Wow! I have never seen anyone unknown shoot so good in all of my life. I was at JOB's big bar box tournament and boy could this guy play. Does anyone know anything about this guy? He puts racks together about as good as anyone I have ever seen. I saw him and Anthony Beeler running around together at the Derby City Classic. Maybe Anthony can shed some light on this. I saw his name on the main AZ page and thought maybe other people might have some input as well.
Who is Mike Blevins?
- Thread starter Elmo
- Start date
Mike is well known around Tennessee and Kentucky. He rarely plays in many tournaments anymore but when he was playing regularly he was always a threat too cash in any tournament (and was a calcutta favorite due to his steady demeanor). He still travels to many tournaments but usually sits on the side and watches with his wife. I saw him at DCC the week before JOB although I don't think he was playing in any venue in Louisville. He must have caught the bug to play while he was there which was bad luck for many in Nashville. I am glad to see he decided to play again. It is amazing to see that he can turn it on when he gets the opportunity after laying off for a while. TK is having a tourney in my area Sat and he will possibly be there. The way he appears to be hitting them I hope he stays home.Elmo said:
bar box players
I'cant knock the great bar box players and iam sure this guys is good, but i think they make you look better than you really are unless your like jesse bowman playing great patterns.
I'cant knock the great bar box players and iam sure this guys is good, but i think they make you look better than you really are unless your like jesse bowman playing great patterns.
lol
My avatar, iam playing on one!
My avatar, iam playing on one!
Pretty Damn Good
"Just how good is Mike Blevins" was the question back in the mid eighties through the mid to late 90's. During that period Blevins won Williards Oneida, TN tournament 9 out of 12 times. He beat players like Shannon Daulton, Corbin Nick, Nick Varner, Tony Robles, Tony Moguey, Billy Pay, Jose Parica and Frank Fisher. Rumor has it he even gambled with Nick Varner on the call eight and blistered him back in the late 70's. He is even credited with teaching Shannon Daulton a great deal of knowledge throughout his youth. During the "glory years" it was even rumored that if Efren Reyes came to Oneida, Blevins would still be the pre-tournament favorite. It is rumored that he may have been the best player to have ever set foot on an 8 foot table. I know its hard to believe, but you just had to be there. I remember during one tournament Blevins was down 6-1. He ran out the set to win the match 7-6. But that was just one instance. He did it time after time. Ultimately winning 9 out of 12. That record speaks for itself.
"Just how good is Mike Blevins" was the question back in the mid eighties through the mid to late 90's. During that period Blevins won Williards Oneida, TN tournament 9 out of 12 times. He beat players like Shannon Daulton, Corbin Nick, Nick Varner, Tony Robles, Tony Moguey, Billy Pay, Jose Parica and Frank Fisher. Rumor has it he even gambled with Nick Varner on the call eight and blistered him back in the late 70's. He is even credited with teaching Shannon Daulton a great deal of knowledge throughout his youth. During the "glory years" it was even rumored that if Efren Reyes came to Oneida, Blevins would still be the pre-tournament favorite. It is rumored that he may have been the best player to have ever set foot on an 8 foot table. I know its hard to believe, but you just had to be there. I remember during one tournament Blevins was down 6-1. He ran out the set to win the match 7-6. But that was just one instance. He did it time after time. Ultimately winning 9 out of 12. That record speaks for itself.
Willard's was a tough tournament. If you were never there it's hard to explain. Mike was always the favorite. I took Charlie Bryant up there and he went third or fourth in the auction. I miss the tournaments like that one. It seems that there just aren't that many around anymore. I know John still runs a tourney there but it doesn't get the same draw it used to.
One Of The Good Guys
Mike is a good friend of mine and we recently sweated alot of action at the Derby City together. He can play on all the tables, not just the bar boxes. IMO there probably are just a hand full of players on the pro tour who have any more knowledge of the game. He runs a rack as good as anyone I have ever seen play, and I think I have seen about all of them for the last 25 years. I once brought a Florida Tour champion to kentucky and we stopped in somerset at a poolroom where shannon was house pro. Shannon and John were hitting balls when shannon had to take a phone call and handed his cue to Mike. Mike stepped up and ran rack after rack. John asked me "who is this guy?". I told him just a local boy who shoots real straight!
Yes, the monthly tournament in oneida was a great one. Lots of action and money in the calcutta. I would dare say that it was one of the toughest one day tournaments in the south. Lots of roadrunners and shortstops coming in(eventually there was a 100 jelly bean bounty on mike). I had mike in the majority of those tourneys and he didn't buy half his self back. He won me quite a few jelly beans(and yes, I always gave him a bone). But the best thing about mike was he always played his heart out, no matter what the score was. He would never lay down and I would trust him with anything I had. Unfortunately due to a greedy/crooked room owner and mike's refusal to lay down, he didn't come back and this great tourney eventually died.
Ktown D- sadly, john is no longer there and the original owner is back.
Mike is a good friend of mine and we recently sweated alot of action at the Derby City together. He can play on all the tables, not just the bar boxes. IMO there probably are just a hand full of players on the pro tour who have any more knowledge of the game. He runs a rack as good as anyone I have ever seen play, and I think I have seen about all of them for the last 25 years. I once brought a Florida Tour champion to kentucky and we stopped in somerset at a poolroom where shannon was house pro. Shannon and John were hitting balls when shannon had to take a phone call and handed his cue to Mike. Mike stepped up and ran rack after rack. John asked me "who is this guy?". I told him just a local boy who shoots real straight!
Yes, the monthly tournament in oneida was a great one. Lots of action and money in the calcutta. I would dare say that it was one of the toughest one day tournaments in the south. Lots of roadrunners and shortstops coming in(eventually there was a 100 jelly bean bounty on mike). I had mike in the majority of those tourneys and he didn't buy half his self back. He won me quite a few jelly beans(and yes, I always gave him a bone). But the best thing about mike was he always played his heart out, no matter what the score was. He would never lay down and I would trust him with anything I had. Unfortunately due to a greedy/crooked room owner and mike's refusal to lay down, he didn't come back and this great tourney eventually died.
Ktown D- sadly, john is no longer there and the original owner is back.
Growing up in eastern kentucky I ran into Mike plenty of times and I assure you back in the early 90s at least he was a complete monster at the table.
The room you are talking about in somerset, KY I believe is called "billiard palace", it was a short lived, but great room.
When I was much younger (maybe 14/15) I had avoided somehow running into Mike in a tournament until one night at billiard palace's weekly 8-ball, that attracted quite a few of the players you mentioned including corbin nick, mike patton (junior national champion), anthony beeler, frank fisher and larry price just to name a few. It was a race to 4 or 5 and I came out with an early lead on the hill. I think I even made the 8 on the break once as well.
I had played a relatively tough safety on mike, he kicked, made the ball and proceeded to run the next two racks off the break. The third or fourth game I finally got back to the table and was well pinned. he ran over me like a freight train from sitting still to clearing several racks without looking back. After the tournament was over he ended up working with me some and showed me some great stuff.
I couldn't agree more, he was one of the best players on an 8' table that I've ever seen if not the best. On top of that he's a great guy to just sit around and talk about pool with.
The williards tournaments were also some of the finest in the area. Billie Evans of london, KY (where I grew up at) also played VERY strong at several of those events as well. There was a kid by the names of dallas rhodes (excuse the misspelling if it is) that was also around during that timeframe that was playing very strong. I remember hearing a story about road players coming through the area and hitting that tournament only to get trampled by the tough local action.
Anyone here remember a player referred to as "hillbilly", nobody that I'm aware of even knows his real name. If you saw the guy you would totally understand where he got the name. He ALWAYS played with an old meucci sneaky pete, he had at least 5 of them. It always took this guy a century it seemed like just to pocket one ball. He's another VERY tough player from that region.
Anyone here remember the eversole (vedas and ed) from eastern kentucky? Both of these guys played strong as well.
The room you are talking about in somerset, KY I believe is called "billiard palace", it was a short lived, but great room.
When I was much younger (maybe 14/15) I had avoided somehow running into Mike in a tournament until one night at billiard palace's weekly 8-ball, that attracted quite a few of the players you mentioned including corbin nick, mike patton (junior national champion), anthony beeler, frank fisher and larry price just to name a few. It was a race to 4 or 5 and I came out with an early lead on the hill. I think I even made the 8 on the break once as well.
I had played a relatively tough safety on mike, he kicked, made the ball and proceeded to run the next two racks off the break. The third or fourth game I finally got back to the table and was well pinned. he ran over me like a freight train from sitting still to clearing several racks without looking back. After the tournament was over he ended up working with me some and showed me some great stuff.
I couldn't agree more, he was one of the best players on an 8' table that I've ever seen if not the best. On top of that he's a great guy to just sit around and talk about pool with.
The williards tournaments were also some of the finest in the area. Billie Evans of london, KY (where I grew up at) also played VERY strong at several of those events as well. There was a kid by the names of dallas rhodes (excuse the misspelling if it is) that was also around during that timeframe that was playing very strong. I remember hearing a story about road players coming through the area and hitting that tournament only to get trampled by the tough local action.
Anyone here remember a player referred to as "hillbilly", nobody that I'm aware of even knows his real name. If you saw the guy you would totally understand where he got the name. He ALWAYS played with an old meucci sneaky pete, he had at least 5 of them. It always took this guy a century it seemed like just to pocket one ball. He's another VERY tough player from that region.
Anyone here remember the eversole (vedas and ed) from eastern kentucky? Both of these guys played strong as well.