Memories of your first pool victory

[BillPorter]

Even though my memory is definitely not what it used to be, I still remember my first "score" on a pool table. I was playing $.50 nine-ball with a guy named Tommy Jordan at Cotton Bowling Palace in Dallas Texas. I belive the year was 1962. We played a pretty long session, several hours, and at the end I was $13.50 ahead. And I am really sure of that amount. And also sure of which table we played on. Not sure what kind of stick I was playing with, however.

Since it seemed a little odd that I could be so confident about an event that happened over 40 years ago, I started wondering if maybe it's pretty common for pool players to recall their first significant victory. Maybe it wasn't a money game, maybe it was the first time they bested their brother or dad. Or maybe it was their first win in a real tournament.

So I'm asking you, do you recall your first significant win on a pool table? Heck, maybe it was only yesterday! :>)

 

[ShootingArts]

Really don't remember

I remember when and where I won my first hundred dollar game and a few other landmark games or sets but not a first significant win. I can't even remember when or where I won my first tournament.

When I think about it, I mostly remember the games and happenings that were interesting or funny enough that I told them to other people. A would be hustler let me get about a hundred up on him one night when I was drinking heavily in a bar just running the bet up big enough to suit him. Trouble was I was paying attention too and when I saw the change in his eyes when he tried to raise the bet the last time I put a hand on his shoulder and told him real friendly like, "Look, it's late, we both have had too much to drink and I have already taken enough of your money, let's get together another night." Before he could figure out how to respond to the "mark" quitting on him out of consideration for him, I stepped out the door and was gone!

That I remember because a hundred wasn't a bad score in the early seventies and because it really had nothing to do with either of our ability to play pool. I usually just let the stallers do their thing and when they tried to tighten up and take the cheese I kept tightening up enough to stay just ahead of them but this guy struck me as a butthole from the jump so this was good fun and a story worth remembering.

A guy I took after he made the eight ball on the break to win the first three games, calling the pocket each time even though he didn't have to, that I remember. My first good night is long forgotten and my first tournaments were less than I made gambling and just for grins and giggles, long forgotten too.

Hu

So I'm asking you, do you recall your first significant win on a pool table? Heck, maybe it was only yesterday! :>)

 

[MVPCues]

I remember when it happened, but I am not sure if it was at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska or Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time playing a GI a game of 8 ball on a big table. He was on the 8, I had 5 or 6 balls left I guess, my shot. I remember thinking to myself... "gee...every shot I have to shoot seems longer than the last one...". I remember bearing down with serious focus. I ran out. The GI seemed to hang his head and tried to hide while standing at the end of the table in the middle of the room while my father sat on a stool in a corner on the other end of the room with a big "yeah, that is my son" grin ear to ear.
Kelly

<edit added>
Sometime around 1980.

 

[Captain]

'Lo, Bill. I don't play well enough to have "significant" victories, but I remember the first time I responded to competitive pressure by playing better instead of choking. I still take that memory out and look at it now and then! I remember the first time I finished in the money in a local tournament, the first time I beat a good player...

AS

 

[Billy_Bob]

I think the victories I remember the most or which are most important to me are when I have won against a specific player. I would play and play this person, then one day finally win a game. These days I can win most games against some of these people and they no longer want to play me because of this, but when I got that first win, I was jumping for joy.

Next would be the first time I got into the money in a tournament. I was happy for a month over that. I think it was 3rd place.

Then I got into the money quite a bit before I won 1st place. I was of course quite happy about that, but I had won 2nd/3rd quite a bit before this, so was not so much of a big deal.

Last week I won 1st in a somewhat easy tournament and it was no big deal.

The other night I won 2 "games" (lost the matches though - race to 2 - went 2 and out) in a very tough tournament and was happy that I won *any* games at all. My goal is to win one match.

So I'm starting all over again by entering tough tournaments and will be happy to win against just one player at these. And it will probably be quite awhile before I can get into the money in one of these tough tournaments, but the fun is in getting there!

Does not do a thing for me to go win 1st in an easy tournament, so I will not play in these anymore.

 

[duke@neo.rr.com]

good memory

the first time I knew I really wanted to play this game...I was playing a tournament at the age of say 17-maybe 18. I was playing a well known and good player at the time by the name of Ron Samueloff a.k.a. "Whitey". it comes down to the last game of our set and he misses a 7 ball, and leaves me a cueball in mid table, and the 7 ball on the spot, and the 9 ball on the right lower rail. I was NERVOUS! I tell him it was fun but I'm going to miss this regardless of what I do. he says "Jeff, forget about who you're playing and why. I've seen you make this cut and get shape before. just do it!" well...after those words, I make the 7, go 3 rails for shape, and win the match. I'll never forget that. he was my hero a long time ago. he inspired me to be the player I am today (or used to be).

 

[jay helfert]

I was about 19 or 20. Had only been playing about three years and played Dan Bell, who owned a poolroom in Fairborn, Ohio. We were in Dayton at Winks (which later became Forest Park Billiards).

We played $5 9-Ball and I won about $130 after many hours of play. I thought that I had found the key to the mint, I was so ecstatic. That's when I first realized I could win at this game.

 

[StevenPWaldon]

I can still remember mine like it was yesterday. Then again, it was only two years ago so it's not that big of a deal.

I was getting in some solo practice at the House of Billiards in Santa Monica. I hadn't even been playing for a year at that point, and some rat of a hustler walks up to me to play a cheap set - $20. I had seen him shoot, but he's the kind of guy always hiding his speed so he ended up being a lot better than I thought. This guy could have given me the 7-ball easily and still walked off with cash. But for whatever reason that night, I was able to play the best pool I could muster, and then some.

The first set went hill-hill, so he asked to double the bet and play another set. Not knowing how much this favored him, I agreed to start anew. I was new to this whole 'gambling' thing so what could it hurt, right? However, I didn't have time for a race to 7 so we agreed on a race to 5. And then I beat him 5-3.

If anyone on here goes to Santa Monica, the guy was Danny Shades. He's a decent B player and has a rep for going up to suckers/fishes who are just there for fun (or practice) and then getting them to gamble. This rubs a lot of the regulars the wrong way, and whenever he matches up in a real game they're always rooting for the other guy.

And somehow I managed to win. I don't think I could even *spell* safety at that point in my game; I was all offense and about making balls. And there I was up against someone who had ten times the experience and knowledge I had, and I beat him even at his own game. I felt so good that night, having beaten him.

It was only later that I felt even better, realizing that I beat someone who should have beaten me. At the time I had no idea who he was, and all I was to him was a fish to build up whatever bankroll he could for the night before matching up with the regulars there.

I think I've still got the money framed somewhere.

 

[sjm]

This one's easy. In February of 1969, my family and I moved into a new home and my father got his dream basement with a Gold Crown 1, an end to his many years of playing at the Golden Q in Queens, NY. He had a new practice partner, too, and that was me. Just short of my eleventh birthday, I began playing straight pool with him, and I'd guess we played two races to 50 a week.

My first victory over my dad, a 50 - 49 thriller, came in either September or October of 1970, so it probably took me over one hundred tries before I got my first win over the green felt.

 

[TimFXF]

This one's easy. In February of 1969, my family and I moved into a new home and my father got him dream basement with a Gold Crown 1, an end to his many years of playing at the Golden Q in Queens, NY. He had a new practice partner, too, and that was me. Just short of my eleventh birthday, I began playing straight pool with him, and I'd guess we played two races to 50 a week.

My first victory over my dad, a 50 - 49 thriller, came in either September or October of 1970, so it probably took me over one hundred tries before I got my first win over the green felt.

Wow... I love that one. We're almost the same age, but I lost my dad in 1969. I was twelve. I never got to beat him in anything... except now I've outlived him. Cherish those memories!

 

[Cameron Smith]

A couple of years ago I won $5 from a busboy at a bar. It was the first time I won money at pool. Furthermore it was when I realized that I could make a little bit of extra cash of off this here game. It was a beginning thats for sure.

 

[Colin Colenso]

I can't remember my first tournament win, but one early event that sparked my fanatical interest in pool sticks in my mind.

It was 1990 I think (I was about 24) and it was my first season playing in a pool league. I had grown up playing a lot of Snooker and English billiards on my dad's 12' table at home, so had a pretty good stroke and my first year I was recruited into one of the top teams in the city's premier division.

Our city league had about 10 divisions (100+ teams), so it felt like a pretty big deal when we made the final and played to crowd of about 300 league players and friends. The match was even filmed with players doing interviews in the commentary box during the match.

I won the first match of the night (nervously) 2-1 and our team went on to win the final. The celebration was quite intense and went on till the following morning as is the tradition. For weeks and months afterwards a few of us would get together to bragadociously re-live the action watching the video.

My excitement for playing league died off after a few years and several finals wins, as I drifted more into the tournament scene, but that memory sticks out as lighting a fire in my desire to win at pool

 

[BlackDragon]

I picked up the teams trophy one night and recall driving home excited after the win with my buddy. We weren't supposed to win. Were too inexperienced but we stayed on top of the ladder the whole season and did the job in the finals. It was thrilling. We were 'the lost boys'

I don't think I was a better player just dedicated.

My other win I remember the most was in a surburban hotel. Going by car with same friend and a seasoned player. Like venturing out to other places to play for money. For me it was just going to see the comp but I played too and won against a legend. He played safeties but I didn't. The onlookers were going for me as he was seen as a pool pro and I was one of them. Just a banger. A hundred bucks was good. Real proud.

Winning the university bar comp five times in a row was cool cause we had something to drink then, the bar tab.

A few other wins that shouldn't have happened but did.

As my friend says 'you don't look like a pool player'

What do pool players 'look' like anyway?

Yeah I remember my first win the most.

A sign of evolution.