Vernon Elliott story

[NH Steve]

Good read about Vernon:

Vernon Elliott Part 1

Be sure to continue on to parts 2 & 3 for the whole story.

 

[stevelomako]

Kind of cute article I guess.

A lot of "artistic embellishment" in the article.


Vernon was known around here for waiting for the "best of it". He made a good score at The Rack, how could he not, he was almost betting water was wet.

 

[Tom Wirth]

I only ran into him once but as I remember him, he had a lot of pull-up power. At least he did when it came to playing One Pocket.

Tom

 

[JAM]

You know, you may not believe this, but I have actually gambled with Vern Elliott in Knoxville. I hadn't realized it until I saw his photo in that article.

I can't remember the year, but I was on the road with Geese (Michael Gerace). We arrived in Knoxville in the evening and checked into a motel. My impression of Knoxville was that it was dead as a doornail, like a ghost town. There were vacant buildings, closed stores, and it seemed like there wasn't a car on the road in the downtown area. Very strange! It was the year after the World's Fair was there, so I'm thinking it was in the early '80s or thereabouts.

Geese decided he didn't want to venture out in the night to drum up some action. He just wanted to smoke a dubie and watch westerns on the TV. Geese loved to watch westerns, his favorite pastime. But me, I had just scored a small win at Baker's in Greensboro, NC with somebody's teenage daughter. It wasn't a lot of money ($5 a game), but a win is a win, and so I was kind of digging me being a road player now. :lol

I decided to drive out into town and see if I could find an action spot. There was a little bar with one table. I can still see it in my mind. It was in the fork of the road, a painted-white building with a big parking lot. I moseyed on in there like I was a big-shot gambler, coming off a mini win in the Carolinas.

I started working the crowd at the bar, letting them know I wanted to gamble some. I cannot believe how green I was back then. Today, when I think about it, it's quite embarrassing.

The bartender said he'd get somebody in there to play me, and within minutes, an older gentleman came in, ready for action. I could see the guy was much better than me. Our games of 8-ball were four- and five-shots per game. Meanwhile, I believe this guy could have run out in a heartbeat, but he was laying down the lemon. He didn't smile much. He was all business. $80 later, I unscrewed my cue, thanked him for his game, and drove back to the hotel. Geese, thankfully, was asleep.

The next morning, Geese and I came to the conclusion that Knoxville was dead and so we drove out of town to our next destination. I never let him know how much I lost. I can't believe that I was playing a legend at that time and never knew it. :lol

 

[Tom Wirth]

You know, you may not believe this, but I have actually gambled with Vern Elliott in Knoxville. I hadn't realized it until I saw his photo in that article.

I can't remember the year, but I was on the road with Geese (Michael Gerace). We arrived in Knoxville in the evening and checked into a motel. My impression of Knoxville was that it was dead as a doornail, like a ghost town. There were vacant buildings, closed stores, and it seemed like there wasn't a car on the road in the downtown area. Very strange! It was the year after the World's Fair was there, so I'm thinking it was in the early '80s or thereabouts.

Geese decided he didn't want to venture out in the night to drum up some action. He just wanted to smoke a dubie and watch westerns on the TV. Geese loved to watch westerns, his favorite pastime. But me, I had just scored a small win at Baker's in Greensboro, NC with somebody's teenage daughter. It wasn't a lot of money ($5 a game), but a win is a win, and so I was kind of digging me being a road player now. :lol

I decided to drive out into town and see if I could find an action spot. There was a little bar with one table. I can still see it in my mind. It was in the fork of the road, a painted-white building with a big parking lot. I moseyed on in there like I was a big-shot gambler, coming off a mini win in the Carolinas.

I started working the crowd at the bar, letting them know I wanted to gamble some. I cannot believe how green I was back then. Today, when I think about it, it's quite embarrassing.

The bartender said he'd get somebody in there to play me, and within minutes, an older gentleman came in, ready for action. I could see the guy was much better than me. Our games of 8-ball were four- and five-shots per game. Meanwhile, I believe this guy could have run out in a heartbeat, but he was laying down the lemon. He didn't smile much. He was all business. $80 later, I unscrewed my cue, thanked him for his game, and drove back to the hotel. Geese, thankfully, was asleep.

The next morning, Geese and I came to the conclusion that Knoxville was dead and so we drove out of town to our next destination. I never let him know how much I lost. I can't believe that I was playing a legend at that time and never knew it. :lol

Jennie, You're a trip.

 

[JAM]

Jennie, You're a trip.

And to think, Tom, that on the night you stepped into Hank Dietle's tavern, you created this vision in my mind of Jennie the Pool Shark. :lol

 

[fred bentivegna]

Kind of cute article I guess.

A lot of "artistic embellishment" in the article.


Vernon was known around here for waiting for the "best of it". He made a good score at The Rack, how could he not, he was almost betting water was wet.

There is more than a "lot" of embellishment. Vernon was a pretty good embellisher himself. He claimed he broke Clem Metz with only one barrel to use, and him playing one pocket for the very first time! Those 4 or 5 times he beat Bugs, dwindle down to zero, as I am almost positive they never played.

Vernon also claimed Bugs wouldnt play him in Detroit. Bugs would play a Al Queda terrorist who had a suicide vest strapped on him -- if he was getting staked.

On the up side, Vernon really didnt need to lie about being a great player, because he really was one. I would make him the favorite playing bank pool over everybody but Bugs. I played him even bank pool many times, and lost many times. I finally beat him 3 games of even bank pool in Hot Springs, AR and packed him in for life; there was nowhere else to go but down from there.


Beard

 

[Tom Wirth]

And to think, Tom, that on the night you stepped into Hank Dietle's tavern, you created this vision in my mind of Jennie the Pool Shark. :lol

Frankenstein

 

[stevelomako]

There is more than a "lot" of embellishment. Vernon was a pretty good embellisher himself. He claimed he broke Clem Metz with only one barrel to use, and him playing one pocket for the very first time! Those 4 or 5 times he beat Bugs, dwindle down to zero, as I am almost positive they never played.

Vernon also claimed Bugs wouldnt play him in Detroit. Bugs would play a Al Queda terrorist who had a suicide vest strapped on him -- if he was getting staked.

On the up side, Vernon really didnt need to lie about being a great player, because he really was one. I would make him the favorite playing bank pool over everybody but Bugs. I played him even bank pool many times, and lost many times. I finally beat him 3 games of even bank pool in Hot Springs, AR and packed him in for life; there was nowhere else to go but down from there.


Beard

I was trying to be nice.

We know everything you stated is truth. Everybody here knew Vernon was a great player but liked having the "nuts".



Here's a little story about Vernon and one of your favorite women Freddy, I don't know if you ever heard it but here it is:

Lori Shampo went on the road with Vernon for just a little bit.

Now remember, us being from Detroit and "The Rack" in particular we were around a lot of people that wouldn't have been described as "Saintly".

Well they come back and we ask Lori how it went?

Lori replies "That Vernon is the dirtiest son of a bitch I ever seen in my life!" :lol




We just laughed and everyone she told that to just said "Well who didn't know that?"

That was some glowing praise considering who she was around.

He didn't have many scruples on how he got the money...just that he got it.


Like you said, he was a god damn good player.

 

[fred bentivegna]

I was trying to be nice.

We know everything you stated is truth. Everybody here knew Vernon was a great player but liked having the "nuts".



Here's a little story about Vernon and one of your favorite women Freddy, I don't know if you ever heard it but here it is:

Lori Shampo went on the road with Vernon for just a little bit.

Now remember, us being from Detroit and "The Rack" in particular we were around a lot of people that wouldn't have been described as "Saintly".

Well they come back and we ask Lori how it went?

Lori replies "That Vernon is the dirtiest son of a bitch I ever seen in my life!" :lol




We just laughed and everyone she told that to just said "Well who didn't know that?"

That was some glowing praise considering who she was around.

He didn't have many scruples on how he got the money...just that he got it.


Like you said, he was a god damn good player.

He was a true Secret Society member and I loved him!

Beard

 

[androd]

Vernon was a big hit in the bars.
Looking like him would've been worth a hundred a day.
The first time I saw him, here's this big dumb looking guy wearing green khaki's and a John Deere cap.
We were in the Banana's pool room in San Antonio.
I asked him to play some 20/30 dollar one pocket, and we started playing.
I won the flip and won three games real fast.

I realized neither Sammy Jones or John Hager had ask for a piece of the bet.

He won the next game on his break. The following game he was in a tough spot and made a bank I'd never seen and got out.
The lights came on for me and I quit.
I figured if these two guys from Kentucky didn't want any of it, I didn't either.
We never played again although he stayed in town for about six weeks.
Whenever he'd ask me to play I'd ask for 8/7 and he always said "you already beat me even.
He would've probably beaten me that way but he didn't chance it.
Rod.
P.S. He and John made a lot of money at the bars and all night join "The Commanders Room"

 

[opposedtwin]

Re:Vernon Elliott

Re:Vernon Elliott

I spent the last 5 years of Vernon's life getting him to tell me his stories first hand and then anonymously contacting participants in those stories to get their version. We talked or were together at least once a week. The reason I did this was to solidify Vernon's rightful place (IMO) among the legends of pool; particularly hustlers. My goal was to get him in the Bank Pool Hall of Fame where he without a doubt belongs. Freddy can attest to this as he was one of my contacts and his help was, of course, invaluable. Pictures Freddy put in his book of Vernon are the ones I sent to him. What I find interesting now are comments about Vernon now that he is gone relative to comments while he was still with us.

 

[androd]

I spent the last 5 years of Vernon's life getting him to tell me his stories first hand and then anonymously contacting participants in those stories to get their version. We talked or were together at least once a week. The reason I did this was to solidify Vernon's rightful place (IMO) among the legends of pool; particularly hustlers. My goal was to get him in the Bank Pool Hall of Fame where he without a doubt belongs. Freddy can attest to this as he was one of my contacts and his help was, of course, invaluable. Pictures Freddy put in his book of Vernon are the ones I sent to him. What I find interesting now are comments about Vernon now that he is gone relative to comments while he was still with us.

Vernon certainly deserves to be in the bank hall of fame and he was a great hustler.
We became friendly in the six weeks he was in San Antonio.
He told me he'd hate to be on every pool players sucker list like I was.
I said I'd hate to be known as a guy who made a lot of money playing pool and lost it all at the track.
He said oof like I punched him in the stomach. and then we had a good laugh.
Rod.