Ok poolshark52 and SJM

renard

Play in these conditions?
Silver Member
When are you guys gonna set up a straight pool match against each other? You both play the game lights out. The only problem lies in geography and transportation. That would be a match AZers would label "Must See."
 
we might have already played! i have played most of the guys from ny, new jersy and pa. jack colivita, franky h. danny brueti,jimmy fusco, allen hopkins, tony r. , a lot with jonny ervelino....but this is over the years, im 58 now.i really wanted to play in that world turney next month but was not invited, like a lot of the older strait pool players...and to go try to qualify is to expensive so....maby next year if i am still wakin up in the morning...
 
Irving Crane and others use to say poolshark52 played the best patterns of anyone in 14.1.

Of course poolshark52, the story I heard as I wasn't here at the time, played Irving a game to 100 when he was a young kid. Poolshark52 ran out 100 on Irving and Irving turned and looked at him and asked, "Who the hell do you think you are?"
 
Pool shark you are probably right! Playing a whose who of players in straight pool covering such a large area.

It just amazes me the runs you guys get. I was talking with an older gentleman who lives in the area and he was talking about his high runs of between 40-60 balls at the age of 15. He said that at the time it was the only game played and you learned from the guys who did it well. Day in, day out getting thumped from the best and learning. Maybe thats what I need...

I wish I could just be a railbird to add to what I know about the game (which ain't much in comparision.) My high run was 47 about 7 years ago and I admit I didn't play any straight pool since then til about a month ago. It's coming back to me slowly (if you don't use it, you lose it.)

Both of you guys are such classy posters and I just thought it would be a classly matchup to boot.

Pete thats a great story that puts Poolsharks talent in the limelight. To have played Irving many would have felt the pressure. Sounds like Poolshark just played his game to show everyone that Irving wasn't the only one there with game.
 
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pete's story isn't exatly true. erving crane was the man in rochester and i will always feel privliged to have been his good friend till the day he died not so long ago. he was a nice man when you were not playing him! but on the table he was fierce!
i was working in a room that he practiced in and i used to rack the balls for him. one night i asked if i could play with him and he says... his famous words to me..."son, you cant shoot when your sitting in the chair!"
well it was my night...he broke and i ran 85..he gets 8-9, i run 75, he goes12, i run55, he runs 16 or so and i am on 78 with and open rack ...he unscrews his cue an says.....i came here to pratice , not to watch you play! that was the end of our games together .
later in life we became very good friends, i even pushed him around in his wheel chair at his first erving crane memorial tournment...which i won...
i miss him and his great stories! he remembered every shot in every game he played with all the greatest 14.1 players! he was one of my favorite players and is missed by all!
 
You improved the story Poolshark. Rubbing shoulders with Irving Crane more than rest says a lot. Winning his memorial says even more. It's a shame those stories weren't recorded you could have had them to reminese any time. Camcoders weren't all over the place back then though. Take Care...
 
Great Story

Poolshooter52, that is a great story. Wish I could have been a rail rat that nite. Must have made u very proud. I've seen him play many times on ESPN Classics. He was one of the truly great shooters. :)
 
poolshark52 said:
pete's story isn't exatly true. erving crane was the man in rochester and i will always feel privliged to have been his good friend till the day he died not so long ago. he was a nice man when you were not playing him! but on the table he was fierce!
i was working in a room that he practiced in and i used to rack the balls for him. one night i asked if i could play with him and he says... his famous words to me..."son, you cant shoot when your sitting in the chair!"
well it was my night...he broke and i ran 85..he gets 8-9, i run 75, he goes12, i run55, he runs 16 or so and i am on 78 with and open rack ...he unscrews his cue an says.....i came here to pratice , not to watch you play! that was the end of our games together .
later in life we became very good friends, i even pushed him around in his wheel chair at his first erving crane memorial tournment...which i won...
i miss him and his great stories! he remembered every shot in every game he played with all the greatest 14.1 players! he was one of my favorite players and is missed by all!

Yeah, I got the story from someone up here in Rochester. I do like the real one much better. You are definately one of the top 14.1 players.

One thing that is very impressive is that many of the top players were in pool halls all the time, no families till later in life. You on the other hand worked a full time job and raised a family. A natural by all means.

I'll see you up here some time...
 
poolshark52 said:
pete's story isn't exatly true. erving crane was the man in rochester and i will always feel privliged to have been his good friend till the day he died not so long ago. he was a nice man when you were not playing him! but on the table he was fierce!
i was working in a room that he practiced in and i used to rack the balls for him. one night i asked if i could play with him and he says... his famous words to me..."son, you cant shoot when your sitting in the chair!"
well it was my night...he broke and i ran 85..he gets 8-9, i run 75, he goes12, i run55, he runs 16 or so and i am on 78 with and open rack ...he unscrews his cue an says.....i came here to pratice , not to watch you play! that was the end of our games together .
later in life we became very good friends, i even pushed him around in his wheel chair at his first erving crane memorial tournment...which i won...
i miss him and his great stories! he remembered every shot in every game he played with all the greatest 14.1 players! he was one of my favorite players and is missed by all!

Hello Pat,

I read that you lived in Rochester, NY for much of your pool life where you saw and even got to play many of the great players from that area including Mike Siegel, Larry Hubbard, Danny DiLiberto, Babe Cranfield and Irving Crane.

Straight pool was the game back in the day and it's incredible that so many great players came from upper state New York.

I know that Albany isn't exactly down the street from Rochester but I was wondering if you ever got to see (or play) Mike Zuglan back when he was a little younger and playing allot of straight pool.

I know Mike still competes on the Joss Tour (9-Ball) and plays pretty well from time to time but he was invited to play in the upcoming World 14.1 Straight Pool Championship and I never really saw him (or any other decent player for that matter) play in a 14.1 match.., although I've been told that straight pool was his best game at one time.

How good was Zuglan's game compared to some of those straight pool greats from the Rochester area?
 
Well, this is all very flattering, and the implications are appreciated, but I am not a top flight straight pooler. Especially here in NYC where 14.1 world beaters are abundant, there are several that can beat me.

Of course, if the opportunity to play Poolshark52 arose, I'd love to, but he is a very accomplished pro-level player and I'm no more than a rock-solid amateur having run in the 90's twice, but never having run 100.
 
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sjm said:
Well, this is all very flattering, and the impolications are appreciated, but I am not a top flight straight pooler. Especially here in NYC where 14.1 world beaters are abundant, there are several that can beat me.

Of course, if the opportunity to play Poolshark52 arose, I'd love to, but he is a very accomplished pro-level player and I'm no more than a rock-solid amateur having run in the 90's twice, but never having run 100.
ur too modest already :)
 
Dana Bufalo said:
Hello Pat,

I read that you lived in Rochester, NY for much of your pool life where you saw and even got to play many of the great players from that area including Mike Siegel, Larry Hubbard, Danny DiLiberto, Babe Cranfield and Irving Crane.

Straight pool was the game back in the day and it's incredible that so many great players came from upper state New York.

I know that Albany isn't exactly down the street from Rochester but I was wondering if you ever got to see (or play) Mike Zuglan back when he was a little younger and playing allot of straight pool.

I know Mike still competes on the Joss Tour (9-Ball) and plays pretty well from time to time but he was invited to play in the upcoming World 14.1 Straight Pool Championship and I never really saw him (or any other decent player for that matter) play in a 14.1 match.., although I've been told that straight pool was his best game at one time.

How good was Zuglan's game compared to some of those straight pool greats from the Rochester area?

mike and i have played each other since the early 80s! he is probably the best least famous player in the country. just look at his record in the joss tour! he playes the best players in the world and still wins more events than any of them!
and as for straight pool he is a top player and can beat anyone in any givin game!. i remember in rochester , ' the clasic' i had just beat dallas west and grady and was on a roll....well i got mike 78 ti 12 and he runs 138 and out! so that tells you that your never safe playing him! how he stays so loose ill never know!?
but to answer your question...mike could hang with the best in any game...and he is a class guy and a friend.
 
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