Shout out to Ray Martin and Dallas West

[ghostball]

These are two players that have often been overlooked in threads discussing former greats of the game. We seem to get lost talking about Varner, Mizerak, Sigel, Rempe, Buddy and Hopkins. And of course everyone wants to know about the great hustlers like Cornbread, Ronnie, Kelly, Jersey Red, Shorty and Ervolino.

Let me just say this, Dallas West and Ray Martin were both GREAT pool players, who excelled at all games! Dallas was even an excellent Three Cushion player. Both of these guys were threats to run 100 balls at any time, played run-out 9-Ball, and were adequate at One Pocket as well. Martin was the superior One Pocket player of the two.

Ray won a couple of World Championships and Dallas won his share of titles as well, including one of the World Series of Tavern pool events. Who knew he even played on a bar table? These were certainly two of the best players of their era, in the top ten without a doubt. They could and did beat every living human who played tournament pool in the 70's and 80's. Efren, Parica, Miz, Buddy, Sigel, et al were not immune to their sting. These two were respected champions by all who knew and competed against them.

Just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge them while they are still around to see it. :thumbup:

Hello Jay
Just wanted to say thank you for the kind words, most likely Dallas and me would have been better know if we had been on the road gambling and sleeping in our cars insread we choose to raise a family, and run a pool room, I guess we missed the boat.Once again thank you.
Your friend
Ray Martin

 

[ghostball]

Hello Jay
Just wanted to say thank you for the kind words, most likely Dallas and me would have been better know if we had been on the road gambling and sleeping in our cars insread we choose to raise a family, and run a pool room, I guess we missed the boat.Once again thank you.
Your friend
Ray Martin

PS How are things with you,my girfriend and i are planning to move to sc.any thoughts about s.c.or n.c.

 

[ghostball]

Is Ray still living, I would love a lesson with him if he is still playing. Does anyone have a contact number for him. Thanks, Tom

Well yes i am still alive, and as steve said playing one pocket at Family Billiards four days a week, if you need to contact me my number is 727 798 5561

 

[ghostball]

Well yes i am still alive, and as steve said playing one pocket at Family Billiards four days a week, if you need to contact me my number is 727 798 5561

I forgot to say who i am Ray Martin

 

[poolandpokerman]

Thanks Ray, I will be over this weekend at the Capones tourny, I sent you a pm maybe we could get together sometime this coming weekend. Tom

 

[ignomirello]

Jay Question

These are two players that have often been overlooked in threads discussing former greats of the game. We seem to get lost talking about Varner, Mizerak, Sigel, Rempe, Buddy and Hopkins. And of course everyone wants to know about the great hustlers like Cornbread, Ronnie, Kelly, Jersey Red, Shorty and Ervolino.

Let me just say this, Dallas West and Ray Martin were both GREAT pool players, who excelled at all games! Dallas was even an excellent Three Cushion player. Both of these guys were threats to run 100 balls at any time, played run-out 9-Ball, and were adequate at One Pocket as well. Martin was the superior One Pocket player of the two.

Ray won a couple of World Championships and Dallas won his share of titles as well, including one of the World Series of Tavern pool events. Who knew he even played on a bar table? These were certainly two of the best players of their era, in the top ten without a doubt. They could and did beat every living human who played tournament pool in the 70's and 80's. Efren, Parica, Miz, Buddy, Sigel, et al were not immune to their sting. These two were respected champions by all who knew and competed against them.

Just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge them while they are still around to see it. :thumbup:

JAY - Didn't Ray Martin play in Clifton Billiards? His name came up alot there for some reason. I Really don't know just asking.

 

[bobroberts]

Ray and Dallas were both great players and both nice guys. Jay you forgot to mention Lou Buttera though. He hardly ever gets kudos and he sure was exciting to watch.

 

[poolandpokerman]

I called Ray, very nice person,BTW, and we are set to have a lesson on Friday afternoon.
Tom

 

[jay helfert]

Ray and Dallas were both great players and both nice guys. Jay you forgot to mention Lou Buttera though. He hardly ever gets kudos and he sure was exciting to watch.

Lou was another great player, who is in the HOF. The fastest shooting Straight Pool player of all time. He ran 150 and out on Hopkins in the finals of the 1974 World Championships in 21 minutes!

Lou was probably the favorite playing 14.1 against anyone back then in a long challenge match. He could run more balls than anyone else in his prime. He raised a family (eight kids) playing pool and working in pool rooms & billiard supplies. Still with his wonderful wife Carrie after nearly fifty years.

Lou was not known as a gambler, but he was proud like Mizerak and wouldn't shy away from a challenge. I remember seeing him play in the $20 ring games so popular around L.A. back in the 60's and 70's. Games with Richie, Ronnie, Grady, Searcy, Jimmy Reid, Don Watson, Frisco Jack, Jimmy Marino and others. Super strong fields in other words. And Lou was a winner in those games. As he told me later, "I had to win or my kids wouldn't eat!"

 

[driz86]

Ray also wrote, bar none, the best book on pool skills ever. I was lucky that the day after I got my table in my parents' house (at thirteen), I paged through a few books at the bookstore. The one I decided to buy was "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool".

I credit that book for most of my knowledge of pool. It was, quite literally, the only instruction I had for the first six years of my pool playing life.

Thank-you, Mr. Martin.

dld

I actually read that book from front to back before I even picked up a pool cue. My dad owned it. I was maybe 8 at the time and was super bored at home so picked it up and started thumbing through it. I imitated his bridge, stance, and alignment etc. I tried hard to learn everything I could from the book. So anyway, by the time I actually picked up a cue and started playing I had a lot of the mechanics down and I attribute that little "head start" to reading that book.