Rating One Pocket Players

jay helfert said:
IMO Alex and Corey are both in the current top ten One Pocket players. Efren is a precarious #1, not quite so dominant as the last 15-20 years.

Parica should be on any all time top twenty as well. It's too hard to make just a top ten. Too many good players!

My all time top twenty (21 now) would be in a loose order:

Rags Fitzpatrick
Ronnie Allen
Efren Reyes
Clem Metz
Marvin Henderson
Ed Kelly
Bugs Rucker
Eddie Taylor
Boston Shorty
Jersey Red
Jose Parica
Allen Hopkins
Mike Sigel
Steve Cook
Steve Mizerak
Cornbread Red
Harold Worst
Grady Mathews
Nick Varner
Jim Rempe
Jimmy Fusco


Notice that the only active players included here are Efren, Grady, Hopkins, Varner and Parica. I just think the rest of these guys were better than the current crop of players at One Pocket. Today's list would include:

Efren Reyes
Gabe Owen
Tony Chohan
Scott Frost
Cliff Joyner
Corey Deuel
Alex Pagulayan
John Schmidt
Shannon Daulton
Danny Harriman
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I added Marvin to the top twenty. He belongs way up there. He was that good!
 
Jay you ever here or see a fella play down in Shreveport, La that played one pocket with Ed Kelly back in the late 60s 70s? In the service with the last name Wagner? Small fella with glasses, Called him the captain?
 
Snookerd said:
Jay you ever here or see a fella play down in Shreveport, La that played one pocket with Ed Kelly back in the late 60s 70s? In the service with the last name Wagner? Small fella with glasses, Called him the captain?
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Yeah, Captain Hook. He could play a little. Oh, sorry that was Mike Sigel before he became Mike The Mouth.

I think I know who you mean and that guy still plays pool. He came to Grady's One Pocket tourney in Baton Rouge in 1998. I don't know how he did though. Grady might know. I'm not 100% sure he played in the tourney or just came to watch and visit. Maybe in his 60's now.
 
Gordon Guy

watchez said:
Mr. Beard -

I would like to hear your opinion (if you know these players) on two St. Louis great one pocket players of yesteryear -

Dean Higgs
Gordon Guy

Thanks.
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I knew and played Blackie LeSeur from St Louis but I didnt know anything about Dean Higgs. I heard of Gordon Guy. I heard he was a pretty tough 1pkt player but never met him.

the Beard
 
jay helfert said:
Yeah, Captain Hook. He could play a little. Oh, sorry that was Mike Sigel before he became Mike The Mouth.

I think I know who you mean and that guy still plays pool. He came to Grady's One Pocket tourney in Baton Rouge in 1998. I don't know how he did though. Grady might know. I'm not 100% sure he played in the tourney or just came to watch and visit. Maybe in his 60's now.
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im really surprised no one has mentioned buddy hall. jay, you do not think he should be on your list?
 
Fantasy both ways

poolsucker said:
I always heard vernion elliot gave bugs a ball at one 1 hole and got a ball playing banks. Note: gabe is the only person in the last 7 or 8 years to beat efren getting 9-7 when actually betting something decent, period!!!!
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Vernon had no chance playing Bugs 1pkt even, let alone spotting him. On the other hand, Bugs and Vernon never played banks, but believe me, Bugs would not spot Vernon anything playing bank pool.

the Beard
 
Parica

SpiderWebComm said:
Thanks Beard. Which of the Filipinos bank the best? Just curious. I know people expect to hear Efren, but ya never know til ya ask.
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I like Parica's bank game the best. He was the only Filipino who actually would play banks once in a while. I played him often in Chicago.

the Beard
 
Me too

jay helfert said:
Oops, you're right, he belongs up there very high on the top twenty list. I said this wasn't easy to do. I knew I'd leave someone out. I'd put Marvin up there with Kelly, Bugs and Taylor, right in there somewhere. He's waving his finger at me right now, I can feel it. Sorry Marv. :embarrassed2:
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I overlooked Marvin too, Jay. Like I said, it's hard not to leave deserving players out. There are probably more.

the Beard
 
I apologize if his name has already been mentioned, but I'm curious to know how strong of a 1p player the Miz was. I figured with his 14.1 background, he could have been a force to be reckoned with if he put his mind to it. I never knew if he actually took an interest in the game, though.

Thanks,
Aaron
 
I would like to hear your opinion (if you know these players) on two St. Louis great one pocket players of yesteryear -

Dean Higgs
Gordon Guy

I never got to see Gordon play but I heard he could play with the best of them.

Thanks.
 
jay helfert said:
Yeah, Captain Hook. He could play a little. Oh, sorry that was Mike Sigel before he became Mike The Mouth.

I think I know who you mean and that guy still plays pool. He came to Grady's One Pocket tourney in Baton Rouge in 1998. I don't know how he did though. Grady might know. I'm not 100% sure he played in the tourney or just came to watch and visit. Maybe in his 60's now.
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I believe but am not 100% sure that the Captain from down south passed away recently
 
Ironman317 said:
im really surprised no one has mentioned buddy hall. jay, you do not think he should be on your list?
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Buddy did play good One Pocket. Very close to the top twenty IMO. I could easily put him in there with Nick, Rempe and Fusco. Buddy was a lot like Mizerak, Sigel and Rempe in that respect. They weren't really One Pocket players but once they learned the basics, they became top players because their shot execution was so good. Buddy had the added weapon of being a great banker.

Remember my list is in no particular order, only loosely arranged with who I thought were the absolute best players near the top. I could never put Buddy up there with guys like Steve Cook or even Allen Hopkins. These guys were premier players, who really understood the nuances of the game. He might beat them in one match, but overall they played a better game.

By the way, Buddy, Miz, Sigel and Rempe all won major One Pocket events, testament to how good they played. They had the pool skills to beat superior One Pocket players. Once guys like this got around the balls, it was all over. They all played pin point position and didn't miss. Even a top One Pocket player had to make sure not to leave them a shot.
 
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jay helfert said:
Yeah, Captain Hook. He could play a little. Oh, sorry that was Mike Sigel before he became Mike The Mouth.

I think I know who you mean and that guy still plays pool. He came to Grady's One Pocket tourney in Baton Rouge in 1998. I don't know how he did though. Grady might know. I'm not 100% sure he played in the tourney or just came to watch and visit. Maybe in his 60's now.
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The "Captain" Don Wagner, passed away about a year ago. He left Shreveport and moved to I think Seattle before he died.
Great guy to play with. My regular game with him was giving up 1 or 2 balls, many different ways.
Milo, who posts on here befriended him in his last years.

Dick
 
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Just wondering?

I've seen Louie Roberts and Wade Crane play 9-ball, we all know how great they were at it, but did either one of them have a 1pocket game?, and if so how would you rate them?.....I never got to sweat any of their 1pocket action, ...just wondering!


David Harcrow
 
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