Road Player Secrets - Developing a Winning Style

CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
When we used to play on the road and travel all over the United States there were times when it was challenging.

If we didn't win, we didn't eat and couldn't get a hotel, so many players couldn't handle the pressure, it was brutal at times! However, back in the 70s and 80s the road was how most professional players developed their Killer Instinct, the ability to close out an opponent.

I Had to develop an edge, beating all the greatest players in their home town pool rooms was virtually impossible UNLESS I could figure out how to play a different type game than they did, a technique that would get stronger and stronger the longer we gambled.

This is how I did it ------->.https://youtu.be/dUXk1rREfe8
 
the inside on tight pockets with worn cloth, and the outside on loose pockets

HawaiianEye said:
That is my style of playing.

Inside is the secret.
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Yes, when Sky Woodward was in Texas to play Earl Strickland a friend of mine had him go down on several shots to where he thought "center ball" was and each time he was a "Touch" to the inside.....he was surprised, but it's very difficult to see the exact center and go down exactly to the center of the cue ball.

I'd like to see how many champions are unaware of this, Dennis O told me he favors the inside on tight pockets with worn cloth, and the outside on loose pockets with new cloth. This actually makes a lot of sense, I can do either, just prefer the Touch of Inside.
 
I'm loving your stories and your attitude, CJ. Looking forward to watching many more of your videos. Cheers!
 
thanks cj i am enjoying your stories also i am starting to play after a long layoff you are giving me inspiration to keep going
 
there were so many road players back then!

bamadog said:
I'm loving your stories and your attitude, CJ. Looking forward to watching many more of your videos. Cheers!
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I appreciate you, today looks like a great day to film road stories, someone ask me about Gene "The Machine" Cooper earlier today, I'd forgot about playing him.....there were many road players in the 80s!
 
CJ Wiley said:
I appreciate you, today looks like a great day to film road stories, someone ask me about Gene "The Machine" Cooper earlier today, I'd forgot about playing him.....there were many road players in the 80s!
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What do you know of Jack Taylor, Alfie's brother. I met and played with him as a teen back in around 1970. He was from Dallas.
 
CJ ,I think you had a tournament at the Grand Kapenski ( misspelled) in the early 90's. It was a really upscale event. Do you remember anything about that event. I think you went to the loser's side early and maybe got 2nd ?
 
Good memory, that was one of the best tournaments in Dallas history, I was fortunate

Dave714 said:
CJ ,I think you had a tournament at the Grand Kapenski ( misspelled) in the early 90's. It was a really upscale event. Do you remember anything about that event. I think you went to the loser's side early and maybe got 2nd ?
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Yes, I actually put that tournament on with CJ's Billiard Palace as a sponsor when I was working with the PBTA. That was a really nice hotel, and you got the name as close as I could, it changed to the Hotel International I think, it's been awhile, it's on the Dallas Tollway close to where I had my nightclub Carsons LIVE.

Johnny Archer beat me in the finals, I saw a picture of us on facebook recently and there was a write up about it in a magazine, have it on my phone, but haven't transferred it to this laptop.

Good memory, that was one of the best tournaments in Dallas history, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play Johnny in the finals..... :yeah: he got lucky in that one! ;) haha
 
So you're the old dude in the funny hat driving 50 mph in the 70 zone on the highway.
 
"Sorry Jr. I have went back to the ways of the devil"

HawaiianEye said:
What do you know of Jack Taylor, Alfie's brother. I met and played with him as a teen back in around 1970. He was from Dallas.
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Jack was a character, we always got along, but I never did any money dealings with him.

Weldon Rogers told me one time they were on the road and Jack ended up taking off with the bankroll, leaving Weldon a note on the hotel bed "Sorry Jr. I have went back to the ways of the devil" - Weldon laughed about it but it was pretty cold, needless to say he was tough, had to knock out a lot of men in his time, usually one punch I"ve heard!
 
CJ Wiley said:
Jack was a character, we always got along, but I never did any money dealings with him.

Weldon Rogers told me one time they were on the road and Jack ended up taking off with the bankroll, leaving Weldon a note on the hotel bed "Sorry Jr. I have went back to the ways of the devil" - Weldon laughed about it but it was pretty cold, needless to say he was tough, had to knock out a lot of men in his time, usually one punch I"ve heard!
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I only knew Jack from the couple weeks he was in the pool hall where I worked. He left and I never saw him again and then I left MO.

My buddy who owned the pool hall said he came back later (I don't know how many months or years) but he gave Jack some money staking him and then Jack left town with his money, too.

Guess that was easier money than having to hustle for it.
 
he was likable and as long as money wasn't involved was fun to be around.

HawaiianEye said:
I only knew Jack from the couple weeks he was in the pool hall where I worked. He left and I never saw him again and then I left MO.

My buddy who owned the pool hall said he came back later (I don't know how many months or years) but he gave Jack some money staking him and then Jack left town with his money, too.

Guess that was easier money than having to hustle for it.
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Yes, Jack was an accomplished pool player too, but his objective wasn't to play fair.

Last time I saw him was in Dallas, we went out to eat and had a great time, he was likable, as long as money wasn't involved was fun to be around.

After he left I realized he left his glasses in my car, I smiled and put them in my glovebox.....I smiled because I may be the only one to end up with something of Jacks, rather than the contrary. :D
 
CJ Wiley said:
Yes, Jack was an accomplished pool player too, but his objective wasn't to play fair.

Last time I saw him was in Dallas, we went out to eat and had a great time, he was likable, as long as money wasn't involved was fun to be around.

After he left I realized he left his glasses in my car, I smiled and put them in my glovebox.....I smiled because I may be the only one to end up with something of Jacks, rather than the contrary. :D
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When I met him he was driving a brand new Black El Dorado Cadillac and had the top-of-the-line Palmer cue in the trunk. It was a Palmer Model 20 Ultra Supreme. That cue cost over $1,000 even back then.

I wonder where he came up with the car and the cue. The car had TX plates.

He wasn't using the Palmer cue to hustle with though. He had a one-piece ebony Brunswick house cue that he'd slip in the back door to play with. I remember that cue because I tried it out and liked it, so I grabbed one of our ebony Brunswick house cues and fixed me up one just like it. 21 ounces, 14mm with Le Pro tip. Damn, that cue hit awesome and really played good on those old bar tables with slow cloth and the big cue ball.
 
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