About thirty years ago, I was scuffling around with a pretty good player from NY.We were in Bloomington Ill. at an all night joint owned by a bookie named Benny Paul. The bartender there played pretty good and Benny staked him.But there were also lots of suckers in the joint. There were four or five quarters on the table and the bet was 10.00. I looked up and noticed Tom Ferry come in. It just happened that I knew him, but he had no idea who I was. I assumed that he must be there to play the bartender, whos' name was Jack. So I immediately started calling the player I was with " Jack". Sure enough, before long Tom challenged us to gamble. The bet was 30.00....pretty decent bet thirty years ago. They kinda went back and forth for maybe an hour, playing 9-ball on the bar table. Then, my player comes up with one of those debatable super thin backward cut shots into the side. One where you shoot a hundred miles an hour but the object ball creeeeps slowly into the pocket ( IF you make it) The player I'm with looks, and looks, and looks, for maybe five minutes. Finally, Tom jumps off his seat and says, in a very frustrated voice, " Jesus Christ man shoot the damn thing in...whatta you waitin' on?" My player says, "Hey, this is a tough shot, I need to look at it." Tom says, " Ray Charles could make that ball. I'll tell you what...I'll just buy that shot from you for twenty dollars." Well, that's what happened. My guy sold Tom the shot...Tom paid him the 20.00...got up...fired the ball in at a hundred miles an hour....and ran out... and then we paid him 30.00.... Kinda took the wind outta my guys sails. I think we lost about 300.00 or so.... So my cleverness in tricking Tom into playing cost me three hundred.....
Later the three of us went to breakfast,talked for an hour or so, and exchanged a few spots, and I realized that he was a pretty smart guy, but also an awfully nice guy. I got his number and later we made some money together in Indiana. Just a little story about a friend that we'll all miss.
Later the three of us went to breakfast,talked for an hour or so, and exchanged a few spots, and I realized that he was a pretty smart guy, but also an awfully nice guy. I got his number and later we made some money together in Indiana. Just a little story about a friend that we'll all miss.
