most underated pool players

He did play good 1p when he was young, like 18-21, but he has hardly played the game since. He has come out of 1p retirement twice to play top players getting pretty good weight but that's about it. If your source comes with some weight we might just be able to bring him out of retirement again..... :wink:

I might be able to talk my source into taking a look at it even...once hunting season closes of course :wink::smile:
 
Jack Cooney made a hustling career out of being unknown and under-rated. The were countless times when he won all the money in some joint and afterward, there would be plenty of onlookers that were convinced he didn't play very good. Jack had to like that!!! This was a comman theme with him - didn't play well but somehow got all the money.

Thank you. JACK COONEY has to be number one on this list. He managed to stay below the radar for 30 years, making bigger scores than anyone else in the country. Currently, I would agree with the poster who mentioned Glenn Atwell. This guy plays as good as any top player, on a big table or a bar table. Dan Louie is one more top player from the Northwest who often got overlooked. He could win tournaments or the cash. And Jay Swanson beat just about everybody he gambled with for 15-20 years. A lot of road men bit the dust messing with Jay.

One other post I would have to disagree with is about Allen Hopkins. He was (and is) a stone cold champion! Tournaments or cash made no difference to him. In the generation that spawned Mizerak, Sigel, Varner, Rempe and Margo back East, Allen was the money king of the pack.
 
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I'll have to go with Toby Sweet, hardly ever hear his name mentioned but he was a great gambler who could pretty much play with anybody.
 
Exactly

Thank you. JACK COONEY has to be number one on this list. He managed to stay below the radar for 30 years, making bigger scores than anyone else in the country. Currently, I would agree with the poster who mentioned Glenn Atwell. This guy plays as good as any top player, on a big table or a bar table. Dan Louie is one more top player from the Northwest who often got overlooked. He could win tournaments or the cash. And Jay Swanson beat just about everybody he gambled with for 15-20 years. A lot of road men bit the dust messing with Jay.

One other post I would have to disagree with is about Allen Hopkins. He was (and is) a stone cold champion! Tournaments or cash made no difference to him. In the generation that spawned Mizerak, Sigel, Varner, Rempe and Margo back East, Allen was the money king of the pack.

I could not agree with you both(Jay and 8balleinstein) more.Jack Cooney has to be at the top of this list.I was waiting for someone to bring up this legendary hustler.


Keith
 
I'll have to go with Toby Sweet, hardly ever hear his name mentioned but he was a great gambler who could pretty much play with anybody.

Tap Tap for Toby. He looked so innocent too. This skinny little hippy, he couldn't beat anybody, now could he? :cool:
 
Tom Jennings and Pete Margo.

An underrated player that comes to mind is Tom Jennings, a professor of mathermatics from New Jersey, who won two consecutive US Open 14.1 championships in the mid-1970's. It's very rare that I meet anybody who has even heard of him.

Another player who had a short career who was a total worldbeater, but whose name rarely comes up when the greatest are discussed, is Pete Margo of Staten Island, NY. As a straight pooler, Margo was every bit Jim Rempe's equal, but his accomplishments, which include six different 100+ ball runs in a single world champonship event, are not very well known.
 
Most have only heard of Denny Searcey and have no idea of his ability. Having watched him play through the 60's and 70's, I'd unhesitantly put him in the top echelon of players I've personally seen.
 
Eddie, The Electrician, played all games as well as anybody. He and Shorty battled many a night at Morrisey Boulevard in Dorchester.
 
He won't be any more, but prior to the Mosconi Cup....Dennis Hatch....Even though they voted him on the team....Many did not know just how good this guy can play..
 
Dont know what u mean bout Earl ,i was referring to hall of fame nod ,Earl has earned his spot.thought it was ridiculous eva made it ahead of Earl but thats another thread

Totally in agreement that Earl deserved to be in the HOF, just found it odd that you thought Allen didn't deserve the nod and considered him over-rated.
 
Some that I have heard of or have seen..

Tommy Sanders -- more unknown than underrated
Bruce Berrong -back a few years but he is still dangerous when on
Some one pocket guy in WV -- heard he beat grady and many others
never left his town in WV I dont think
Andy Quinn for a while was underrated in my opinion ..not sure about now
Glenn Atwell -- already mentioned
Shawn Putnam and
Mike David moreso a few years ago but many still dont believe that they are top US pros
 
Some that I have heard of or have seen..

Tommy Sanders -- more unknown than underrated
Bruce Berrong -back a few years but he is still dangerous when on
Some one pocket guy in WV -- heard he beat grady and many others
never left his town in WV I dont think
Andy Quinn for a while was underrated in my opinion ..not sure about now
Glenn Atwell -- already mentioned
Shawn Putnam and
Mike David moreso a few years ago but many still dont believe that they are top US pros

The guy from West Virgina is probably Chuck Morgan. One name not mentioned yet is George Rood, only one of the best pool players to ever live. He rarely traveled and had a dog breeding business. Spent a little time on the road with Lassiter in the 40's. Lassiter said he was the best player he ever knew. And Luther traveled extensively with Don Willis, who is much better known. Of course, Willis was the Cooney of his era, staying undercover very well.

Rood beat everybody who came through Dayton for about thirty years, including many top players. When Taylor came to Dayton for an exhibition in the 60's, they tried to match him up with George. Taylor passed on that idea. He knew him too well.
 
her are a few other player that i feel are very underated or not know well to the average plater; dan louie has been for many years has been under the radar but is a very talented and gifted player even with his illness,
then there is smokey bartlett which most if not all younger players dont know him but was a great bar table player and who was a very intertaining to watch. and probably the best unknown was sonny springer a great player of all games from mississippi.years back when guys stayed away from him in all games regaurdless of the money he didnt back away fromk any of them
 
I was talking with a friend last night and he came up with someone I couldn't remember, but plenty of the old timers should. It was a guy named Little Buddy Aravalo, or something close to that. Its not the other "Little Buddy" everyone knows. He ran with Hawaiian Brian, and beat most everyone we could think of, including pros.

I think Jay should know him, as he busted many S.Cal players, including Morro.

Mike
 
Jimmy Matz

The guy from West Virgina is probably Chuck Morgan. One name not mentioned yet is George Rood, only one of the best pool players to ever live. He rarely traveled and had a dog breeding business. Spent a little time on the road with Lassiter in the 40's. Lassiter said he was the best player he ever knew. And Luther traveled extensively with Don Willis, who is much better known. Of course, Willis was the Cooney of his era, staying undercover very well.

Rood beat everybody who came through Dayton for about thirty years, including many top players. When Taylor came to Dayton for an exhibition in the 60's, they tried to match him up with George. Taylor passed on that idea. He knew him too well.

Jay, how do you feel about Jimmy Matz being a fairly unknown and underrated palyer???
 
I was talking with a friend last night and he came up with someone I couldn't remember, but plenty of the old timers should. It was a guy named Little Buddy Aravalo, or something close to that. Its not the other "Little Buddy" everyone knows. He ran with Hawaiian Brian, and beat most everyone we could think of, including pros.

I think Jay should know him, as he busted many S.Cal players, including Morro.

Mike

Oh yes, Little Buddy. He was a great young talent out of San Jose. He mowed down so many top players it was crazy. Then he got married, quit pool and became a carpenter (if I remember right). The last time I saw him was back around 1990. I got the impression his marriage was crumbling and that he might take up pool again. But his comeback never materialized and he pretty much disappeared.
 
Oh yes, Little Buddy. He was a great young talent out of San Jose. He mowed down so many top players it was crazy. Then he got married, quit pool and became a carpenter (if I remember right). The last time I saw him was back around 1990. I got the impression his marriage was crumbling and that he might take up pool again. But his comeback never materialized and he pretty much disappeared.

Like you, I haven't seen or heard about him in years. He was a straight shooter when he was a kid. But after he got married, he quit, just like that.
 
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