Just pool stories....and only pool stories.

APA7 said:
I agree, Larry.



The eventual winner of the 8-ball SINGLES was Bobby Pickle from Tenn. He's a well known bar pool player.

You could hear Pickle yapping away. Think Keith McCready with a strawberry blond wig. The smoke-stung voice, the loud polite insults. And he could play. Really play. Remember, he won the single event. This was his first time out to the BCA Vegas, so he snuck in as an Open player. This guy would have won the Masters division. So much for local policing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can back that story up, I just can't stand to watch Pickle play for more than 5 or 10 minutes. He reminds me of an ostrich the way he struts around the table. I think Jesse Bowman won Masters that year. IMO, Jesse would roll through Pickle in 8ball or 9ball.
 
Time for a couple more: about "Jew Paul" aka "The King"

Every Champion and Road Player in the country will know about Paul. He's still the guy in Detroit to go after for money even at 76. He was the one that started the big money at the Rack. Some of the stuff he does with money is funnier than shit. If you got money from him he never expected it back cause he thought you were trying to pull some kind of a move on him if you wanted to pay it back.

*Grady Matthews borrowed about 2500 from him for a day just so he could pick up a Cadillac that came in and when Grady came in the next day and gave Paul the money they were arguing cause Paul was trying NOT to take the money back but Grady finally got him to. You can ask Grady about that one.

*A road player from Florida got broke at the Rack and asked Paul if he could BORROW a thousand dollars so he could get back home and have a little money when he got there to start getting on his feet again and he'd pay him back whenever he came back up to Detroit. Well, Paul pulls his cash out and hands the guy 500 and tells him "Here, now we're both out 500"

*Nothing was happening one day at the room so he goes up to Cornbread and gives him 600 and tells him to play "Detroit Whitey" some 9-ball.....then he sneaks over to Whitey and gives him 600 also and tells him to play Red some 9-ball too! They start playing and Paul leaves, he comes back hours later and they're not playing so he goes up to Red and asked what happened. Red tells him "I lost", so then he goes over to Whitey and asked Whitey how he did. Whitey tells him "I lost"......Paul never said anything to either of them but told everybody else and thought it was hilarious.

*A champion (no name out of respect) thats broke (imagine that!) gets a hundred from Paul so he can get a motel room, gas and something to eat. Paul lets him have it, then they're standing around awhile and the guy say's "Fuck this, I'd rather sleep in my car hungry and punish myself....what do you want to do for this hundred Paul?" They make a game of one-pocket on the snooker table and he ends up beating Paul out of about 5000 plus Paul blows about 20 on the side. And Paul DIDN'T get the hundred back.

TRUE STORIES
 
I heard a story the other night about Jackie Gleason and Willie Mosconi. I have no reason to doubt the person who told the story, but wondered if anyone else could confirm, correct or add to this.

In the 1950’s, ten or so years before the Hustler movie came out. Gleason was having some remodeling done on his house in California. Somehow Willie found out about it and disguised himself as a painter on the project. Dyed his hair and wore old worn out clothes with paint all over them. He began banging balls around on one of several tables that Gleason had in the basement. After a while Gleason noticed Willie playing and said that he played pretty good. One thing led to another and they started playing for a little something. Well, after 100k Gleason gave in and quit, came back with cash and put it on the table. Willie revealed who he was and said this was all a joke and didn’t want the money and wasn’t going to accept it either. Jackie said to take the money because if I had won I would be collecting. And, if you didn’t have the money you better damn well get it. After this they became friends.

Rick
 
I saw those games (Pickle/Stalev/McCreesh) some awesome pool, all Stalev said all night was "rack balls" over and over. Pickle was also told to " **** off and to play pool" when he asked a couple of guys from British Columbia to join him in his "U.S.A" chant. I think he won the tournament the next day and if I recall they played until 7 or 8 in the morning.
 
Something I saw at my local pool hall, no-one famous involved but it made me laugh. I'm warming up for the nightly handicapped 9-ball tournament. On a table across from me is a guy I knew by sight only who's supposed to be a serious money player. The tournament director is doing his rounds collecting entry fees and comes to the serious money player. Money player tells him he's supposed to have a game setup for that night, but the opponent has yet to show. TD asks him if he'd like to pay to enter the tournament anyway, and if his opponent arrives before they start he'll give him back the entry fee.

The tournament entry fee is $12. Money player says OK and reaches for his cash, whereupon they discover he has nothing on him but $100 bills and the TD does not have enough change.

Like I said, made me laugh, but I'm sure for the serious players out there this is par for the course.
 
One I got second hand from the house pro at my local pool hall, so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this. We were discussing slow players and he recounted that he was watching the finals of a pro tournament in LA between Efren Reyes and an opponent who's name he could not remember.

The Opponent is hill-hill with Efren in the finals, it is 1am. The tournament is running late and everyone wants the match over so they can pack up and go. The opponent is playing slower and slower, and in the final rack gets down to the 8, which is about 1 diamond across from the side pocket. 9 is near the foot spot with the cue call center table. Opponent has 2 obvious shots, a cross-side bank on the 8 at stop-shot speed for an easy corner shot on the 9, or a simple cut of the 8 into the side with a little right-hand english for a 3-rail path around the 9 for position into the other corner.

Opponent studies the shot for an agonizing 10 minutes, then announces he is taking his permitted 15-minute break. Opponent goes for his break with Efren still sat studying his fingernails, comes back, spends another 5 minutes studying the shot, finally decides on the cut and misses it.

Efren makes the 8 and 9 and wins the tournament. As he is packing up to leave the Opponent sets up the 8, 9 and cue ball and starts explaining to his remaining friends just what was so hard about the shot and all the options he was considering. As Efren is walking out he taps Opponent on his shoulder, asks him if he can borrow his cue for a minute, takes his cue, bends down, looks at the shot it for 1 second, makes the cut on the 8 and sends the cue ball 3 rails for perfect position on the 9 in the corner. Efren says "Thanks", hands him back his cue and leaves.
 
hustlefinger said:
I heard a story the other night about Jackie Gleason and Willie Mosconi. I have no reason to doubt the person who told the story, but wondered if anyone else could confirm, correct or add to this.

In the 1950’s, ten or so years before the Hustler movie came out. Gleason was having some remodeling done on his house in California. Somehow Willie found out about it and disguised himself as a painter on the project. Dyed his hair and wore old worn out clothes with paint all over them. He began banging balls around on one of several tables that Gleason had in the basement. After a while Gleason noticed Willie playing and said that he played pretty good. One thing led to another and they started playing for a little something. Well, after 100k Gleason gave in and quit, came back with cash and put it on the table. Willie revealed who he was and said this was all a joke and didn’t want the money and wasn’t going to accept it either. Jackie said to take the money because if I had won I would be collecting. And, if you didn’t have the money you better damn well get it. After this they became friends.

Rick
Click to expand...

I think the story was that Willie was brought in by Toots Schoor to hustle Gleason. Tey this website for that story www.songsbysinatra.com


John
 
AuntyDan said:
The tournament entry fee is $12. Money player says OK and reaches for his cash, whereupon they discover he has nothing on him but $100 bills and the TD does not have enough change.

Like I said, made me laugh, but I'm sure for the serious players out there this is par for the course.
Click to expand...

Saw a guy ask another player to stake him during a small tournament once (for a money game after the tounament was over), and the first guy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad with a rubber band on it. He takes off the rubber band and he is wearing a glove. It rained $100 bills. He had about 8-10K in that wad and it went everywhere. Stopped the tournament cold. Very funny.
 
It was probably 10 or 12 years ago by now, but Steve Mizerak and Tommy Kennedy were playing each other in New Port Richey, on the Florida Tour. I was in the bleachers sweating the match, and it was Steves shot. There was a woman in front of me who decided it was time to put on her jacket. I watched this develope almost in slow motion. She got her arm in her sleeve, and just as The Miz was pulling the trigger, Boink, out popped her hand, right in his line of sight! Steve missed the shot, and was still down on the table. He just looked up at her and said " Ya got me." She had no idea what she had done, and I don't think anyone else did either except Steve and me.

ROG
 
Early 80's, Bud's Lounge, Indianapolis,In. My friend Mac Ashby was running the tournament. Buddy Hall was showing him his new Balabuska when this girl asked if she could see it. As she raised the cue she stuck the shaft right into the ceiling fan. OOOUUUCCCHHH.
 
so what?!?

Here's one my teacher used to tell me constantly when he was just about to start a long lecture about the importance of shape. Unfortunately, I managed to forget who the pro was. Doesn't matter anyway.

Pro poolplayer plays the finals in a tournement and the audience watches with mounting tension as he flawlessly runs eight racks in a row. He has to take more time as the tension mounts, but his shape is perfect throughout. When he finally pockets the last nine ball the crowd roars and he shakes his opponent's hand. When the crowd settles down, a woman in the top of the bandstand was overheard loudly complaining to her date, "I don't see what the big fuss is all about- he never even had a hard shot."

You can see where my teacher's lecture would go from here, usually ending up with him pointing out the layout I had in a match and his perplexed southern drawl, "Now where in the HELL were YOU going?"
 
Can't count?

I am playing in the preliminary rounds of a large tourney in 1992...top three positons go to Taiwan for the World's. I only need one match to be in the top 3.. I need one game to win the match...my opponent needs three... he breaks, makes a ball...then shoots at the 3..misses, leaves me hooked ..I hit it ...he misses again ...I shoot at the 3...the referee says "FOUL"!
Both of us did not see the 2 ball hiding over on the end rail behind the 8...he gets ball in hand and runs a 3 pak!!!
 
Perk said:
It is not a hard shot to do, but requires some practice. Jump the CB into the object ball, and depending on the equipment/angle of impact the object ball will jump off the table over objects.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. On the shot I saw Efren do, the white didn't leave the table. But I may be wrong. Still, it was a great shot done during a tournament and that's what makes it great!
 
AuntyDan said:
One I got second hand from the house pro at my local pool hall, so I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this. We were discussing slow players and he recounted that he was watching the finals of a pro tournament in LA between Efren Reyes and an opponent who's name he could not remember.

The Opponent is hill-hill with Efren in the finals, it is 1am. The tournament is running late and everyone wants the match over so they can pack up and go. The opponent is playing slower and slower, and in the final rack gets down to the 8, which is about 1 diamond across from the side pocket. 9 is near the foot spot with the cue call center table. Opponent has 2 obvious shots, a cross-side bank on the 8 at stop-shot speed for an easy corner shot on the 9, or a simple cut of the 8 into the side with a little right-hand english for a 3-rail path around the 9 for position into the other corner.

Opponent studies the shot for an agonizing 10 minutes, then announces he is taking his permitted 15-minute break. Opponent goes for his break with Efren still sat studying his fingernails, comes back, spends another 5 minutes studying the shot, finally decides on the cut and misses it.

Efren makes the 8 and 9 and wins the tournament. As he is packing up to leave the Opponent sets up the 8, 9 and cue ball and starts explaining to his remaining friends just what was so hard about the shot and all the options he was considering. As Efren is walking out he taps Opponent on his shoulder, asks him if he can borrow his cue for a minute, takes his cue, bends down, looks at the shot it for 1 second, makes the cut on the 8 and sends the cue ball 3 rails for perfect position on the 9 in the corner. Efren says "Thanks", hands him back his cue and leaves.
Click to expand...
That's a great story! No wonder people like Efren. He's cool!
 
Never actually seen this but I've heard it more than once. We used to go to Dayton Ohio to Joe Burns place in the early 80's. I heard Louie roberts would bet people $500 he could crash his head thru the wall. I guess Joe didn't didn't care much for this bet.
Lot's of old stories about Louie, always in some kind of action. Sam
 
satman said:
Early 80's, Bud's Lounge, Indianapolis,In. My friend Mac Ashby was running the tournament. Buddy Hall was showing him his new Balabuska when this girl asked if she could see it. As she raised the cue she stuck the shaft right into the ceiling fan. OOOUUUCCCHHH.
Click to expand...

That's funny. Something like that happenned just recently. Jeremy Jones has gotten a little extra publicity since the US Open win, and one morning he was doing trick shots for a local morning show. The newscaster who was interviewing JJ got to do a trick shot. This was at the pool room, and the news guy was telling the news desk at the station that he is holding a $3,000 cue and that he is about to do a trick shot. Well, the news doofus is holding the cue with one hand and his microphone with the other and (I could see it coming) the cue slips out of his hand and the shaft hit the metal edge of the table flush. Right away, one of the news guys back at the station said, "Well, there goes $3,000"...like he could see it coming, too. What was even funnier was seeing Jeremy try to maintain his smile.

Do you think he can do it twice? The guy gins the trick shot and starts doing some idiotic dance. He raised the cue, and the shaft hit the Diamond light flush...amazing.

I saw JJ at a tournament a couple of weeks ago and he siad he barely got the dings out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top