Portland Don
- Thread starter tradr48
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DustyLeigh
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I don't remember his last name. I saw him play a match against Bob Ogburn about 1975 or 1976 for $500. I had actually played him some one pocket and broke even. I don't think he was seriously trying when he was playing me. He won the match against Bob. His cue ball would look like it was hit too easy, but somehow it always managed to get where he needed it to be.
After the match, Bob was screaming at Don and Don's backer, "You're a nit, and your backer's a nit. You're doublenits!"
After the match, Bob was screaming at Don and Don's backer, "You're a nit, and your backer's a nit. You're doublenits!"
Portland "Don" is Don Watson. He was in the LA area from around 1964 to about 1973. He was a great nine ball player on any equipment. He played all the top guns of that day including Bob Osborn, Jimmy Marino, Hawaiian Brian and many others. But Don was an alcoholic and was on binges for weeks at a time. He didn't practice much and therefore didn't have his "A" game all the time. But when he was on, he was unbeatable. He wore factory workers clothing all the time and hustled the bars mostly. He was quiet and unassuming and needed a manager to negotiate getting into large money games. I heard he left and ended up down south somewhere and I don't know what happened to him.
Are any of these stories mixing up Don Watson with Don Willis?
http://daphne.meccahosting.com/~a0007af5/willis/willis.html
http://daphne.meccahosting.com/~a0007af5/willis/willis.html
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The first time I played Don was on the 4x8 table that we had in the back of our barber shop. I was so impressed with his play that we made an appointment to play at a near by bowling alley where they had 4.5x9 tables. He beat me there too.
I later played him on a bar table, same result.
I admired his game so much that I kept coming back for more and through the years I have tried to put his game into my game, He played so smooth, always on the right side of the ball, composure, and so calm. One of the few guys that I have played that I knew that even with my best game I couldn't win. Why he never had a bigger name I don't know.
I later played him on a bar table, same result.
I admired his game so much that I kept coming back for more and through the years I have tried to put his game into my game, He played so smooth, always on the right side of the ball, composure, and so calm. One of the few guys that I have played that I knew that even with my best game I couldn't win. Why he never had a bigger name I don't know.
No, Don Watson was Portland Don, and Don Willis was the Cincinatti Kid. Willis was fat and Watson was lean. Watson was phenomenal, but had no chance with Don Willis. Wimpy was afraid of him.
Beard
Willis was a great hustler, but Watson would usually have to wait for other people to ask him to play. He might sit in a strange room for a month, just reading a paper back and sippin a few until finally somebody would challenge him.