Unknown "monster" players

We had a guy come through Tulsa one night, at Magoos a few months ago. I believe it was a Sunday. They lined up to play him, but they all came away with a loss. No one ever got his name.

While he ran racks like it was practice, some of his competitors ran a few too. Nothing phased him...
 
"jackjaw"

JoeyA said:

Jackjaw, what a name............
Like the story.
JoeyA
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Joey,

Jackjaw came from the old bumper jacks. When they got worn out sometimes they would go full auto lowering a vehicle even if you weren't trying to lower it. Bobby talking ninety miles an hour reminded some people of those old bumper jacks going full auto and ratcheting down rapidly. Ratchet jaw was another name you may remember for talkers back then.

I once saw a short fat completely bald fellow making hard work of jacking up a car with one of the old bumper jacks. He was standing directly in front of it and using one of the long "L" shaped lug wrenches as the handle as was intended. A hot summer's day and he was soaked with sweat wearing his Sunday go to meeting suit pants and tie, he had taken his jacket off. When the handle slipped out of his sweat slicked hand he was bent over fighting to jack up the car. The jack started ratcheting down on it's own and the handle went full auto whacking him over the head. Must have hit him at least twenty or thirty times, dead center of that bald head. When it finally stopped he fell backwards onto his butt. I couldn't help it, it was so cartoonish I laughed out loud. Had to hurt a lot. He sat there a few minutes then went back to it though.

I'm sure you know "Jackjaw" can have two meanings, jacking somebody's jaw meant clobbering them too. Bobby wasn't a big fellow but he was pretty quick with his fists or a knife. He jacked many a jaw back then.

He was supposed to drive a new dirt track late model for a man one year and "Jackjaw" was what was painted over the driver's door. First race of the year the car owner got a chance to get a hot dog driver from Mississippi and put him in the car. Jackjaw was furious and begged my owner to drive the late model I was driving. I warned my owner not to do it, Bobby wouldn't care if he did major damage to Jr's car while getting even with Stan.

I owed the car owner Bobby was mad at a favor myself and when opportunity knocked I put his new car into the wall hard! Paybacks for a $150 bad check and almost getting me and Bobby shot as thieves one night picking up something I had bought from Stan. Only minor detail, Stan didn't own the truck bed we were picking up! The owner was pointing one of the semi-auto .308 deer rifles at our chests from about eighteen inches while we were silly enough to argue with him telling him what had happened. The law came and things calmed down. I bought the truck bed from the owner and made Stan write a check for what he owed me when I caught him in a group of people at the track. That was the bad check I paid back that night when I turned his car into the wall. A gentle tap at the wrong time on his car's left front when the driver was already a bit out of control slammed the car head on into a steel wall and I didn't even scuff the paint on the car I was driving. Jackjaw came and thanked me afterwards. I of course claimed it was just racing and I was as innocent as a newborn babe.

Just a little old time rock n' roll. Dirt tracking may have created more funny stories than pool and as you know pool back in the day created a lot of funny stories. I miss both lately, got to warm up the stick.

Hu
 
Pittsburg Mike

SJDinPHX said:
I don't recognize Tommy Rocco, but I do know Jerry Brock was a top notch player until he had do do some time. Mike Painter, AKA "Pittsburgh Mike" was actually from Pittsburgh, Kansas. (correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think I am.)

Dick
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Pittsburg Mike was from Pittsburg Kansas and later played out of Oklahoma City. He supposedly had a millionaire backer and frequently played many of the legends of pool such as Ronnie Allen, Grady Mathews, St. Louis Louie etc. high dollar onepocket and golf. He ended up with some neck problems and other issues and was never quite the same.
 
Interesting post.

Most of you know me as a cue maker but before that in the 60's I traveled all over the US hustling pool.

I never gave anyone my name and in the East I was called "Colorado" after my auto tags. In Chicago it was "Short Pants" because I wore shorts most of the time.

I played almost everyone I met even anything and would put my win/loss record up against anyone.

Played Don McCoy and Ken McCoy many times. They were both good players.

Bill S.
 
billy said:
what ever happened to howard vickery
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I don't think it turned out too good for Howard vickery !

Do a search and it will reveal some very troubling details! Don't want to spread any more rumors then necessary!

Kd
Mike Wilson

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
DoubleA said:
Players who are largely "unknown" but possess close to champion speed? Would love to hear some stories. I will throw one name out there as an example(Vernon Elliot). He doesn't play anymore, but when he did, he was a "monster". Some of you know him and his reputation. would like to hear about him and any others that you know. Not trying to knock any action, I'm talking mainly about the "old timers".
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I have a 2001 Rick Howard Ebony/BEM. It's an old school style "MONSTER" player and it hits a "ton" !!! (not for sale)
 
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boggs41076 said:
Anybody remember a guy from Hazard Ky.. Sid Hurl? I was really young when i saw him play..and best i can remember he was a monster!!
I know The Beard and Bunny Remember him i talked with them about him at the Derby this year.Both said he was incredibly strong barbox 9er. Just wondering if anyone else had any stories about him?:thumbup:

By the way he passed away a couple of months ago..from a long sickness..R.I.P Sid i know my buddy Bob will miss you as will most of the players in Eastern Ky. My condolences to Ricky his son and the rest of the family...
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i remember sid hurl from the dens of iniquity in hazard. no other name for them!!!!!!!!! I know cornbread red went into the poolrooms down there and it may have been sid that told everybody they did NOT want any of that old man. that I believe was in the early 90's around the time sid went to florida.
 
I know who you are and I won't leak the name.

But I gotta tell you, I know a guy who robs him. They play every year, April 12, and your guy always loses.

Two-Rail Nate said:
Thanks JoeyA. I enjoy your commentary, especially on one pocket matches.

I've been around the pro pool scene since 1985. I've played one pocket against Steve Cook, Jose Parica, Grady Matthews, Bugs Rucker, Reyes and a host of other great players. As well as some great rotation players who quit after a few games and said "one pocket sucks". lol I don't play in tournaments, but in my hustling days I used to show up a couple of weeks after the big pro tournaments. That way, no one would suspect me of playing very well.

The reason I relate the above info, is because I think I may know the greatest, or for sure one of the greatest unknown monsters of all time, who is still unknown. See, the problem with most of the people named in this thread, is that they are known. This guy is known by very, very few. Even most players he has beat, don't really know how good he plays. Thats what made Vernon Elliot so great, he could play a duck for three days and never run more that two, or three balls. This guy is like Vernon Jr. No, its not me, but I wish I had his talent. Not only at billiards, but at the art of the con.

I met him over twenty years ago and he is still in top form today. I was new in town and knew none of the players from the area. I found a decent pool room with a pro shop and some nice Gold Crowns. He walks in and strikes up a conversation, he asks if I'm a pro golfer, bowler, pool player? I say no. He asks if I want to play 9-ball. I say I'm no good and don't own a cue. He says he has no cue either. We grab the balls and house cues. We agree to play for $5 a rack, Texas Express rules, which he had to explain to me. :p I win the flip, break, don't make anything and he runs out like Strickland. :eek: Then he breaks and runs out, in the next six games I had two kick shots and fouled once. So I'm eight games loser, having only shot three times. In the ninth game he hangs up the seven ball and gets very angry. He grabs the 7,8 and 9 and racks the balls and moves the coin. I hit a full force Mike Sigel break and don't make anything, because he had put a house rack on me. :cool: He promptly runs out that rack, then breaks and runs out two more in a row. I quit and handed him a fifty.

So, needless to say, I was impressed and perplexed by his hustling style. :confused: Who is this guy? Why would he run out like that on a potential duck? Anyway, in the interest of brevity, it was in the hopes that I would chase my money. Sort of like the JoeyA one-pocket rule of 'get ahead, stay ahead'. He was hoping that I came back with my cue and tried to high roll him. Which I unfortunately did. :o We have been fast friends ever since though and he is the best I've ever seen. Maybe not quite as good as Vernon, but he plays dead even(at certain times, beyond;)) with Nick Varner and almost no one has heard of him.

I might as well get to the bad news. He still wishes to remain undercover. There are people who know him, as he is getting close to sixty now, but as far as I know, the only people who know his true speed keep it a secret.

One day I shall write a book of our adventures. I think some will find it quite entertaining. :smile:
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GreenFeltguy said:
Used to run with Sean Azares in 80s, smart. Some good stories about Sean in The Green Felt Jungle !
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He and browning set up camp in my growin up room...browning learned to play real well, by the time he left!

Probably the best cash 9b I have seen played, but he wasn't running on the same gas as the rest.

I don't think Sean played any pool at all. Had a white limo. They were boxing promoters:wink:&:rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
GreenFeltguy said:
Used to run with Sean Azares in 80s, smart. Some good stories about Sean in The Green Felt Jungle !
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Sean Azares if thats how you spell it lived with us for several months when I was only around 6 years old..

One hell of a guy, he would do card tricks for my brother and I.

Him and Keith Mccready was at the house one day arguing over what was better lefties or righties and since we loved Sean so much we ended up playing left handed even tho we are both right handers!

My dad was a good player but he knew he couldn't beat Sean.. Sean was simply the best to us!

Also his rack was like hitting a solid boulder!.
 
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I'll toss in Mick Hill's name, Monster of Monsters

just won his fourth world 8 ball title (uk variant) almost snapped off a huge chinese 8 ball event last year losing 21-20 in the finals, he's won small 9 ball events in the uk and looks like he's just getting started in American pool
 
bstroud said:
Interesting post.

Most of you know me as a cue maker but before that in the 60's I traveled all over the US hustling pool.

I never gave anyone my name and in the East I was called "Colorado" after my auto tags. In Chicago it was "Short Pants" because I wore shorts most of the time.

I played almost everyone I met even anything and would put my win/loss record up against anyone.

Played Don McCoy and Ken McCoy many times. They were both good players.

Bill S.
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And on AZB we endearingly call you "The Designer of Dreams."
 
PocketSpeed11 said:
And on AZB we endearingly call you "The Designer of Dreams."
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How is that cue he promised an azb member coming?

As I recall, a lot of people were strung along for a while by bill strouds empty words.

Too bad he is gonna be well remembered for his lie, just as well as a cuemaker of some note.

Google is a funny thing.
 
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