Back by popular demand....
Back by popular demand....
gulfportdoc said:
Well, it looks as though Dick will probably get the most votes. Steve has not yet revealed whether he will allow a deceased category this year. If he does, I'm partial to Ervolino. Worst was one of the most dynamic and feared players of all time. However his career was short, and he didn't really play much 1P. Ervolino's entire career was devoted to 1P. He won several major 1P events, and his "after hour" contests were semi-legendary.
Doc
...in my own mind, because I want to set some of the records straight before things veer too far off course. Firstly, Beatle was right about my pal Johnny Ervolino. He was guilty of every bad thing that has been said about him. However, he was charming and loyal to his friends, and we all loved him.
Secondly, Doc you are a little off base when you say Johnny's entire career was devoted to 1P. Johnny was a deadly, feared money player -- when he was actually trying to win -- but the majority of his classical matches were with him playing even straight pool, 9ball, or spotting a weaker player playing 1P. I personally don't know of any top 1p player that he has ever beaten even. If I am wrong, and someone can point to some match-ups that I am not aware of, please educate me. Johnny hung out in Race Track Phil's and my joint, North Shore Billiards for a month and played zero 1P while there.
The biggest 1P game that I know of with Johnny came in the 70s in Wash. DC. He got a ball from Bugs, 8 to 7, and got staked by Sugar Shack. He played great and won handily. Sugar Shack confided to me that Johnny didn't really know the game but that he ran a million sevens. Sugar Shack also said that even after winning he wasn't all that crazy about the game.
Marcel Camp. Camp IMO
did leave a lifetime legacy of world class 1P. He played as good as anybody for many years. I have a very short list of players that I think really knew how to PLAY 1P. Camp is near the top of that list.
Harold Worst. Harold's career was short because he died at 37. At Johnston City he offered to play anybody
anything even, for whatever they wanted to bet (except bank pool). Everybody he played 1P with, he spotted.
Even the world's champion at the time, Eddie Taylor ducked him. I was with CornBread Red when he asked Eddie Taylor, "When ya' gonna play Worst some One pocket, and shut that loudmouthed Dutchman up?" Taylor responded, "I'm gonna git to him, Red, I'm gonna git to him." But he never did.
Allen Hopkins. In that short period when Bugs and Ronnie went into decline and Efren hadn't hit his stride yet, Allen Hopkins was the best one pocket player in the world. ie., Allen was playing our own fair haired boy Wm Incardona 10 to 8 in those days. On the other side of that coin and to give further perspective, while he was hanging in North Shore Billiards, Allen asked Artie for 8 to 7. Our other nominee, Buddy Hall topped that and asked Artie for 10 to 8.
Mexican Johnny? He asked Jimmy Moore to play 1P on the 5x10's in Bensingers in the 60s. Jimmy did not play. He played Jersey Red on the 5 by's and Red quit even after about 4 games.
Mike Carella? IMHO The worst, cheapest pool puke I ever came across in my career. Fantastic player and ball runner. Did magical things at the Rack in Detroit. Unbelievably, after playing some of the most phenomenal 1P I have ever seen, spotting guys like Black Jones 30 to 8, and 50 to 12, he went to California and played Ronnie Allen. Mike got spotted 9 to 7, and lost! Confirming to me Mike's inner creep self.
At the Rack he once won about 25k. Bugs was the gamekeeper and the match lasted about 24 hours. After it was over and Bugs asked for his "consideration," Mike told him, "Romberg owes me $200, get it from him and you can keep it."
Beard
Beard