frankwhite said:
Speaking of VA, Bud Ogmond (or is it Osmond) would also be a silent monster. Especially in his time ;-) I think he is in Florida now, so I heard.
Unknown "monster" players
- Thread starter DoubleA
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Speaking of VA, Bud Ogmond (or is it Osmond) would also be a silent monster. Especially in his time ;-) I think he is in Florida now, so I heard.
Midwest Monsters
When I was in Vegas, Cotton asked me about Dave Jaeger (sp?). I used to play him about 15 years ago and he was certainly a barbox monster from Clinton Iowa. A fishing accident (fish hook in his right eye) ended his pool career about 10 years ago.
Another relative unknown is Donny Branson. He gave me the 8 and the break and beat me 11 to 1 a couple years ago on a Gold Crown. I didn't think anybody I'd never heard of could do it.
When I was in Vegas, Cotton asked me about Dave Jaeger (sp?). I used to play him about 15 years ago and he was certainly a barbox monster from Clinton Iowa. A fishing accident (fish hook in his right eye) ended his pool career about 10 years ago.
Another relative unknown is Donny Branson. He gave me the 8 and the break and beat me 11 to 1 a couple years ago on a Gold Crown. I didn't think anybody I'd never heard of could do it.
Hiding Weight
He won a tourney in my home town to. He beat me hill - hill in the semi final. He offered the 8 and the break to a weaker player and broke even after an hour. It was a perfect set-up. When he offered me the same spot for $30 a game, I thought it was a lock. But he never missed a ball.
Believe me, if he finds a game his real speed comes out. I've played world champions even and didn't get beat that bad.
But he passes as an amateur, and plays accordingly.
DoubleA said:
He won a tourney in my home town to. He beat me hill - hill in the semi final. He offered the 8 and the break to a weaker player and broke even after an hour. It was a perfect set-up. When he offered me the same spot for $30 a game, I thought it was a lock. But he never missed a ball.
Believe me, if he finds a game his real speed comes out. I've played world champions even and didn't get beat that bad.
But he passes as an amateur, and plays accordingly.
Seabastian Franco
I've been reading all these post about different players and just had to throw this one in,....
there was a good tournament in the backwoods of Carliel,Arkansas back in the mid-90's, Scotty Townsend,James Christopher,Danny Cook,Tony Fargo,Country Calvin, and Sebastian Franco were in it to name a few, including myself,..
it was 8-ball race to 4 double elim., Sebastian Franco was the blind bid $800.00......
I drew him first match, when it came time for us to play Sebastian put his big 4 cue holding case on the table and took about 5 min. "to get one out",
well I won the flip, he rack, I said "Well now I'm gonna show you how a country boy can play!"...
I broke and ran 4 racks, he never got to shoot! I'll never forget the "LQQK" on his stakehorse/backers face!.....BTW I only sold for $20.00:smile:
David Harcrow
dogginda9 said:
I've been reading all these post about different players and just had to throw this one in,....
there was a good tournament in the backwoods of Carliel,Arkansas back in the mid-90's, Scotty Townsend,James Christopher,Danny Cook,Tony Fargo,Country Calvin, and Sebastian Franco were in it to name a few, including myself,..
it was 8-ball race to 4 double elim., Sebastian Franco was the blind bid $800.00......
I drew him first match, when it came time for us to play Sebastian put his big 4 cue holding case on the table and took about 5 min. "to get one out",
well I won the flip, he rack, I said "Well now I'm gonna show you how a country boy can play!"...
I broke and ran 4 racks, he never got to shoot! I'll never forget the "LQQK" on his stakehorse/backers face!.....BTW I only sold for $20.00:smile:
David Harcrow
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I remember Franko...He played really Jam up...I remember when I 1st got into the pool schene back in the early 80's & we went to a tourney in New Orleans at Buffalo's & 1 of the top notch locals that use to play real good...Howard Akeida had the rock & was playing Franco for 1st & 2nd...Franco gets on the mike & says open window on the set so I think he must be nuts.....I was green & never heard of Franco but knew Howard could play so I take him up on his bet & we wager i think $400....I thought I had the nuts...He double dips Howard & I pay off...It was my 1st lesson on the food chain of the pool world.
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Cuaba said:
Donny and Bobby are traveling together (they left a couple of weeks ago). The plan was to make it to the DCC (after Nashville and Chattanooga, etc.), but something else may have come up (last I heard). I have a feeling I won't see them there on Tues. or Wed. (the only days I'll be there). Guess I'll find out when I get there :thumbup:
Donny played J. Hager some one pocket a few nights ago at Diamonds in Chattanooga 9-7 on Donny's break and 10-7 on Hager's break. Most likely 9 ball is Donny's best game on a bar box because he played real good when he won the tournament at Diamonds. Seemed like a real nice guy too!
Lets see almost as good as champions?
Well Dick Hunzicker beat everyone. Erning Crane and The Babe Cranfield wouldn't play him for anything. Willie and Dick never played much because it just went back and fourth. The Mez, Gary Pinkowski, Jimi Reed, Buddy Hall, Rempe. Many more. He just busted them. That was then.
Now? Wee Will!
Will Billbury, Monster Slayer. He won't play unless it is a absolute lock. The funny thing is no one can beat him. He is known to beg a spot! Buddy Hall at one time said to Mike Minor that Will might be the best 9 Ball player on the planet.
I think he only golfs and plays poker now. But when he shows his face the show is in town!
One time Will asked me how I did in tournaments. I had to laugh and said well usually if I win my first four or five sets I seem to do OK! Hiis eyes almost poped out of his head.
Will has my vote.
Nick
Well Dick Hunzicker beat everyone. Erning Crane and The Babe Cranfield wouldn't play him for anything. Willie and Dick never played much because it just went back and fourth. The Mez, Gary Pinkowski, Jimi Reed, Buddy Hall, Rempe. Many more. He just busted them. That was then.
Now? Wee Will!
Will Billbury, Monster Slayer. He won't play unless it is a absolute lock. The funny thing is no one can beat him. He is known to beg a spot! Buddy Hall at one time said to Mike Minor that Will might be the best 9 Ball player on the planet.
I think he only golfs and plays poker now. But when he shows his face the show is in town!
One time Will asked me how I did in tournaments. I had to laugh and said well usually if I win my first four or five sets I seem to do OK! Hiis eyes almost poped out of his head.
Will has my vote.
Nick
Brian Jones
from Tulsa, Oklahoma is someone who most definitely can handle some heat.
from Tulsa, Oklahoma is someone who most definitely can handle some heat.
Luther
Best Quote in all of pool "I watch a man practice for a hour. If he misses, he can't beat me."
Nick
Best Quote in all of pool "I watch a man practice for a hour. If he misses, he can't beat me."
Nick
My list is of guys that play good, have played on the road and have been in the seat against a major player at least once. And are to the best of my knowledge all good gamblers and they are all hard to rattle. George Azbill = Phoenix area player back when the Golden 8 Ball was open. John Mikey = Seattle area student of Dan Louie is the story, Gene Ahola = Previously owned a pool hall in Sacramento I watched Gene and a Canadian Snooker champion match up in races to 10 for big coin they played 4 - 5 sets and I don't think Gene made a mistake not one. Jimmy (from Tx)I forgot his last name that owns a pool hall in Tempe Az. I don't know if any of these guys are monsters but they are seasoned and if you get $200 or more froze up in a match against one of them You will need to get out everytime the opportunity presents itself and you better be smart when the out is not obvious. I think all of them could have been top 100 in the country at least once if they had chosen to pursue the life of a pro pool player.........Saying unknown players is a broad statement I would guess that a lot of younger players don't know guys like Ray Martin, Dan Dileberto, Billy Weir, Roger Griffis, Dan Louie, Dan Medina, Butterfield, Rod Curry, Warren Costanza and plenty more. Forgive me if these are well known names today, I am not current on who is who today, when I played and was trying to be a real pool player these guys were known but were not as main stream as Mizerek, Rempe, Archer, Reyes and so on, in the group of known but not as mainstream there is at least one legend, 2 Major Open winners, 4 or 5 top 10 in the world rankings and a couple of damn strong road player / gambler types. I have met or would recognize many of the West Coast players if I ran into them but if I were to go to the East Coast I wouldn't know anybody.
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(Brian Jones)deadgearplyr said:
I am pretty sure that I ran into this guy when he was young 18 - 19 he hung out with a tall (damn good 3 cushion player) in Billiard Palace. I was playing strong and playing anybody that I came across and had a bank roll of around 5K at the time. I hadn't left more then 3 out of my last 40 Matches as a loser. We got settled in for something like race to 2 for $100 and froze $500 or there about. I played fine and he beat me like I had never even been in a pool hall before. It seems like Buddy Hall, Mike Betts, Jim McDermott and the 3 Cushion player all had some interest in this kid. Only twice in my pool life have I felt like there is no chance of me even getting started towards winning or getting even or even walking out of there feeling like a pool player. One was this kid and the other was David Matlock if I would have shot them I doubt that I would have finished first. But in both cases I did pick up plenty of second place ribbons.
DoubleA said:
Barry is from Greer SC. He is still around but his game isn`t near what it once was
John "railroad man" Williams from around Atlanta played pretty sporty for many years 60`s thru 80`s. I watched him play many times.
I know who Nick Spano is. He plays good...Not sure I would call him a monster.fan-tum said:
He used to run around with Damian Allishon (sp?) I called them Beavis and Butthead.....not to offend, just because one was blonde and the other had dark hair...they were joined at the shoulder for a few years. They both hung around with John Schmidt a lot before he went all celebrity on us.
I saw Nick match up against Jimmy Mendoza at Shooters in Riverside...Jimmy bbq'd him.
Brian Jones
At the time back in "99 or 2000"? Brian Jones was still just a young fella, he and my brother Counrty Calvin played some 9-ball in Texarkana,Ar. after a big tournament we had, and Brian was 5 sets ahead for $3 an $500.00 , was just one set from busting Country, but Country out lasted him that time,and came back and won all his $ back+ $1,800.00...
I remember he gave Brian $200.00 to go back to Tulsa on, but that kid/man ..Now can play!
David Harcrow
2rgrbn said:
At the time back in "99 or 2000"? Brian Jones was still just a young fella, he and my brother Counrty Calvin played some 9-ball in Texarkana,Ar. after a big tournament we had, and Brian was 5 sets ahead for $3 an $500.00 , was just one set from busting Country, but Country out lasted him that time,and came back and won all his $ back+ $1,800.00...
I remember he gave Brian $200.00 to go back to Tulsa on, but that kid/man ..Now can play!
David Harcrow