Unknown "monster" players

DoubleA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i think his name was Shawn Azaris or maybe splled differently from Alaska, Mark Griffin might know him.. anybody ever heard of him?
I knew Shawn, he ran with Eugene Browning for a while, played great 8 ball on the short track, but he played good on anything. I think he got involved in a religious sect of some sort, his girlfriend was into it big time. He was a little strange.
 

Jon K

Registered
Funny the post above is from tennessee... I remember Tony Campbell years ago was spotting a guy in Soddy Daisy the 6 out. The guy he was spotting could play. Tony moved well and got the bet up and then took it off. Playing 7 ahead he gets even and then runs 6 on a crappy valley bar table. Breaks plays safe gets ball in had and the set is over.

Its funny many people dont know his real speed still. Another sneaky player i met is Rodney Meeks he was w Tony in Mboro Billiards. I tried to play him years ago and Tony told me he was a good kid and didnt have a chance. A couple years went by and I saw him at jobs so instantly jumped on him. We played 9 ball on one of the diamonds and he ambushed me lol.
So to get even I thought i would get him to play one pocket. He said sure and within 4 hours at 200 a game i was 10 games down. Kid can play one pocket like crazy. I then found out he got hurt at work and was really playing alot. Its crazy how some people have natural talent like that and catch on to pool so quickly.
Tennesse is full of good hidden playes. Chris Purhil, Tim Miller there are a ton of them. Always action in TN
 

1pocket

Steve Booth
Gold Member
Silver Member
Brandolino, name just came to me. When I started college in 68 he had left the yr before, I heard he was putting together 14.1 runs in the mid two hundreds, tho never heard much else about him during my yrs there. His first name could of been John, I'll try and find out, but I know that name doesn't lie within this thread.

His first name was Bob
Bob Brandolino was a student at Southern Indiana University and was an entrant to Johnston City in 1965. SIU was relatively near Johnston City and it appears that the college pool champ there was entered into the JC tournament for a number of years -- that may have been a Jansco promoted idea, I do not know, but the Jansco brothers were excellent at involving the local community (i.e. the tournament opened with a match between two local mayors several times).
 

DoubleA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Funny the post above is from tennessee... I remember Tony Campbell years ago was spotting a guy in Soddy Daisy the 6 out. The guy he was spotting could play. Tony moved well and got the bet up and then took it off. Playing 7 ahead he gets even and then runs 6 on a crappy valley bar table. Breaks plays safe gets ball in had and the set is over.

Its funny many people dont know his real speed still. Another sneaky player i met is Rodney Meeks he was w Tony in Mboro Billiards. I tried to play him years ago and Tony told me he was a good kid and didnt have a chance. A couple years went by and I saw him at jobs so instantly jumped on him. We played 9 ball on one of the diamonds and he ambushed me lol.
So to get even I thought i would get him to play one pocket. He said sure and within 4 hours at 200 a game i was 10 games down. Kid can play one pocket like crazy. I then found out he got hurt at work and was really playing alot. Its crazy how some people have natural talent like that and catch on to pool so quickly.
Tennesse is full of good hidden playes. Chris Purhil, Tim Miller there are a ton of them. Always action in TN
Yeah, Tony Campbell could def play, would bet it up too.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Danny Cook

I remember him, he came thru Denver in the early ninties, a solid player, we played two sets/broke even, he quit, we played on the first generation Diamond tables at Rack Em in Aurora.
But has anyone heard of Dick Henry from colorado springs, late sixties, he beat Buddy hall on a bar table real good, then he had a couple heart attacks and went in the nut house a couple times, and buddy visited again and got the dough, but this guy was one of a kind, and his personna and game was Mizerak like with NO give and ran out from eveywhere, even Jerry brock had a hard time beatin' em on the seven footer after his first stint with his heart and the nut house. Dick was a fun guy to be around, and Grady loved getting em in action. in the early/mid seventies, why not, dick played better nine ball than Grady till later on.
 

tdsandman

New member
Just for the record. I never played Gulhassey in my life. Never played a game of pool, in Kerrvillie Tx. I saw him one time in Victoria Tx with Big Brad Motko in early 80's but never played. I think Brad was from Ohio I think. But we never played.
 

huckster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
was known in England but unknown here Brian Morgan snooker player played real real strong 9ball seen him buzzsaw through about 10 real good players in the late 90s over here played Varner to a 8 hour draw
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I knew Shawn, he ran with Eugene Browning for a while, played great 8 ball on the short track, but he played good on anything. I think he got involved in a religious sect of some sort, his girlfriend was into it big time. He was a little strange.

Shortish guy? Dark hair and about 5'6"?
Browning and another guy parked in my old poolroom for a couple months, decades ago...only eugene played.
 

Mark Griffin

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Sorry, couldn't read all 48 pages!

In the mid 1970's - how about Stevie Wonder in Albuquerque. Played out of the room on Coor's Blvd. same room jimmy Moore played at all the time.

His name was not wonder - but I know he was well known, at least in the area.

BTW - Tony Shawn Azares. I had first heard of him in maybe mid 1970's in Calif - San Francisco area. Later heard he was a house player at Shooter's in Olathe. Also p,ayes a little bit in Florida. Played real good. Very short lefty.

When he addressed the cue ball, you could not see daylight between the tip and the cue ball - but he never fouled! He showed up in Alaska in early 1990's. Worked down the kenai peninsula in the fishing industry.

Gerald Huber knows him pretty well - read Green Felt Jungle. He did some spend some time in Arizona, I think.

That is it-

Mark Griffin
 

showtruck2020

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think that Irvine must teach pool in their school systems. At one time during the early 90's you could go to a tournament in central Ky, and there might be 20 players there from Irvine. Most of them could run out too. Never had any dealings with Ed Eversole But his boy Vadis(sp?)
had plenty of gamble and he could play some.

I remember Ed Eversole, they also called him "Red" he was a good bar room hustler. He would play anything pool, cards, dice, or draw high number out of the pill bottle.
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
Vernon Elliot was the best out of all of them

Just for the record. I never played Gulhassey in my life. Never played a game of pool, in Kerrvillie Tx. I saw him one time in Victoria Tx with Big Brad Motko in early 80's but never played. I think Brad was from Ohio I think. But we never played.

I traveled with Brad for a brief period in that orange van he used to drive. He knew how to make and SAVE money on the road. We won some serious scores and parted ways on good terms. He was a really good bar table player, played with a 6 Point House Cue if I remember correctly.

I've played more than half the players on this thread and actually ran across one of my old "spot books" that mention many by name. Vernon Elliot was the best out of all of them, I played him for 12 hours in Indianapolis back when I was 19....we played to a complete "draw," however, I didn't want to go back for "seconds".....I later found out who he was, we were playing "push out" rules and he moved like a ghost. I had a head ache for hours after we finished from trying to figure out where to push out to.....he was a champion one pocket and bank pool player.
 

huckster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I traveled with Brad for a brief period in that orange van he used to drive. He knew how to make and SAVE money on the road. We won some serious scores and parted ways on good terms. He was a really good bar table player, played with a 6 Point House Cue if I remember correctly.

I've played more than half the players on this thread and actually ran across one of my old "spot books" that mention many by name. Vernon Elliot was the best out of all of them, I played him for 12 hours in Indianapolis back when I was 19....we played to a complete "draw," however, I didn't want to go back for "seconds".....I later found out who he was, we were playing "push out" rules and he moved like a ghost. I had a head ache for hours after we finished from trying to figure out where to push out to.....he was a champion one pocket and bank pool player.

I don't remember CJ but did you play Antonio Lining when I had him over here circa 1995 I know we didn't go to dallas but was it you he played in kansas? memory fails me
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
sometimes you just don't get the right "rolls" when you need them....such is life.

I don't remember CJ but did you play Antonio Lining when I had him over here circa 1995 I know we didn't go to dallas but was it you he played in kansas? memory fails me

Not gambling, I remember when he came to the United States, I'm not even sure if we ever met in any tournaments.

I played Luat, Kiamco and Andam, and of course Efren and Bustemante several times.....Antonio was touted as playing Efren's speed, however, he didn't really perform at that level, at least when I saw him play. I'm sure he was capable of playing that well, it's just tough to travel and sometimes you just don't get the right "rolls" when you need them....such is life. ;)
 

Rico

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
player

DON McCAUGHY in DesMoines,Ia. in the 70sn80s Donny could play anyone period. His position play was (maybe) second to only BUDDY.
 

punter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just for the record. I never played Gulhassey in my life. Never played a game of pool, in Kerrvillie Tx. I saw him one time in Victoria Tx with Big Brad Motko in early 80's but never played. I think Brad was from Ohio I think. But we never played.

Welcome to the site, is this Tommy Sanders? I remember Gulhassey's(sp?) story about that and I had my doubts, I think he also said he beat Gabby (Mouise Pouncey, aka Larry Hill).


Anyway, there's no doubt in my mind that you were a 'monster' player in the 70's and 80's. I saw you play Tadd. I heard you played Louie Roberts and Reed Pierce and won, is that true?
 
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Raggedy Andy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Weldon

Weldon Rogers was one of the best players ever on the old Valleys with the big apple. He also played jam up one handed. One of his side kicks, James Christopher was also a good player. But, if you ask me, there were plenty of good road players back then that stayed under the radar. It was much different back then.
 

Badbeat13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This thread is awesome and I've only read the first seven pages so far. Thanks OP for the great read within this thread.
 
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