JimS said:
Thanks Jim. I love this story. Brings back good and bad memories for me.
What poolroom did you learn to play at? Who were your mentors?
- Thread starter thebigdog
- Start date
Thanks Jim. I love this story. Brings back good and bad memories for me.
I started playing in the early 60's by taping lunch bags on the sides of the dinner table, using oranges for balls and a broom stick for a cue after seeing pool on TV. I actually got where I could draw my orange a little bit. LOL
Just before I turned 13, I got to play at the teen club three times a week on the army base which had four 8 footers.
By the time I turned 16, I expanded my gambling education by playing quarter on the 5 and a half on the 9 at the local bowling alley with the same mutts every day after school. Felt like I'd made a major score if I ended up five bucks ahead. As cheap as this game was, this is where I had the brother-in-law, dump and double dump moves put on me in our ring games.
I didn't have a mentor. Like Tennesseejoe, if it weren't for Mosconi's little book, it would have been a cruel world. Players back then kept their secrets very close to their vests.
If I had a quarter for everytime I heard "I don't know" after I asked a player how he hit a shot, I'd been retired by age 19. LOL
Stones
Just before I turned 13, I got to play at the teen club three times a week on the army base which had four 8 footers.
By the time I turned 16, I expanded my gambling education by playing quarter on the 5 and a half on the 9 at the local bowling alley with the same mutts every day after school. Felt like I'd made a major score if I ended up five bucks ahead. As cheap as this game was, this is where I had the brother-in-law, dump and double dump moves put on me in our ring games.
I didn't have a mentor. Like Tennesseejoe, if it weren't for Mosconi's little book, it would have been a cruel world. Players back then kept their secrets very close to their vests.
If I had a quarter for everytime I heard "I don't know" after I asked a player how he hit a shot, I'd been retired by age 19. LOL
Stones
Everyone respects Frank the Barber! There's even a horse named after him...and he just won last week at Hollywood Park...no kidding!
Let's see:
Warsaw Cue Club, Hamtramck, MI (anyone else?).
Kelly's Cue, East Detroit ($5 per game one pocket with Carl Wolf at 9-7 with no chance of winning)
8-Mile/Mound Recreation (god bless owner, Angelo Brucato)
Campo's, East Detroit or Roseville (daily payball game)
Cue Tips/ Playland Recreation, East Detriot (had a number of excellent players--learned most from Tommy Lazlo)
College Billiards, San Diego, CA (Hats off to Coyt, Swanee...and cue freak extraordinaire John Skinner who introduced me to Gus Szamboti)
Billiard Tavern, San Diego, CA (whatever happened to Dick Megiveron?)
Bob's Billiards, Anaheim, CA (with Keith, Dickie, Billy Trask, Little Man, et. al....I thank God I survived the fun!)
Orange County Sports Arena, Anaheim, CA (Ronnie Allen was the house pro...battled Charlie the Ape a few times at 1P)
16 year hiatus...then
Shooter's, Riverside, CA (was moderate action and 20/2 golf every weekend)
Hard Times, Bellflower, CA (among the most ideal playing GC I's and II's anywhere in the tournament room).
Martin
Let's see:
Warsaw Cue Club, Hamtramck, MI (anyone else?).
Kelly's Cue, East Detroit ($5 per game one pocket with Carl Wolf at 9-7 with no chance of winning)
8-Mile/Mound Recreation (god bless owner, Angelo Brucato)
Campo's, East Detroit or Roseville (daily payball game)
Cue Tips/ Playland Recreation, East Detriot (had a number of excellent players--learned most from Tommy Lazlo)
College Billiards, San Diego, CA (Hats off to Coyt, Swanee...and cue freak extraordinaire John Skinner who introduced me to Gus Szamboti)
Billiard Tavern, San Diego, CA (whatever happened to Dick Megiveron?)
Bob's Billiards, Anaheim, CA (with Keith, Dickie, Billy Trask, Little Man, et. al....I thank God I survived the fun!)
Orange County Sports Arena, Anaheim, CA (Ronnie Allen was the house pro...battled Charlie the Ape a few times at 1P)
16 year hiatus...then
Shooter's, Riverside, CA (was moderate action and 20/2 golf every weekend)
Hard Times, Bellflower, CA (among the most ideal playing GC I's and II's anywhere in the tournament room).
Martin
jay helfert said:
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Hey John, It was huge fun to play in that golf game at Covina Bowl with you and the guys on Saturdays in early 80's. I must have played 4-5 times. Came up there from San Diego with little Steve Kolari. I don't know what happened but all of a sudden the games stopped or they took the tables out or something. This was 1983-84. I wouldn't think you'd remember me, but when I make it up to Sacto for a 1P tournament I'll make sure I say hello.
Martin
Martin
jrhendy said:
Cue & Cushion in Reno, NV geez 21yrs ago already. My mentors the owner (still) Michael(Mickey) Peele and a p layer from that time Tony Martino. Also a woman straight pool player named Linda Whitlock and her sister Vicki (I believe that Linda's husband owned a pool room in philly at the time) She was a nearly a hundred ball runner playing straights. said it was the only game worth playing. 
I went to see my first Pro tourney at the Sands when I was 12 and watched Bobby Hunter, Swanny, and Ray Martin Battle it out for the top 3. I ended up riding down the elevator with Bobby after his match and made (made a little kid comment) "WOW you play great, wish I played that well" He told me that he did not do anything that I could't do with a lot of practice. I have been hooked on the game ever since.
T
I went to see my first Pro tourney at the Sands when I was 12 and watched Bobby Hunter, Swanny, and Ray Martin Battle it out for the top 3. I ended up riding down the elevator with Bobby after his match and made (made a little kid comment) "WOW you play great, wish I played that well" He told me that he did not do anything that I could't do with a lot of practice. I have been hooked on the game ever since. T
i started playing at the marine lounge in iwakuni japan. not much 2 free 9 footers and decent competition. everyone was friendly always trying to help me with my game. i don't know all their first names but Cpl. howell
jeff friggon and takashi fujikawa helped with my game a lot. got me pointed in the right direction. every now and again i'd go to iwakuni billiards and those japanese players there could really play
jeff friggon and takashi fujikawa helped with my game a lot. got me pointed in the right direction. every now and again i'd go to iwakuni billiards and those japanese players there could really play
jay helfert said:
That WAS back in the days of ivory balls right?
actually I wether he knows it or not since I came out of retirement Jay has been my mentor,
before that Roy Futternick in sacramento was-he did a good job, i still think of him EVERYTIME I play, he also taught me to play single deck 21, i'm barred out of every joint in Vegas that has single deck left, down town in only 4 or 5 places, i played cheap too, but man they take counting seriously, not +/- and basic stragity(its way more complex than that-I cant do it on a double deck or shoe) anyone can do that and lose.
thanks jay, roy.
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I first started playing 9-ball on 9' tables at Santa Rosa Billiards in CA. I saw a sign in the window that said "Monday Night 9-Ball Tournament" -I thought, "9-Ball... what's that?" That was back in the early 90's, now I still play in that same tournament and have been at the top of the $$ list for the past couple years.
I mostly just learned by playing and watching. Larry Nearson was someone I played often and learned a lot from playing with (We would play a race for a candy bar or something like that and I would almost always lose). EZ Wadsworth was also another local player I learned a lot by playing and watching his strategies. I also used to play a lot of races to five for $5 with a local power shooter, Gene Beaumont.
...Back in the Good Ol' Days...
I mostly just learned by playing and watching. Larry Nearson was someone I played often and learned a lot from playing with (We would play a race for a candy bar or something like that and I would almost always lose). EZ Wadsworth was also another local player I learned a lot by playing and watching his strategies. I also used to play a lot of races to five for $5 with a local power shooter, Gene Beaumont.
...Back in the Good Ol' Days...
Just getting caught up on some older threads and saw this one.
I started late as I grew up in the country with no pool tables.
Around 18 I started going to Annie's Cafe and a bowling alley in
Enterprise Al. A group of us took it up pretty hard.
A shoutout to Eddie, OJ and BC Lee for showing us the ropes first off.
It wasnt long before we were driving an hour to Dothan Al where all the good players were at. They played at Herman and Ann's and there was always something going on.
I was lucky to have several older and wiser guys show me some things. I asked alot of questions and just hung out around the snooker table watching. I barely hit a ball there for 3 weeks.
Scotty T, Johnny Archer, Junior Goff, Doug James, James Hilton, Jimmy Wales, Ronnie Yarborough, and a slew of road guys were always there playing.
Junior Goff took a liking to me and really spent more time with me then anyone else. Only guy to really give me lessons. I started out paying and then as I was going through college he stopped. I think he just wanted someone to tell his knowledge and stories to. I would always listen, buy lunch and soak up as much as I could.
We went out to some bars and pool rooms together around the south and
Junior was a true hustler. He could flat get the money anywhere.
He once beat a guy that kept telling him that he knew him. Junior said that he was mistaken and that he was just there visiting me--his grandson. I go to the restroom and theres Juniors damn picture on the wall. He was playing the SAME GUY in the picture only 27 years earlier.
I almost died. Junior took down the cash and we left. never knew if the other fella figured it out or not. LOL
Since then I have learned to try and learn from anybody and everybody.
I have even learned from a poster or two on here.
Without being a ball pocketing machine and having limited skills I need the knowledge and a decent stroke to keep up. Always try and make it hard for the other guy to beat me is generally my motto.
I started late as I grew up in the country with no pool tables.
Around 18 I started going to Annie's Cafe and a bowling alley in
Enterprise Al. A group of us took it up pretty hard.
A shoutout to Eddie, OJ and BC Lee for showing us the ropes first off.
It wasnt long before we were driving an hour to Dothan Al where all the good players were at. They played at Herman and Ann's and there was always something going on.
I was lucky to have several older and wiser guys show me some things. I asked alot of questions and just hung out around the snooker table watching. I barely hit a ball there for 3 weeks.
Scotty T, Johnny Archer, Junior Goff, Doug James, James Hilton, Jimmy Wales, Ronnie Yarborough, and a slew of road guys were always there playing.
Junior Goff took a liking to me and really spent more time with me then anyone else. Only guy to really give me lessons. I started out paying and then as I was going through college he stopped. I think he just wanted someone to tell his knowledge and stories to. I would always listen, buy lunch and soak up as much as I could.
We went out to some bars and pool rooms together around the south and
Junior was a true hustler. He could flat get the money anywhere.
He once beat a guy that kept telling him that he knew him. Junior said that he was mistaken and that he was just there visiting me--his grandson. I go to the restroom and theres Juniors damn picture on the wall. He was playing the SAME GUY in the picture only 27 years earlier.
I almost died. Junior took down the cash and we left. never knew if the other fella figured it out or not. LOL
Since then I have learned to try and learn from anybody and everybody.
I have even learned from a poster or two on here.
Without being a ball pocketing machine and having limited skills I need the knowledge and a decent stroke to keep up. Always try and make it hard for the other guy to beat me is generally my motto.
I learned to play at Teasdale's Billiard Academy in Dover, NJ. Last time I was up that way, the location had been taken over by Fred's Fish Market. LOL. No mentors, but I used to like to watch the best guys in town like Nick Ricciotti and Jo Jo Contessa. I learned the finer points of the game by reading and rereading Mosconi's little red book.
Holy Moly
Doug James? Ronnie Yarbrough? I knew and became friends with Doug when he opened Raleigh Billiard Club, back around '93? Funny dude. Ran into him again, with Ronnie, in Greenville, SC. at a bartable tournament. Any information to contact ol' Doug?frankncali said:
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
1980, Pegs Pocket in Miami...after seeing Jimmy Matz run rack after rack I was hooked. Race engine genius Ronnie Crawford and original Harlem Globetrotter Arturo Coverson gave me a great base to work with, they also schooled Tony Ellin.
I started playing in a grocery store. They had 2 bar boxes. Then moved to shooting in bowling alleys and bars. No mentors I am self taught. That is probably why I am not a pro.
thebigdog said:
Mike Boyce was a damn good player I remember from about 15+ years back. I have not seen him in many, many years. I hope all is well.