Patch eye

[Mkbtank]

Ok, so I did see Henry last night, and I mentioned that I posted this thread and that I am going to share the stories with him for some nostalgia.

I did send your regards Beard and he says Hello.

AND…. I got a nice story from him.

I asked Henry… “Who is the best banker who YOU ever played against?” He said that it was Donny Anderson from Ohio. (Although he never played him 1P but always banks.)

He then went on to say that one time in the 70’s, all (Bugs, etc) of the top banks players had gotten together in Springfield Ohio, and Donny Anderson was matched up with Eddie Taylor. So, at one point they got into a heated debate and in the end, Donnie offered Eddie a prop bet that they could each choose any partner from the room and play for 200 a game. Eddie Taylor chose Joey Spaith and Donny chose Henry. Henry said that several of the players were surprised and asked Donny, “Why did you choose this guy?” and Donny’s answer was …. “Because he plays safe better than the rest of you” I must add that he did not tell this story to brag, but very humbly and I could tell that it was just a happy memory for him. And apparently they did go on to win the cheese that night.

 

[fred bentivegna]

Ok, so I did see Henry last night, and I mentioned that I posted this thread and that I am going to share the stories with him for some nostalgia.

I did send your regards Beard and he says Hello.

AND…. I got a nice story from him.

I asked Henry… “Who is the best banker who YOU ever played against?” He said that it was Donny Anderson from Ohio. (Although he never played him 1P but always banks.)

He then went on to say that one time in the 70’s, all (Bugs, etc) of the top banks players had gotten together in Springfield Ohio, and Donny Anderson was matched up with Eddie Taylor. So, at one point they got into a heated debate and in the end, Donnie offered Eddie a prop bet that they could each choose any partner from the room and play for 200 a game. Eddie Taylor chose Joey Spaith and Donny chose Henry. Henry said that several of the players were surprised and asked Donny, “Why did you choose this guy?” and Donny’s answer was …. “Because he plays safe better than the rest of you” I must add that he did not tell this story to brag, but very humbly and I could tell that it was just a happy memory for him. And apparently they did go on to win the cheese that night.

Ask ole Patch why he would never give me any bank action? Only one pocket.

Beard

 

[Scrzbill]

Ask ole Patch why he would never give me any bank action? Only one pocket.

Beard

Really, you don't the answer to that when everyone else does?
You wanted the nuts spot.

 

[fred bentivegna]

Really, you don't the answer to that when everyone else does?
You wanted the nuts spot.

I did a real dumb thing yesterday, I took Scrzbill off of Ignore. I will immediately rectify that mistake.

Beard

Does anyone notice how the only non-civil, non-sensical post in this whole, previous to this post, nice thread, was from the above doofus.

 

[iusedtoberich]

They started out even and Patch made the mistake of eventually trying to spot Harry 9 to 6! A ridiculous spot. Of course he lost all the money back. I could never imagine the old Patch ever doing anything like that, from even to 9 to 6.

Beard

I know what happened, as I know the backer very well and was side betting also. It was literally a communication mistake. Patch's backer is super hard of hearing, and Patch didn't know that. Patch didn't want to give the spot, but thought the backer wanted him to. The backer did not. They literally got their communication mixed up. Neither was comprehending the other. I talked to both of them a couple days later and it was not until then that they figured out what happened. Both thought the other was crazy for wanting to play with the big spot, before realizing they both did NOT want to play it.

 

[Scrzbill]

I did a real dumb thing yesterday, I took Scrzbill off of Ignore. I will immediately rectify that mistake.

Beard

I did not call anyone names.
I did not make derogatory statements.
My post wasn't uncivil.
You, Beard, because of your insecurities, don't like people thinking there are other bankers than yourself.
You are the one being uncivil Beard, as usual.
Don't you wish you had the intelligence to come back with a witty rejoiner?
Unless you have some thing to say without name calling, keep me on Ignore.
It just so happens that Henry has something lacking in so many a hustler, con man, INTEGRITY. Henry didn't have to play others for self respect. He could practice by himself for hours and be quite content. I never heard him brag. I never heard him bark. He had iNTEGRITY when I first met him as a seventeen year old beginner, to several years ago, when I met him again as a broken down, want to be, pool player.
He is a man I have always greatly respected.. When I asked Henry how he was doing, where he was living, he replied, I'm am living on the good graces of my Islam friends. I offered him some money if he needed it and he said no, I have everything. I only wish that when I am his age I have his grace.

 

[Billy Jackets]

Great stories. Thanks. I should see Henry on Sunday and could pass regards if you like.

Thanks I have been offline for a while .
please tell him Bill from Springfield Ohio who ran with George Rood and took the pictures of him at the Backstreet Billiards said hello and I hope he is doing well.
I agree that in all of my experiences around patch he was always a gentleman and great to be around.
Ask him about Playing Ted Elias straight pool.
It is a great story
Thanks!

 

[Mkbtank]

Thanks I have been offline for a while .
please tell him Bill from Springfield Ohio who ran with George Rood and took the pictures of him at the Backstreet Billiards said hello and I hope he is doing well.
I agree that in all of my experiences around patch he was always a gentleman and great to be around.
Ask him about Playing Ted Elias straight pool.
It is a great story
Thanks!

I definitely will. I'm sure that I will see him soon and hear his patented greeting "Hellooo young man". Incidentally, he may get back to dc this year "if his car makes it". (A Handful of guys from Takony Billiards in Philly chipped in and bought him a beater about 18 months ago)

Here's a story. Well, more a piece of advice that Henry shared with me. Last year, when I told him I was heading to DCC and asked if he had any words of wisdom for me he said "Watch the balls Not the players. There is so much to learn about what the balls can do, but don't get distracted by the shooters. As a matter of fact, you can learn more watching bad players than good because oftentimes they will take shots they may not be supposed to and you have the opportunity to see the balls do some crazy things. Learn from the balls. ".

When I can it I try to remember that, but more often I am playing. I bet I'd be much better if I could slow down and watch more. (Although I do like to watch matches at home).

 

[Big Jim]

i might know u.............?

i might know u.............?

I met Henry, Patch Eye, in 1964 at the Parkmoor bowling lanes. Originally Parkmoor had a mini golf room in the back and then around New Years of 62 a giant fireball appeared in the night. Parkmoor burned to the ground. I was devastated because I was a pretty good bowler for a skinny 14 year old.
After they rebuilt the place with more lanes, a bar, restaurant, and POOL ROOM, I switched from bowling to pool. Carrying around a 16 lb ball was too much for the bus or walking.
In those days we played on Steepleton Tables that were 4x8's in little rooms all over town. Parkmoor was the class of pool, open 24 hours, action every night after 11 until 7am, and 41/2 X 9 GOLD CROWNS.
It wasn't long before I left my job racking balls in the South End at Whiteys, that I would head to Parkmoor.
Who was there? Glen Atwell, The Chinaman, John Elmers, and Patch, nearly every night. Glen would set up shots that couldn't be made and bet me 10 cents to a quarter he could make the shot. I guess it was his way of teaching me. Patch was always on the front table. Most nights playing Golf on the GC or banks with Bob Bolles or one pocket with John. I played him occasionally but I didn't understand spotting in those days so he would give me a ball or two and still rob me. John Elmers was my regular game and we played nine ball. He started out giving me the eight and eventually we played even.
In those days I was up for days it seemed, going from one room to the next always ending up at Parkmoor. The best players would always show up including Eddie Taylor who was good friends with Bob.
Eventually my father wanted me to go to college so he sent me packing. Not before I went on my first road trip. I can't remember the guy I went with but we went to Trumans house first in the country to pick him up. I didn't know Truman then but we spent about three weeks on the road with the three of us packed into my Corvair. I do remember the last night we were on the road. In Bowling Green, broke, sleeping in the car after playing John Edwards at his place. Big mistake.
I never called Henry Patch because I felt I didn't know him well enough. In those days in the south, disrespecting your elders got you shunned and then NO ACTION. So that was my first few years in pool at the greatest room for action I knew until the House of Billiards in Santa Monica. Parkmoor was closed by the time I got back to Louisville, at least the pool room.
I saw Patch at the DCC a few years back. He was having a tough time. He didn't remember me nor did I expect him too.
At the DCC in 2003 I was playing some straight back banker in the banks. He could not make anything else.
Shannon was on the front table and it was the morning matches with one pocket starting at one. I was up two games and my opponent broke dry. I ran five and out. Fking five and out and I'm just so happy with myself and the other TWO people watching. All of a sudden I hear this yell and screaming. The guy playing Truman has just run fourteen tying the match with Shannon and the crowd was crazy. But I just ran five, ANYONE? After the match I was looking at this guy who ran 14 and I sort of recognized him. Beer bottle in hand at noon. I asked a friend of mine who he was, Truman Hogue. I went over to him kind of sneaky like and whispered in his ear, you ever go on the road in a Red Corvair? He turned around and sure enough, he had.
Funny how things turn out. I cashed both one pocket and banks that year. Set in the seats and those days at the hotel, action was everywhere. I cleaned up in the stands and at night. But I could not return for years due to my injury. By then, I had no game. Now I go just to watch and see some friends.

I've been around Louisville since 1969, used to hustle the bar table guys and make a good score then go to park moor and lose it to the china man and some more fellows. I played at Parkmoor playing most of all the road players in bank pool. I met Patch back in 1973 at a pro pool tournament in Louisville. I ran into Allen Hopkins, Handsome Danny, Vernon, D0-funny, the champion bank pool player from Indy and many more over the years, they all used to show up during derby week. I have played in all the derby city classics, tied for top 17 a couple of times. I will be at the DCC this year. Big Jim

 

[petie]

Its great to remember DoFunny. I used to play at Executive Billiards in the late 70's early 80's. DoFunny, aka Willard something, also played there. It was there that he commented while watching me play, "I loves a cutta!" He was a banker and had an awe of long thin cuts that could have been made more easily by banking if I had only known how to bank back then. Later, after I had moved away and returned to Indy for a visit, I played him at a pool room near the airport that had a barber chair for the hot seat and no lighting in the room other than the lights over the tables. He gave me one of my first lessons in One Pocket at $5 a game. It only cost me $200--pretty cheap. Mark Jarvis hung out in that room too. I have been to Executive Billiards a time or two in the last 5 years or so and I think Bobby told me DoFunny was still alive in a nursing home. I'd love to know if any of you have the low down.

 

[Mkbtank]

Its great to remember DoFunny. I used to play at Executive Billiards in the late 70's early 80's. DoFunny, aka Willard something, also played there. It was there that he commented while watching me play, "I loves a cutta!" He was a banker and had an awe of long thin cuts that could have been made more easily by banking if I had only known how to bank back then. Later, after I had moved away and returned to Indy for a visit, I played him at a pool room near the airport that had a barber chair for the hot seat and no lighting in the room other than the lights over the tables. He gave me one of my first lessons in One Pocket at $5 a game. It only cost me $200--pretty cheap. Mark Jarvis hung out in that room too. I have been to Executive Billiards a time or two in the last 5 years or so and I think Bobby told me DoFunny was still alive in a nursing home. I'd love to know if any of you have the low down.

Damn. 200 at 5 a game. How long was that session! Love the stories.

 

[petie]

Damn. 200 at 5 a game. How long was that session! Love the stories.

All night, Mitch. He was happy with the pace and I was glad to just be playing him.

 

[Mkbtank]

All night, Mitch. He was happy with the pace and I was glad to just be playing him.

This right here is the best answer to the OP in that other thread about how to get better at 1P. Money well spent!

 

[Alexonepockettrickshots]

Thanks for these stories and info!