To Make a Short Story Long
flashgordon said:
Not tring to call anyone out but if anyone is looking for a game they will always be a player at Clucks waiting. We are not going to be able to come to the Carolina open because like I stated he has a job and is limited to time off, but he can play only after 5:00pm due to his schedule.
This reminds me of a time years ago in SC when I was first serious about tournament and action play. It was around 1987 or '88 I think. And Jam, I remember Keith was in the area quite a bit then, playing all of the tournaments and gambling some.
Wanting to absorb any conversations from better players on the subject of pool, I listened in on a conversation between Buddy Hall and Jimmy Hodges on Hodges' first road trip to Louisiana. Jimmy had since opened a pool room in Mauldin, South Carolina called "Cue Time", and at the time it was the hot spot in South Carolina for big tournaments and action. This account is also in Buddy Hall's "Rags to Rifleman" book, but not so detailed. Hodges was telling the story with Buddy Hall and a few other players listening in.
We all know who Buddy is, and for those who don't know, Jimmy Hodges was a great shortstop (even maybe a little better than shortstop) who traveled the country from the mid 70's to mid 80's hustling pool. He made it to all states and Hawaii playing (and winning), so he was no slouch at all.
It seems Hodges was on a road trip through Louisiana and stumbled in on a little restaurant/bar with a few tables. He asks if there is anyone in town who wants to play $10 or $20 pool. The guy running the bar says that there is a guy in town who will play, but he doesn't get off work until 5:00. The barkeep tells Hodges to hang around and the guy will surely be in. Well, around 5:20, sure enough, a guy comes in in ragged work clothes, and acting as if he in worn out from working all day.
They decide to play 9 ball, and Hodges says that the guy beats him pretty good. So the guy tells Hodges to come back the next day, and he can get the 8. Jimmy comes back the next day to play, of course after 5:00 because the guy had to work that day. The local beats Hodges again giving him the 8, and tells Hodges to come back the next day and he can get the 7. Of course, Jimmy comes back, takes the 7, and loses again. The locals tells him to come back the following day and he could get the 7 and 8.
There was a brief silence, so I asked Jimmy if he went back the following day to play with the 7 and 8. He said, "I would have, but I had run out of money!"
My point is, when a guy tells you that he can't play till late in the day because he has a job; well sometimes he does, and sometimes it could be the best player in the country.
Mike
I'd have to hear Tony with my own ears saying that.... I haven't seen Tony in yrs but I find it hard to believe he's changed that much....
