About time for another round of stories from everyone here....
Heres one...
While attending or "missing" college in Auburn Al a group of us had gotten into pool and hit all the regional events and local "spots". We thought we could play but were really lucky to KNOW that we could not.
You see we were lucky to know some top players and saw first hand
what good pool was. We all gambled and had little trouble throw our money up with the big dogs we knew and even with us playing at times.
One of our friends was Robb Saez. Robbie was a fun guy to be around and was a hell of a player even back then.
So one night we leave the pool room and head towards the somewhat local Dog Track and a bar across the street. It was always hit or miss
gambling but guys have really went off there before. We load up and head down with not only Robb but another Fl player named Roy Novak.
A really solid player as well and a guy very good at getting games. He looked just like Tom Petty!!
We show up and theres about 6 of us and myself and another AZer (rjbigfish) start playing on a table. They only have two Bar tables and they are in a T formation(important later).
So I am about to shoot an 8 ball and in walks DG who is a bit of a fish. He looks quickly and sees what appears to be 6 college guys just out of the Dog Track. I notice him and yell at RJ to bet something if he thinks I cant make the 8 ball. RJ catches my drift and starts woofing back and then we bet $20 on the shot. I make it and we make the payoff real visual.
Now we have two guys there that we want in action in Robb and Roy.
DG takes the bait and slids over and starts talking about him getting in with us for a few games. By this time a few others have filed in and
are taking a gander at Roy and Robb and they are talking up games.
Well I decide to play DG and then would turn the game over to the Horses.
We are acting like college kids out drinking with some of the dog tracks money.
After a few games DG and I are betting $10-20 a game with another 10-50 on the side. I am drinking it up. Probably 2 beers a game at least and am no longer roleplaying a drunk. Im getting there.
RJ and myself are planning on me bowing out (having a few to many) and letting Robb or Roy get in.
Well I keep winning and Robb and Roy are trying to get in on the other table. For some reason they could not get in. They were playing $20 six ball with side bets and some games being $100 between the shooters.
It was nuts. I was drawing all the attention and talking alot of trash along the way. Everyone in there wanted me to lose.
By now I am pretty hammered and really want out but we are playing for anywhere between $30 and $100+ a game counting the side action.
People are coming from the main bar area to side bet and theres about 25 people crammed into this little room with my big drunk ass playing.
Robb finally gets a game on the other table. The guy will play Robb
1 game for $100. Remember its 6 ball and he says that Robb has to break.
Anyone the knows Robb knows that he is jumping at the table but has really hammed it up pretty good also.
I slide over and tell Robb to finish him off and then come play my guy.
It was a pretty wild scene that I really cant put into words that well.
Im drunk and there appears to be 6 college guys with pockets full betting it up. Theres two guys aptly named FirePlug and Big Nate that are doing alot of talking and sidebetting. The majority of the room was black except for us but no one cared. Everyone (all 25+) were yelling and talking crap and betting. The room was just big enough for 1 table but they had crammed two in there and right now its full. Honestly there were people
side betting from outside the room not even able to see the games.
To top it off I was randomly grabbing the waitress, who was a 50+ year old
asian lady, and dancing. I WAS HAMMERED.
I had on loose fat boy jeans with big pockets and money was crammed in all pockets.
So, Robb breaks and makes nothing and get this -- the guy that finally agreed to play Robb had not played a game that night. We did not know anything. He played slow but made 1 then 2 then 3 balls pretty good.
I slide over and slurr to Robb that I hope he plays more. Robb says
"me too but he is not going to win this one". I stumble over thinking he is nuts as the guy is straight in and has a nice out. BUT Robb starts jawing with others trying to get SIDEBETS. He stops the guy and gets some bets down. The guy makes the 4th but misses the 5th leaving Robb
a length of the table bank with the 6 ball near the cue ball.
Robb fires it in and gets shape all while looking like an idiot and wins.
I think great he might get more action. Nope- not one other person was even willing to get on the table. The guy he played said "naw man Im done that guy is too lucky!! Did you see that bank!".
So on the other table I have now just finished winning two games which
RJ (soberish) has told me were worth about $200 each game.
DG steps up and says lets bet $50 on this one and then the side bettors get in. It wound up about 300. I win and yell something about him getting down there and racking again.
Another game has started behind me for $20 or so a game and all the losers are getting kind of pissed.
Now we are not college kid suckers with cash we were smartass college
kids with THEIR money.
We all saw that we could not get Roy or Robb into the flow and I told RJ that we needed to figure out an escape.
The next game took a while and in the end I had the cue ball close to the foot rail and the 8 ball somewhere close to one diamond up and one diamond out off the head rail.
I was right in the middle of the damned T shaped 2 tables and 5 foot was about my focal length. I could barely see the damn ball. I talked some crap and took my time hoping to clear my head a bit and eased over to RJ and told him to have someone get the car and ease around front.
Theres still 20+ people in there and Fireplug is getting pissed that I am playing decent while drinking so much. I know the end is near.
With the shot so close to the rail I can not quite get down for a good shot due to the tables being so close. With the T shape I cant even slide over a little and lean in. So I look at the guys behind me playing and say
"excuse me".
I heard "Go ahead big man -- do whatever you got to do!" So I reached over and raked all their balls to the other side of the table and
then laid half of my body ,leg and all ,on their table and shot the 8 in quickly.
The place erupted with laughter and some people yelling about me cheating. Those yelling did not want to pay. DG quit and I hashed out about 1/2 the side bets. Another guy stepped up and racked the balls and said "bet 20". I was stuck. RJ and a couple others have went for the car.
I put up on the light and quickly break getting no side action in. A couple shots later I see the chance to knock the 8 in early and I do. Roy sees this and rallies up an exit and we exit quickly to the car.
I make it about 5 miles on the interstate before passing out. They wake me up the 20 miles later at the pool room and we all pile in laughing.
I really cant remember just how much we won but it was a good bit. I pulled money out from everywhere and the lady that owned the pool room
said " if Robb and Roy went how does Frank have all the money and him so drunk?". We all laughed and RJ told here how we could not get either of the two big dogs in action.
Robb and Roy both laid it down really well even though Robb tried to tell us
he did not know how. Boy he could turn his accent thick and really
lay out some lines. Most people he played while I was with him still thought
he was an idiot after he had taken their money. One guy as of a few years ago still doesnt believe that he is as good as what people have told him. Robb beat him out of $1500 at $20 and $40 a game all while we were
sidebetting. He had the guy talking to himself and shooting barefoot at 90 miles per hour.
-------
Sorry about the length and lack of writing skill. It was a very memorable night for me and years later at a grocery store I ran into Fireplug!! He was still pissed but was laughing about it. He had heard we had two players with us and neither got a chance to play other than one game.
Myself, RJbigfish, ARMballer and a couple other lurkers on here had some good times together and still talk here and in email. For a few years we
did some stupid stuff and went all across the south and beyond. I wont ever forget most of those trips. At times there would be 15+ of us show up at a McDermott tour stop or another regional event spending money and having fun.
Whenever I see Robb I always yell to him " you wanna play some 8ball, NO SLOP!!" He said it with his accent all the time to people and they would eventually say okay. Robb always repeated and stressed the no slop part and then would really lay it down slopping in all kinds of balls.
Robb and Roy were not the only other big dogs that we knew or wound up meeting.
In running with those guys I had dealings and met Shake and Bake, Jimmy Wetch,Dennis Shane, Eddie Taylor, Johnny Archer, Jimmy Wales, Andy Quinn, Gene "the machine" Cooper, Scotty Townsend, Painter, Ronnie Yarborough, Doug James, Mark Tadd, Patcheye, Tangleye and 100s of other characters. I watched Little John bet thousands at thirteen with
a few other young guys with him betting it as well. I saw a $100 a man
three ball game in Dothan Al with my buddy losing 9 games in a row and us having about 1300. Finally he got a win. I saw Scotty Townsend lose
19 games in a row in a ringgame in Atlanta and ask me for some $$ to keep playing. He said "heck man I aint shot but once, all I need is another!". He found someone to stake him and he won one and then busted the ring game later.
The pool world might not be full of rocket scientists but we have one of those and several thousand great characters!
Hope the story was okay and look forward to reading some more
Heres one...
While attending or "missing" college in Auburn Al a group of us had gotten into pool and hit all the regional events and local "spots". We thought we could play but were really lucky to KNOW that we could not.
You see we were lucky to know some top players and saw first hand
what good pool was. We all gambled and had little trouble throw our money up with the big dogs we knew and even with us playing at times.
One of our friends was Robb Saez. Robbie was a fun guy to be around and was a hell of a player even back then.
So one night we leave the pool room and head towards the somewhat local Dog Track and a bar across the street. It was always hit or miss
gambling but guys have really went off there before. We load up and head down with not only Robb but another Fl player named Roy Novak.
A really solid player as well and a guy very good at getting games. He looked just like Tom Petty!!
We show up and theres about 6 of us and myself and another AZer (rjbigfish) start playing on a table. They only have two Bar tables and they are in a T formation(important later).
So I am about to shoot an 8 ball and in walks DG who is a bit of a fish. He looks quickly and sees what appears to be 6 college guys just out of the Dog Track. I notice him and yell at RJ to bet something if he thinks I cant make the 8 ball. RJ catches my drift and starts woofing back and then we bet $20 on the shot. I make it and we make the payoff real visual.
Now we have two guys there that we want in action in Robb and Roy.
DG takes the bait and slids over and starts talking about him getting in with us for a few games. By this time a few others have filed in and
are taking a gander at Roy and Robb and they are talking up games.
Well I decide to play DG and then would turn the game over to the Horses.
We are acting like college kids out drinking with some of the dog tracks money.
After a few games DG and I are betting $10-20 a game with another 10-50 on the side. I am drinking it up. Probably 2 beers a game at least and am no longer roleplaying a drunk. Im getting there.
RJ and myself are planning on me bowing out (having a few to many) and letting Robb or Roy get in.
Well I keep winning and Robb and Roy are trying to get in on the other table. For some reason they could not get in. They were playing $20 six ball with side bets and some games being $100 between the shooters.
It was nuts. I was drawing all the attention and talking alot of trash along the way. Everyone in there wanted me to lose.
By now I am pretty hammered and really want out but we are playing for anywhere between $30 and $100+ a game counting the side action.
People are coming from the main bar area to side bet and theres about 25 people crammed into this little room with my big drunk ass playing.
Robb finally gets a game on the other table. The guy will play Robb
1 game for $100. Remember its 6 ball and he says that Robb has to break.
Anyone the knows Robb knows that he is jumping at the table but has really hammed it up pretty good also.
I slide over and tell Robb to finish him off and then come play my guy.
It was a pretty wild scene that I really cant put into words that well.
Im drunk and there appears to be 6 college guys with pockets full betting it up. Theres two guys aptly named FirePlug and Big Nate that are doing alot of talking and sidebetting. The majority of the room was black except for us but no one cared. Everyone (all 25+) were yelling and talking crap and betting. The room was just big enough for 1 table but they had crammed two in there and right now its full. Honestly there were people
side betting from outside the room not even able to see the games.
To top it off I was randomly grabbing the waitress, who was a 50+ year old
asian lady, and dancing. I WAS HAMMERED.
I had on loose fat boy jeans with big pockets and money was crammed in all pockets.
So, Robb breaks and makes nothing and get this -- the guy that finally agreed to play Robb had not played a game that night. We did not know anything. He played slow but made 1 then 2 then 3 balls pretty good.
I slide over and slurr to Robb that I hope he plays more. Robb says
"me too but he is not going to win this one". I stumble over thinking he is nuts as the guy is straight in and has a nice out. BUT Robb starts jawing with others trying to get SIDEBETS. He stops the guy and gets some bets down. The guy makes the 4th but misses the 5th leaving Robb
a length of the table bank with the 6 ball near the cue ball.
Robb fires it in and gets shape all while looking like an idiot and wins.
I think great he might get more action. Nope- not one other person was even willing to get on the table. The guy he played said "naw man Im done that guy is too lucky!! Did you see that bank!".
So on the other table I have now just finished winning two games which
RJ (soberish) has told me were worth about $200 each game.
DG steps up and says lets bet $50 on this one and then the side bettors get in. It wound up about 300. I win and yell something about him getting down there and racking again.
Another game has started behind me for $20 or so a game and all the losers are getting kind of pissed.
Now we are not college kid suckers with cash we were smartass college
kids with THEIR money.
We all saw that we could not get Roy or Robb into the flow and I told RJ that we needed to figure out an escape.
The next game took a while and in the end I had the cue ball close to the foot rail and the 8 ball somewhere close to one diamond up and one diamond out off the head rail.
I was right in the middle of the damned T shaped 2 tables and 5 foot was about my focal length. I could barely see the damn ball. I talked some crap and took my time hoping to clear my head a bit and eased over to RJ and told him to have someone get the car and ease around front.
Theres still 20+ people in there and Fireplug is getting pissed that I am playing decent while drinking so much. I know the end is near.
With the shot so close to the rail I can not quite get down for a good shot due to the tables being so close. With the T shape I cant even slide over a little and lean in. So I look at the guys behind me playing and say
"excuse me".
I heard "Go ahead big man -- do whatever you got to do!" So I reached over and raked all their balls to the other side of the table and
then laid half of my body ,leg and all ,on their table and shot the 8 in quickly.
The place erupted with laughter and some people yelling about me cheating. Those yelling did not want to pay. DG quit and I hashed out about 1/2 the side bets. Another guy stepped up and racked the balls and said "bet 20". I was stuck. RJ and a couple others have went for the car.
I put up on the light and quickly break getting no side action in. A couple shots later I see the chance to knock the 8 in early and I do. Roy sees this and rallies up an exit and we exit quickly to the car.
I make it about 5 miles on the interstate before passing out. They wake me up the 20 miles later at the pool room and we all pile in laughing.
I really cant remember just how much we won but it was a good bit. I pulled money out from everywhere and the lady that owned the pool room
said " if Robb and Roy went how does Frank have all the money and him so drunk?". We all laughed and RJ told here how we could not get either of the two big dogs in action.
Robb and Roy both laid it down really well even though Robb tried to tell us
he did not know how. Boy he could turn his accent thick and really
lay out some lines. Most people he played while I was with him still thought
he was an idiot after he had taken their money. One guy as of a few years ago still doesnt believe that he is as good as what people have told him. Robb beat him out of $1500 at $20 and $40 a game all while we were
sidebetting. He had the guy talking to himself and shooting barefoot at 90 miles per hour.
-------
Sorry about the length and lack of writing skill. It was a very memorable night for me and years later at a grocery store I ran into Fireplug!! He was still pissed but was laughing about it. He had heard we had two players with us and neither got a chance to play other than one game.
Myself, RJbigfish, ARMballer and a couple other lurkers on here had some good times together and still talk here and in email. For a few years we
did some stupid stuff and went all across the south and beyond. I wont ever forget most of those trips. At times there would be 15+ of us show up at a McDermott tour stop or another regional event spending money and having fun.
Whenever I see Robb I always yell to him " you wanna play some 8ball, NO SLOP!!" He said it with his accent all the time to people and they would eventually say okay. Robb always repeated and stressed the no slop part and then would really lay it down slopping in all kinds of balls.
Robb and Roy were not the only other big dogs that we knew or wound up meeting.
In running with those guys I had dealings and met Shake and Bake, Jimmy Wetch,Dennis Shane, Eddie Taylor, Johnny Archer, Jimmy Wales, Andy Quinn, Gene "the machine" Cooper, Scotty Townsend, Painter, Ronnie Yarborough, Doug James, Mark Tadd, Patcheye, Tangleye and 100s of other characters. I watched Little John bet thousands at thirteen with
a few other young guys with him betting it as well. I saw a $100 a man
three ball game in Dothan Al with my buddy losing 9 games in a row and us having about 1300. Finally he got a win. I saw Scotty Townsend lose
19 games in a row in a ringgame in Atlanta and ask me for some $$ to keep playing. He said "heck man I aint shot but once, all I need is another!". He found someone to stake him and he won one and then busted the ring game later.
The pool world might not be full of rocket scientists but we have one of those and several thousand great characters!
Hope the story was okay and look forward to reading some more
