Who Doesnt Jay Know
- Thread starter Duffman
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Weldon Rogers was a bar table champion, especially with the big ball. He used to run around with Ronnie quite a bit. Ronnie always spoke highly of Weldon and his hustling skills. Bakersfield Bobby told me once that Weldon was the best player he ever played. And no one could beat Bobby with the big ball. Except Weldon I guess.
I'm not so sure about Doc, unless it's Tom "Doc" Holladay, originally from Florida. There was another Doc (White) who played pretty good, who spent most of his time in Vegas.
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I do remember seeing that event going on, and I may have even talked to the promoter. But no I don't know him. Was it you?
Bucky is mostly splitting his time between Michigan and Ohio. I saw him last week headed to a bar tournament outside of Cincinnati. There is a picture of him in Gradys book, standing with Cliff J and Steve Cook. Bucky was the real deal in his day.
Eldridge Tucker was quite a character. I used to love to go up to his pool room and spent a lot of time there while I was stationed in Charleston. Eldridge must have been about 55 (or so) then and that was early/mid 70s. His dad was a good old boy that loved to prepare some of the best food you ever laid into.
Tucker's was quite a hot spot itself for roadies there for awhile. I did pretty well against most of them. Some kid from North Carolina with bad teeth and bare feet was the most insanely talented player I encountered in there. Still don't know who that kid was (he was probably 17 or 18 and pretty obviously speeding his brains out). Buddy Dennis and I played for several days without a clear winner, so I would have called that one a draw. There were lots of others.
Eldridge could still play then but didn't play much at all. He played me one set to prove something and that he did - he could beat me with his mouth! I couldn't stop laughing.
Does anyone remember a guy that called himself "New York Blacky". He came looking for me at Tucker's while I was out on patrol. Eldridge told him I could step off that sub and kick his tail... and that he should come back in three months. He never did.
It was time for me to either re-up or get out of the Navy... Eldridge had taken a pretty good liking to both myself and my wife (he didn't know any better about her either). He owned a bar down on Spruill street that was really a pretty nice place. Offered it to me along with living quarters if I would simply stick around. Heckuva a guy! I passed on the offer though.
Tucker's was quite a hot spot itself for roadies there for awhile. I did pretty well against most of them. Some kid from North Carolina with bad teeth and bare feet was the most insanely talented player I encountered in there. Still don't know who that kid was (he was probably 17 or 18 and pretty obviously speeding his brains out). Buddy Dennis and I played for several days without a clear winner, so I would have called that one a draw. There were lots of others.
Eldridge could still play then but didn't play much at all. He played me one set to prove something and that he did - he could beat me with his mouth! I couldn't stop laughing.
Does anyone remember a guy that called himself "New York Blacky". He came looking for me at Tucker's while I was out on patrol. Eldridge told him I could step off that sub and kick his tail... and that he should come back in three months. He never did.
It was time for me to either re-up or get out of the Navy... Eldridge had taken a pretty good liking to both myself and my wife (he didn't know any better about her either). He owned a bar down on Spruill street that was really a pretty nice place. Offered it to me along with living quarters if I would simply stick around. Heckuva a guy! I passed on the offer though.
i was living in vegas and played in it all in 1 day..it was free, 49.99 for a membership and next year was 1,000,000.00 to the winner????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111 i will show you the flyer at DCC if you remind me!!!! it looked good on paper ZZ Brock
Eldridge Tucker was quite a character. I used to love to go up to his pool room and spent a lot of time there while I was stationed in Charleston. Eldridge must have been about 55 (or so) then and that was early/mid 70s. His dad was a good old boy that loved to prepare some of the best food you ever laid into.
Tucker's was quite a hot spot itself for roadies there for awhile. I did pretty well against most of them. Some kid from North Carolina with bad teeth and bare feet was the most insanely talented player I encountered in there. Still don't know who that kid was (he was probably 17 or 18 and pretty obviously speeding his brains out). Buddy Dennis and I played for several days without a clear winner, so I would have called that one a draw. There were lots of others.
Eldridge could still play then but didn't play much at all. He played me one set to prove something and that he did - he could beat me with his mouth! I couldn't stop laughing.
Does anyone remember a guy that called himself "New York Blacky". He came looking for me at Tucker's while I was out on patrol. Eldridge told him I could step off that sub and kick his tail... and that he should come back in three months. He never did.
It was time for me to either re-up or get out of the Navy... Eldridge had taken a pretty good liking to both myself and my wife (he didn't know any better about her either). He owned a bar down on Spruill street that was really a pretty nice place. Offered it to me along with living quarters if I would simply stick around. Heckuva a guy! I passed on the offer though.
NY Blackie was a helluva player in his day. You may be lucky you missed him.
I had no idea about him but figured he was good. You could very well be right Jay, but I was too stupid not to at least give it a whirl. :grin:
The only player I can remember flatly turning down was Larry Lisciotti in New London. He and his entourage came into Gold Crown one evening while I was banging some balls with another guy. As they entered the door, someone nearby announced them (thankfully). I didn't know much but I knew Lisciotti's name. The weird thing was that he and the group wandered back near my table and took seats. Not two minutes passed before he asked me to play him some $100/rack 9 ball. Sheesh! I would have loved to have played that man just to see his game but there was no way on earth this E-3 could afford that action.
Now that I've rambled some more, another question for your memory vault. :smile: I do most definitely admire your memory, I just don't envy it as it can be as much a pain as a blessing. Anyway, did you ever hear of or know about a fellow named Paul Silva from Frisco? He was locally called "Nine Ball Paul". Absolutely a phenomenal player with a very soft stroke and a cue ball that seemed to float to exactly where he wanted it every time.
The only player I can remember flatly turning down was Larry Lisciotti in New London. He and his entourage came into Gold Crown one evening while I was banging some balls with another guy. As they entered the door, someone nearby announced them (thankfully). I didn't know much but I knew Lisciotti's name. The weird thing was that he and the group wandered back near my table and took seats. Not two minutes passed before he asked me to play him some $100/rack 9 ball. Sheesh! I would have loved to have played that man just to see his game but there was no way on earth this E-3 could afford that action.
Now that I've rambled some more, another question for your memory vault. :smile: I do most definitely admire your memory, I just don't envy it as it can be as much a pain as a blessing. Anyway, did you ever hear of or know about a fellow named Paul Silva from Frisco? He was locally called "Nine Ball Paul". Absolutely a phenomenal player with a very soft stroke and a cue ball that seemed to float to exactly where he wanted it every time.
I was up that way in the late 60's and he was playing regularly at the Palace. I ran into him there and he wanted to play 9-Ball and I wanted to play One Pocket. No game. He was one of the top guys around, along with Joe Smiley and Ronnie Barber. I don't think Paul could beat Denny Searcy though. He was the God of San Francisco pool. I also played "Trees" and "Frisco Dave" Piona on that trip. The Palace and Cochrans were both full of action and right down the street from each other. I wandered back and forth for a week or so and saw that the action was tougher than I liked. So I moved on to Sausalito and then Berkeley. Easier action there.
By the way, I would rate Lisciotti over Blackie. He was a great player at all games. Another guy kind of forgotten, but he was another all around champion. And an excellent money player. I rate him up there with Ervolino and Hopkins among the best East Coast gamblers.
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I wasn't able to visit either room much, maybe only a couple of times at both the Palace and Cochrans. Was going to nuclear power school up at Vallejo and only got down to Frisco a very few times. Spent more time at the Palace as I liked that crazy 6x12 golf game that seemed to always be going on up front. That was only the third 6x12 I had ever laid eyes on - the other two had been at the China Fleet Club in Hong Kong.
Both of those rooms held a lot of history but somehow the Palace was my favorite of the two so far as ambiance. Being a young redneck hillbilly from the Ozarks, most of Frisco's other "charms" were lost on me.
Both of those rooms held a lot of history but somehow the Palace was my favorite of the two so far as ambiance. Being a young redneck hillbilly from the Ozarks, most of Frisco's other "charms" were lost on me.
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I wasn't able to visit either room much, maybe only a couple of times at both the Palace and Cochrans. Was going to nuclear power school up at Vallejo and only got down to Frisco a very few times. Spent more time at the Palace as I liked that crazy 6x12 golf game that seemed to always be going on up front. That was only the third 6x12 I had ever laid eyes on - the other two had been at the China Fleet Club in Hong Kong.
Both of those rooms held a lot of history but somehow the Palace was my favorite of the two so far as ambiance. Being a young redneck hillbilly from the Ozarks, most of Frisco's other "charms" were lost on me.
Me too. I liked the openness of the Palace and the great lunch counter. I had a roast beef sandwich there nearly every day. The Palace was HUGE and in Cochran's I felt a little confined. I didn't care about the Golden Gate bridge, the trolley cars or anything else. I was in the poolroom all day (and night)!
Watching Denny play on the 6x12 was something I never forgot. When he beat all the big ring games at the tournaments (usually played on 5x10's) I was not surprised in the least. Denny beat EVERYBODY at that game! He was the Pay Ball champ of the Universe. The younger players won't like to hear this, but no one today could do what Denny did playing Pay Ball on a snooker table. Not even close! The only guy I ever saw play even with Denny was Cliff Thorburn, who went on to become the World Snooker champion several years later. They went on the road together shortly after they met. I remember seeing that little Jag XKE in pool room parking lots all over the West Coast.
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Question for Jay
Jay it seems that you are from OHIO, I was born and raised in Dayton, now living in Grove City. My name is Michael Dunn, no relationship to John Dunn out of Washington Court House. I played in Airways before joining the Military. I know all of those Airway boys, Jason, Gary, Joe, Frank, Rick. Even played on Franks team once up in Canton with Frand, Dee Adkins, Will Slone and Gary Huggins. We did pretty good.
Jay it seems that you are from OHIO, I was born and raised in Dayton, now living in Grove City. My name is Michael Dunn, no relationship to John Dunn out of Washington Court House. I played in Airways before joining the Military. I know all of those Airway boys, Jason, Gary, Joe, Frank, Rick. Even played on Franks team once up in Canton with Frand, Dee Adkins, Will Slone and Gary Huggins. We did pretty good.
I grew up in Dayton and learned my pool at Winks (later known as Forest Park Billiards) and The Cue and Bridge in Northtown Shopping Center. I also played a lot at a small room on N. Salem Ave, by Hillcrest. All the kids hung out in there (some good ones too) and I was a top gun in that little place. This was in the early to mid 60's. Seems like not that long ago. My memories are vivid of those days. I ran all over Dayton to every pool room, and there were a lot of them back then.
Palace 6 x 12
FYI -
The 6 x 12 snooker table that is being talked about in this thread now resides in Anchorage, Alaska at the Anchorage Billiard Palace. When we opened in 1988, we had the oportunity to acquire it through Lee Simon.
A few years later, we acquired a 2nd 6 x 12. It turned out to be the next serial number. They both played pretty good but Bob Bebb had his hands full in truing out the slates.
They were mahagony Klings.
Mark Griffin
FYI -
The 6 x 12 snooker table that is being talked about in this thread now resides in Anchorage, Alaska at the Anchorage Billiard Palace. When we opened in 1988, we had the oportunity to acquire it through Lee Simon.
A few years later, we acquired a 2nd 6 x 12. It turned out to be the next serial number. They both played pretty good but Bob Bebb had his hands full in truing out the slates.
They were mahagony Klings.
Mark Griffin
Bar boxes and bright lights. I hated that place. I can't remember the name either. A guy named John the Babtist hung out there too( Does Jay Know John the Babtist?). Since you mentioned Spruill ave. Did you ever go to the Z-bar? My dad used to own it back then.
Larry
Very interesting how these good old tables have made their way around. Something of a surprise to learn that table is in Alaska but I'm glad you have it. Quite a piece of history.
I can't say that I favored the 6x12 tables, but I would certainly have rather seen things evolve in that direction than the bar box route that we've taken. There's a beauty involved in playing on the big slates that simply doesn't exist on the little boxes. Oh well, nobody asked me. :grin:
It was really fortunate that I grew up in small town that had 4 5x10 Klings in one room and 4 5x10 old A.E. Schmidts in another. The shame is they've all disappeared from this area and I've no idea what happened to them. The two rooms each had two excellent 9 foot pool tables for the kiddies. :grin:
Seriously, about the only ones that played on the pool tables were the very, very old men and the kids. The kids only played on them until they were judged good enough to try snooker. The percentage of talented players from this little town of 1300 or so people had to be incredible compared to most places. But no more.
I can't say that I favored the 6x12 tables, but I would certainly have rather seen things evolve in that direction than the bar box route that we've taken. There's a beauty involved in playing on the big slates that simply doesn't exist on the little boxes. Oh well, nobody asked me. :grin:
It was really fortunate that I grew up in small town that had 4 5x10 Klings in one room and 4 5x10 old A.E. Schmidts in another. The shame is they've all disappeared from this area and I've no idea what happened to them. The two rooms each had two excellent 9 foot pool tables for the kiddies. :grin:
Seriously, about the only ones that played on the pool tables were the very, very old men and the kids. The kids only played on them until they were judged good enough to try snooker. The percentage of talented players from this little town of 1300 or so people had to be incredible compared to most places. But no more.
I don't remember any bar box room there at the time, but I was there from about late 72 until 75. Tucker's Billiard Academy was the name of Eldridge's place. It was the largest of three business in that little "shopping center" :grin:. The other two were both bars, one was named Freddie's Lounge and the other, much smaller bar is beyond my memory so far as the name. I did have a few there though. :wink:
Can't say that I specifically recall the Z bar but don't doubt that I was in there more than once. :wink:
Can't say that I specifically recall the Z bar but don't doubt that I was in there more than once. :wink:
Here's a couple of my Bucky stories....
About 15 years ago Bucky was in St. Charles, Il, for a big 9ball tournament....I didn't know him at that time - didn't know what he looked like....I wasn't in the tournament, I was just there hoping to talk some 9ball players into playing me One Pocket, lol....so I see this skinny older league-playing looking guy practicing, and I ask him if he wants to play some One Pocket (figuring he'll probably say no) well this was Bucky, and he said yes, and we had a good session for a few hours, and broke out even....then, a year later, he was at the U.S. Open One Pocket tournament in Kalamazoo and we happened to draw each other - so yeah, Bucky plays One Pocket, and...
Bucky plays 3cushion billiards pretty sporty...
...a couple of years after playing him that One Pocket match, I passed through Cincinatti and stopped in the pool room where he was hanging at, or managing - I forget....Gary Spaeth (may he r.i.p.) was there that night and asked me to play, but I politely declined, lol....so anyway, they had a billiard table there and I didn't know if Bucky could play billiards, and he didn't know if I could play billiards, so we played some for $100 a game - it was a fun session....anyway, those are my Bucky Bell stories.- Ghost