chicago one pocket and hall of fame candidates

[philip guagliardo]

this is for some of you that dont know about chicago in the eighties . there were two players that kept players ducking chicago . bugs and artie ! these two guys could play one pocket too the limit . bugs could run out from anywhere at anytime . artie squeezed you till you could'nt stand it anymore and then you sold out the game . artie was not flashy like bugs , when bugs played he put fear in his opponent because how could you play safe against the best bank pool player in the country . artie was the only person alive who could and did play bugs safe ! he was so good he beat bugs the a vast majority of the time . they played 9 to 8 . artie always felt he deserved a ball because bugs gave it to him . he really did'nt need the ball , but bugs was the greatest banker and artie always reminded him of that and got the ball . chicago was a good place to duck when it came to playing one pocket . bugs or artie b. were more than willing to play for whatever you could put up . the guys that came and played these two guys lost. they usually did'nt return ! jersey red played artie and lost ! never came back ! boston shorty did the same ! pittsburgh billy had a lot of gamble and talent one of the few that stayed around and played . but usually lost to artie . bugs scared everybody so artie reaped the rewards . but little did they know , artie would torture you worse than bugs . when I owned the north shore billiards the action was big . I give credit to allen hopkins he never left the bench , artie asked him every 5 minutes to play . allen refused ! keith mccready was very selective and made money playing weaker players ! no artie ! no bugs ! there are a lot of players who will say they were'nt afraid to play these guys . grady matthews beat artie a couple of games and never played again when artie tried to get him to bet some serious money . nick varner lost big to artie and never came back . the great mike siegel would'nt come and play artie . I personally told mike in detroit artie would put up 10,000 ! no show ! same goes for jimmy riempe ! no show ! the point of this story is there are a lot of great players in the hall of fame . but there are great players who are not ! artie bodendorfer might be one of the greatest one pocket players to ever play the game and has never been mentioned ! I just dont understand the hall of fame ? jimmy mataya ! the talent and players he beat and he's not in the hall of fame ? what s the reason ? jimmy for nine ball and straight pool and artie for one pocket . I'll say one thing for mataya he did'nt duck anybody . he tried to match up anyway he could . artie b. was the same ! so maybe someone can answer me as to why these guys are'nt in the hall of fame ? considering they beat plenty of the guys that are already in ! at least the great leonard (bugs ) rucker finally got his credit for being the champion he was . now its time jimmy mataya and artie bodendorfer get the credit they deserve . I've made my living betting horses cause I'm a good handicapper . I'm just as good a judge of pool talent ! I 've seen them all !
philip guagliardo known by my friends race track phil

 

[One Pocket Ghost]

Hey Phil, Can you give me a horse for tomorrow ? ^_^ The Ghost

 

[NH Steve]

Hall of Fame candidates

Hall of Fame candidates

One thing that might hurt Artie a little on his One Pocket Hall of Fame chances is that he apparently got away from the game (at least publicly) fairly young. The longer people successfully play, travel, match-up and generally inspire others to get more involved with the game, the better candidates they become, in my opinion.

For the One Pocket HOF we specifically put in place 'after hours' credentials, yet players that strictly focused on after hours action, and avoided the limelight because of their 'under the radar' status, are hurt a little in their chances just because fewer people know about them. Like Clem, for example. Every old pro that I talk to mentions Clem (Eugene Metz) as one of the best ever, yet he doesn't get as much interest for the HOF than guys like Steve Cook, Allen Hopkins, Johnny Ervolino who did make regular tournament appearances, on top of their after hours action.

We might even have to have a special ballot for the 'undercover' guys, if any of them is to get elected!

The more people learn about these great players that stuck more to the shadows, the more likely they will find their way into the HOF.

 

[philip guagliardo]

good point strawberry

good point strawberry

good point about clem , guys like clem and artie were'nt tournament players and I guess that hurts them , they wanted the least amount of advertisement of their talent . if your a money player like them and do it for a living it would kind of be foolish to play tournaments . your idea is very good an undercover ballot . but jimmy mataya played tournaments and sold video's to promote the game and he has been ignored ! why ! by the way artie played till he was about 40 . I remember when mataya came to chicago the first time , he was a young man with the best stroke I ever seen . I'm not going to mention names ,but their are alot of guys in the hof that mataya would rob playing pool and did ! I'm just very curious what credentials you need to be nominated ? I will guarantee you if jersey red and shorty were alive they would tell you artie b belongs and if anybody asked bugs he would say 100 percent . so far these guys are like ron santo ! maybe your right about artie being undercover a little , but those real top players knew who he was ! but there is no excuse for mataya everybody knew he was a champion in his day . philip guagliardo

by the way ghost . audreys fame 7th race meadowlands tonight !

 

[hemicudas]

The 2 best!!!

The 2 best!!!

this is for some of you that dont know about chicago in the eighties . there were two players that kept players ducking chicago . bugs and artie ! these two guys could play one pocket too the limit . bugs could run out from anywhere at anytime . artie squeezed you till you could'nt stand it anymore and then you sold out the game . artie was not flashy like bugs , when bugs played he put fear in his opponent because how could you play safe against the best bank pool player in the country . artie was the only person alive who could and did play bugs safe ! he was so good he beat bugs the a vast majority of the time . they played 9 to 8 . artie always felt he deserved a ball because bugs gave it to him . he really did'nt need the ball , but bugs was the greatest banker and artie always reminded him of that and got the ball . chicago was a good place to duck when it came to playing one pocket . bugs or artie b. were more than willing to play for whatever you could put up . the guys that came and played these two guys lost. they usually did'nt return ! jersey red played artie and lost ! never came back ! boston shorty did the same ! pittsburgh billy had a lot of gamble and talent one of the few that stayed around and played . but usually lost to artie . bugs scared everybody so artie reaped the rewards . but little did they know , artie would torture you worse than bugs . when I owned the north shore billiards the action was big . I give credit to allen hopkins he never left the bench , artie asked him every 5 minutes to play . allen refused ! keith mccready was very selective and made money playing weaker players ! no artie ! no bugs ! there are a lot of players who will say they were'nt afraid to play these guys . grady matthews beat artie a couple of games and never played again when artie tried to get him to bet some serious money . nick varner lost big to artie and never came back . the great mike siegel would'nt come and play artie . I personally told mike in detroit artie would put up 10,000 ! no show ! same goes for jimmy riempe ! no show ! the point of this story is there are a lot of great players in the hall of fame . but there are great players who are not ! artie bodendorfer might be one of the greatest one pocket players to ever play the game and has never been mentioned ! I just dont understand the hall of fame ? jimmy mataya ! the talent and players he beat and he's not in the hall of fame ? what s the reason ? jimmy for nine ball and straight pool and artie for one pocket . I'll say one thing for mataya he did'nt duck anybody . he tried to match up anyway he could . artie b. was the same ! so maybe someone can answer me as to why these guys are'nt in the hall of fame ? considering they beat plenty of the guys that are already in ! at least the great leonard (bugs ) rucker finally got his credit for being the champion he was . now its time jimmy mataya and artie bodendorfer get the credit they deserve . I've made my living betting horses cause I'm a good handicapper . I'm just as good a judge of pool talent ! I 've seen them all !
philip guagliardo known by my friends race track phil

The 2 best handicappers in Chicago in the early 80s were, Racetrack Phil and, see if you remember this guy Phil, Racetrack Rick. Rick of the nerdy looking guy with the glasses sure could pick-um too.

I totally agree Phil. Artie was a tremendous talent who never got his due. The guy who I believe is the most underrated/unknown player that ever played at your place was, Kenny Romberg. Truly a sad story. The man could play.

Also remember Bobby Haddad following you around like a puppy back then. You might not have seen him because he was squatting behind you listening, LOL.

 

[hemicudas]

Audrey's Fame

Audrey's Fame

Audrey's Fame: Second, pays $5.40 and $3.00. Not bad, not bad at all, Phil. You've still got it, sir.

 

[NH Steve]

After Hours HOF candidates

After Hours HOF candidates

Who would you nominate for undercover candidates for the One Pocket HOF?
Off the top of my head, these guys come to mind, in no particular order:
Hayden Lingo
Eugene 'Clem' Metz
Artie Bodendorfer
Sonny Springer
Kenny 'Romberg' Remus

Then there were of course other players that came and went before there ever was a One Pocket tournament to compete in, like Rags Fitzpatrick. Although from what I hear about Rags, he would not have ducked the limelight, and would have been one of the big early stars of Johnston City, had he not died just a little before the first event.

 

[hemicudas]

Who would you nominate for undercover candidates for the One Pocket HOF?
Off the top of my head, these guys come to mind, in no particular order:
Hayden Lingo
Eugene 'Clem' Metz
Artie Bodendorfer
Sonny Springer
Kenny 'Romberg' Remus

Then there were of course other players that came and went before there ever was a One Pocket tournament to compete in, like Rags Fitzpatrick. Although from what I hear about Rags, he would not have ducked the limelight, and would have been one of the big early stars of Johnston City, had he not died just a little before the first event.

Those are 6 great names, Steve. I would add, Cleo Vaughn and Earl Heisler. Again, thanks for all you do.

 

[NH Steve]

Those are 6 great names, Steve. I would add, Cleo Vaughn and Earl Heisler. Again, thanks for all you do.

So would I -- Cleo may not have been the top player, but he apparently was sure in the middle of the action.

This year's voting for the One Pocket HOF is kind of on the horizon right now -- probably actual voting during the month of November -- but it is none too early to start thinking about who would be on the ballots. I say ballots plural, because that is one of the things that I thought might work well. But how to divide?

Living legends?
A 'Heritage' ballot that reaches way back for names like Lingo, Fats, Metz (who is apparently still living -- if anyone knows how to contact him, I'd appreciate an introduction, by the way).
Now we're talking about an 'After Hours' ballot, which is also a good idea.

I do know that this year, and future years, we won't be electing so many all in one year. Last year was the first -- that's why we accepted a bigger class.

I like Steve Cook, Johnny Ervolino and Eddie Kelly of course. Also Buddy Hall just keeps adding to his resume... Oh, yeah, and why do we always forget Jose Parica?

 

[shoutout33]

Whatever happened to Artie? In his interview, Freddy 'The Beard' Bentivegna said that he just stopped playing 'cause he was winning so much...if I read it correctly. He also said that Artie NEVER lost a match at one-pocket!

 

[philip guagliardo]

hi

hi

Whatever happened to Artie? In his interview, Freddy 'The Beard' Bentivegna said that he just stopped playing 'cause he was winning so much...if I read it correctly. He also said that Artie NEVER lost a match at one-pocket!

artie always loved betting sports and when he became successful at that in las vegas . his needs and desire changed . I dont know if you call this a match , but artie and bugs played one time and bugs won the flip . bugs broke the balls and artie shot and then bugs ran nine and out . then it was artie's turn same thing happen artie on the first shot ran 8 and out . the wind up was bugs ran out 4 games in a row on his break and artie 3 games on his break ! probably never has happen in the history of pool . artie as shrewd as he was quit and said tomorrow's another day . artie beat bugs the next time . but that day bugs was in dead stroke made everything in site . but so did artie . like I said probably the greatest 7 games of one pocket ever played . race track phil

 

[fred bentivegna]

Never lost a match

Never lost a match

I never said Artie never lost a match. Nick Varner beat him 15 games for 50 a game. The next time they played Artie won thousands. Clyde Childress won 5 thou on Saturday. The next day Sunday, in frustration, Clyde speared his Q stick into the ceiling at the North Shore Billiard club after a 20k strumming. Grady won a "5 ahead" session after 3 days of continuous play. They continued to play, but now by the game ($400). Artie won 3 in a row and Grady, exhausted, quit. He and I played often, and I would win 1 out of every 6 or 7. When I would win he wouldn't play me for months but would take a piece of my action instead, and then wait until my game cooled off.
RaceTrackPhil played him often, also. Phil had a great win percentage with everybody else, but naturally not with Artie. Did you ever get him Phil?
the Beard

 

[shoutout33]

My apologies for reading that incorrectly. Still, why did he quit? Was it because he went to Vegas?

 

[philip guagliardo]

reply

reply

I never said Artie never lost a match. Nick Varner beat him 15 games for 50 a game. The next time they played Artie won thousands. Clyde Childress won 5 thou on Saturday. The next day Sunday, in frustration, Clyde speared his Q stick into the ceiling at the North Shore Billiard club after a 20k strumming. Grady won a "5 ahead" session after 3 days of continuous play. They continued to play, but now by the game ($400). Artie won 3 in a row and Grady, exhausted, quit. He and I played often, and I would win 1 out of every 6 or 7. When I would win he wouldn't play me for months but would take a piece of my action instead, and then wait until my game cooled off.
RaceTrackPhil played him often, also. Phil had a great win percentage with everybody else, but naturally not with Artie. Did you ever get him Phil?
the Beard

only once he wanted to watch the ballgame I was 2 games ahead we quit . 9 to 6 and the break ! he beat me in my best game nine ball giving me the 8 . I just beat mexican johnny like a drum same game and could have beat him even but johnny backers said no mas . I figured I finally had artie in a trap , but as usual he paralyze my game ! I should have told him I just beat johnny ! maybe he would have dogged it ? yeah right ! he never dogged it in his lfe . how about that snicker he'd give you when you made a good shot ! it would go right threw my brain , alls I could think about was beating him up or strangling him . race track phil

 

[demonrho]

How would you rate Mexican Johnny's One Hole game? I used to watch him play him a little here in LA just before he died (same week as Minnesota Fats demise as I remember.) I'd heard he played pretty sporty at one time.

 

[hemicudas]

Chino

Chino

Freddy, Ghost, Phil or any of you Chicago guys know if Chino is still around?

 

[fred bentivegna]

Mexican Johnny Vasquez

Mexican Johnny Vasquez

How would you rate Mexican Johnny's One Hole game? I used to watch him play him a little here in LA just before he died (same week as Minnesota Fats demise as I remember.) I'd heard he played pretty sporty at one time.

Mexican Johnny played Jersey Red to a draw playing 1pocket on a 5x10 in Chicago's Bensingers in the late 60's. He also broke all but the top-top bar pool players that came through Chicago. He was a fast starter and didnt need to warm up. He intimidated many players that way because he began shooting good immediately in a session. Longevity was his problem, as he could not maintain the blistering early pace that he would set. Artie and I knew enough to wait him out to where he would get weak.
the Beard

 

[OldHasBeen]

Chino - That's the name I couldn't remember. My wife says I've got "OldTimers".

Chino - That's the name I couldn't remember. My wife says I've got "OldTimers".

Freddy, Ghost, Phil or any of you Chicago guys know if Chino is still around?

That's the player who Louie was playing in a bar (and going off to) when Larry Hubbard took over & Got All The Cheese. One of the best bar box matches I've ever seen.

TY & GL

 

[Grady]

Freddie

Freddie

I have a number for Artie that I'm pretty sure is good if you want it.

 

[philip guagliardo]

mexican johnny

mexican johnny

johnny's game was going downhill when he left chicago , thats why I had a chance with him . he drank beer like a fish , that had to hurt his game sometimes . he use to hustle bars till he made enough money to go to the track ! one time I asked johnny who he bet , I'm not sure if he could read ? he said the five ! I said the five is 50 -1 . johnny replied the horse dont know he's 50-1 ! artie once told me he learned more from johnny than any other player . no telling how good johnny could have been if he lived a normal life . he sure had all the tools ! like the beard said wait him out ! he use to sleep in a car a lot and get 3 or 4 hours of sleep and back to work . I'm sure of one thing he was the best nine ball player chicago had in his time . I too wonder what happen to chino ? seen them both play johnny was the best overall in my opinion , but the beard would know better than me , he played them both . race track phil