The Hunter sometimes is the Hunted....Anyone have a story about being hustled in a pool hall?

[CJ Wiley]

I spent several years on the road hustling, gambling and having adventures in lots of pool halls. I was hustled really well a few times and each time I learned some important things I couldn't have learned any other way. Jack Cooney, Vernon Elliot, JR Weldon, Doug Smith and Strong Arm John were other great hustlers I learned from, luckily I was in with them so didn't have to learn the lessons "the Hard way".

One of the best Stories is against 'Jacksonville Harley" who got me at a pool room called RUSTYS in Dallas on NW Hwy next to a strip club. He was one of the best, we ended up being good friends and that investment I made to him made many times return working WITH him, never against. lol I learned my lesson the first time......here's my story on video, please share one of your own, everyone loves a good hustling story, The Hustler and Color of Money movies proved that!


Hustling Harley story -----

 

[xXGEARXx]

I spent several years on the road hustling, gambling and having adventures in lots of pool halls. I was hustled really well a few times and each time I learned some important things I couldn't have learned any other way. Jack Cooney, Vernon Elliot, JR Weldon, Doug Smith and Strong Arm John were other great hustlers I learned from, luckily I was in with them so didn't have to learn the lessons "the Hard way".

One of the best Stories is against 'Jacksonville Harley" who got me at a pool room called RUSTYS in Dallas on NW Hwy next to a strip club. He was one of the best, we ended up being good friends and that investment I made to him made many times return working WITH him, never against. lol I learned my lesson the first time......here's my story on video, please share one of your own, everyone loves a good hustling story, The Hustler and Color of Money movies proved that!


Hustling Harley story -----

CJ Wiley! I love your stories and what you have to offer. By the way, when the pandemic shuts off, hit me up if you ever make it to Ohio. I know a great place we could play.

I've never been hustled, but I did see the owner of a pool hall get hustled. Painful to watch as the hours went by. The best part is when he asked my buddy to step in and shoot for him. Both of the guys that were there agreed. After several hours, my friend was up 1500 bucks. Good games, back and forth, but Kurt shot really strong at the time. Weird how it all worked out, but it did, lol.

 

[pvc lou]

Dave Favor got me kinda like that in Houston for a c-note..playing 9-ball and one pocket. It's not a lot, but it was a lot to me at the time....and over the phone that week Texas Bob had warned me about him, described him to me, and told me to leave him alone. I was young, dumb, and full of ... well, I was dumb.

I remember playing one pocket he'd lag balls to his hole over and over, as if he wasn't really trying to make the ball, but it would just get there with baaaarely enough speed and drop in. Drove me nuts. Not the only time I was hustled, but I'll never forget it.

RIP Dave Favor

 

[CJ Wiley]

CJ Wiley! I love your stories and what you have to offer. By the way, when the pandemic shuts off, hit me up if you ever make it to Ohio. I know a great place we could play.

I've never been hustled, but I did see the owner of a pool hall get hustled. Painful to watch as the hours went by. The best part is when he asked my buddy to step in and shoot for him. Both of the guys that were there agreed. After several hours, my friend was up 1500 bucks. Good games, back and forth, but Kurt shot really strong at the time. Weird how it all worked out, but it did, lol.

Sounds like a winner, I was in Cincinnati a few days ago, brutal what happened to the bridge!

I'm in Lexington KY training some players this week, depending what happens with the house arrest mandates determines where I'll go from here. It's unconstitutional what they are doing to this country with their 4th Generation military operation, hopefully it will have turn for the best!

Thanks, I appreciate you, we'll coordinate one of these days when it's meant to be.

The Game is the Teacher

 

[jrhendy]

1965/66 I was going to East Los Angeles College taking a couple night classes. After class I would hit a pool room or two. One night I went to Romeys at 4th and Main in downtown Los Angeles. Dean Chance, a baseball pitcher for the Angels was there with an older man who was barking at everyone. Dean had won the Cy Young award and was in town to receive it at the World Series being played at Dodger Stadium. He apologized for the old guy, said he was a friend from Wooster, Ohio and Dean had brought him to see the series. Dean asked if I played pool and I said no, I was a college student and was there to learn the Diamond system in three cushion. Dean talked me into playing the guy some nine ball and while he gave me the fisheye when I ran out a couple times, he won my $ and I quit.

I heard them say they were headed to Hollywood Billiards which was not too far away, so I drove over to see if he got any action and maybe find out who it was. Hollywood had quite a few players but nobody wanted any. After they left I asked one of the sweators I knew if he knew the player. He told me that he was the best player the other side of the Mississippi and the only reason he wasn’t the best player on this side was because he never came out here. I had tried to hustle Don Willis.

 

[Black-Balled]

1965/66 I was going to East Los Angeles College taking a couple night classes. After class I would hit a pool room or two. One night I went to Romeys at 4th and Main in downtown Los Angeles. Dean Chance, a baseball pitcher for the Angels was there with an older man who was barking at everyone. Dean had won the Cy Young award and was in town to receive it at the World Series being played at Dodger Stadium. He apologized for the old guy, said he was a friend from Wooster, Ohio and Dean had brought him to see the series. Dean asked if I played pool and I said no, I was a college student and was there to learn the Diamond system in three cushion. Dean talked me into playing the guy some nine ball and while he gave me the fisheye when I ran out a couple times, he won my $ and I quit.

I heard them say they were headed to Hollywood Billiards which was not too far away, so I drove over to see if he got any action and maybe find out who it was. Hollywood had quite a few players but nobody wanted any. After they left I asked one of the sweators I knew if he knew the player. He told me that he was the best player the other side of the Mississippi and the only reason he wasn’t the best player on this side was because he never came out here. I had tried to hustle Don Willis.

Wow. Don Willis...

Best I got:
Walked into the pool room and I hear, 'now you got action. Play this guy some' being said to a brown bear sized man (not a grizzly, but close enough).

So, thanks for outing me to a stranger before I get 20ft in the door, much less hit a ball, but yeah, thats what I am here for after all.he wants to play and I only have $50 on me, so I tell him I'll play a race to 3 for 50...he says bet the 50 a game. I say no bet and he agrees to go to 3 for the 50.

Not sure I won a game, but I lost the set on that tight ass gold crown and he made all the damn balls, really. He says flip it for the next set, I tell him I only had the 50 on me, but if he wants to make a fair game I will go to the bank.

Instead of asking what I am trying to do, he starts getting shitty about the low bet and single Barrell. I put him back on course about that spot and tell him I'll take the 7 for 200 a set and he gives me a yes, with an look like he knows when I walk out the door I am not really coming back...

I did come back and 5 sets later, I was making all the balls...and never lost a set, except the first one.

Found out later he and I actually played about the same speed.

Oopsies.

Another goodish one and jtompilot was there for this...buddy of mine calls and says he has a fish that won't play him, but I can win some money, c'mon out...

Different room than the above, but a nutty tight gold crown here too. We start playing cheap 9b and I get down 4 or 5 games quick and can tell this guy is out of my league.

Sick tight table, he hangs an 8 or 9 and I win the game, then shit out a couple more in a row...and then get ball in hand, win that game (and maybe shit another 9 or 2 in..) and boom...I am even an I quit! Dude looked like a seagull stole his bagel.

Oh, and I found out later that my friend who told me to come get that easy money had just gotten a ride back from dcc with the dude. Thanks, buddy. What are friends for?

 

[pt109]

I was in action around Decatur in ‘78....won enough money to buy a house. The best 9-baller in the area kept sticking his nose in my action...mostly snooker, a little 3-c and some 14.1...so when the action dried up, I told him to find a stake horse...but minimum $500 a game, put up for five, he was getting the wild 8......nobody would back him.

Seven years later...I’m in the Florida Panhandle...been up for two days...greasy hair, sweaty T-shirt...wander into a room and the guy from Decatur is there...he’s the star in this room. I sit down and start talking to John Henry...knew him from Detroit...couple guys can overhear us talking...told him I got into coke and heroin...explained how I looked.
You could see the info spreading around the room like a pebble being thrown into a pond.

The ‘star’ comes over to make a game with me...told him I din’t play any more, but I’d take the break and the 8.
He bragged about how he had lots of cash now, could get 30 Gs at three in the morning if he needed it.

We start at $100 a game, no score here....lost a few...raise it to 200...lost a bit more..he refused another raise.
I smelled the rat...started winning...when I got up two games...a bunch of fives showed up from the pool hall office.

No score, I let him get even and I quit.

I went for his ‘rich’ story, hook, line, and sinker....’course, he went for mine also....
...strongest thing I ever ingest is black coffee.

 

[jay helfert]

I got well hustled by Larry Lisciotti and Billy Johnson. The only two who were ever able to pull it off with me. Cost me a few hun each time. Both times at 50 a game. Enough said.

Outran a couple of others though, and even beat a few road men who came through Bakersfield. Banks, Banks and more Banks!

 

[CJ Wiley]

I got well hustled by Larry Lisciotti and Billy Johnson. The only two who were ever able to pull it off with me. Cost me a few hun each time. Both times at 50 a game. Enough said.

Outran a couple of others though, and even beat a few road men who came through Bakersfield. Banks, Banks and more Banks!

Billy Johnson and Larry Lisciotti were so funny, what a duo!

Billy was playing at Rodney's pool hall in Morganton Ky and they kept playing "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" over and over on the jukebox. Billy was playing okay, but Rodney had him stuck for a couple hours. They kept playing "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" and laughing thinking they had Billy's head.

Then Billy got In punch, the break started to sound like a cannon going off......Billy got on the hill and came over in a calm voice and a slight smirk, said "What they don't know about baby, is Baby will take them blue jeans Off!"

 

[jay helfert]

Billy Johnson and Larry Lisciotti were so funny, what a duo!

Billy was playing at Rodney's pool hall in Morganton Ky and they kept playing "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" over and over on the jukebox. Billy was playing okay, but Rodney had him stuck for a couple hours. They kept playing "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" and laughing thinking they had Billy's head.

Then Billy got In punch, the break started to sound like a cannon going off......Billy got on the hill and came over in a calm voice and a slight smirk, said "What they don't know about baby, is Baby will take them blue jeans Off!"

Billy was a funny MF'er with his dry humor. I sure do miss him. He beat me out of $90 playing Banks at 30 a game at the Stardust tournament in 1972. He went downstairs to the casino and took that money plus $10 and went in with Cornbread Red, who also put in $100 and they played Craps. They won over 100K that night! It was a legendary score that all the pool players talked about for years afterwards. Billy took his half and left town, even though he was undefeated in all three divisions (2-0 in each one). I didn't see him for a few years after that. He had opened a poolroom with his winnings. Next time I saw him was in the Burlington, Iowa tournament in 1976. He handed me a $100 bill and told me thanks for staking him in the Crap game . He said he had made a quarter of a million off that money, 50K a year in his poolroom plus the initial score. 50K a year was a good living back then.

One more thing you will get a kick out of. I asked him why he left the Stardust after winning all that money. He had a chance to win another five or six thou playing in the tournament. He smiled at me and said, "Jay, the bite would have been too strong!".

 

[xXGEARXx]

Wow. Don Willis...

Best I got:
Walked into the pool room and I hear, 'now you got action. Play this guy some' being said to a brown bear sized man (not a grizzly, but close enough).

So, thanks for outing me to a stranger before I get 20ft in the door, much less hit a ball, but yeah, thats what I am here for after all.he wants to play and I only have $50 on me, so I tell him I'll play a race to 3 for 50...he says bet the 50 a game. I say no bet and he agrees to go to 3 for the 50.

Not sure I won a game, but I lost the set on that tight ass gold crown and he made all the damn balls, really. He says flip it for the next set, I tell him I only had the 50 on me, but if he wants to make a fair game I will go to the bank.

Instead of asking what I am trying to do, he starts getting shitty about the low bet and single Barrell. I put him back on course about that spot and tell him I'll take the 7 for 200 a set and he gives me a yes, with an look like he knows when I walk out the door I am not really coming back...

I did come back and 5 sets later, I was making all the balls...and never lost a set, except the first one.

Found out later he and I actually played about the same speed.

Oopsies.

Another goodish one and jtompilot was there for this...buddy of mine calls and says he has a fish that won't play him, but I can win some money, c'mon out...

Different room than the above, but a nutty tight gold crown here too. We start playing cheap 9b and I get down 4 or 5 games quick and can tell this guy is out of my league.

Sick tight table, he hangs an 8 or 9 and I win the game, then shit out a couple more in a row...and then get ball in hand, win that game (and maybe shit another 9 or 2 in..) and boom...I am even an I quit! Dude looked like a seagull stole his bagel.

Oh, and I found out later that my friend who told me to come get that easy money had just gotten a ride back from dcc with the dude. Thanks, buddy. What are friends for?

Lmao!!

 

[CJ Wiley]

Billy was a funny MF'er with his dry humor. I sure do miss him. He beat me out of $90 playing Banks at 30 a game at the Stardust tournament in 1972. He went downstairs to the casino and took that money plus $10 and went in with Cornbread Red, who also put in $100 and they played Craps. They won over 100K that night! It was a legendary score that all the pool players talked about for years afterwards. Billy took his half and left town, even though he was undefeated in all three divisions (2-0 in each one). I didn't see him for a few years after that. He had opened a poolroom with his winnings. Next time I saw him was in the Burlington, Iowa tournament in 1976. He handed me a $100 bill and told me thanks for staking him in the Crap game . He said he had made a quarter of a million off that money, 50K a year in his poolroom plus the initial score. 50K a year was a good living back then.

One more thing you will get a kick out of. I asked him why he left the Stardust after winning all that money. He had a chance to win another five or six thou playing in the tournament. He smiled at me and said, "Jay, the bite would have been too strong!".

He was smart, the "bite line" would have been longer than the checkout line at Wal Mart on Black Friday!

 

[CJ Wiley]

I was on a table practicing and Johnny Ross (a notorious pool hustler) came up to me and motioned me over to the side. He leaned over with his hand over his mouth like a used car salesman getting ready to offer me "the deal of the century."

"We got a game for you tonight!" Johnny whispered, "with a guy named Cletus....it's playing one pocket, but the guy plays like old people Fuque!.....we'll (the local corporation) stake you and give you 30%, but he'll bet really high, we may win 30 to 40k!"

"30%, wtf, you got to be kidding, I won't play for less than 40%"

"That's the deal, sh*t the fu*%in house takes 10% - take it or leave it, it's sure action...., but there's one "catch".....you gotta talk really nasty to this sick freak or he won't want to gamble with you."

"So let me get this straight, I gotta play for 30% AND talk nasty to this guy, what kind of demented f*c%in joke is this, Johnny?"
Just then the front door was opened (you had to get "buzzed" in) - in walks a Huge, unshaven man that looked just like Brutus in the Popeye comics.

He looked around glaring at the room, with a twisted smile trying to form under his three day stubbly beard. This guy looked like the poster guy for a prison movie.... Shaw-shank Perversion' or something like that.
"That's him, do you want to play or not?" Johnny's raspy voice sent shivers down my spine, or maybe it was the thought of tongue-lashing Brutus...I mean Cletus.

"Ok, what the heck do I say to this sicko?" the was the most awkward I'd felt before matching up with anyone in my life.
"Come on, just follow my lead"....I followed Johnny Ross over to where Brutus....I mean Cletus was standing. Johnny marched up to him and snapped In a condescending tone -

"what are you doing in here you sleezy piece of sh%* I thought the trash came in and out of the back door".!! .....

Cletus looked at Johnny menacingly, then broke into a big grin. "Johnny Ross, my favorite cell mate, hope you brought plenty of lube .....if we're going to cross swords tonight sweetie".

Johnny barked "I got a little kid that'll play your sorry ass some one hole"....nodding at me....I pointed my cue and said "yeah, you dirty fuquin sleeezbag...I got something for you that Ajax won't take off!!"
I pulled it off, my heart was pounding under my leather jacket. I"m not sure what else I said, I'm glad, in my line of work you had to act spontaneously, adapting to any situation....

Cletus looked at me and Growled...

"I dated a 16 year old girl for 3 years just to screw her younger brother, and he looked just like you!!
He licked his lips and grinned ear to ear!
I tried not to put any images to his words, but the important thing was I KNEW he would play me now. Johnny gave me the "it's george" sign and the game was on.

And play me he did, I gave him 9/4 and his scratches don't count for $900 a game playing one pocket pool, $18,000 later he looked like the blood had been drained out of him.
They gave me my $5000 ( the time was $1800, they didn't charge by the hour, with guys like Cletus they took 10% for the "house") that's the most I've ever been charged for pool time.

But when you're betting thousands against a guy like Cletus it really didn't matter, it was just a "cost of doing business".
They walked Cletus out the door and safely to his car (he still had 20k+ in ca$h).

I ask Johnny "I wonder where he's going now?"

Johnny, without hesitation smirked..."he'll go hire a LIMO and three hookers - they'll drive him around Detroit, handcuffed, like he's been kidnapped, one will have a gun to his head - other two will be whipping him and calling him every filthy name they can think of"
......"and I imagine Cletus will be like a fat kid in a candy store," I whispered under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.....
.....just another day at the office for Brutus - I mean Cletus - the sleaziest pool sucker on earth, that gambled for tens of thousands of dollars at a Game called pool.

I never would have believed it if I hadn't been there and seen it with my own eyes....what a world..... me still a teenager, there were many bizarre adventures to come!
I felt a little bit guilty at the end of that long day beating perverted ole Cletus out of that 18k....NOT!! ----I was Pumped up with $6400 and ready to "play anyone at the Rack for all they could Stack"...well, within reason, there were stacks there Superman couldn't jump over!

The Game is the Teacher

 

[jay helfert]

Probably my most memorable was when Navy Gary came up to L.A. from San Diego where he was stationed (he was really in the Navy). I had heard about this straight shooting kid down there that was beating just about everybody. Gary showed up in my home room Ye Billiard Den and asked me to play some 9-Ball. I played him for $5 a game and after awhile I could see that I couldn't win so I quit. He asked me where he could get a game for "real" money and flashed his $400 bankroll on me. I told him the biggest action in town was at Daisy Mae's, a bar in Orange County. He said let's go and off we went in my '67 Vette.

When we got there a big game was already underway, with this heavily muscled guy playing one of the Mexican bar table champions. He was getting the 7, 8 & 9 from Al Nicaraugua and losing. We sweated the game and eventually It broke up without a clear winner. Now this scary looking guy looked around and asked if anyone else wanted to play. Gary pipes up, "I'll play you!" The guy gives Gary this strange look and says "Who the fuck are you?" Gary just smiled and waved his money in the air and said, "Come and get it." Turns out this beefy guy was called Charlie "The Ape" for good reason. He was only maybe 5'9" or 5'10 but he was really built like an ape, with a gargantuan upper body and short fat legs. He had the ridgeline of an ape in his forehead too.

Right away Charlie tells Gary that everyone gives him the eight ball in here. Now, I had been watching this guy play for over half an hour and he cut the balls like a butcher with that big cue ball. He could play and was no slouch on that table. No problem for Gary and he said okay you've got the eight. Gary just wanted to get the guy on the table and gamble. Talk about confidence. Charlie tells him the minimum bet was fifty a game and once again Gary says okay. I hesitated but Gary convinced me to give him my 200, so now we had a $600 bankroll. They start out playing without Gary hitting one ball on that table and right away we are losing. By the time Gary gets warmed up we are down three or four hundred. Then the tide turns and Gary starts to run out every game. Pretty soon we are up 500 and Charlie says "raise the bet to 100 a game." Gary agrees and keeps right on winning. About 2,000 later Charlie goes bust and he tells us to wait and he will get more money. He goes out the door and gets in his car and leaves. I tell Gary let's get the Hell out of here. We are about $2,500 winners and I'm thrilled. But other people are telling us that Charlie will come back with more money, so we stay, and sure enough in about fifteen minutes he's back.

Gary's in dead stroke now and he quickly buries Charlie for another two grand. Charlie is steaming mad now and frankly I'm scared. Charlie bellows that he wants to put up his car (a little Chevy II) against 400. I don't want to do it but Gary says okay. Gary posts the 400 and Charlie hands his car title to the bartender to hold. Pretty soon Gary wins that round too. Charlie is broke and starts acting crazy. He grabs the car title from the bartender when he tries to hand it over to Gary and yells at us that we have to play him again to keep it. I just want to get the fuck out of there. I'm stalling, trying to figure out what to do and Gary is trying to talk sense into him, telling him we will come back tomorrow and play him some more. It's not working and Charlie is getting madder by the minute. I have my little .25 in the back pocket of my jeans, but that seems like a bad idea. If I shot him it might only make him want to kill me. You'd need a .357 minimum to stop this guy!

Now Gary tells Charlie okay, he will play him again for the car. He whispers in my ear to sneak outside after he racks the balls and get my car and come around to the front door of the bar. He says to leave the passenger door open and honk my horn twice. That's our plan and sure enough when they get started Charlie is no longer paying attention to me. I sneak outside and jump in my Vette and bring it around to the front. I reach over and open the door and honk my horn twice. In maybe five seconds Gary comes running out and jumps in the car and yells, "Get the fuck out of here!" And I peel out of that parking lot. In my rear view mirror I see Charlie run out the door. He's got his hands raised and appears to be yelling at us. No one is going to catch me in that car! And they don't even try. I ask Gary what he did to get away. He tells me that he told Charlie he was going to the restroom and made a run for the door instead. We go back to my apartment in Hollywood and cut up over 4K.

We had lost the 400 we put up for the car but so what. That was the cost of doing business that night. Gary went back to San Diego a day later. He had been on leave for the weekend. Next time I saw him he told me that he went back the next week and beat Charlie again. I wanted no part of it and Gary knew not to ask me to take him back there. I didn't see Charlie again for a couple of years until he showed up at one of Fred Whalen's pool tournaments where I was ref'ing. He looked at me and never said a word and I didn't either. It was as if it had never happened. Crazy huh.

I left out one part that is forever etched in my brain. After Gary won the car bet and Charlie started going crazy, he reached down and grabbed that Valley bar table with one hand and picked the end up in the air shoulder high! That both shocked and frightened the shit out of me.

 

[garczar]

Probably my most memorable was when Navy Gary came up to L.A. from San Diego where he was stationed (he was really in the Navy). I had heard about this straight shooting kid down there that was beating just about everybody. Gary showed up in my home room Ye Billiard Den and asked me to play some 9-Ball. I played him for $5 a game and after awhile I could see that I couldn't win so I quit. He asked me where he could get a game for "real" money and flashed his $400 bankroll on me. I told him the biggest action in town was at Daisy Mae's, a bar in Orange County. He said let's go and off we went in my '67 Vette.

When we got there a big game was already underway, with this heavily muscled guy playing one of the Mexican bar table champions. He was getting the 7, 8 & 9 from Al Nicaraugua and losing. We sweated the game and eventually It broke up without a clear winner. Now this scary looking guy looked around and asked if anyone else wanted to play. Gary pipes up, "I'll play you!" The guy gives Gary this strange look and says "Who the fuck are you?" Gary just smiled and waved his money in the air and said, "Come and get it." Turns out this beefy guy was called Charlie "The Ape" for good reason. He was only maybe 5'9" or 5'10 but he was really built like an ape, with a gargantuan upper body and short fat legs. He had the ridgeline of an ape in his forehead too.

Right away Charlie tells Gary that everyone gives him the eight ball in here. Now, I had been watching this guy play for over half an hour and he cut the balls like a butcher with that big cue ball. He could play and was no slouch on that table. No problem for Gary and he said okay you've got the eight. Gary just wanted to get the guy on the table and gamble. Talk about confidence. Charlie tells him the minimum bet was fifty a game and once again Gary says okay. I hesitated but Gary convinced me to give him my 200, so now we had a $600 bankroll. They start out playing without Gary hitting one ball on that table and right away we are losing. By the time Gary gets warmed up we are down three or four hundred. Then the tide turns and Gary starts to run out every game. Pretty soon we are up 500 and Charlie says "raise the bet to 100 a game." Gary agrees and keeps right on winning. About 2,000 later Charlie goes bust and he tells us to wait and he will get more money. He goes out the door and gets in his car and leaves. I tell Gary let's get the Hell out of here. We are about $2,500 winners and I'm thrilled. But other people are telling us that Charlie will come back with more money, so we stay, and sure enough in about fifteen minutes he's back.

Gary's in dead stroke now and he quickly buries Charlie for another two grand. Charlie is steaming mad now and frankly I'm scared. Charlie bellows that he wants to put up his car (a little Chevy II) against 400. I don't want to do it but Gary says okay. Gary posts the 400 and Charlie hands his car title to the bartender to hold. Pretty soon Gary wins that round too. Charlie is broke and starts acting crazy. He grabs the car title from the bartender when he tries to hand it over to Gary and yells at us that we have to play him again to keep it. I just want to get the fuck out of there. I'm stalling, trying to figure out what to do and Gary is trying to talk sense into him, telling him we will come back tomorrow and play him some more. It's not working and Charlie is getting madder by the minute. I have my little .25 in the back pocket of my jeans, but that seems like a bad idea. If I shot him it might only make him want to kill me. You'd need a .357 minimum to stop this guy!

Now Gary tells Charlie okay, he will play him again for the car. He whispers in my ear to sneak outside after he racks the balls and get my car and come around to the front door of the bar. He says to leave the passenger door open and honk my horn twice. That's our plan and sure enough when they get started Charlie is no longer paying attention to me. I sneak outside and jump in my Vette and bring it around to the front. I reach over and open the door and honk my horn twice. In maybe five seconds Gary comes running out and jumps in the car and yells, "Get the fuck out of here!" And I peel out of that parking lot. In my rear view mirror I see Charlie run out the door. He's got his hands raised and appears to be yelling at us. No one is going to catch me in that car! And they don't even try. I ask Gary what he did to get away. He tells me that he told Charlie he was going to the restroom and made a run for the door instead. We go back to my apartment in Hollywood and cut up over 4K.

We had lost the 400 we put up for the car but so what. That was the cost of doing business that night. Gary went back to San Diego a day later. He had been on leave for the weekend. Next time I saw him he told me that he went back the next week and beat Charlie again. I wanted no part of it and Gary knew not to ask me to take him back there. I didn't see Charlie again for a couple of years until he showed up at one of Fred Whalen's pool tournaments where I ref'ing. He looked at me and never said a word and I didn't either. It was as if it had never happened. Crazy huh.

I left out one part that is forever etched in my brain. After Gary won the car bet and Charlie started going crazy, he reached down and grabbed that Valley bar table with one hand and picked the end up in the air shoulder high! That both shocked and frightened the shit out of me.

I love it. GREAT story.

 

[Hunter]

Several years ago, I was playing in a local tournament and was probably one of the lowest rated players there. It was based on the AZ System of ratings and the tournament was for 9 and Under players and I was a 6. If I played a 9, I got three games on the wire in a race to 7.

The first guy I draw is a stranger, from Traverse City, Michigan, who was given a temporary 9 rating, as he hadn't played in AZ. I beat this guy pretty badly, especially with the spot and I consoled him after the game and told him don't worry because they would re-evaluate his status before the next match. About a half hour later, one of the local 9s asked me how my game had turned out. I told him I beat the guy badly, and he said he thought that was the way it turned out, but said that now the guy was trying to find some heavy sets with him and some other 9s.

Next thing you know, this guy is playing matches and lighting up some of our best locals. Calls were made to get our local short stops down for some action. From what I understand, he made a swath through the state beating most everyone he played. I had been the patsy for him to sneak in under the radar (at least initially). I found out later (on this forum) that the guy was actually a good road player from Florida. I won't say who it was because I don't like to mess with anyone's action, but he was tough. To this day, I still razz some of the guys that he beat by saying I was the only guy in the state that beat him.

 

[jrhendy]

Probably my most memorable was when Navy Gary came up to L.A. from San Diego where he was stationed (he was really in the Navy). I had heard about this straight shooting kid down there that was beating just about everybody. Gary showed up in my home room Ye Billiard Den and asked me to play some 9-Ball. I played him for $5 a game and after awhile I could see that I couldn't win so I quit. He asked me where he could get a game for "real" money and flashed his $400 bankroll on me. I told him the biggest action in town was at Daisy Mae's, a bar in Orange County. He said let's go and off we went in my '67 Vette.

When we got there a big game was already underway, with this heavily muscled guy playing one of the Mexican bar table champions. He was getting the 7, 8 & 9 from Al Nicaraugua and losing. We sweated the game and eventually It broke up without a clear winner. Now this scary looking guy looked around and asked if anyone else wanted to play. Gary pipes up, "I'll play you!" The guy gives Gary this strange look and says "Who the fuck are you?" Gary just smiled and waved his money in the air and said, "Come and get it." Turns out this beefy guy was called Charlie "The Ape" for good reason. He was only maybe 5'9" or 5'10 but he was really built like an ape, with a gargantuan upper body and short fat legs. He had the ridgeline of an ape in his forehead too.

Right away Charlie tells Gary that everyone gives him the eight ball in here. Now, I had been watching this guy play for over half an hour and he cut the balls like a butcher with that big cue ball. He could play and was no slouch on that table. No problem for Gary and he said okay you've got the eight. Gary just wanted to get the guy on the table and gamble. Talk about confidence. Charlie tells him the minimum bet was fifty a game and once again Gary says okay. I hesitated but Gary convinced me to give him my 200, so now we had a $600 bankroll. They start out playing without Gary hitting one ball on that table and right away we are losing. By the time Gary gets warmed up we are down three or four hundred. Then the tide turns and Gary starts to run out every game. Pretty soon we are up 500 and Charlie says "raise the bet to 100 a game." Gary agrees and keeps right on winning. About 2,000 later Charlie goes bust and he tells us to wait and he will get more money. He goes out the door and gets in his car and leaves. I tell Gary let's get the Hell out of here. We are about $2,500 winners and I'm thrilled. But other people are telling us that Charlie will come back with more money, so we stay, and sure enough in about fifteen minutes he's back.

Gary's in dead stroke now and he quickly buries Charlie for another two grand. Charlie is steaming mad now and frankly I'm scared. Charlie bellows that he wants to put up his car (a little Chevy II) against 400. I don't want to do it but Gary says okay. Gary posts the 400 and Charlie hands his car title to the bartender to hold. Pretty soon Gary wins that round too. Charlie is broke and starts acting crazy. He grabs the car title from the bartender when he tries to hand it over to Gary and yells at us that we have to play him again to keep it. I just want to get the fuck out of there. I'm stalling, trying to figure out what to do and Gary is trying to talk sense into him, telling him we will come back tomorrow and play him some more. It's not working and Charlie is getting madder by the minute. I have my little .25 in the back pocket of my jeans, but that seems like a bad idea. If I shot him it might only make him want to kill me. You'd need a .357 minimum to stop this guy!

Now Gary tells Charlie okay, he will play him again for the car. He whispers in my ear to sneak outside after he racks the balls and get my car and come around to the front door of the bar. He says to leave the passenger door open and honk my horn twice. That's our plan and sure enough when they get started Charlie is no longer paying attention to me. I sneak outside and jump in my Vette and bring it around to the front. I reach over and open the door and honk my horn twice. In maybe five seconds Gary comes running out and jumps in the car and yells, "Get the fuck out of here!" And I peel out of that parking lot. In my rear view mirror I see Charlie run out the door. He's got his hands raised and appears to be yelling at us. No one is going to catch me in that car! And they don't even try. I ask Gary what he did to get away. He tells me that he told Charlie he was going to the restroom and made a run for the door instead. We go back to my apartment in Hollywood and cut up over 4K.

We had lost the 400 we put up for the car but so what. That was the cost of doing business that night. Gary went back to San Diego a day later. He had been on leave for the weekend. Next time I saw him he told me that he went back the next week and beat Charlie again. I wanted no part of it and Gary knew not to ask me to take him back there. I didn't see Charlie again for a couple of years until he showed up at one of Fred Whalen's pool tournaments where I was ref'ing. He looked at me and never said a word and I didn't either. It was as if it had never happened. Crazy huh.

I left out one part that is forever etched in my brain. After Gary won the car bet and Charlie started going crazy, he reached down and grabbed that Valley bar table with one hand and picked the end up in the air shoulder high! That both shocked and frightened the shit out of me.

Evidently that was a favorite trick of his to show off/scare people. I saw him do it at a place called Smitty’s when he got beat by one of the players called Long Beach (There were two or three). Charlie’s comment was ‘I can’t stand to see my $ go for booze’. This Long Beach was a heavy drinker, but a very good player.

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

Many ways to get hustled in pool. A road player came to Beenies in the middle 70'
named Gerry. My road partner Seattle Sam took him around and made some scores.
Gerry knew I was with Sam, so one night he calls me over to the phone and acts like
hes talking to Sam. He hangs up and says that Sam will stand good for $100 from me to Gerry. I said ok and gave him 2 $50's. He left town that night and never returned. Saw Sam the next day, told him what happened. He said 'I thought you were smarted that that. I said, 'so it was ok to give him 2 of the counterfeit $50' that have been floating around ? lol. Sam fell over laughing !!!
In a pool room, trust nothing that you hear and 10% of what you see ! Seattle Sam's
code to live by.
Miss you buddy
Sam Trivett
'Seattle's stroke will make you choke'

 

[Black-Balled]

Many ways to get hustled in pool. A road player came to Beenies in the middle 70'
named Gerry. My road partner Seattle Sam took him around and made some scores.
Gerry knew I was with Sam, so one night he calls me over to the phone and acts like
hes talking to Sam. He hangs up and says that Sam will stand good for $100 from me to Gerry. I said ok and gave him 2 $50's. He left town that night and never returned. Saw Sam the next day, told him what happened. He said 'I thought you were smarted that that. I said, 'so it was ok to give him 2 of the counterfeit $50' that have been floating around ? lol. Sam fell over laughing !!!
In a pool room, trust nothing that you hear and 10% of what you see ! Seattle Sam's
code to live by.
Miss you buddy
Sam Trivett
'Seattle's stroke will make you choke'

The man was a character. Glad to have witnessed a little of him.

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

Lol. It would take months to tell a small part of Sams life in pool. He was the best
hustler I personally met. The 4 years we were partners was an education in how
to make money at pool and have a great time doing it !
For the players that also play golf, Sam kept 'the free pitch' at the same gambling
golf course for a year !!!
One of a kind...Seattle Sam