Keith often called Alex “Little Man”…..Alex adores Keithkeith never seemed to like efren much i remember him ribbing him in one match calling him little man throughout the match
Question about Jose Parica
- Thread starter Positively Ralf
- Start date
Believe me, the feeling is mutual. They love to cut up with each other, and if you've never seen The Keith and Alex Show, you're missing it.
The funny thing is Keith most always beats Alex in pool tournaments, but when it comes to action, Alex is top dog. He's a tough action player.
A funny pool tale with Jose, Keith, and Ryan McCreesh. I saw Jose Parica gambling with Keith and Ryan McCreesh in Philly at the Capital City Classic.. It was after hours, and the place was like a ghost town. Jose, Keith, and Ryan wanted to engage in a game of stakes. So they settled on a captains one-pocket game. It was after midnight, and my eyes were burning from sleep deprivation, an occupational hazard on the tournament trail for some.
During the set, Keith went to shoot a ball in his hole and pocketed it. Jose jumped out of his chair and said, "Wait a minute. That's my hole." With that deer-in-headlights look in his eyes, Keith retreated to the sidelines, looking like a schmuck. Ryan was furious.
Jose then studied the layout of the table and proceeded to pocket a ball. Unfortunately for Jose, he pocketed the ball in Keith-and-Ryan's hole. When Ryan told him about it, Jose scratched his head and then he had that same deer-in-headlights look as Keith. Two seasoned veteran players, both shooting their balls in the wrong hole.
At the conclusion of that game, Ryan immediately unscrewed his stick and said, "That's it. I've had enough of this action. I'm getting some sleep."
During the set, Keith went to shoot a ball in his hole and pocketed it. Jose jumped out of his chair and said, "Wait a minute. That's my hole." With that deer-in-headlights look in his eyes, Keith retreated to the sidelines, looking like a schmuck. Ryan was furious.
Jose then studied the layout of the table and proceeded to pocket a ball. Unfortunately for Jose, he pocketed the ball in Keith-and-Ryan's hole. When Ryan told him about it, Jose scratched his head and then he had that same deer-in-headlights look as Keith. Two seasoned veteran players, both shooting their balls in the wrong hole.
At the conclusion of that game, Ryan immediately unscrewed his stick and said, "That's it. I've had enough of this action. I'm getting some sleep."
I was playing one pocket one time and my opponent tried playing a short rail double bank. He hit it so bad it almost went in my hole and ended up right in my jaws. Me, being deep in thought, assumed that was his hole and proceeded to get that ball out of the jaws and up table. He then also forgot what pocket was his and we ended up switching pockets for quite a while until one of us questioned the ball score and we figured out what happened.
They got along fine.
Saw them at Dante's place in Carson, CA one time.
They were just playing cards.
But, they are really competitive when they play against each other.
Saw Jose run over Efren at the Legends of 9-Ball at the Commerce Casino. And at Danny K's in OC year after that.
Then Efren got Jose back in 1997 US Open semis.
Efren went to the finals and lost to Earl.
Had Jose beat Efren at the semis, who knows?
He's always had Earl's number.
That spot was Daisy Mae's, the best bar table action joint of all time! One time "Navy Gary" Serville and I got Charlie stuck bad giving him the Eight Ball, for a couple of thousand. He put up the title to his Chevy II against $400 and Gary beat him again. When the bartender went to hand the title to me, Charlie grabbed it out of his hands. He demanded we play one more set for the same title. I said no deal and he starting acting crazy, picking up a bar table waist high with one hand. I was damn scared and even though I had my little .25 on me I knew it wouldn't help me or stop him. Gary said okay, he'll play him again, but only once more. He took me aside and told me to start my car and pull around the front and honk my horn once. I waited until they had put their cues back together and flipped for the first break, and slipped out the back door to my car. I pulled my Vette around close to the front door and honked once. Gary came running out cue in hand. He jumped in and said Let's Go! I squealed out of there and saw Charlie come running outside with a couple of other guys in my rear view mirror. They had no chance to catch us, and didn't even try. The next time I saw Charlie was months later at Hard Times in Costa Mesa. He didn't say a word to me, as if it had never happened.Keep in mind Y'all, Varner went to the Philippines, played Efren on home court and beat em.
While improving and living in Belmont Shores, I heard about this kid in Costa Mesa.
This small pool room had a couch and a fireplace.
I played Ether one time at the Original (Charlie the ape) Costa Mesa Hard times.
Got fortunate to win, he ran outta (his $$$) money after two sets.
He started to smooth out 2nd set, had me 10-6 or 10-7, winner break roll out 9 ball I won.
Tho after watching em play, I knew once he got rolling, I couldn't beat em.
But back then if he had more money, I would of gladly lost the $400 I had won and then moved on.
I did always enjoy watching em play King Kong on the Box, at that all night bar table place out east.
I used to get there about 1pm in my van, take a nap for a couple hours then go inside around 3am, when all the action started, after the bars closed.
I think Kieth would give em something like the Wild 5 or the 6 ball spot in those games.
Kong had no chance; Kieth would always put packages on em.
One night, right outside the front door at the all-night place while parked in my van/sleeping, someone woke me trying to break in my vehicle.
The DAZZZZZZZZZZZZe...
We got away with the money that time. The crazy thing is that a week or so later Gary calls me and asks if I want to go back and gamble with Charlie again. I said no thanks. So Gary takes some other guys with him and goes back and beats Charlie out of even more money. This time there was no fight or threats of violence. I think one of the guys with Gary was a real tush hog and killer! Like Island Drive says above those were wild times for all of us. It was all about the action, and taking a risk was just part of the deal. My biggest score ever in a bar was when I played the President of a local Biker gang and beat him out of a few thousand plus his Harley. This was a guy who was probably the most dangerous man in all of Santa Barbara County. And I got paid in full ($1,000) to get back the title to his Harley. A couple of weeks later that same guy was on the front page of the Santa Barbara News Press in the biggest drug bust ever in that area. They found tens of thousands in drugs and a Thompson sub machinegun! There is more to this story but you'll have to read about it in Pool Wars.
The short answer is NO! They had a semi cordial relationship, but Jose disliked the fact that Efren was held in such high regard when he knew he was the better player for the cash. Jose would bet his own, just like Dennis, and Efren preferred having a backer if the bet got as high as 100 a game.
I almost forgot , you and Min Ng were at Dante's place in Carson that night too.
Iirc, this wasn't too long after your expo and Efren's 8-ball invitational win at your expo.
Yep, Jack beat Toby either playing even or getting a small spot like 9-8. Jack was only the smartest hustler of all time. He played like God at One Pocket and always made the right game. No one ever knew his true speed, which I felt was close to Ronnie's. Jack was a great safety player and found a way out of almost any trap you put him in. He knew the secret to playing simple One Pocket. And when he needed to make a ball or pull off a shot, he did it successfully nearly every time. Jack always kept a cool head and I never saw him get flustered. He won a lot of games after it looked like he was buried. I bet on Jack every chance I had, even when he played Sal Butera a 10K set of 9-Ball. At that time Sal was considered the best 9-Ball player in L.A. Jack had called me and asked me if I wanted some. I took a 1K piece of it.
Don't tell anybody but I once beat Sal a set in the Swanee tournament (only a Race to Seven). He was livid since I played a long combo on the nine ball in the case game. He asked me how could I shoot such a difficult shot. I told him I thought it was the only way I could win the set. I guess I did win a match here and there against some very good players. I even beat his dad Lou once in a Race to Eleven in an exhibition match. Lou didn't like it either. Not so bad for a lifetime shortstop!
Motorcycle accident.
They did gamble in Houston for big money, in Earl's prime. Jose had been beating everybody playing 9-Ball and Ten Ball, giving up spots to all of them. Guys like Louie and David Howard went down swinging. Maybe three or four other top players got handed their walking players by Jose as well, every one of them getting weight. They thought he was from Mexico and someone called me to ask if I knew him. I did, but kept quiet. It was none of my business. Finally they brought Earl in to challenge him. Jose gave Earl the nine ball in Ten Ball and beat him too!
Yep, went in there many times. Not so far from my home in Lawndale. I was trying to get a game with Dante, who liked to gamble at One Pocket, but it never happened. I did bet on John Schmidt when he played a high dollar set with Santos in there. No one knew I was even betting on the match. Thank you John for keeping that quiet.
Keith did beat Efren at 9-Ball the first time he came to the states, right before Houston. They played at the Orange County Sports Arena and Keith thought he was just another Mexican champion and he had beaten all of them already. I know Keith remembers that.
Ha Ha, ask Keith about the time I beat him in the finals of the big monthly tournament they used to have at the House of Billiards in Van Nuys. They always had a full field of 32 players (a one day tournament) with an entry of $50. First prize was $400 I think, or maybe 500. I think Keith let me win. He definitely did not play his best in that match. Keith did win that tournament like ten times or more! In fact he won most everything around L.A. and San Diego for ten or fifteen years in the 70's and 80's. It was either him or Swanee. I ran a lot of those tournaments and it seemed like it was always Keith and Swanee playing in the finals. When they had big tournaments up north in Sacramento, Keith went up there and snapped them off too. Up there Keith had to deal with Kim and they battled many times in the finals. All great matches! Keith and Kim gambled a lot too. Kim wanted so bad to beat Keith and he paid his dues before he ever did. I don't remember Keith gambling with Swanee. They were really good friends.
I won't be bragging too much since Keith cleaned my clock a few times gambling. I won once when he was like 16 or 17 getting the eight ball. But he beat me every time after that, giving me the eight, the eight and the break and finally the seven and the break in my poolroom in Bakersfield. I got the cure after that, and became Keith's part time backer. We did win a lot of money together so thank you Keith for that!
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Well Jay, since my best man was from Bixby Knolls, Harley race team mechanic, had a machine shop on Signal Hill and roomed with a Long Beach Cop here's what he did for that Police Force.That spot was Daisy Mae's, the best bar table action joint of all time! One time "Navy Gary" Serville and I got Charlie stuck bad giving him the Eight Ball, for a couple of thousand. He put up the title to his Chevy II against $400 and Gary beat him again. When the bartender went to hand the title to me, Charlie grabbed it out of his hands. He demanded we play one more set for the same title. I said no deal and he starting acting crazy, picking up a bar table waist high with one hand. I was damn scared and even though I had my little .25 on me I knew it wouldn't help me or stop him. Gary said okay, he'll play him again, but only once more. He took me aside and told me to start my car and pull around the front and honk my horn once. I waited until they had put their cues back together and flipped for the first break, and slipped out the back door to my car. I pulled my Vette around close to the front door and honked once. Gary came running out cue in hand. He jumped in and said Let's Go! I squealed out of there and saw Charlie come running outside with a couple of other guys in my rear view mirror. They had no chance to catch us, and didn't even try. The next time I saw Charlie was months later at Hard Times in Costa Mesa. He didn't say a word to me, as if it had never happened.
We got away with the money that time. The crazy thing is that a week or so later Gary calls me and asks if I want to go back and gamble with Charlie again. I said no thanks. So Gary takes some other guys with him and goes back and beats Charlie out of even more money. This time there was no fight or threats of violence. I think one of the guys with Gary was a real tush hog and killer! Like Island Drive says above those were wild times for all of us. It was all about the action, and taking a risk was just part of the deal. My biggest score ever in a bar was when I played the President of a local Biker gang and beat him out of a few thousand plus his Harley. This was a guy who was probably the most dangerous man in all of Santa Barbara County. And I got paid in full ($1,000) to get back the title to his Harley. A couple of weeks later that same guy was on the front page of the Santa Barbara News Press in the biggest drug bust ever in that area. They found tens of thousands in drugs and a Thompson sub machinegun! There is more to this story but you'll have to read about it in Pool Wars.
I met JR at Paramount Billiards/Adam Brostoski's place, loved that man.
Cops were baaaaaaaaaad back then to mankind, but Jr/mah best man would do this.
Because of this, the police gave him/he still has it. A real police badge, to this day he still carries it in his wallet. (safety)
Drug bust Long Beach/Always a Harley Davidson in that mix.
The cops would then give the HD to JR, he'd fix the bike, then the cops would keep/use or sell it on the side.
I talk to JR most every month now.
Tell me the name of this Santa Barbara/Biker Gang President, and I'll get us one more story.
Loved going to Ascot? Hanging with em and 200 bikers, drinking cans of Budweiser in the bleachers on the first corner.
I was safe, he the best mechanic, and me the pool player, which bikers felt safe with
.bm
They called him Pegleg because he had one wooden leg from the knee down, just likeWell Jay, since my best man was from Bixby Knolls, Harley race team mechanic, had a machine shop on Signal Hill and roomed with a Long Beach Cop here's what he did for that Police Force.
I met JR at Paramount Billiards/Adam Brostoski's place, loved that man.
Cops were baaaaaaaaaad back then to mankind, but Jr/mah best man would do this.
Because of this, the police gave him/he still has it. A real police badge, to this day he still carries it in his wallet. (safety)
Drug bust Long Beach/Always a Harley Davidson in that mix.
The cops would then give the HD to JR, he'd fix the bike, then the cops would keep/use or sell it on the side.
I talk to JR most every month now.
Tell me the name of this Santa Barbara/Biker Gang President, and I'll get us one more story.
Loved going to Ascot? Hanging with em and 200 bikers, drinking cans of Budweiser in the bleachers on the first corner.
I was safe, he the best mechanic, and me the pool player, which bikers felt safe with
bm
that old pirate. I forget his real name now. It was a prominent club like Gypsy Jokers or one of them. Go online and find the story about his arrest for more info. It happened the same year as the Bank of America riot in Isla Vista, CA. I was there for that one too!