Who was the best pool player you ever played in your pool career?
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Did you win any of these matches?
Tournament play, Archer, Buddy Hall, Mike Guallasey, spelling? Brian Ashley. Gambling against on a barbox, Henny, Paul Turner, Eugene Browning, Joe Lawrence, Steve Cook, Tommy Kennedy, George Brunt, Scotty Townsend and Tony Ellin. Gambling against playing 1 hole, Cliff Joyner, and Tony Ellin.
Playing some pool with Benny O. right now at The Bighorn Pub. Freshly felted 9' tables, free with food or drink purchase!
John Morra at the 4 bears 2 years ago. Lost on the hill. John broke and ran. Mitch Ellerman at the bar box open last year. Score 5-3. Only 1 shot missed between us. Mine. I've played a game of 9 ball back in 01 with Johnnie Archer at The Sands.
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Johnny Archer and Keith McCready for rotation games..
Mike Massey in snooker
Junior Goff in One pocket
Some mexican that ran 9 on me then followed it up with a 5 playing 3 cushion
in socal at a local billiard room
Mike Massey in snooker
Junior Goff in One pocket
Some mexican that ran 9 on me then followed it up with a 5 playing 3 cushion
in socal at a local billiard room
I played The best player in the world yesterday in Bangkok , cocoy villafuerte .
A Phillipines hustler , this guy is the best that I ever seen .
A Phillipines hustler , this guy is the best that I ever seen .
Buddy Hall, followed by Danny Harriman and Darrin Everett. All of them world beaters.
I will tell this story but is an old one.
Danny Harriman was a strong player and Kim Davenport came into town to play an exhibition and maybe privately gamble with Danny (I guess, I don't know). This was in Springfield, MO, and EVERYONE was there to support Danny.
During the exhibition, Kim was super, funny and generally a great ambassador for pool. He really made pool look professional and classy.
He finally asked if anyone from the crowd would like to play a challenge game or two, and again I was just a newbie to pool, but a youngster stepped up from the crowd....(We all knew him) He was about 12 or 13, and Kim let him break. Well the youngster, broke and ran out. Kim racked them again, and I think he broke and ran out again. The crowd began to giggle, and Kim was making faces, rolling his eyes, and giving Danny Harriman some good hearted jabs and asked, "Is everybody in Springfield, Missouri a freakin champion?" The place went wild and everyone was having an laugh at Kim's expense. (Including Kim)
For those who know him, that youngster was Andy Quinn. He played as good, IMO, as Landon Shuffett, and Skyler Woodward, at the same age.
That day made me a Kim Davenport fan. What a great ambassador for pool.
Ken
I will tell this story but is an old one.
Danny Harriman was a strong player and Kim Davenport came into town to play an exhibition and maybe privately gamble with Danny (I guess, I don't know). This was in Springfield, MO, and EVERYONE was there to support Danny.
During the exhibition, Kim was super, funny and generally a great ambassador for pool. He really made pool look professional and classy.
He finally asked if anyone from the crowd would like to play a challenge game or two, and again I was just a newbie to pool, but a youngster stepped up from the crowd....(We all knew him) He was about 12 or 13, and Kim let him break. Well the youngster, broke and ran out. Kim racked them again, and I think he broke and ran out again. The crowd began to giggle, and Kim was making faces, rolling his eyes, and giving Danny Harriman some good hearted jabs and asked, "Is everybody in Springfield, Missouri a freakin champion?" The place went wild and everyone was having an laugh at Kim's expense. (Including Kim)
For those who know him, that youngster was Andy Quinn. He played as good, IMO, as Landon Shuffett, and Skyler Woodward, at the same age.
That day made me a Kim Davenport fan. What a great ambassador for pool.
Ken
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It's a coin flip for me. Either The Cookie Monster, Steve Cook or George Rood, both a Airway Billiards in Dayton, OH. While I'm sure Steve could have pretty handily beaten George, it's still tough simply because George was 88 years old and Steve was probably in his late 50's or early 60's.
I played Steve a few times and never had a chance. I'd like to believe it was because I was still "kind of" learning one pocket but, in all honesty, I know better. He was a beast... The silent killer. He was quiet, calculated, and always a true gentleman to me.
George on the other hand, while also being "relatively" quiet, didn't mind giving you a very politely disguised verbal jab if you happened to run a few balls on him. The guy was an absolute hoot and if I left him anything that resembled a shot, would run 8 and out easily at 88 years old. I can't imagine how strong he must've been in his prime.
I'm honored to have shared a table with these guys.
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I played Steve a few times and never had a chance. I'd like to believe it was because I was still "kind of" learning one pocket but, in all honesty, I know better. He was a beast... The silent killer. He was quiet, calculated, and always a true gentleman to me.
George on the other hand, while also being "relatively" quiet, didn't mind giving you a very politely disguised verbal jab if you happened to run a few balls on him. The guy was an absolute hoot and if I left him anything that resembled a shot, would run 8 and out easily at 88 years old. I can't imagine how strong he must've been in his prime.
I'm honored to have shared a table with these guys.
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MisspentYouth
Banned
Mike Massey, Earl Strickland, Mike Dechaine, Johnny Archer and Dennis Hatch. They were all humbling experiences. With Massey, he was giving an exhibition at Boston Billards in Worcester, MA. I played him a game of 8ball with the caveat being if he lost he had to sign it "You beat me fair and square-Mike Massey." I broke, ran to the 8 and dogged it. Alas, I did not get that autograph.
best
Well i could right a book-but without a doubat EARL STRICKLAND-but i di play a few with the fat man in atlanta he was premoting brunick billiards-hank aaren basball spalding gloves!!! great memories-and i shook hand with the legend TYE COBB!!!!!!!!!!
:thumbup::thumbup:
Well i could right a book-but without a doubat EARL STRICKLAND-but i di play a few with the fat man in atlanta he was premoting brunick billiards-hank aaren basball spalding gloves!!! great memories-and i shook hand with the legend TYE COBB!!!!!!!!!!
:thumbup::thumbup:
Rudy Alameda and Conan Lewis...I'm in Tucson AZ
I won a couple here and there. If you want specifics PM me lol
I don't know how but I happened to find this post. I knew him briefly like 40 years ago. We used to play straight pool. We had a mutual friend Doc Hazard who was a straight pool nut. I used to play Doc several times a week and learned a lot about straight pool. I believe he did a lot for John regarding his game. Is John still around? Did you ever know or run into Bill Amadeo when he was living in Alaska?
played a few . . .
I played Mike Massey back when we were both much younger and he was striving to be a major tournament player. Played Johnny Archer too. A few more without names or names that I remember played pretty awesome at the time. Pretty sure I banged heads with Scotty Townsend a few times on a bar box and left with a sore head each time!
The toughest two I remember though were Old Joe and Danny Medina. Told both stories many a time but it has been awhile.
Old Joe looked to be in his eighties, could have been ten years either side. A sport coat that seemed as old as he was added a touch of class, never saw him without it on winter or summer and there was no air conditioning where we played in South Louisiana. That old sport coat doubled as a distillery, there were endless pints of whiskey in it, never saw him run out when he stayed in the place around the clock.
Joe could play run out pool on the ratty old table in the place and Joe played s-l-o-w. Joe could have been killed in a turtle stampede. It could take minutes for him to walk around the table at his normal pace. Glaciers moved while he was bending over to shoot. I don't remember him ever shooting a shot hard enough the object ball didn't trickle down the bevel in the pocket. Him taking ten or fifteen minutes to run a table on you without stalling was pure torture!
Being young and full of fire I would be fidgeting like a young girl on her first date sitting on a bar stool while Joe shot. When he did miss a ball I would jump up and start shooting, way too fast and out of my usual game. I would either miss an easy shot or play horrible shape and the torture began again. Finally learned patience in the chair and Joe never beat me again, something I'm kinda sorry about. I liked Joe and was sorry when he quit playing me.
Danny Medina was a young road warrior, the kind most youngsters starting to play pool seriously dream of being, when we met. He was steered to a bar with somewhat gaffy tables that I knew like the back of my hand. With that edge we were about even on those bar boxes in pure raw firepower. Danny was sneaking ahead though. I don't remember Danny playing a single safety or two way shot in the hours we played. I started playing two way shots just to not be blown off of "my own table". Most fun I ever had playing pool. The competition was fierce, the conversation light. Danny made the road seem very very tempting and one of my big regrets in pool and in life is that I didn't take the ride with him that he offered.
Oh yeah, I beat Jeanette Lee. Found her in Kilgore Texas and couldn't resist the chance. Took a few games to learn how she played and then I had things under control. I didn't know there had ever been a Jeanette Lee pinball machine before then and that one in Kilgore is the only one I ever saw. Played it just so I could joke about beating "Jeanette Lee", never actually met the lady.
Hu
I played Mike Massey back when we were both much younger and he was striving to be a major tournament player. Played Johnny Archer too. A few more without names or names that I remember played pretty awesome at the time. Pretty sure I banged heads with Scotty Townsend a few times on a bar box and left with a sore head each time!
The toughest two I remember though were Old Joe and Danny Medina. Told both stories many a time but it has been awhile.
Old Joe looked to be in his eighties, could have been ten years either side. A sport coat that seemed as old as he was added a touch of class, never saw him without it on winter or summer and there was no air conditioning where we played in South Louisiana. That old sport coat doubled as a distillery, there were endless pints of whiskey in it, never saw him run out when he stayed in the place around the clock.
Joe could play run out pool on the ratty old table in the place and Joe played s-l-o-w. Joe could have been killed in a turtle stampede. It could take minutes for him to walk around the table at his normal pace. Glaciers moved while he was bending over to shoot. I don't remember him ever shooting a shot hard enough the object ball didn't trickle down the bevel in the pocket. Him taking ten or fifteen minutes to run a table on you without stalling was pure torture!
Being young and full of fire I would be fidgeting like a young girl on her first date sitting on a bar stool while Joe shot. When he did miss a ball I would jump up and start shooting, way too fast and out of my usual game. I would either miss an easy shot or play horrible shape and the torture began again. Finally learned patience in the chair and Joe never beat me again, something I'm kinda sorry about. I liked Joe and was sorry when he quit playing me.
Danny Medina was a young road warrior, the kind most youngsters starting to play pool seriously dream of being, when we met. He was steered to a bar with somewhat gaffy tables that I knew like the back of my hand. With that edge we were about even on those bar boxes in pure raw firepower. Danny was sneaking ahead though. I don't remember Danny playing a single safety or two way shot in the hours we played. I started playing two way shots just to not be blown off of "my own table". Most fun I ever had playing pool. The competition was fierce, the conversation light. Danny made the road seem very very tempting and one of my big regrets in pool and in life is that I didn't take the ride with him that he offered.
Oh yeah, I beat Jeanette Lee. Found her in Kilgore Texas and couldn't resist the chance. Took a few games to learn how she played and then I had things under control. I didn't know there had ever been a Jeanette Lee pinball machine before then and that one in Kilgore is the only one I ever saw. Played it just so I could joke about beating "Jeanette Lee", never actually met the lady.
Hu
I played Efren in a dream once.
I got my ass WHOOPED.
Best player I've ever actually played? Probably Ziggy Star Dust on AZ here.
He's the most skilled son of a ***** ever. He'll miss by a diamond and go five rails into a side pocket. Every time.
You can't even call it slop anymore. He gets shape every time.
StraightPoolIU kicks my ass all the time too.
I got my ass WHOOPED.
Best player I've ever actually played? Probably Ziggy Star Dust on AZ here.
He's the most skilled son of a ***** ever. He'll miss by a diamond and go five rails into a side pocket. Every time.
You can't even call it slop anymore. He gets shape every time.
StraightPoolIU kicks my ass all the time too.
I haven't had much exposure to amazing players so my list to choose from is pretty limited so far.
Anyway - I'd have to say it's my buddy Louie Galvan from Illiana who after not playing pool at all for 5 years picked up a cue and ran 7 racks on me.
Other than that - an older guy named Tony who always wears a baseball cap - he was playing in the BCA for a little while but he was a monster. Saw him play the most ridiculous shots.
After more exposure I hope to play many more great players.
Anyway - I'd have to say it's my buddy Louie Galvan from Illiana who after not playing pool at all for 5 years picked up a cue and ran 7 racks on me.
Other than that - an older guy named Tony who always wears a baseball cap - he was playing in the BCA for a little while but he was a monster. Saw him play the most ridiculous shots.
After more exposure I hope to play many more great players.
Bata
I've been lucky enough to play several professional level players, to include Archer, Putnam, Davenport, Massey, Haddad, Vidal, and a few others in both tournaments and gambling matches. I consider myself super lucky to be able to say that not only did I play, but I'm also undefeated against the great Efren Reyes! It's less impressive when I explain that it was a single exibition game of ten ball in which I made a 4-10 combo. Oh well, still undefeated against the greatest player of all time! :smile:
I've been lucky enough to play several professional level players, to include Archer, Putnam, Davenport, Massey, Haddad, Vidal, and a few others in both tournaments and gambling matches. I consider myself super lucky to be able to say that not only did I play, but I'm also undefeated against the great Efren Reyes! It's less impressive when I explain that it was a single exibition game of ten ball in which I made a 4-10 combo. Oh well, still undefeated against the greatest player of all time! :smile: