the entire room to a game -- any game, really, but Jack Pool was his deal. And intoxicated to the point that I'd guess he'd blow a 0.3, he'd casually run racks of nine-ball and banter with the entire room

What a guy.

His brother was chief judge of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court in Denver -- and quite a story in himself. I'll keep that one private.
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He was quite a character too and I understand keeping that on to yourself.

Joe played pretty fair one handed, but, was far from the best in the Denver area.

Al Hogue got barred from the golf game at the Fun Center and came back to play making the 3 hole twice. Got barred after about a week. Then came back and played jacked up and got barred after two days. That was a tough game too.
 
ironman said:
He was quite a character too and I understand keeping that on to yourself.

Joe played pretty fair one handed, but, was far from the best in the Denver area.

Al Hogue got barred from the golf game at the Fun Center and came back to play making the 3 hole twice. Got barred after about a week. Then came back and played jacked up and got barred after two days. That was a tough game too.
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Yeah, I didn't really mean Joe was top dog. I was an impressionable teenager at the time, and the description of him as "the best" came straight from his mouth. But what a character!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand: Yeah, there really is a secret to it but I think it's best to discover it on your own. Once you do, I'd say you can play at about 75 percent of your two-handed game.
 
OK, here it is

Stop the PMs, you guys. I'll divulge all I know.

Many years after encountering Joe at Celebrity Lanes, I ran into him at the Family Fun Center and sat down to talk with him. Of course we talked about playing jacked up.

I said, "Joe, what about that secret you told me about? What is it?"

He stroked his chin for awhile, looked me in the eye, and said, "Practice."

Then he laughed, and said: "After you practice enough, you figure out that you've got to have a fulcrum every time you shoot. Usually you can do it off the rail, but sometimes you find yourself controlling the cue with your wrist.

"That's unacceptable. In that situation, you move back on your grip and tuck the butt of the cue beneath your elbow. In effect, the elbow becomes the bridge. But once you learn this, it still takes a good deal of practice."

I think Joe died soon after that, but I'm happy to keep his memory alive on this board. The old bird would be proud.
 
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