How do you think you would have done in a race?
It's nice to see this old thread from the Lock. I remember it.
Have a greenie, moose. :smile:
Who was the best pool player you ever played in your pool career?
- Thread starter Lock N Load
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How do you think you would have done in a race?
It's nice to see this old thread from the Lock. I remember it.
Have a greenie, moose. :smile:
best player i played
Neptune Joe Frady!
Neptune Joe Frady!
I've been playing pool in Tucson for a long, long time and have played a lot of great players in tournaments or for small amounts of cash here or in tournaments in different locations. Here are some of them that come to mind in no particular order:
Mark Jarvis, Alex Lily, Ronnie Allen, Jose Parica,
Earl Strickland, Scott Frost, San Jose Dick, Jeremy Jones,
Pete Glenn, Jack White, Ike Runnels, Nick Varner,
Victor Castro, Danny Medina, Danny Diliberto, Ismael Paez,
Joven Bustamante, Mitch Ellerman, Roger Griffith, Grady Mathews,
Vilmos Foldes, Oscar Dominguez
I'm sure I have left out some name players but I must say, playing Earl one pocket at my home is the most memorable, he played better than any human I've seen, then a month and a half later won the Derby City One Pocket Championship. He left my home that night and as he left he stated, your Diamond plays really nice and I played pretty good tonight as he pocketed the dough!
Mark Jarvis, Alex Lily, Ronnie Allen, Jose Parica,
Earl Strickland, Scott Frost, San Jose Dick, Jeremy Jones,
Pete Glenn, Jack White, Ike Runnels, Nick Varner,
Victor Castro, Danny Medina, Danny Diliberto, Ismael Paez,
Joven Bustamante, Mitch Ellerman, Roger Griffith, Grady Mathews,
Vilmos Foldes, Oscar Dominguez
I'm sure I have left out some name players but I must say, playing Earl one pocket at my home is the most memorable, he played better than any human I've seen, then a month and a half later won the Derby City One Pocket Championship. He left my home that night and as he left he stated, your Diamond plays really nice and I played pretty good tonight as he pocketed the dough!
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Can't argue with facts!! Ha Nice win.
The best player I have played in my short "career" was Paul Turner. I was at a bar box tournament at the Hole Thang (yes that is how the name was spelled) in Macon, GA and saw Paul. While knocking some balls around by myself on a tight Diamond 9 footer, Paul approached me asking to play some cheap 9 ball. I knew who he was even if he did not think I knew but I gave in and we started playing cheap $2 per game 9 ball and Paul let me beat him out of about $10. He wanted to bump the bet up to $5 per game but I declined. Then he wanted to play a short 9 ball race for $20 per set with Paul giving me the 7 out. By then a crowd gathered around the table wondering what was up and I was in the moment. Even though I lost $40 during the set, I still enjoyed the butt whooping and I gained some valuable experience. Sadly I heard that Paul passed away recently.
In tournaments I've lost to Brian Groce, Brian Greg, Mark Jarvis, George Breedlove, Jr. Rodgers, Paul (tall Paul or Peru Paul) Bowman, and a few 1000 others whose names wouldn't mean anything to most.
Personal opinion, Paul Bowman was the best player of them all in the 80's and 90's.
Just noticed this was a old thread, looked up my original answer and it was essentially the same.
Personal opinion, Paul Bowman was the best player of them all in the 80's and 90's.
Just noticed this was a old thread, looked up my original answer and it was essentially the same.
I've played a metric ton of world class players that I won't name to save the questioning of others over who I will name as the best.
Danny Basovich, without a doubt. I've played a LOT of players that many would think are far better than Kid D but IMO they weren't. I had the terrible luck of running into him at a point where he had lost a lot of weight & his game was just twisted. I think he only missed 2 balls over a 3 hour period. He then said he wanted a "smoke" break. After that 15 minute break he came back & didn't miss ANY balls for the next 3 sets.
It was the most amazingly offensive display I ever saw much less endured, the worst gambling loss I ever took, he flat tossed me a beating.
Danny Basovich, without a doubt. I've played a LOT of players that many would think are far better than Kid D but IMO they weren't. I had the terrible luck of running into him at a point where he had lost a lot of weight & his game was just twisted. I think he only missed 2 balls over a 3 hour period. He then said he wanted a "smoke" break. After that 15 minute break he came back & didn't miss ANY balls for the next 3 sets.
It was the most amazingly offensive display I ever saw much less endured, the worst gambling loss I ever took, he flat tossed me a beating.
I was 18 in 1961, but I probably looked like I was 14. Early one summer afternoon I wandered into the infamous Paddy's 7-11 Billiard Room above the Metropole Cafe' in NYC.
A guy asked me to play some 9-ball "cheap", only a dollar a game (remember this was 1961). I shot pretty good, but I lost five straight games only because he was "so lucky".
Yeah, right, "lucky".
Later that evening I learned that it was none other than Brooklyn Jimmy who had hustled me for five bucks and the time.
Frank Lively (worked for him fixing cues and cleaning)
Jack White (exhibition)
Fat Man (exhibition) I broke and ran out 8 ball and got scolded
(need to post picture)
Nick Varner (see http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=391976 )
Mike Segal (see http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=5159217#post5159217 )
Oliver Ortmann (played him 9 ball when he was young)
I forgot to mention David Matlock. I use to practice with him and he'd bang the balls into the pockets.
When I ask him how he could shoot so hard, he told me if you can't shoot hard, you can't shoot.
It took me several years after that to develop a straight power stroke but that turbo charged my game
Jack White (exhibition)
Fat Man (exhibition) I broke and ran out 8 ball and got scolded
(need to post picture)Nick Varner (see http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=391976 )
Mike Segal (see http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=5159217#post5159217 )
Oliver Ortmann (played him 9 ball when he was young)
I forgot to mention David Matlock. I use to practice with him and he'd bang the balls into the pockets.
When I ask him how he could shoot so hard, he told me if you can't shoot hard, you can't shoot.
It took me several years after that to develop a straight power stroke but that turbo charged my game
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GoldenFlash
Banned
Mosconi, for a Coca-Cola at one of his shows......he murdered me. Straights.
Danny Jones...used to give me the 7-out, as long as he got the break. I never had a prayer. 9 ball, $3 a game bet. The only time he used closed bridge was on draw shots..he played with a pivot aiming method.
Billy Johnson (Wade Crane) gave me the 7-out, as long as he got the break...he beat me for about a year, every week. 9 ball. $3 a game bet. Best breaker I ever saw.
With Danny, this was when pool cost 10 cents per player, per game.
When Billy came along the rooms had started playing "on time"
Danny Jones...used to give me the 7-out, as long as he got the break. I never had a prayer. 9 ball, $3 a game bet. The only time he used closed bridge was on draw shots..he played with a pivot aiming method.
Billy Johnson (Wade Crane) gave me the 7-out, as long as he got the break...he beat me for about a year, every week. 9 ball. $3 a game bet. Best breaker I ever saw.
With Danny, this was when pool cost 10 cents per player, per game.
When Billy came along the rooms had started playing "on time"
I kind of like when old threads like this get life support. The best players I ever played in a tournament (at least for that one set) were:
1-pocket: Efren (played twice, lost both times)
9-ball: Jon Kucharo in the late 90's. Jon played perfect pool beating me 9-0 and I didn't do anything wrong (except maybe too good of a rack).
Efren is self explanatory, but Jon may not have been the best player I had played in general, but that day, that set, he was perfect and I have never seen anything like it. I also played Efren that tournament and also lost 9-0 but it was no where near the dominant performance that Jon put on against me.
1-pocket: Efren (played twice, lost both times)
9-ball: Jon Kucharo in the late 90's. Jon played perfect pool beating me 9-0 and I didn't do anything wrong (except maybe too good of a rack).
Efren is self explanatory, but Jon may not have been the best player I had played in general, but that day, that set, he was perfect and I have never seen anything like it. I also played Efren that tournament and also lost 9-0 but it was no where near the dominant performance that Jon put on against me.
Not many
I'm relatively new to the scene but Manny Chau, Robb Saez and Charlie Bryant.. Also Tang Hoa. I think thats it.
I'm relatively new to the scene but Manny Chau, Robb Saez and Charlie Bryant.. Also Tang Hoa. I think thats it.
Since we're doing lists:
Played: Jimmy Caras, Steve Mizerak, Torbjorn Blomdahl (3C, 14.1 and 1 pocket), Peter Ceulemans, Allison Fisher, John Schmidt, Mika Immonen (last year), Allen Hopkins, Dallas West, Justin Hall (this year), some skinny guy named Shane who uses a Cuetec, and others too onerous to mention. And Robby Foldvari for the few of you who know about REAL, ORIGINAL billiards.
Beat in tournaments: Ronnie Allen at one pocket and David Howard at 9 ball.
Played: Jimmy Caras, Steve Mizerak, Torbjorn Blomdahl (3C, 14.1 and 1 pocket), Peter Ceulemans, Allison Fisher, John Schmidt, Mika Immonen (last year), Allen Hopkins, Dallas West, Justin Hall (this year), some skinny guy named Shane who uses a Cuetec, and others too onerous to mention. And Robby Foldvari for the few of you who know about REAL, ORIGINAL billiards.
Beat in tournaments: Ronnie Allen at one pocket and David Howard at 9 ball.
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