Pool Wars, question for Jay.

u12armresl

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
Jay, re reading pool wars for who knows what number of times and I had 2 questions which maybe others also thought of.

One is where you talk about Jean Balukas and she is playing against Robin Bell. It said that Robin made the 9 on the break like 3 times in a row and Jean got mad + said "win some with skill not with luck." Robin filed a complaint and the sanctioning body fined her $200 which she never paid, and would have to pay to play again. Do you have any more to that story?

The other thing I wondered about was when you were talking about running around with Danny Medina through TN, KY, and IN. Who did you play in IN if you remember
 
u12armresl said:
Jay, re reading pool wars for who knows what number of times and I had 2 questions which maybe others also thought of.

One is where you talk about Jean Balukas and she is playing against Robin Bell. It said that Robin made the 9 on the break like 3 times in a row and Jean got mad + said "win some with skill not with luck." Robin filed a complaint and the sanctioning body fined her $200 which she never paid, and would have to pay to play again. Do you have any more to that story?

The other thing I wondered about was when you were talking about running around with Danny Medina through TN, KY, and IN. Who did you play in IN if you remember
Click to expand...
Jean made a remark to Robin after she made two nine balls on the break in succession. It was barely audible! The WPBA was looking for a way to fine her and maybe get her off the tour which she had dominated for several years (sixteen wins in a row!). This would have been totally glossed over in a men's event where players make similar remarks throughout a match.

I forget the names right now (Steve? and Rob or Robbie, a tall young black guy), but he played three good players in Indianapolis and swamped them all. The total win there was under 1K, but that was good money back then. Our big score was when he beat Freddy the Beard out of $2,500 playing Banks, at 500 a game. I chipped in with a 750 score that day, also playing Banks at 50 a game short rack. Our best day of a three week road trip. Danny won good money at the tourney in Kentucky and in Chicago, top four in each. Also got games in Cincy and Dayton (all wins) before heading over to Indy. In three weeks we won about 12K, with maybe 2,000 in expenses. We chopped it up 50-50 and he headed back to Denver and me to L.A. I think I put more information about this in Pool Wars when my memory was fresher.
 
Last edited:
One thing I would to add to this conversation,

I was around for some of the things Jay wrote about & it’s 100% accurate as I recall the events. Jay never embellished or told any fish tales. Which I really respect.

All the facts are reliable and true. Which is very important imo. History should be as accurate as possible, there’s plenty of bullshit to read otherwise. Our roots should be preserved as a matter of fact not fantasy.

Jay did a great job on both books.
 
Bob Jewett said:
We now know that has little to do with luck, especially if the 9 ball went straight into the pocket.
Click to expand...
yea skill in the break and rack. thats why it should never be rack your own.

but even if she got it down to a one in five chance of making the 9, it still is 124 to one of doing it 3 times in a row starting from the first try.
which of course you know.
 
maha said:
yea skill in the break and rack. thats why it should never be rack your own.

but even if she got it down to a one in five chance of making the 9, it still is 124 to one of doing it 3 times in a row starting from the first try.
which of course you know.
Click to expand...
And you would go broke giving those odds.
 
Fatboy said:
One thing I would to add to this conversation,

I was around for some of the things Jay wrote about & it’s 100% accurate as I recall the events. Jay never embellished or told any fish tales. Which I really respect.

All the facts are reliable and true. Which is very important imo. History should be as accurate as possible, there’s plenty of bullshit to read otherwise. Our roots should be preserved as a matter of fact not fantasy.

Jay did a great job on both books.
Click to expand...
You and I go back a long ways, to the early days of Hard Times (late 1980's). I'll never forget the Gold Dust twins, you and John Morton. You guys dressed the same, talked the same and gambled high. John was considered the best young player in SoCal in those days and you handled the money pretty good. I saw you guys stack it up a few times.
 
yes and even with racking and breaking no one is a one chance in 5 of making the 9 ball. look at all the matches, hardly ever the 9 goes on the break.

have you ever even made the 9 twice in a row? a few must have but most have not and almost no one has ever had a 9 three times in a row.
and getting it betting first is almost impossible in normal playing. and most likely way over 10,000 to 1. for most anyone.
 
maha said:
yes and even with racking and breaking no one is a one chance in 5 of making the 9 ball. look at all the matches, hardly ever the 9 goes on the break.

have you ever even made the 9 twice in a row? a few must have but most have not and almost no one has ever had a 9 three times in a row.
and getting it betting first is almost impossible in normal playing. and most likely way over 10,000 to 1. for most anyone.
Click to expand...
Races to 5 I made the 9 on the break 4 times in a row . Two sets in a row. I have had it made on me 5 times in a row.
In both instances the opponent was racking. Yes I gave up 5 in a row.
 
congrats. but something was amiss with the equipment or the racks. assuming a 9 foot pro table.

but there are anomalies in life that cant be explained. at least by me.

you could have busted me that day for sure.
 
jay helfert said:
You and I go back a long ways, to the early days of Hard Times (late 1980's). I'll never forget the Gold Dust twins, you and John Morton. You guys dressed the same, talked the same and gambled high. John was considered the best young player in SoCal in those days and you handled the money pretty good. I saw you guys stack it up a few times.
Click to expand...
John was such a talented player. He played 5 gears above me. We had some great times. I miss him and think of him often. Rude Dog🙏🏼

He was also a hell of a bowler in addition to pool.

Thx again Jay, we sure do have a lot of great times and memories.

Fatboy❤️🙏🏼😃
 
maha said:
almost no one has ever had a 9 three times in a row.
Click to expand...
A teammate on my Master's team did it one night several years ago. Even more unbelievable (but true), I watched a guy make three 8-balls in a row in an APA 8-ball league match against one of my teammates, that being about 10 years ago.
 
yes and most of those were on small tables where the balls dont have to travel as far, and the pockets are bigger, and small tables mean more collisions. totally different situation. but still not likely to be one in five times for either the 9 ball or in 8 ball.
anyone can bust me there as well for any amount.
 
Fatboy said:
One thing I would to add to this conversation,

I was around for some of the things Jay wrote about & it’s 100% accurate as I recall the events. Jay never embellished or told any fish tales. Which I really respect.

All the facts are reliable and true. Which is very important imo. History should be as accurate as possible, there’s plenty of bullshit to read otherwise. Our roots should be preserved as a matter of fact not fantasy.

Jay did a great job on both books.
Click to expand...
Agreed, I have both of them. Great stories!
 
DJKeys said:
Agreed, I have both of them. Great stories!
Click to expand...
Here is an unpublished story about Jays 2nd book. I don’t believe I’ve ever told this story in public/ I did tell Jay straight away.

Here it goes, as it happened.

Jay and have known each other for almost 40 years. We have always been friendly and over the years became very close friends, more than just pool family. Close.

At one point and time we were biz partners flipping used commercial tables. We never did a tally sheet with the $. We trusted each other. We had over $100K in inventory and we took each others word for expenses and income- there was a lot of cash. Never a doubt between us.

I was around Jay often when he was writing and publishing his first book. I was mentioned in it a little-which was very cool. Many of the stories I was there at the pool room or heard about them in the poo player wire (no internet days). Pool Wars was accurate account of a lot of events I saw or know of/ and more that were either not in California or before my time. Great book!

I move out of Vegas to downsize in Beverly Hills in 2012. I played about a year in LA and wasn’t any action, too much traffic. LA sucks for pool. So I dropped of AZB , stopped playing pool. Didn’t really talk to anyone in pool often.

Meanwhile without my knowledge Jay wrote and published Pool Wars 2. I had no clue. I hadn’t spoke to Jay in a year or 2 which happens in pool/ one day after not seeing him for a couple years there I was in his couch. We watched a ball game both fell zzzz. Woke up. I said good night

Jay says “hold on”
And hands me a book. I was happy another great book was my first thought. I thanked him and went home/

I get home and I was awake from the nap during the ball game. I started reading the new book. It was dead on accurate again. Which is how Jay rolls in life. So no surprise just great pool. And the he mentioned me, and of course it was 100% accurate. Jay didn’t call me to get the scoop-Jay KNEW the story and recounted it. He didn’t verify anything with me. How’s his memory? Mine is solid too!

I was honored to be mentioned in both books and I’m not a in the front of the camera kind of guy. But to be mentioned inn2 amazing books is a honor and a lifelong pool player(who isn’t currently playing).

That the story: I had no idea and Jay nailed it like always.

Best
Fatboy <———brushing up on my writing skills. I’m tired and wordy right now 🤓
 
jay helfert said:
You and I go back a long ways, to the early days of Hard Times (late 1980's). I'll never forget the Gold Dust twins, you and John Morton. You guys dressed the same, talked the same and gambled high. John was considered the best young player in SoCal in those days and you handled the money pretty good. I saw you guys stack it up a few times.
Click to expand...
All I wanna know is how you and the missus are doing? I miss both of you
 
Fatboy said:
John was such a talented player. He played 5 gears above me. We had some great times. I miss him and think of him often. Rude Dog🙏🏼

He was also a hell of a bowler in addition to pool.

Thx again Jay, we sure do have a lot of great times and memories.

Fatboy❤️🙏🏼😃
Click to expand...
Here's to all the road players who've lost their partner far too soon.
Twin sons of separate mothers, if you get lucky like we did. Unforgettable times that stay with us like a familiar itch you can't scratch.
Once their gone, it leaves an unfillable void that hopefully lessens to a dull ache someday.
Kudos to the road dawgs and their partners in mayhem!!!
A breed apart.
 
Is "Pool Wars II" still for sale anywhere?

Answer my own question, it's called "More Pool Wars" and it's available on Amazon Kindle... I've got a Kindle, but I'd prefer a Paperback version... Is it available in paperback anywhere?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top