Pool had suffered a major decline during the 50’s culture of wholesome family idealism and in 1961 tournaments were virtually non-existent. Yet this was also the year that the blockbuster movie, The Hustler, was released. And it just so happened that one of the era’s biggest (and most vocal) pool hustlers lived near the small town of Johnston City, Illinois, home of the brothers George and Joe (better known as ‘Paulie’) Jansco. George was a pretty good player himself, and one of his regular customers was none other than Rudolph Wanderone, then known as NY Fats.

It was George that was the main force behind the original Johnston City tournament in 1961, which was only One Pocket, yet quickly became so popular that he recruited his brother to help out. In the second year the tournament was moved from the little bar behind George’s J& J Ranch to Paulie’s larger Show Bar.

That first tournament was organized mainly by word of mouth, and attracted just 14 players, but it was a who’s who of the top road player/gamblers of the time. Despite the fact that the road players were George’s natural pool element, George recognized the need to put a respectable face on the event – at least during tournament hours. Players had to conform to a dress code and a modicum of discipline during tournament hours, but at the same time he encouraged the after-hours environment in the ‘practice room’ out back, which was open all night. In that way George straddled both sides of pools split personality – the more formal tournament scene, and the no-holds-barred action in the “lions den”.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Steve Booth All rights reserved

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