University of Houston 1988, looking for something to do, I found the student center and became almost instantly hooked.
I started to spend all my spare time and some not spare time at Slick Willies on Westheimer, my love quickly grew. I couldn’t get enough.
The level of the players that filled that place still amazes me.
Bogies on 1960
What was the place downtown, LeCue?
Many others
My skills didn’t develop near as quickly, I started out terrrible and progress rather slowly.
I wasn’t one of those “I picked up a cue and just knew how to make balls” people.
But I couldn’t get enough of the game.
If there was a hard tournament to be played in, I was there, donating of course, but always staying thru the last match.
I moved to Arlington, TX in 1991 and became a regular at Rustys in Arlington.
They used to have a Midnight Madness Tourny that started at mIdnight on Saturday night limited to 32 players and it filled up fast. They played on just 4 to 6 tables and it would regularly last until 6-7 am Sunday morning, Took me months to win just one match. I was dead money. But, I almost never missed a final.
And the action in that room was incredible. Money flowed like water.
CJ’s place in Dallas was another one that had to be seen to be believed.
I was there when Earl ran the 10 racks.
I was there to see Efren play Amarillo Slim one pocket for a stupid amount of money.
The Fire Cracker Open would bring the photos in the magazines to life, everyone was there.
Buddy
Kieth
Earl
Johnny
Tony Ellin
Efren
CJ of course
And countless others
I finally started to want to get better, I had joined a league and had improved some. Actually thought I played pretty well.
Then I realized, the more shot I was the better I drunk
I quit...drinking.
Didn’t miss it at all, and certainly didn’t miss the 60-80 dollar a night bar tabs.
Started to really work on my game, not just watch the others that were great and seem to have been for most of thier lives.
I started to really improve, started to make some real advances in my game.
Honestly now, at age 48, I am playing the best I ever have and I still cant get enough of the game.