What is the best match you ever played?

hill hill match with dennis hatch

One of my first big tournaments was in Columbus, OH. I was the pro warm up of the last Camel Tour events. Dennis Hatch and I played in the 3rd round or so. He won the lag, broke and ran 3, scratched on the break, I ran 6. I scratched on the break and he ran 7 to get on the hill. He broke dry and I ran 5 to win the set. 11-10. Both played flawless.....no safties. just run out pool.
 
I don't know if it was the best I ever played but it was the biggest comeback I ever made. Probably around 1994 or so, Eric D. from Cincy area comes in with his stakehorse from Columbus, In. Eric must've been around 18 or so. Goofy looking kid with an unbelievably straight stroke and killer break. We play $20 and then $40 a game 9 ball on a bar table. He just runs out from everywhere and makes quite a few on the break as well. I empty out, empty my buddy out and am about ready to go into the pool hall register where we were playing. My buddy says, "why don't you ask him to play on a 9 footer?" He says OK and I proceed to win all but about 2 or 3 games for the next 2 or 3 hours. The table was this very strange playing Gandy Big G that I played on every day for 2 years. He never could figure it out and I just kept getting out to the point where I went from down $6-700 or so to winning about $400. They quit and asked to go back to the bar table for the 10th time. :) I politely declined and they called it a night. As a side note: the stakehorse ran 3 or 4 more good players in on me and I managed to fight them all off to at least a draw. Ah.........the good old days of playing all the time.
 
Hey AZer's
The most recent best match I played was in this years Derby City Classic 9 ball..
I played Niels Feijen with both of us on the losers side. Might have been in the 5th or 6th round.
I played a perfect set on him and won 7-4. This knocked him out of the tourney. He was also the defending champion..
My next match was Jeremy Jones.. We were 5-5 with me shooting the 7,8,9. Made the 7 and kiss scratched trying to bump the 8. He broke and run the set out. Happens good and bad...
Best,
Ken Kerner
 
Another great match...

I just thought about another great match.. We were in a scotch doubles tournament and drew "The top Team" (well they went for $800 in the calcutta).

My husband and I are partners (went for $100) and we drilled that team 7 - 1.






................ Together we shoot as one!
 
Best Match

that comes to me was a league match, BCA. I was playing Terry Young, who owns Rumors Billiards here. Terry has won 4 National Championships. He won the Seniors 8 ball and 9 ball last year in Vegas. What are the odds against winning both of them?

Terry broke first and ran out in 8 ball. I broke and ran out. He broke and ran out. I broke and ran out. He broke and ran down to the 8 ball but was hooked on the long rail. He tried a rail first kick up to the corner, and just missed it, and I ran the table for a 38-37 win over him. I, later on, played league on Terry's team, and went to Vegas with him.
 
great story Jay

jay helfert said:
I like talking about these matches. It brings back some good memories. Here's one I lost.

I was holding court at Ye Billiard Den in Hollywood and in walk a few brothers (men of color) and they have a young guy with them. They are looking for a game with anyone. One of them spots me and asks if I'd like to play some Banks with the kid. He knew I was a Bank Pool specialist. Just then, a buddy of mine comes over and whispers in my ear. "That's Youngblood, he's been beating everybody all over L.A."

So now I know who this kid is. I had heard about Youngblood but never seen him before. I tell them I'll play him some short rack Banks if he gives me one ball, 5-4. They hem and haw around a while and finally agree. I'm not going to play him without weight. What ensued for the next ten hours was the Bank Pool game of my life. We were only betting $20 a game, still not a bad bet in the 1960's.

I was in dead punch on those tables, and got the jump on him, even going ahead by four or five games. He finally found the range and starting hitting me with fours and fives. But I shot back with my own threes and fours. It seemed like every brother in L.A. heard about the match, because they all began to show up.

I played him to a dead heat for nine hours, and finally in the last hour he got five games ahead. That was about 2 AM, closing time. They wanted me to go to Tournament Billiards and continue, but I declined. Youngblood respected me from that day on, even though he beat me. And all the L.A. brothers gained a little respect for me too. After that, I could go into any ghetto poolroom and never have a problem. I was one of them now.
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We have a Katrina refuge here called LOCK n LOAD or Willie .....ever hear
of him ? Joey A knew who he was right away when I mentioned him .Willie
is a character to say the least .
Stories like this are what I love about pool and I have never liked a short
race . :thumbup:
 
I lost a hill-hill match to Billy Palmer where I don't recall either of us missing a shot. I made some incredible shots that match and hung up an extremely tough billiard in the case game after he pushed. I think I impressed him that day, problem was I played way over my head. He always asked me to join him in ring games after that but I declined, the fact is that I would have needed the 6 from Billy gambling.
 
I'm going to tip my hat to Jay...the best players talk about their greatest losses...

Well I've had a few ups and downs...but one of my best games...not matches...was in a straight pool league...

It was in Salem, MA and I was partner and was there most of the day most every day...we had a double round robin straight pool league every Tuesday night...play two matches every Tuesday...play everyone twice...best record wins the trophy.

Whenever Johnny Marco had me on his shedule...he wouldn't show up...but come strolling in Wednedsay morning...and then brag about the best way to beat Mike is in the morning...and he did pretty good at it.

Well Charlie Fox tried it...didn't show on Tuesday and comes strolling in Wednesday morning and said he wants to try that Marco trick on me...

We flipped a coin...Charlie broke but not legal...his score is -2...I run 60+ balls and played safe...Charlie played safe...and I ran out to win 125 to -2.

I didn't see Charlie for about a month after that lol...

MM
 
Best event was 8 ball handicap. I had the highest rating and didn't lose a game... Played 5 matches and won them all 5-0. I also played that event and broke and ran or ran off their dry break, 12 of 17 games won. My best single match was winning the flip and running 7 for 7-0 win. 8 ball was winning flip and running set 5-0.
 
I believe it was 2002 at the derby in the chapel, Corey against Frost one-pocket. never seen anything like it
 
One of my best was beating a road player from Denver, at a Bar near Steamboat Springs, out of everything he had- including his watch. My new girlfriend at the time (now my wife) thought I was being mean and TOLD me to give the guy bus money back to Denver. (But that she was getting the car)

My most memorable.....
I broke my wrist in a lot of places on my shooting hand one winter, and came out of the mountains to play some in Denver at some of the tournaments. Just to try and get used to playing off the other side, since it looked like I was going to be stuck this way for a while, and the DR. Cue tourney was coming up. No way I'm missing that one!
Shooting with the wrong side, my shooting hand in a cast (and now my bridge hand), I go hill-hill with Megan Minerich the first time I ever get to play her, then dog the nine on a long bank, after coming back 4 games behind.
She tucks it in and wins, and has destroyed my self esteem a couple of times since, but out of all the years I've played, that one match makes the game worth playing for me.
 
Cuephoric said:
My most memorable.....
I go hill-hill with Megan Minerich the first time I ever get to play her, then dog the nine on a long bank, after coming back 4 games behind.
She tucks it in and wins, and has destroyed my self esteem a couple of times since, but out of all the years I've played, that one match makes the game worth playing for me.
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That's funny, Megan Minerich beat me too. I played her in an exhibition, 9 ball on a barbox, race to 1.

I had been playing great all day, and was thinking that I might slot my first win against a pro player.

When my turn came up, I won the coin flip, broke, and made nothing but noise. Megan got up to the table, and calmly and easily ran out.

My comment after the game was, "Guess I should learn to break better, huh?"

She gave a beautiful smile and commented on how lucky she got.....I really hope she wins a major soon. Megan is beauty and class wrapped in one neat package.

Michael
 
My favorite match of my life happen in New London,Ct. in 1982. I was playing as a virtual unknown against Ray Martin. Ray was three-time world champion. We were playing for third and forth place and we were the only one's playing so the whole focus was on us. The match came down to the final rack at ten games apiece. we both kicked at the two-ball four times apiece and left each other safe. I know I played my kick safes and I'm willing to bet Ray played his. I finially got a shot and ran-out to win the match. The crowd and myself loved every minute of the match. I'm not so sure about Ray. He got revenge the next year. He took me out 11-10 playing once again for third and forth place.
 
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