"My facts are solid"
Lou Figueroa
Cool. Now that you let everyone know this I am sure no one will ever doubt your facts ever again.
"My facts are solid"
Lou Figueroa
Much ado about nothing.
Sigh, it is what it is or you are who you are. I do get out plenty however, and so I take offense to that comment. And I have yet to meet any of our OnePocket.org members who when asked to play would not play for a sociable bet. I am sure there are a couple out there. However, what is emerging as the common thread is that you seem to have trouble finding people who will play you for 10 or 20. I think it is unfair to the rest of us to generalize that the majority of players only want to play for funsies. When I do go out to play, the only players I see who mostly want to play for funsies are the weakest players, and that is absolutely understandable and I respect that. And there are a lot of weak players, so maybe that is what you are talking about. But when we are talking about One Pocket, that is a little better caliber of players in general, and so I am basing my opinion on the presumption that the control group is One Pocket players -- and in particular, OnePocket.org members.My facts are solid, you may not like my opinions, and when I have been wrong I have apologized.
My “sweeping statements” about SM were true, period. They are considered exaggerated by three SM players who cannot accept that someone could be in their cherished poolroom and not get a game, and apparently yourself, though I doubt you’ve ever been there.
No one would play. I did not get a game. demonrho drones on but he didn't get up and offer to play either when I was there.
Here’s a bit more that Fatboy had to say, “LA is the worst pool action for a city its size in the world. cant get shit bet here, they have ZERO gamble. Rooms are nice, guys on the rail are cool but just no action, its pathetic they have $$$, LA aint cheap to living, but they dont bet. the card rooms get action is all i can figure, i used to get good action here years ago, not sure what happened. I cant get more than $300/rack bet in SM and nobody on the rail will side bet. Its a miracle i even got that game, and when i beat it-the spot HAS TO CHANGE or there is no more action, they wont flip a coin for $20 here, F'em all i got better things to do.”
In another post he wrote, “HOB (SM) is tough action for anyone who aint used to the equipment in there, its about a 2 maybe a 3 ball advantage for guys that are used to it. I am now, it took a long time for me to get used to it. And I still have to be playing there regularly to play well. The humidity changes in there more than any room I ever played in, even in florida I never seen anything like that room. Its a trap. I was in action there last week a few days then the game dried up.”
BTW, his comments about the gaffed up tables were echoed to me by a well-known ex-road player who says he hates that room because of the goofy way the tables play. My personal opinion is that the way the tables are set up in that room is just completely brutal for an out-of-towner. I'm sure pro-speed players have the talent and can adjust, but for the average guy it is a huge disadvantage. I said as much about champions being able to adjust and Fatboy commented, “i seen them all get beat by that equipment there."
Lastly, I thought Fatboy summed it up nicely in a couple of other posts about SM, “its hard to get a game in there.” and “…HOB (SM) all talk no action-for the most part.”
Now, about the JC era players. My *opinion* was/is that if you could have dropped a 9' Pro-cut Diamond table into the pit of the Jansco’s Cue Club Billiard Academy, few of the champions of that era could have run 50. That opinion is based upon: having played 14.1 my whole pool playing life: growing up playing at the Palace and Cochran’s on vintage Brunswick equipment with Hoover pockets and shallow shelfs; having seen most of the champions of today and many of yesteryear play: traveling to NYC to watch the 14.1 US Open at the Roseland Ballroom; (having won a qualifier for the Open myself ; and having kept score and watched the 14.1 Challenge at the DCC for many years.
So while you may find my opinion ridiculous, it is perfectly valid.
Lastly, about my comment about some guys here not wanting to play for $10/$20 is based upon my personal experience over many years and meeting players from the group at their homerooms, at tournaments up North and down South, Florida, the Northeast, out on the West Coast, Vegas, the Southwest, at Tunica, and the DCC. There are guys who, when I’ve met up with them and asked what they want to do will respond that they just want to "knock them around." I readily know who they are but naming them would serve no purpose. Maybe they were out of stroke, their money was short, or something else. It’s still been a lot fun to meet so many people and, other than three malcontents from LA, we've all parted as friends.
A few, like Fast Lenny, have played some for $10 or $20 (I can’t recall what Lenny and I did); or Pilot Jim (I think we play for $20 whenever we run into each other); Casey in NOLA (I think we played for $20); or John up at Red Shoes, races to three for $25; and Miller and I have played many sessions for $10 a game.
Guys not wanting to play for anything is very common and, if you haven’t noticed the majority of games at most pool halls nowadays are for “funsies” you haven’t gotten out much. It is what it is.
Lou Figueroa
OK guys this thread was me challenging Lou... He isn't going to play and he isn't going to admit to lying or apologize so everyone might as well move on... He craves the attention so the best way to deal with him.. is give him air, nada, zip,, like Freddy said don't give him any ink.. Easier said then done
I think anyone in their right mind can tell they can get a game in Santa Monica so just try to let it go.. i was watching Ghosts of Mississippi the other day with Whoopi Goldberg and Alec Baldwin I have seen it before but Whoopi had a great quote in it... " When you hate, the only one that suffers is you because most of the people you hate don't know it and the rest don't care."
have a nice day
...My “sweeping statements” about SM were true, period. They are considered exaggerated by three SM players who cannot accept that someone could be in their cherished poolroom and not get a game...
...demonrho drones on but he didn't get up and offer to play either when I was there...
...Fatboy had to say, “LA is the worst pool action for a city its size in the world. cant get shit bet here, they have ZERO gamble....
Lou Figueroa
Mr. Fib-eroa, your statements about SM were not true, period.
At least you finally admit you were there when I was there. That is a start to admitting the truth. Good on you.
Got to give credit where credit's due. He's taken the first step. How do you play with Beau R..???
Jimmy B;163723 said:...Got to give credit where credit's due. He's taken the first step. How do you play with Beau R..???
Sigh, it is what it is or you are who you are. I do get out plenty however, and so I take offense to that comment. And I have yet to meet any of our OnePocket.org members who when asked to play would not play for a sociable bet. I am sure there are a couple out there. However, what is emerging as the common thread is that you seem to have trouble finding people who will play you for 10 or 20. I think it is unfair to the rest of us to generalize that the majority of players only want to play for funsies. When I do go out to play, the only players I see who mostly want to play for funsies are the weakest players, and that is absolutely understandable and I respect that. And there are a lot of weak players, so maybe that is what you are talking about. But when we are talking about One Pocket, that is a little better caliber of players in general, and so I am basing my opinion on the presumption that the control group is One Pocket players -- and in particular, OnePocket.org members.
Just last weekend actually I played in a small local tournament at a room about 50 miles from my house (gag -- it was 9-ball) where I went 2 and out. But since I got knocked out early I looked for a game, and no One Pocket was to be found, but I did get a game with a similarly ranked 9-ball player. We found a table and actually I was taken aback when he said he did not want to play for anything -- because he just normally didn't. I guess I looked shocked or disappointed because he quickly said, "For you, I will play for 10") -- without me badgering him, lol. Maybe I just look like more of a sucker than you
Yet there was another player there who I had beat a couple weeks earlier in another tournament (the first time we met), but who had commented on Facebook that it would be different on his home court, and here we were on his home court, yet he did not feel like playing. Pool players are like that sometimes. Me, when I go out to play pool I friggin want to to play and will bend over backwards to get someone to play. I have never gone anywhere where there were players and been unable to find some kind of game -- not that I recall anyway.
I do find when I go to a new/strange room, usually I get immediately steered into their best players and that does not generally go well for me, lol. I often wish I could start with the weaker players and then move up the ladder, but the only way that seems to work is if you are willing to play a waiting game, ala Jack Cooney. Generally I am not willing to wait.
And you are right, I have yet be go to SM Billiards, but I guarantee you if I go I will have no trouble getting a sociable cash game, and it won't take me 20 visits -- if there are players available there, it will be the first visit. Have a nice day
Mr. Fib-eroa, your statements about SM were not true, period.
At least you finally admit you were there when I was there. That is a start to admitting the truth. Good on you.
Got to give credit where credit's due. He's taken the first step. How do you play with Beau R..???
I never said demonrho not there -- it was Keone Young who I know for a fact was never there. No way I'd miss the puss.
My recollection, if he's the guy I think he is (an old shriveled up grey haired guy), is that he was there and I drank a beer up in the balcony of SM and we talked for a while.
He certainly never offered to play me, though I must have told him I was looking for a game.
Lou Figueroa
Why would you take offense?
I’m trying but I don’t recall seeing you at any of the Kalamazoo US One Pocket Opens I attended. I do recall at least one US One Pocket Open in Vegas when you were calling me on my cell phone for updates because you weren’t out there.
I sure don’t recall seeing you at any Red Shoes or Shooters events in Olathe. And even at the 15 or so DCC’s I’ve attended I can’t say that I’ve seen you at all of them and those that I have seen you at I don’t ever recall seeing you with a pool cue in your hand, despite my proclivity for wandering the different rooms until the late hours. Sure I’ve seen you taking photos, glasses slipped up to the top of your head, camera in hand, but not shooting pool. I’m also trying to recall you writing about traveling to different events and/or rooms and I honestly can’t recall.
So Steve: why would you take offense? Where have you been and written about that I would have any conceivable idea that you might have ever made it out to SM, California?
So you say I have trouble getting a game but that is not so. It was just SM I‘ve written that I had trouble getting a game. Anywhere else — I’ve written about playing guys all over the country, admittedly for small money, from old legends like Johnny Ervolino to modern day champions like Jason Miller to other average guys all over.
And I'm sorry but in my travels my impression is that the guys on this group are all over the place skill-wise, just like in your average pool room. We all love 1pocket, that is the common denominator. Some guys here suck. Others play at a very high caliber, just like at a pool room. But just because they we all like 1pocket does not make us a group of above average savants.
Lou Figueroa
"Guys not wanting to play for anything is very common and, if you haven’t noticed the majority of games at most pool halls nowadays are for “funsies” you haven’t gotten out much. It is what it is."
Geezuz Lou, this is your comment that I took offense to:
You were talking about "most pool halls", not a lineup of major One Pocket tournaments over the last 15 years. I do like to go to the major tournaments but I guess I am not as privileged with extra time and money as you are to attend them. It is true that since the One Pocket HOF began to take so much of my time at DCC -- and photography -- I stopped carrying my cue around as much while I am there. But all of that really has nothing to do with what I took offense to. Whenever I travel I do hit the local rooms. And if your point is that I don't travel as much as you -- god, you friggin win! But if you are talking about going in and out of a variety of poolrooms, I hit all of the (few) local rooms within a couple hours of me regularly and I ALWAYS have my cue in those situations ("most pool rooms" remember?). And btw, New Englanders in general are pretty low on the list for being big gamblers -- that mantel appears to go to the southern states.
One Pocket players especially seem to be used to playing for at least some money. I guess I don't get out much because I have seen very little One Pocket played for "funsies" -- it's usually at least for something, even here in Puritan New England, even among friends!
But in the last month for example, I believe I have played in at least 4 or five different poolrooms -- I consider that getting out -- maybe you don't unless it is some famous room or world class tournament and I do a write up, lol.
Hey Steve,
I've been trying to teach this rock in my front yard to play the banjo, but I'm having no luck so far. I just can't seem to get through to it or persuade it in any fashion.
Maybe once you prevail vs. Lou you could come down and give me a hand?
Thanks!
I never said demonrho not there -- it was Keone Young who I know for a fact was never there. No way I'd miss the puss.
My recollection, if he's the guy I think he is (an old shriveled up grey haired guy), is that he was there and I drank a beer up in the balcony of SM and we talked for a while.
He certainly never offered to play me, though I must have told him I was looking for a game.
Lou Figueroa
Liar. 2 guys will attest that I was there while you were sneaking about. We just have your word. And you know how much that is worth. As much as the Xerox copy of a pic of you and the Magician you carry around in your John Barton cue case.
Are we on or off the ignore list?
Lie #2.
I never said demonrho not there -- it was Keone Young who I know for a fact was never there. No way I'd miss the puss.
My recollection, if he's the guy I think he is (an old shriveled up grey haired guy), is that he was there and I drank a beer up in the balcony of SM and we talked for a while.
He certainly never offered to play me, though I must have told him I was looking for a game.
Lou Figueroa
Aha, now we are getting there. Not only are you admitting I'm not on your ignore list , you are admitting we saw each other in SM. I was on table 14 playing Keone. Next to me, Wayne was on table 13, looking for a game.
You saw us, then quickly left the room. Just admit it, it's as simple as that. Maybe, you just didn't feel like playing that night. That's OK. It's not the end of the world that you temporarily lapsed into a typical blowhard by embellishing a bit and later bragging no one would play you.
Just fess up. Be a man about it. And, let's drop this ridiculous thread where you feel compelled to compound your little fib, by adding more and more fibs, and then personally attacking people just to create a smokescreen to hide behind and distract from your original fib.
I know there is a decent Lou underneath your cyber-Lou persona. Let him re-emerge and the world will be a better place.
Geezuz Lou, this is your comment that I took offense to:
You were talking about "most pool halls", not a lineup of major One Pocket tournaments over the last 15 years. I do like to go to the major tournaments but I guess I am not as privileged with extra time and money as you are to attend them. It is true that since the One Pocket HOF began to take so much of my time at DCC -- and photography -- I stopped carrying my cue around as much while I am there. But all of that really has nothing to do with what I took offense to. Whenever I travel I do hit the local rooms. And if your point is that I don't travel as much as you -- god, you friggin win! But if you are talking about going in and out of a variety of poolrooms, I hit all of the (few) local rooms within a couple hours of me regularly and I ALWAYS have my cue in those situations ("most pool rooms" remember?). And btw, New Englanders in general are pretty low on the list for being big gamblers -- that mantel appears to go to the southern states.
One Pocket players especially seem to be used to playing for at least some money. I guess I don't get out much because I have seen very little One Pocket played for "funsies" -- it's usually at least for something, even here in Puritan New England, even among friends!
But in the last month for example, I believe I have played in at least 4 or five different poolrooms -- I consider that getting out -- maybe you don't unless it is some famous room or world class tournament and I do a write up, lol.