Here is an excerpt from my book, Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers:
Surfer Rod Curry
Prolific road bar hustler – Expert with the big cue ball
He was an exceptional player with the big cue ball on the bar tables. He even beat Ronnie Allen playing One pocket under those conditions.
I knew Rod since 1965, and yes, champions were always trying to track him down because he was a high-roller and a through-ticket. But I always wondered, why, if he was such a sucker, did he always have such a big bankroll? Yeah, he took some big hits, but he never stayed broke for long.
I even trapped him myself once, on a big table at the Congress Bowl, as he was near helpless when he wasn’t playing on a bar table. But the next time I saw him, I was broke and he was fatter'n a hog.
I ran into Rod all over the country; he loved to play with the big cue ball on the bar tables, but he had big balls in his shorts too. Around 1971 or ’72, when we were both in Oklahoma City, he was hustling those brutally dangerous country bars with hair down to his ass, a full beard, flowing robes and sandals. They called him Pool playing Jesus.
He was certainly not afraid to play in those heat-spots. Long-hair and hippie types were at risk for their lives in that type of joint. He was hustling all by himself, and going into places where most of the people were wearing crew-cuts. They were scary, scary joints. Everybody carried a gun, as it was legal to do so then in Oklahoma City.
I only went into some of those spots myself because I was with Sugar Shack Johnny. That was the minimum protection I required to get me to play in those places. Conversely, Rod was all by his lonesome. The word around was that Rod had been given a hard time in a few of those joints, but he had refused to give back the money. He was a pretty tough guy himself, and wouldn’t back down to anybody.
Beard
Surfer Rod Curry
Prolific road bar hustler – Expert with the big cue ball
He was an exceptional player with the big cue ball on the bar tables. He even beat Ronnie Allen playing One pocket under those conditions.
I knew Rod since 1965, and yes, champions were always trying to track him down because he was a high-roller and a through-ticket. But I always wondered, why, if he was such a sucker, did he always have such a big bankroll? Yeah, he took some big hits, but he never stayed broke for long.
I even trapped him myself once, on a big table at the Congress Bowl, as he was near helpless when he wasn’t playing on a bar table. But the next time I saw him, I was broke and he was fatter'n a hog.
I ran into Rod all over the country; he loved to play with the big cue ball on the bar tables, but he had big balls in his shorts too. Around 1971 or ’72, when we were both in Oklahoma City, he was hustling those brutally dangerous country bars with hair down to his ass, a full beard, flowing robes and sandals. They called him Pool playing Jesus.
He was certainly not afraid to play in those heat-spots. Long-hair and hippie types were at risk for their lives in that type of joint. He was hustling all by himself, and going into places where most of the people were wearing crew-cuts. They were scary, scary joints. Everybody carried a gun, as it was legal to do so then in Oklahoma City.
I only went into some of those spots myself because I was with Sugar Shack Johnny. That was the minimum protection I required to get me to play in those places. Conversely, Rod was all by his lonesome. The word around was that Rod had been given a hard time in a few of those joints, but he had refused to give back the money. He was a pretty tough guy himself, and wouldn’t back down to anybody.
Beard
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