Playing off the Rail

MikeMaaen

MikeMaaen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A pool hustlers journey by David McCumber. Got to looking thorugh some old Billiard digests the other day and saw a review of this book in a 1996 issue by George Fels. Ordered a copy on Amazon and have been having a blast reading through it. Being a "mature" (code for oldtimer) it really does depict what the pool scene looked llike back in the late 70's and 80's. It's a great read for 9 ball, one hole and snooker fans. The stories about some of the road hustlers of the day as well as some of the tournament players like Jimmy Mataya's adventure in Reno rally rings true. I watcher Jimmy win $400 playing craps in the corner of the elevator at the Rosevelt Hotel in NY between the lobby and the sixth floo at the straight pool championships one year a while back. Highly recommend it if you haven't read it. Be prepared for some "strong" language so suggest a PG rating be observed. Anybody still play five ahead with the cash on the light? LOL all day!
 
xianmacx

xianmacx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree.

Probably my favorite road book even if a fair bit of it is exaggerated/fictitious.

Ian
 
W

wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
some of it true

I was at the Reno Sands Tournament when Annigoni played Lemke for the ahead set for $5K....My friend and I watched for some time as the match went back and forth....my friend got tired and left to go back to the hotel room and sleep, and not long after he left, Annigoni won a few quick games on the break, and Lemke came unglued and started missing and that was the end of it. After Annigoni made the last 9 ball to win the match, he said, "let's roll it over and play some more........."
But Lemke and/or his backer said no. Apparently there was some bad blood between them as Lemke owed Annigoni some money from the past and hadn't paid. Maybe that's where Annigoni got the idea not to pay people what he owed....?
 
H

huckster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Akron chapter was not totally accurate but it entertaining considering I was there during that time. I know some new York guys had some issues with the depicition would like to here Saez's take on it.
 
MahnaMahna

MahnaMahna

Beefcake. BEEFCAKE!!
Silver Member
I also thought it was a great book that I had read cover to cover probably 20 times.

But then I met Tony. And then he stiffed the USPPA players. And then he pulled at that sh*t with Jeff Gregory and the court case.

Now I can't even stand to read the book. Instead of enjoying the story and characters, I now picture the real Tony and have to immediately assume that all of the stories and depictions of him being a good guy are complete BS.
 
W

wahcheck

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
yep

MahnaMahna said:
I also thought it was a great book that I had read cover to cover probably 20 times.

But then I met Tony. And then he stiffed the USPPA players. And then he pulled at that sh*t with Jeff Gregory and the court case.

Now I can't even stand to read the book. Instead of enjoying the story and characters, I now picture the real Tony and have to immediately assume that all of the stories and depictions of him being a good guy are complete BS.
Click to expand...

I agree; after I learned what he did regarding the USPPA tournament and Jeff Gregory, it completely changed my view of him......although I didn't know him before, ( he just seemed like a nice guy whom I talked to a few times), I lost what little respect I had for him.
 
MikeMaaen

MikeMaaen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OK anybody else got something to add. I really can't believe some of you were there, know these guys and can't wait to hear more. Wonderful stuff.
 
JesseBfan

JesseBfan

Motivation, where are u?
Silver Member
Thanks guys, gonna check it out. Maybe there'll be something in there about him beating me for $100 a week @ $2 a game 1hole when I was a kid :)
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
MahnaMahna said:
I also thought it was a great book that I had read cover to cover probably 20 times.

But then I met Tony. And then he stiffed the USPPA players. And then he pulled at that sh*t with Jeff Gregory and the court case.

Now I can't even stand to read the book. Instead of enjoying the story and characters, I now picture the real Tony and have to immediately assume that all of the stories and depictions of him being a good guy are complete BS.
Click to expand...

Tony got punished in Toronto...by a man they said couldn't play and got very lucky.
He wears glasses and they called him the Human Fly.
I met the author a year after the book came out and I asked him "If that guy
got so lucky, why didn't you come back the second day?"

That Toronto player beat Johnny Archer and Jeremy Jones back to back in
a tournament in Vegas not long after.

The man's name was Mario Morra, Johnny Morra's father....
...the acorn didn't fall too far from the tree.
 
F

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Excellent

huckster said:
here is my repost of the time Tony was in Akron as mentoined in playing off the rail.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=115483&highlight=Jack+Hynes+playing+rail
Click to expand...

I live abt. 30 miles north of the old Starchers, your discription of the place was perfect. I had just gotten back into pool in 95 and went in there a few times.In 97 a room opened North of there by the racetrack and put a real dent in their busn.I really enjoyed your piece , thanks for writing it.
 
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