Toby Sweet stories ?

poolcuemaster

poolcuemaster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My new bossman at a car dealership in NC told me today he played with a room owner in New York every day for years and the guy, Toby Sweet was a great player and beat most of the pro players who came to gamble with him. My boss said Toby spotted him 1 point to 100 points in straight pool daily, my boss Lee only needing one ball made clean to win. Just wandering if anyone has any stories of how good Toby played back then, Lee said he beat Miz and Rempe in his room for the money.

Leonard
 
There was a guy named Jerome who used to play every day in Hardtimes Bellflower who was from back east. He would brag and brag about Toby Sweet. He told me a lot of stories, but I probably have alzheimer's cause I can't remember much. I do remember one thing though, because it paralleled with Cole Dickson. He said "That Toby, he could play... and everywhere he went, dressed in silk, on the road with a convertible and two women" Sheeit! What more could you want!
 
I have a couple of Sweet stories for you. In the mid-eighties Toby ran Gold Crown Billiards in Hollywood, Fl. He would often come to my room in near by Davie, Fl. to match up.

The same year that Wade Crane was named Player of the year on the Pro Tour, Wade showed up at my place for a tournament. Wade won the Tournament, then stayed over an extra day to match up with Toby. It was 15 ahead for 5K (nine-ball). The railbirds settled in for what everyone expected to be a long match. That didn't happen. Toby played perfect and it was over in less rhan two hours.

Then there was the time C J Wyle showed up. He was still pretty much unknown at the time but had been knocking off top players all over the place. He and Toby matched up in a race to 11 for $500.00. Once again Toby played perfect. In fact, he played so good that C J hardly ever got to the table. Because he had not seen C J do much more than kick at a few balls, Toby didn't know how good C J could really play, and offered C J the last three if he wanted to play another set. C J had seen enough to know that if Toby played like that again the last three might not matter, and declined the offer.

The last I heard Toby was still living in south Florida, but has quit playing pool.
 
Toby should be high on the list of unknown monster players. He has played and beat just about everyone from Buddy Hall on down. I'm glad he got some recognition on here. Soft spoken and fearless are two words I would use to describe him. A man of few words who always let his actions speak volumes. What stories he could tell if we got him on here.

Toby is a little guy like me, maybe 5'8" and 150 pounds sopping wet. He must be over 60 now, but what a career he had as a money player. It's to his credit that so few people mention his name. Maybe one reason is because he beat most of these guys, me included with the 7 ball once. Thanks for the game Toby! :)
 
poolcuemaster said:
My new bossman at a car dealership in NC told me today he played with a room owner in New York every day for years and the guy, Toby Sweet was a great player and beat most of the pro players who came to gamble with him. My boss said Toby spotted him 1 point to 100 points in straight pool daily, my boss Lee only needing one ball made clean to win. Just wandering if anyone has any stories of how good Toby played back then, Lee said he beat Miz and Rempe in his room for the money.

Leonard
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Toby came into Hard Times in Bellflower around 1990/91. He was with Cuban Joe and asked me to play. I was holding pretty good, having won some $$ in the ongoing liability game on Big Bertha, the 6 x 12 snooker table. I played Toby a set of 9 ball for $500, using the local rules of one foul, ball in hand. I won the first set, playing good and getting the rolls. He asked to play another set, but playing two shot shootout this time. I am an oldtimer and we always used to play 9 ball this way before the Texas Express rules came along, so I agreed because I was ahead a set and familiar with the old style rules. He simply manhandled me and I realized how lucky I was to win the first set. Everyone I have talked to over the years that knew him said he was considered to be one of the best money players over the years playing with the old two shot rules. We didn't play a third set. John Henderson
 
Hey Azer's
Toby was originally from New York, then moved down to Florida.. I learned how to play pool in his room.. He come's back to New York every year to visit family.. He hangs at my room when he's in town, which is presently about a mile down the road from where his room was located..
I've spent alot of time with Toby over the years and he's a great guy..
Toby was one of the most feared money players on the planet..
This guy doesn't touch a cue for months, gets a game lined up, practices for a day, and usually gets it done.
Toby is an aspiring artist now, and pretty damn good..

Just a very quick abbreviated story from Toby's past..
He get's into a big money game with this fella. They flip the coin and Toby proceeds to run out the set and leave the other guy in the chair for his cash..
The guy gets out of his chair and asks Toby for some weight to play again..
Toby Replies " How can I give you weight when I don't know how you shoot"

Best,
Ken
 
I've heard thousands of Toby stories, being from this area, he is a true legend around these parts.

Josh Palmer, I think I know the Jerome you're talking about.
 
AZE said:
I've heard thousands of Toby stories, being from this area, he is a true legend around these parts.

Josh Palmer, I think I know the Jerome you're talking about.
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Deep boston style accent? Originally from there I believe...
 
I have an Accu-stats tape of a Senior Tour match at Terry Romine's in Milwaukee of Toby Sweet playing Steve Mizerak. I'd never heard of Toby Sweet when I got that match and I didn't expect it to be a very good match, boy was I wrong. Billy and Grady did the commentary and they said that he wasn't known as a tournament player and they had some good stories about Toby during the match. Toby missed a 6 ball that he'd usually make all day long to get out and win the match and that let Steve Mizerak back to the table to come from behind and win the match. It's a great match and I know first hand from watching Toby play in that match that he's a GREAT player.

James
 
Hopefully, Big Steve...

...aka, VoodooDaddy will chime in here. I believe he is/was close with Toby at some point.

About 6 or 7 years ago, Steve came very close to selling me Toby's Searing for $800. Changed his mind at the last minute. :( I wonder what it would be worth now?!?!:D

MM
 
Toby could be one of the nicest guys I think I've ever met in a poolhall. And always willing to help a youngblood learn more about the game. And he sure is/was one of the best gamblers the game had ever seen. In fact, as I recall, he was so feared as a player, he once sat in on a tourney and watched Steve Mizerak take down first place. When it was over, he challeneged him to a match for his first place check. Once the Miz found out who Toby was, he refused!!!

I've heard a few other stories. One of my favorites was the one that Ken told above.



Another has less to do with Toby nd more to do with his road partner. As I remember, Toby went on the road with a younger kid who shot lights out. He took the kid through the south and stopped at a few places he knew where there was always action and easy money to be made.

At one such place, he decided to send the kid in and stay out in the car. if his presence was known, the jig wopuld be up. He told the kid "Here's some money. You go in and play this guy at any game he wants! You're a lock to win!" About an hour goes by and the kid comes out looking for money money. Toby obliges and thinks, 'Must be setting him up.'

Another hour passes when the kid comes out looking for more money. 'What the...? Who know? Maybe the other guy got lucky. Maybe the kid is still setting him up.' He hands the young gun more money.

Another hour passes when the kid returns to the car asking for yet another sum of money. Toby is perplexed.
"What the hell is going on here?!?! You should be killing this guy!! That the hell game are you platying anyway???"

The response: Gin.

Now some elements of this story may have been altered a little but this is how it was told to me. Its how I remember it. And it makes for a great story.

Oh, and that young kid he took across the country who went broke that night playing gin? Allen Hopkins.
 
Josh Palmer said:
There was a guy named Jerome who used to play every day in Hardtimes Bellflower who was from back east. He would brag and brag about Toby Sweet. He told me a lot of stories, but I probably have alzheimer's cause I can't remember much. I do remember one thing though, because it paralleled with Cole Dickson. He said "That Toby, he could play... and everywhere he went, dressed in silk, on the road with a convertible and two women" Sheeit! What more could you want!
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Jerome is always at Hollywood billiards in florida & toby still owns his pool room down there. Toby comes into goldcrown so does Danny Diliberto alot of good stories are told in that place. Can't wait to get home!!!
 
I only saw Toby one time, at one of the New York State 9 Ball Championships. A guy was there who only gave his name as JR and was known to a few people there as "The Indian", not Nick Vlahos. According to Jay, this was Leil Gay. JR wanted to match up with Toby, but Toby would only offer him the safe 8. Apparently, JR wanted no part of Toby even. I heard later that they were both very strong players. JR played a few people and won, don't remember who, Toby, to the best I can recall, didn't play anyone. There were people there who knew him, after all.
 
Toby Stories

I will get you guys a ton of toby sweet stories. My father used to go on the road with toby sweet. he lived in NY in springvalley with Toby for years before moving to DC.

Toby beat a pool room owner named Gibsalerno out of like $20,000 in 1974-1975. It was a large sum of money. The guy was so cash strapped he liquidated a bunch of pool tables out of the old upstairs room. Toby picked the nicest table out of the bunch and called my father to come and pick it up. He left the guy 500 for the old antique brunswick table and a set of ZIG ZAG balls, cue rack and ball rack.

My dad is black and the hustle was for him to go into a pool room and hit a few balls with Toby's Balabushka and have a coke. Toby would come in and match up and good old pops would watch the match and see him struggle with the tip, fumble with house cue after house cue. Then he steps up and offers Toby to play with his cue for the match and next thing you know toby has his very own balabushka in his hands matched up with some guy that never knew what hit him. Man my pops would tell me storys. My pops was not much of a player but very good muscle if you know what I mean!!!!

Pops was all set to get Toby's bushka and toby was getting a new one. Well needless to say Mr. Bushka passed away prior to delivery and the cue was done. Toby never asked for the cue or his money and needless to say my pops never got his bushka!!!!!!!!!:(

I asked my dad about why he never ordered one himself and he told me Bushka was very picky about who got one of his cues and being a black man was not helping things!!! So, toby set it up to give my dad his and get himself a new one. But, it was not meant to be. Wonder what that cue is worth today????

I will get more stories and post as much as I can.

Sincerely,
Kid
Dynomite
 
This is barely a story but I am bored and it can't hurt I dont think.

Approximately 10 years ago I was in a Pool Room which had just had its grand opening and a many of the the good players in the NY area were there most nights.

One of these nights Toby comes in and keep in mind though it was 10 years ago, it was still well past his prime. He was accompanied by a fairly hot babe but still managed to sneak in a wink or 2 and some small talk to the girl I was with. He was dressed like a toned down Jimi Hendrix. I definitely remember bell bottoms and beatle boots.

Soon the word spread Toby would play anyone some $500 sets. For the longest time, no one stepped forward when, and it came as a shock to me, Danny Barouty said "I'll play you some".

Sorry I dont recall any details but Toby won 2 straight sets convincingly and Danny wanted no more of it. Still probably the only reason I remember that night was because Danny stepped up when all the other killers were glued in place.
 
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