What real good player/pro has bet the most on themselves?

[mikeyfrost]

Grady was a solid fellow

 

[kkdanamatt]

Grady was a solid fellow

Add Marshall Carpenter to the list.
In the early Sixties the Squirrel was a big money one-pocket player.

He told me that he couldn't get a decent bet on any more one-hole games, so he switched to hustling golf in 1964.

As far as I know, he bet his own money.

 

[watchez]

Tony Watson at the DCC - I'm probably wrong but I got the impression that was his bankroll pushing out of all of his pockets.

Louie would get staked, win and then take all his money and play Buddy Hall and lose.

Bartram confirmed but when I first read this one of the first thoughts that came to mind was him and Kid Delicious.

Jimmy Wetch back in the day would -- he was of course a Cooney protégé and learned well.

 

[onepocketron]

Times change.

In the 70s there was a river of money flowing to the top players. They could cruise around the roads relatively unknown and pick up $5-20/rack action in random bars against guys that had no chance. Cost of living on the road was low. Then they'd get into routine games against local champions that also had no chance and pick up easy money.

Top players weren't afraid of betting it all and going broke because they could go right back to the well of bar hopping and local champs. The local champs weren't afraid to go broke because they'd get backed or would just win it back at the bars the same way.

All in all, there was a ton of money being gambled across the board and so the top players just weren't tight.

The last 15 years has been the opposite. Costs are record high on the road. The economy is much worse. Numbers of amateur players is decreasing, and more of them are playing in handicapped leagues at bars with bingo and poker and cornhole and karaoke than are playing in pool halls. Getting $10/rack action playing 9 ball is a long shot anymore. Everyone knows the pecking order, and no one wants to book a loser or take a shot.

So for all except for the top player in each country pool is a losing proposition. The other top players might score big but they'll be broke again when variance takes it's toll. And lord knows the local champs aren't making money. Shoot, 10 years ago I could make almost $1,000/month playing local tournaments because at least they weren't handicapped. Anymore it's probably more like $200 a month (if I still played, wonder why I'm playing more poker the last two years...). Point is I'm not reloading top pros anymore.

My point- it's not really fair to compare the gamble of a Louis Roberts or a Keith McCready to the gamble of a Justin Hall or a Chip Compton. I'm certain that if there was as much dead money today as there was in the 70s the players today wouldn't seem so nitty and would be willing to nose bleed just as high.

PS- what's shaking frosty!

This is so true, not to mention the internet came along so being "unknown" is a lot harder now days. I've seen a good friend, back in the old days, ask to see their drivers license many times. They wanted to make sure the guy was who he said he was.

 

[david(tx)]

Tony Watson at the DCC - I'm probably wrong but I got the impression that was his bankroll pushing out of all of his pockets.

Louie would get staked, win and then take all his money and play Buddy Hall and lose.

Bartram confirmed but when I first read this one of the first thoughts that came to mind was him and Kid Delicious.

Jimmy Wetch back in the day would -- he was of course a Cooney protégé and learned well.

Tony Watson came through Dallas in late 80's with bankroll busting out of his pockets , not to smart flashing it . He was a teenager . Didn't he get robbed in Tennessee ?His was with Del Ballard the bowler , a relative i think .

 

[pt109]

Bob Ogburn could shove it with both hands

 

[mikeyfrost]

Always good to hear when people bet their own. I know it's hard to do, but that's the only way I ever believe in the game

 

[8ballEinstein]

Jack wasn't hustling playing Toby when I was in Vegas and that was a huge game.

Jack gets my vote also.

Actually, that one may have been a hustle. On their last match up, some people thought Jack may have intentionally pushed the set out to 11 days just so he could have Toby on the hook for another round.

 

[sjm]

Jack Cooney.
Nuff said.

Certainly by reputation, Jack Cooney is the answer here.

 

[JCIN]

Guys I know/have seen who will bet their own:

Shane
Frost
Wiseman
Bart
Oscar
Edit: Cant beleive I left out Grady. Zero fvcks given by Grady when it came time to ship it.

There are others but these stick out.

The players I always kind of shook my head at were the guys who refused to bet their own. They would woof up a storm if they had a horse but had no problem at all telling you they had zero interest in betting their own. I understand it. The first rule in Hollywood is never use your own money on a movie so its not unique to pool. But I always looked at those guys different.

Biggest bet I have seen that I knew for sure was from the player was Shane. It was five figures. Happened multiple times. Other guys I can't say for sure. I can say that plenty of times I was told by a guy he was betting his own to find out different later.

 

[justinb386]

I was told that Pat Mcmillan (a really strong player from St. Louis, back in the late 90's) had a lot of gamble in him, and was not afraid to lose his entire bank roll.

 

[book collector]

If you are referring to any games in Vegas or against DD, I think those have to be taken with a grain of salt.

I'm surprised that none of the stakehorses have jumped in even though you said pool players shipping their own. The backers are known to be as braggadocios as can be.

Some of them have a right to be , I knew of one that seemed to find a way to get the money nearly every time for many years.
Then , like the rest of us , he got old and lost a step, which is usually all that separates a winner from an also ran.

 

[jamesroberts]

I've bet more on myself than Donny ever thought of .

 

[mikeyfrost]

I've bet more on myself than Donny ever thought of .

We know bro..we knowwww

 

[randallt6]

I've bet more on myself than Donny ever thought of .

lolllllllllll

 

[boyraks]

Alex supposedly lost high 5 digits of his own in the Philippines many years ago against DO.

Alex played Alcano in the Phils for big money. It was his new BMW against any takers. There was another 20k bet on the side.