Who are the Top 5 Bar Box players

Not seen ORCALLO, KIAMCO dab em on a barbox so I'm excluding them from my list.

No particular order:

MATLOCK....magic, very creative position patterns. He gets to places from
places others can't

BOWMAN.....smooth as silk and carries himself like a natural born killer when
in the pit

DUELL.........kicks balls in with alarming redundancy, rock steady

SVB............what's not to like?? and still a kid

MANY.........any given night:)
 
Lol

Yes, the Thanksgiving tournament at Shooters has drawn some heavy players at times. Bar box playing takes a certain knack, and I have seen many a good player on a big table that couldn't play a bar table as well. You have a lot more room on a big table.

1) Matlock (not many will lay the big cash down against him on a bar table)
David told me himself he has run 28 tables of 9 ball on a bar box.
2) Jesse Bowman (Excellent player)
3) James Walden (tough fight to the finish player, smart)
4) Corey (Good on all tables)
5) Gabe (Gabe's finesse on a bar box is amazing)

others: Rafael, Orcullo, SVB, Baraks (newcomer award), Coy Lee Nicholsen,

I have watched and/or played all these guys except Corey, Orcullo, SVB. I also have played Medina, and definately would not put him in this group.
Scott Frost can get the 7 ball from Walden or Gabe or others in 9 ball, and has in the past. First tournament where Coy Lee won here in Wichita, he
had an 88% runout rate, but years catch up a little with you. I play in the
Thanksgiving tournament every year here for more years than I can count,
and some very good talent has come through (128 player tournaements).
Jr. Brown doesn't seem to play anymore, but somehow shows up for the larger tournaments when they happen.

And like I said, being good on a big table doesn't guarantee you're a world beater on a bar table.
 
driven said:
exactly

when you watch pool on your teleivision you will never see anything but a 9 ' pool table.
anything less is a joke. Real pool is played on a full size table. I know there are some great Bar pool players. I do not care. Make it happen on a real pool table.

steven
then try playing 8-ball on a bar table...after that , 8-ball on a 9 footer is a joke...
 
A few names that I haven't seen mentioned yet?? Chad Vilmont , Bobby Pickle, John Hennessee. These guys are in action alot!! One of these three is probably at the best spot in the entire country for bar table action!! I've been around pool for twenty years and have seen some of the names on earlier posts GO HOME BROKE!!! NO JOKE!!! If you are in the action scene you know what I am talking about. If you dont then I for one wont knock anyones action.
EDIT> How bout Chris Bartrum ? How his name even isn't mentioned is amazing. Assuming we are talking about cash players not tournament players.
 
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We're forgetting a few

Remember Brian Atchley? Definitely McCready during the day. Walden, Matlock of course. Gene "the Machine" Cooper (that guy won the Vegas Bar Table Open during the eighties?). Pete Horne? George Brundt? Anyone remember these guys?
 
Snapshot9 said:
Yes, the Thanksgiving tournament at Shooters has drawn some heavy players at times. Bar box playing takes a certain knack, and I have seen many a good player on a big table that couldn't play a bar table as well. You have a lot more room on a big table.

1) Matlock (not many will lay the big cash down against him on a bar table)
David told me himself he has run 28 tables of 9 ball on a bar box.
2) Jesse Bowman (Excellent player)
3) James Walden (tough fight to the finish player, smart)
4) Corey (Good on all tables)
5) Gabe (Gabe's finesse on a bar box is amazing)

others: Rafael, Orcullo, SVB, Baraks (newcomer award), Coy Lee Nicholsen,

I have watched and/or played all these guys except Corey, Orcullo, SVB. I also have played Medina, and definately would not put him in this group.
Scott Frost can get the 7 ball from Walden or Gabe or others in 9 ball, and has in the past. First tournament where Coy Lee won here in Wichita, he
had an 88% runout rate, but years catch up a little with you. I play in the
Thanksgiving tournament every year here for more years than I can count,
and some very good talent has come through (128 player tournaements).
Jr. Brown doesn't seem to play anymore, but somehow shows up for the larger tournaments when they happen.

And like I said, being good on a big table doesn't guarantee you're a world beater on a bar table.

I'll agree that Medina is no longer in this group, but there was a day. Same goes for Coy Lee and Jr. Brown. Many have had their day in the sun on the bar box, but it comes and goes quickly.

I've seen more than once in marathon sessions where someone would be down 15-20 games on the bar box and come back and win the dough. Just too unpredictable. To me it impossible to nail down the 5 best on the little table.

In years past, Medina was tough, as was Craig Stevens, Jimmy {Flyboy} Spears, Denny Searcy, Erman Bullard, Rafael Martinez, and loads of others.
 
belmicah said:
...2) Warren Kiamco (played extremely well to win both sides in Reno US Bar Table Championship)...
I can't believe you're the only one that has mentioned Warren's name?

What else do you need to prove that you're one of the best bar box players inthe country? Sure you can argue that Warren winning the 8ball championship was a fluke, but winning the 9ball championship right after that! Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice very often.
 
Those names don't include "Old School" Brian Atchley, Gene "the Machine" Cooper, McCready, Matlock, Walden, Daulton. If you think nine ball is a joke on the barbox, try watching a ten ahead for around $5000. One ball gets hooked and it can cost you seven or eight games. I understand the league players talk about how easy nine ball is on the bartable compared to eight ball; but, until you can string some racks together and get that feeling. Wow. In eight ball, what if my balls are all frozen together and yours are spread in a "stop and pop" fashion. That's not lucky? Nine ball, straight pool, and one pocket, we're both playing the same table layout. That's another idea. I don't want to get into that conversation about which game is better or harder, but if you think the top fifty league ( eight ball ) winners would be above Matlock or Walden, you are misinformed. I'm sure Walden would oblige, and I know Atchley and McCready would have "back in the day."
 
EL'nino said:
How 'bout Norm Wines

Also known as Norm Wise or Porky. Great cash player always has been under the radar. Might stall and hide his game better then anyone. I partnered with him a couple of times in the 90's. Great player but not near the top five but could win on any given day.
 
5 best bar box players

the 5 best bar box players in no particular order

Keith McCready
Buddy Hall
David Matlock
Jesse Bowman
Bobby Pickle
 
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Now that I think about it...this thread should actually be the 5 best "known" bar box players.

I wonder just how many unknowns there are???
 
I don't have any idea who is best on a bar table. However, a Diamond with a regular cueball is not a bar table. I know it's the same size, but it's a totally different experience than a valley cougar with a big ball, huge corner pockets and smaller side pockets.
 
Playsome said:
Suuure he would...........Marc


I seen Antonio do the most amazing thing I have ever seen in pool on a barbox. We were down South and very flush. Antonio agreed to play a game I didn't think we could win the ghost on the barbox with the following stips. race to 20

1. No ball in hand
2. He gave 10 games on the wire going to 20.

First game he scratches, second game he was froze to a ball. Then he puts down 20 racks in two trips. Final score Antonio 20 ghost 13. He plays worldbeaters on the barbox and gives weight.

The best players on the box are for the most part the best players on the big track. Give them a few days practice and they never miss. Example I seen Alex P give Keither the 7ball playing 10ball on the small track, and Keith is a champion. Alex, Busta, Efren, Antonio, Dennis O, Warren K, Jose , Rudolpho, Corey, etc. play as strong as anyone on the box. I seen Jose totally dismantle The bar box king Dave Matlock playing 15 ahead. Jose has nowhere near the break as Dennis, Antonio, or Busta
 
Gene Cooper

crawfish said:
Remember Brian Atchley? Definitely McCready during the day. Walden, Matlock of course. Gene "the Machine" Cooper (that guy won the Vegas Bar Table Open during the eighties?). Pete Horne? George Brundt? Anyone remember these guys?

Just thought I'd tell yuall that Gene the machine Cooper has started playing again and in fact finnished in the money in Shannons tournament in Rock Hill SC two weeks ago, I hadn't seen him in so long that I didn't recognize him at first. I hope he regains his old speed and you can still tell that he knows where whitey is heading when he hits it.--Leonard
 
jsp said:
I can't believe you're the only one that has mentioned Warren's name?

What else do you need to prove that you're one of the best bar box players inthe country? Sure you can argue that Warren winning the 8ball championship was a fluke, but winning the 9ball championship right after that! Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice very often.

He won the 9-ball first. I watched him play a few matches, he didn't do anything fancy but just kept running out! Kim Played great there too.
 
poolcuemaster said:
Just thought I'd tell yuall that Gene the machine Cooper has started playing again and in fact finnished in the money in Shannons tournament in Rock Hill SC two weeks ago, I hadn't seen him in so long that I didn't recognize him at first. I hope he regains his old speed and you can still tell that he knows where whitey is heading when he hits it.--Leonard
I was there in Raleigh when Gene Cooper offered McCready a little weight. He was no joke. But.... on a given night, there's probable hundreds of unknowns that can string a few together.
 
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