A 5 by10 it favors the smarter player, because the shots he leaves are all longer and tougher. A 5 by 10 will wear a player out quicker; the length off every shot will wear him down and the moves become stronger and more powerful as the game goes on. I loved playing Bugs and great shooters on a 5 by ten.
Both the shots and the game are different. If I played a stranger on a 5 by 10, I could tell right away if he was a 5 by ten player by the shots he shot. I played on 5 by 10 tables every day, and that also makes a big difference. When I was playing close to my top one pocket game I couldn't get nobody to play me on a 5 by 10; Bugs wouldn't even play on a 5 by 10 any more.
When I played Jersey Red he did not want too play on a 5 by 10. And players like Cecil [Tugwell], Danny Jones, Dallas West, Steve Nagy and other players would not play on a 5 by ten. When Freddy and Phil got their club North Shore, I couldn't get no more games on a 5 by 10. The last great player that I saw play on a 5 by 10 at North Shore was Billy Incardona -- Billy could shoot.
When Cannonball Lefty and Clem played, they played on 5 by 10 tables. Poney also played his best game on the 5 by 10's.
There is a big difference between 4-1/2 by 9 and 5 by 10. Imagine always playing on a bar table and then going on a 4-1/2 by 9 -- it would be like night and day. The game is way different and so are the moves. On a 4-1/2 by 9 the traps are stronger and it's harder to get out of a trap; you can trap a opponent better on a 4 -1/2 by 9 than a 5 by 10. And the moves mean more, because its easier to run 8 and out. The difference between a 5 by 10 and a 4-1/2 by 9 is the difference in the length off the shots and the different moves on the different sized table. It's like a 6 by 12 snooker table or a 5 by 10 snooker table -- again it's like night and day.
You would think that the better shooter has the edge on a 5 by 10, but it does not work out that way against a smarter player, because the smarter player will not have to shoot the toughest shots. When the smarter player starts out with shooting a short shot and the better shooter starts out shooting hard shots, the smarter player will win. The longer the game and the tougher the table, the worse it becomes for the better shooter, because whether people want to believe it or not, his shooting will go down. By leaving poor percentage shots on a 5 by 10 to great shooters, the smarter and better percentage player will eventually win.
It's not just the length off the table that makes it harder -- the shots on a 5 by 10 are different then a 4-1/2 by 9. The 4-1/2 by 9 will also help the smarter player because butting your opponent in a trap is harder to get out off. And the less room to maneuver, the less you can do.
Mexican Johnny played great on a 5 by ten. And so did Clem and Lefty. And as far as nine ball on a 5 by 10, Canadian Pete could have beaten any player because he really was the best shooter in Bensingers. 5 by 10 tables were a big trap if people had never played on them. And Freddy played real good on a 5 by 10. I think he played better on a 5 by 10 then a 4-1/2 by 9. But as time went on it all changed and nobody played on 5 by 10's no more, and poolroom owners didn't even have hardly any 5 by 10 pool tables because they took up so much space.
Cornbread Red and Detroit Whitey also played real good on a 5 by 10. A lot off the old players learned to play on 5 by 10's -- it all depends were you grew up and what you learned to play on. And if you love pool, you play on whatever is available and will be happy just to play on any size table. But people who are just learning and are beginners are better off playing on a smaller table, so they don't get discouraged because they can't make a ball. Big pockets are also good for people who are not real good pool players but love to play. But the 5 by 10 pool tables have joined the dinosaurs; they are in the history books. But they had their time and place. Jut like Joey Procita, with his high run in straight pool on a 5 by 10 pool table. And the great Ralph Greenleaf and others. Time changes everything. And the more time goes by the less we will be remembered. .....