These are all great stories. Specially in a snow day when i can't get to the pool hall.
YOUR story with a PRO PLAYER
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
OK, most of us are just amateurs having fun playing a game that is rather difficult to master so let's hear about your personal story of playing with a Pro Player.
As we all know playing a professional player isn't always sunshine, fine food, wine, women/men and song.
I may have told this story in the forums or not. It's been a while since I thought about it but it was one of my more humbling experiences.
I'm playing out of Pickles Sports Bar in Jefferson, LA and they had just purchased the new Diamond tables from one of Grady Mathew's "Legends of One Pocket". They were 9 foot beauties with very tight pockets and I was kind of dialed in on them. This is probably 10 years ago or so.
One evening, a guy shows up out of nowhere. Tall, young, lean-looking guy, kind of looked like those East Germany athletes from years ago. I note that he isn't with anyone, just by himself. I've never seen him before and I can see he's asking around and finally he comes over to me and concisely says, "You want to play some 9 ball for a couple of hundred?" Common sense told me that this guy could play, so I told him, "Well, it's obvious that you are a road player, so what kind of spot are you offering?" He says "8 ball", and I'm warmed up, playing good and I say "No, I will take the wild 6, racing to 9" thinking he won't dare give me that spot. He then quickly say "OK.". I'm concerned now because he's not talking much and was quick to give in to my request for the 6 ball. I hear a slight accent but don't pay it much attention. He's not Filipino for sure so what do I have to worry about?We post the money on the light and we begin to play.
They guy isn't saying much of anything and I'm playing very good at least for my level of play. I don't remember him saying anything which is the way I like it anyway. I've got him stuck 6-3 and I can smell the finish line and have all the confidence of a winner. My stroke is smooth, long and straight. I feel like I am dancing around the table. Everything is going perfect for me. I'm getting the rolls, I'm shooting very good. He isn't doing so well. He then walks up real close to me and says in a low, monotone voice, "You play like a machine." I nodand to myself, I'm like, YEAH, I'm playing like a machine, grinning wildly inside, knowing that I've got this cheese.
The guy starts making balls from everywhere, when he misses I'm kicking and not able to hit the object ball. He's getting cue in hand on virtually every shot when I kick at a ball. Now he's closing the gap and I'm not liking it at all but still my confidence is high. The score is 6-5 and I feel like I am still stealing. Before long, the score is 7-6, his way. I'm pissed at myself for losing the lead but steady myself to find a way to win. I win the next game making it 7-7. He wins the next two games takes my two hundred off of the light and walks out never to be seen again, that is until I see him at one of the big tournaments maybe a year later. It was probably the Derby City Classic and I walked up to him and introduced myself not knowing if he would remember me. He said he was indeed traveling by himself across the country and remembered playing me. This was one of his few gambling trips that Niels made here in the U.S. Yep, old JoeyA, slick as goose pate, matching up with a European champion at 9 ball.
Things don't always go well when you play a champion but they are always memorable. I've got a story or two about coming out on top, but I'm interested in hearing YOURS.
i seem to bring the best out of champions, I played JA once(only played him 3 times ever) the one time we played for 45 minutes-i dont think i had 3 shots. I won a rack, he dry broke I made a 1-9 combo that was a 50-1 dog to make again, he played absolutely perfect pool. I racked and watched and racked again. I had a couple kick shots LOL
Played Bartrum once, it was 8-0 before i saw the edge of a ball, we played just over a hour $10/game he missed one ball the entire time in the last rack. He played perfect pool, same as JA.
why me????:frown:
lol
take it as a lesson
when i just began playing i went to a tournament with some bigger appearances (niels feijen being the big fish there :thumbup: )I didnt play a pro but a german premier league guy. race to 5 9ball, i lost the lag and next thing i had to do was shaking hands and thank him for the 5 pack
take it as a lesson
I didnt play a pro but a german premier league guy. race to 5 9ball, i lost the lag and next thing i had to do was shaking hands and thank him for the 5 pack
Now that's a spankin'.
I was at a billiard expo in Vegas at the Sands convention center, had to be 96,97, something like that. Anyway, i spot Jimmy Caras at a booth and i wait till hes done talking and ask if my wife could take a picture with me and him, he says sure.
So my wife snaps the pic and i thank him and am about to leave and he grabs my arm and says "Hold it, i want you to take a picture of HER with me". lol. She walked over and he put his arm around her and hes all smiles and shes cracking up and i took the pic.
What a nice man he was, i asked him if he still played and he said , sure all the time.
So my wife snaps the pic and i thank him and am about to leave and he grabs my arm and says "Hold it, i want you to take a picture of HER with me". lol. She walked over and he put his arm around her and hes all smiles and shes cracking up and i took the pic.
What a nice man he was, i asked him if he still played and he said , sure all the time.
I got interested in the history of billiards and pool about 1990.
I had been collecting books, pictures, autographs etc. for about 6 years when someone told me there was a living legend still playing in Dayton and Springfield Ohio.
His name was George Rood, and one day I decided to go meet him.
He was about 82 when I first met him and he still played a powerful game.
He and I hit it off like we had known each other forever and I started playing in Springfield every chance I got even though it was an hour drive one way , just to get his ideas on pool.
Especially one pocket.
George played straight pool 100 no count when he was in his prime and played 100 dollar nine ball with Luther Lassiter Cowboy Jimmy Moore Don Willis and all the familiar names {a lot of whom he spotted the 7 ball.}
George played great One Pocket but he was not a specialist at it.
But , he had a zillion shots at one pocket from straight pool and 3 cushion that even today I find a lot of good players that don't know some of them.
He knew how much I wanted to be a better player and took the time to teach me all he could in the next few years.
We would play a game and when it was his shot he would explain where he was moving the ball to and where the cue ball should end up and why.
When it was my shot he would do the same thing until I started seeing the shot on my own and then he would just talk about finesse ideas on cue ball placement and alternatives and leaves.
He was a master of playing balls out of the rack that most people would not even consider.
That skill I never did aqquire unfortunately.
I believe I improved about 4 balls in the first year and another ball or more in the next year.
I was still working 50 and 60 hour weeks at the time or it would have come a lot faster I think. {He was a lot better teacher than I was a student}
George passed a few years ago a month short of his 97th birthday, he had a full life and then some and I am forever indebted to him for helping me learn and for being a great friend.
I had been collecting books, pictures, autographs etc. for about 6 years when someone told me there was a living legend still playing in Dayton and Springfield Ohio.
His name was George Rood, and one day I decided to go meet him.
He was about 82 when I first met him and he still played a powerful game.
He and I hit it off like we had known each other forever and I started playing in Springfield every chance I got even though it was an hour drive one way , just to get his ideas on pool.
Especially one pocket.
George played straight pool 100 no count when he was in his prime and played 100 dollar nine ball with Luther Lassiter Cowboy Jimmy Moore Don Willis and all the familiar names {a lot of whom he spotted the 7 ball.}
George played great One Pocket but he was not a specialist at it.
But , he had a zillion shots at one pocket from straight pool and 3 cushion that even today I find a lot of good players that don't know some of them.
He knew how much I wanted to be a better player and took the time to teach me all he could in the next few years.
We would play a game and when it was his shot he would explain where he was moving the ball to and where the cue ball should end up and why.
When it was my shot he would do the same thing until I started seeing the shot on my own and then he would just talk about finesse ideas on cue ball placement and alternatives and leaves.
He was a master of playing balls out of the rack that most people would not even consider.
That skill I never did aqquire unfortunately.
I believe I improved about 4 balls in the first year and another ball or more in the next year.
I was still working 50 and 60 hour weeks at the time or it would have come a lot faster I think. {He was a lot better teacher than I was a student}
George passed a few years ago a month short of his 97th birthday, he had a full life and then some and I am forever indebted to him for helping me learn and for being a great friend.
This one time I was hanging out in Ottawa and Francis Crevier walks in apparently to do some table repairs, anyways he gets the cloth all set up on a particular table, then he just reaches behind him and grabs a random cue off the cuerack... rolls a ball to the middle of the table, drops the cue ball about a centimeter off the short rail, one strokes and pops the OB in the bottom left corner and draws the CB back to the short rail and goes 1 rail to scratch in the bottom right corner like it was nothing... He didn't really stick around to play but I'd heard his name a bunch of times prior to that incident and wanted to see him play... that shot was enough to give me an idea of his stroke lol
Meeting The Lion
So here's my story, it's a bit different than most peoples here on the forums getting hustled by a pro or something like that but anyways here goes.
I like to play in the APA leagues here in the capital district of NY and my team was fortunate enough to progress through far enough to qualify for nationals this past summer in Las Vegas. I'm just your average joe, or maybe even lesser than that. Nevertheless, I'm an enthusiast. I really enjoy playing pool and watching it especially at the highest levels.
Anyways some time during day 2 of the national team event I'm walking down the main tournament room with one of my friends that met me from LA. While we're walking along the wall where all the vendors are I stop and notice one of my favorite pro players on a pristine 9 foot diamond table set up on the OB Cues area. Alex Pagulayan I guess was paid (later I found out he was sponsored by OB Cues) to walk around that diamond table all day and shoot with a few of their cues. While he's on this table he's not playing 9 or 10 ball either. He's racking 8 ball, breaking and running 1 through 15. I myself witnessed a few racks. There's a small crowd of people maybe 15-20 around watching him and hundreds more passing by participating in the APA that don't have a clue in the world that this man is a professional.
I never thought I'd see a pro player of his caliber coming to an amateur event like the APA nationals so I'm telling my friend about how great of a professional pool player he is and something along the lines of OMG WTF IS HE DOING HERE!!! My friend doesn't know a damn thing about pool but he can tell I'm excited to see him. (It was the first time I've met a professional pool player)
My buddy proceeds to walk through the small crowd of people and tap's Alex's shoulder. He pulls out a $20 bill out of his pocket and says "hey, take this and play my friend over there." I'm pretty sure most people heard him and he pointed right at me. To be honest I felt kind of stupid and a little embarassed, but I don't think I or anyone else in the crowd had the balls to just ask him if he wanted to play for fun. Alex shoves the money back into my friends pocket and waves me over and says "LETS PLAY" with a cheesy ass grin on his face.
Now I'll let the video my friend recorded of us playing do the rest of the talking..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Qpqx_rAPE
So here's my story, it's a bit different than most peoples here on the forums getting hustled by a pro or something like that but anyways here goes.
I like to play in the APA leagues here in the capital district of NY and my team was fortunate enough to progress through far enough to qualify for nationals this past summer in Las Vegas. I'm just your average joe, or maybe even lesser than that. Nevertheless, I'm an enthusiast. I really enjoy playing pool and watching it especially at the highest levels.
Anyways some time during day 2 of the national team event I'm walking down the main tournament room with one of my friends that met me from LA. While we're walking along the wall where all the vendors are I stop and notice one of my favorite pro players on a pristine 9 foot diamond table set up on the OB Cues area. Alex Pagulayan I guess was paid (later I found out he was sponsored by OB Cues) to walk around that diamond table all day and shoot with a few of their cues. While he's on this table he's not playing 9 or 10 ball either. He's racking 8 ball, breaking and running 1 through 15. I myself witnessed a few racks. There's a small crowd of people maybe 15-20 around watching him and hundreds more passing by participating in the APA that don't have a clue in the world that this man is a professional.
I never thought I'd see a pro player of his caliber coming to an amateur event like the APA nationals so I'm telling my friend about how great of a professional pool player he is and something along the lines of OMG WTF IS HE DOING HERE!!! My friend doesn't know a damn thing about pool but he can tell I'm excited to see him. (It was the first time I've met a professional pool player)
My buddy proceeds to walk through the small crowd of people and tap's Alex's shoulder. He pulls out a $20 bill out of his pocket and says "hey, take this and play my friend over there." I'm pretty sure most people heard him and he pointed right at me. To be honest I felt kind of stupid and a little embarassed, but I don't think I or anyone else in the crowd had the balls to just ask him if he wanted to play for fun. Alex shoves the money back into my friends pocket and waves me over and says "LETS PLAY" with a cheesy ass grin on his face.
Now I'll let the video my friend recorded of us playing do the rest of the talking..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Qpqx_rAPE
So the first time I met Jimmy Reid in Germany I spent the better part of a day with him playing and talking pool and getting lessons. We had a great time but the one line I remember most was one time he broke the balls and nothing moved and Jimmy gave me a what did you do look and I said, "they were all frozen" and he said, "yeah, to the table."
I got to meet Alex Pagulayan during the APA nationals this past summer.. of all places!
my story post says it's being reviewed by a moderator for some reason.. well anyways it's a funny read once they approve it!
Alex is an entertainer in more ways than one.
A few years a go I went to J. O. B. in Nashville Tenn to play in the music city open I am not of that caliber of player just wanted to say I did it I got some relatives that live in the area so I stayed with them a couple days before the tournament I got to the pool hall early and got to play a couple of practice games with bobby pickle and in the tournament I got lucky and drew Mr Buddy Hall I won one game because I sloped cheesed the nine Buddy Hall is a class act it was a dream come true also got to meet the grate Vernon Elliot
TheThaiger
Banned
take it as a lesson
I didnt play a pro but a german premier league guy. race to 5 9ball, i lost the lag and next thing i had to do was shaking hands and thank him for the 5 pack
Who was that?
I got to meet Alex Pagulayan during the APA nationals this past summer.. of all places!
my story post says it's being reviewed by a moderator for some reason.. well anyways it's a funny read once they approve it!
So here's my story, it's a bit different than most peoples here on the forums getting hustled by a pro or something like that but anyways here goes.
I like to play in the APA leagues here in the capital district of NY and my team was fortunate enough to progress through far enough to qualify for nationals this past summer in Las Vegas. I'm just your average joe, or maybe even lesser than that. Nevertheless, I'm an enthusiast. I really enjoy playing pool and watching it especially at the highest levels.
Anyways some time during day 2 of the national team event I'm walking down the main tournament room with one of my friends that met me from LA. While we're walking along the wall where all the vendors are I stop and notice one of my favorite pro players on a pristine 9 foot diamond table set up on the OB Cues area. Alex Pagulayan I guess was paid (later I found out he was sponsored by OB Cues) to walk around that diamond table all day and shoot with a few of their cues. While he's on this table he's not playing 9 or 10 ball either. He's racking 8 ball, breaking and running 1 through 15. I myself witnessed a few racks. There's a small crowd of people maybe 15-20 around watching him and hundreds more passing by participating in the APA that don't have a clue in the world that this man is a professional.
I never thought I'd see a pro player of his caliber coming to an amateur event like the APA nationals so I'm telling my friend about how great of a professional pool player he is and something along the lines of OMG WTF IS HE DOING HERE!!! My friend doesn't know a damn thing about pool but he can tell I'm excited to see him. (It was the first time I've met a professional pool player)
My buddy proceeds to walk through the small crowd of people and tap's Alex's shoulder. He pulls out a $20 bill out of his pocket and says "hey, take this and play my friend over there." I'm pretty sure most people heard him and he pointed right at me. To be honest I felt kind of stupid and a little embarassed, but I don't think I or anyone else in the crowd had the balls to just ask him if he wanted to play for fun. Alex shoves the money back into my friends pocket and waves me over and says "LETS PLAY" with a cheesy ass grin on his face.
Now I'll let the video my friend recorded of us playing do the rest of the talking..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Qpqx_rAPE
its been nearly 10 years from now and i think it was something like schmitt or schmidt? maybe our friends from germany know him?
Havent seen/heard of him in years now...
He played niels feijen in the finals of this tournament (weert open 2002 or 2003)
btw thaiger: i read yesterday that the GB9 tour will be streamed and that a lot of international players have signed up for the first tournament :thumbup:
Havent seen/heard of him in years now...
He played niels feijen in the finals of this tournament (weert open 2002 or 2003)
btw thaiger: i read yesterday that the GB9 tour will be streamed and that a lot of international players have signed up for the first tournament :thumbup:
TheThaiger
Banned
It's been streamed for a few years now, and has always had a smattering of international players - well Scottish, anyway. :sorry:
But yes, it's impressive. The tour has gone from strength to strength in recent years. It will be interesting to see how many have signed up for it this year because it isn't cheap, and the chances of the amateurs getting into the money stages are slim now, to say the least, especially as it's now double elim. There are going to be some serious drubbings, no doubt about it.
Are you interested? Flights are pretty cheap these days.
MartinBullet
Registered
I for one am really looking forward to the first event next weekend, as well as the entire European Mosconi Cup team, GB9 has also announced Ralf Souquet, Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Tony Drago and Mick Hill to name but a few. The tour is taking off in a big way and it's exciting to watch it happen
enjoy reading these stories
Great stories all, thanks to all of you who took the time to share them with us.
I have a story that pales by comparison but I hope it is of some interest. I had just started playing in a league and discovered a love for the sport although I was past middle age when did. I was in Los Angeles at a convention and decided one afternoon that rather than attend an event that I felt would be boring, I would find a pool hall and play some pool with a colleague that also enjoyed the sport.
We played for awhile and suddenly two guys came up to us and asked if we wanted to play partners. I looked around the pool hall to see if it was full, it wasn’t, so was a little surprised but said ok. Immediately, the taller guy said “we’re playing for drinks.” I nodded, thinking that they were looking to drink for free for awhile and that explained the approaching us to play.
My friend and I won the first two games, my friend was playing well and, without trying always seemed to leave the better of our two opponents with no shot. When we won the third game after he had changed to shoot following me I said to the better player (meaning nothing by it, just making conversation) that it was too bad that my partner had to carry me so much. Suddenly the guy was in my face “you think he’s good, well I want to play him for money.” I knew this guy was a better player but I thought what the heck and said ok but you have to give him odds. I’ll put up $10 against your $20 a game.
They played and my colleague did better than expected and they both got down to the 8 with my guy missing but leaving the cue on one end of the table against the rail and the 8 ball about an inch off the rail at the other end about a diamond and a half from the corner. Without hesitating the guy steps up, calls bank to the corner and makes it like it had eyes. I hand him $10 and say it was worth $10 to see a nice shot like that. The guy jumps in my face again says, ”Now I want to play you.” I reply ok, but you have to give me better odds say 20 to 1 and I’ll put up $20. He agrees.
Our game comes down to the 8 and I am shooting a corner bank, miss but leave him with a similar shot to the one he had in beating my friend. He steps up, bank corner, and I am starting to reach for my money as the 8 heads toward the corner.......then bobbles on the horn leaving me a hanger which I sink. He counts out $400 in my hand and says he wants a rematch. OK with me. He beats me and as I hand him back $20 I can see that he realizes his chances of winning the next 19 to break even versus losing another $400 or more along the way are not good. He snatches the $20 tells me I’m full of it and stomps off with his friend trailing behind looking apologetic.
Great stories all, thanks to all of you who took the time to share them with us.
I have a story that pales by comparison but I hope it is of some interest. I had just started playing in a league and discovered a love for the sport although I was past middle age when did. I was in Los Angeles at a convention and decided one afternoon that rather than attend an event that I felt would be boring, I would find a pool hall and play some pool with a colleague that also enjoyed the sport.
We played for awhile and suddenly two guys came up to us and asked if we wanted to play partners. I looked around the pool hall to see if it was full, it wasn’t, so was a little surprised but said ok. Immediately, the taller guy said “we’re playing for drinks.” I nodded, thinking that they were looking to drink for free for awhile and that explained the approaching us to play.
My friend and I won the first two games, my friend was playing well and, without trying always seemed to leave the better of our two opponents with no shot. When we won the third game after he had changed to shoot following me I said to the better player (meaning nothing by it, just making conversation) that it was too bad that my partner had to carry me so much. Suddenly the guy was in my face “you think he’s good, well I want to play him for money.” I knew this guy was a better player but I thought what the heck and said ok but you have to give him odds. I’ll put up $10 against your $20 a game.
They played and my colleague did better than expected and they both got down to the 8 with my guy missing but leaving the cue on one end of the table against the rail and the 8 ball about an inch off the rail at the other end about a diamond and a half from the corner. Without hesitating the guy steps up, calls bank to the corner and makes it like it had eyes. I hand him $10 and say it was worth $10 to see a nice shot like that. The guy jumps in my face again says, ”Now I want to play you.” I reply ok, but you have to give me better odds say 20 to 1 and I’ll put up $20. He agrees.
Our game comes down to the 8 and I am shooting a corner bank, miss but leave him with a similar shot to the one he had in beating my friend. He steps up, bank corner, and I am starting to reach for my money as the 8 heads toward the corner.......then bobbles on the horn leaving me a hanger which I sink. He counts out $400 in my hand and says he wants a rematch. OK with me. He beats me and as I hand him back $20 I can see that he realizes his chances of winning the next 19 to break even versus losing another $400 or more along the way are not good. He snatches the $20 tells me I’m full of it and stomps off with his friend trailing behind looking apologetic.