lll said:
we all know never DUCK when a spot shot is there to be made
Larry,
I must tell you a story about my favorite pool character. Woppy (AKA Walter Getty) was one of the funniest guys I ever met. (Rodney knew him well too)
He was pure scuff, but he could be funnier than any stand up comedian when he got wound up. On our frequent road jaunts, our MO was to send Woppy in as advance man. I would come in an hour or so later...By that time, Woppy would have even the biggest "nit' in town, foaming at the mouth to bet big $$$. He would just say "Waall, I cain't play rat now, cause I hurt my arm loadin' watermelon, but I'll bet a few bucks on my lil' bro here"..Sounds corny I know, but he could get people so reved up... it worked more often than not. He never worried about money either...he could make a stakehorse out of a non-gambling stranger, in a strange town no less.
Woppy was a top notch Bumper Pool player (and hustler) at one time. But as bumper pool was dying out, he tried to become a pool player. He won a lot of close match-ups, with his comical antics...It was almost like a Ronnie Allen shark, but I never saw anyone get mad at him.
In the old days of two shot fouls, if a guy scratched on the 9 ball, you had ball in hand in the kitchen. (a spot shot) Woppy hated spot shots so much, that he would "push out" to a point, a little up table and a little toward the middle (making it a little thinner, and a little longer shot) His strategy didn't always work, but it would set off howls of laughter from the rail birds...Did you ever witness that move from him Rod ?
Woppy gave up pool hustling some years back, and began hustling for the Lord. He got religion, and now has his own congregation. I would bet he has become a top notch preacher. I'll never forget the fun times we had together. He was one of a kind.
