One of the best unmentioned hustlers...

S

Somehustler

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Why is it that countless threads about the best gambler of all time come up and almost none of them mention one of the best money players of all time... Hawaiian Brian. I dont know how many of the new players know who this is but anyone who played serious pool in the 70's and 80's has to know or at least heard of who this is. According to my dad who went on the road with him he was not the best player in the world by any means, but knew how to bet and almost never dogged it for the money. He played players in nearly every state before retiring back to Hawaii. There are stories of how he got the 8 from Mizerak in his prime and played for around 10g's and came up on top once or twice. 10g's in the 70's was serious money compared to what it is now. And for anyone that has read the book "Playing off the Rail," the part of where Bucktooth (not sure if it was him, cant remember) went to Hawaii and cleaned out Brian, that is untrue according to Brian himself. I just wanted to bring acknowledgment to a true pool player and hopefully others will post stories that they know about him.
 
Somehustler said:
Why is it that countless threads about the best gambler of all time come up and almost none of them mention one of the best money players of all time... Hawaiian Brian. I dont know how many of the new players know who this is but anyone who played serious pool in the 70's and 80's has to know or at least heard of who this is. According to my dad who went on the road with him he was not the best player in the world by any means, but knew how to bet and almost never dogged it for the money. He played players in nearly every state before retiring back to Hawaii. There are stories of how he got the 8 from Mizerak in his prime and played for around 10g's and came up on top once or twice. 10g's in the 70's was serious money compared to what it is now. And for anyone that has read the book "Playing off the Rail," the part of where Bucktooth (not sure if it was him, cant remember) went to Hawaii and cleaned out Brian, that is untrue according to Brian himself. I just wanted to bring acknowledgment to a true pool player and hopefully others will post stories that they know about him.
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In "Playing off the Rail" it says that Bucktooth lost to Brian in Hawaii, it wasnt until Brian came here that he beat him.
 
I was just about to say that haha, I'm reading it right now for the third time :)... Bucktooth supposedly hadn't picked up a cue in years and was on vacation in hawaii when he decided to give brian a game, he lost and couldn't stand it so practiced once he got back to the main land until he knew he could win and supposedly smoked him.

But that is coming from Bucktooth, so who knows.
 
Another 70's story I'd like to hear if anybody was in Hawaii at the time. A guy got shot in a Hawaiian pool hall...he hailed from Oregon, was a good amateur shooter. A rich guy, he was there racing his family's sailing yacht. Anybody know the tale from the Hawaii side?
 
sorry, I meant that when Brian came back to the states he beat Bucktooth again...this is according to Brian himself who's word I believe more than Bucktooths:)
 
I saw Brian play Bucktooth in Sacramento in the mid 70's at the Jointed Que. They were playing for 2-3 hundred dollars a game. Brian was spotting Tooth the six ball. Brian jumped out to around 3000.00 ahead but the weight and the deep pockets of Tooth was a little to much for Brian to bare.
 
Watched Brian ROB one of the better players in Dallas in the early 90's. The opponent was a big, clean cut blonde headed guy that started out playing strong and before they were finished he looked like an APA SL6.

Brian was playing with his G SZAM that had most of the finish shot off.
 
i saw him play at the Jointed Cue many times for Terrys tournments, he would bring over a few players with him, I wentto his pool room once in 92 or 93 and played some kid named Dewy-I got drilled. i only played one set.
 
Hawaiian Brian was a successful roadman for many years, traveling all over America. He was never afraid to play anyone and was at most a ball or so under the top players. He is probably one of the best hustler/players in terms of money won this side of Jack Cooney. Brian just had a knack for winning, cool under pressure and an expert at matching up.

He knew what game he needed to win, and was quite capable once he got that game. And never dogged it for the bet. I matched up with Brian a couple of times and he gave me what seemed like a good game. Something like 9-7 in One Pocket and the 7 ball in 9-Ball. I have yet to beat him.

Sadly Brian's game is way down due to severe arthritis, that has crippled his hands and made it hard for him to grip a cue. He has suffered from this condition for many years now, and is why you rarely see him play anymore, except in the small ring games at his poolroom. He has owned (as a partner) "Hawaiian Brians" in Honolulu for over 20 years now. it has been Hawaii's premier room all this time.

My memory of Brian when he was playing is this small in stature, solemn looking guy, who rarely cracked a smile. He had a rapier wit and a keen mind when it came to discussing a game. When he got the game he wanted, he would say "lets go" and you were toast. He could play a long, long time and would not wear down or get tired.

I am glad to count him as a friend, and he oftens brings me gifts from the islands when he comes over here. I do the same when headed his way. Brian is one of my best friends from the old days.
 
jay helfert said:
Hawaiian Brian was a successful roadman for many years, traveling all over America. He was never afraid to play anyone and was at most a ball or so under the top players. He is probably one of the best hustler/players in terms of money won this side of Jack Cooney. Brian just had a knack for winning, cool under pressure and an expert at matching up.

He knew what game he needed to win, and was quite capable once he got that game. And never dogged it for the bet. I matched up with Brian a couple of times and he gave me what seemed like a good game. Something like 9-7 in One Pocket and the 7 ball in 9-Ball. I have yet to beat him.

Sadly Brian's game is way down due to severe arthritis, that has crippled his hands and made it hard for him to grip a cue. He has suffered from this condition for many years now, and is why you rarely see him play anymore, except in the small ring games at his poolroom. He has owned (as a partner) "Hawaiian Brians" in Honolulu for over 20 years now. it has been Hawaii's premier room all this time.

My memory of Brian when he was playing is this small in stature, solemn looking guy, who rarely cracked a smile. He had a rapier wit and a keen mind when it came to discussing a game. When he got the game he wanted, he would say "lets go" and you were toast. He could play a long, long time and would not wear down or get tired.

I am glad to count him as a friend, and he oftens brings me gifts from the islands when he comes over here. I do the same when headed his way. Brian is one of my best friends from the old days.
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Jay, I think Brian beat me nore times and out of more money than anyone else I ever played. My history with him goes back to Five Points Bowl when he first came over from Hawaii. I beat him a couple of cheap sets of 9 ball, and Hawaiian Jay, who had been here for a while, told me to stop thinking I could beat him, he was the best player over there. We played many times and he gave me games in nine ball and one pocket I thought I could win at, but I couldn't seem to get there. I had an insurance agency in Alhambra in the 70's and used to go down to Sixth & Western and play him. He would even let me write checks LOL. Lou would steer me around and I would blow any money I won plus some to Brian. I finally had him trapped in the 80's playing three cushion billiards. I had been up in San Jose playing quite a bit at California Billiards and Brian and I were playing some $50 a game to ten. I won the first game, let him win the second and was waiting for him to jack it for the third game, when he said "I quit. I'm supposed to be doing this to you". In the early 80's Sigel was out here and I beat him at the Jointed Cue Tournament in Sacramento to come in fairly high in the tournament. I cashed pretty good and was feeling my oats when Little Buddy from San Jose asked if I wanted to play some. I said yeah, but you have to bet $500. He almost ripped his Levi's getting the $$ out. He beat me seven ahead in about 20 minutes and I looked over and Brian was grinning and laughing. I asked him what was up and he told me he took Buddy on the road and they just got back from robbing Texas and Buddy had not missed a ball in a month. I'd still be playing Brian if he was around. John Henderson
 
Snapshot9 said:
his website with a picture of him:

http://hawaiianbrians.com/index.php/site/index_more/spring_aloha_open_2007/
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aloha_open.jpg

From left, Ron Jarvis, Kevin Lum-King, Dean Kipi, and Hawaiian Brian
 
Jay..... by any chance did you ever get the chance to play a guy from the Salem/Peabody Mass. area named Nicky Vlahos.....He was on the road for a few years back in the 70's i believe. Was just wondering if you ever got to play him is all. His nickname was the "INDIAN"............mike
 
Hawaiian Brian's

I am wearing a t-shirt from HB's in Honolulu. Aside from the man being a legend, what a cool pool hall located in a parking lot garage in downtown Honolulu not far from the Convention Center. An excellent pro shop with some great custom cues and cues made of the local koa wood to die for. I told the lady behind the counter I was just a tourist and she said she would play me some when she got off. Lots of tables, good sai-min, this the the hard times of the islands. Check it out.
 
cueball1950 said:
Jay..... by any chance did you ever get the chance to play a guy from the Salem/Peabody Mass. area named Nicky Vlahos.....He was on the road for a few years back in the 70's i believe. Was just wondering if you ever got to play him is all. His nickname was the "INDIAN"............mike
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I knew Nick but never heard him referred to as "the Indian". Seems to me I heard of more than one guy who was called that back in the '70s and early '80s. Jay???
 
I'm goin to Hawaii this summer for vacation, anyone know which island/city his hall is in? I'd love to go and check it out.
 
cueball1950 said:
Jay..... by any chance did you ever get the chance to play a guy from the Salem/Peabody Mass. area named Nicky Vlahos.....He was on the road for a few years back in the 70's i believe. Was just wondering if you ever got to play him is all. His nickname was the "INDIAN"............mike
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I met him once in 1991 and he was an awesome player.It is sad that he died very young
 
thrasher789 said:
I'm goin to Hawaii this summer for vacation, anyone know which island/city his hall is in? I'd love to go and check it out.
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In the heart of Honolulu, on Kapialani St. I believe. It is easy to find, with lots of parking right there.
 
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