One Pocket spot

What's the most "generous" spot you've ever seen/heard of in One Pocket, and what was the outcome?

I heard a couple years ago in Mobile, Buddy Hall was giving a nobody banger 15-2, and beat the crap outta the guy.

I wouldn't give my mom that kinda weight. Anybody can luck in a couple.

In February 2003 at Tacony Palmyra Billiards in Philadelphia, Efren Reyes was giving the manager, Jim Hill, 12-4 for $500 a game. And Jim, while not a champion, can certainly play. I don't even want to venture to guess what was being bet on the side. The two of them played several sessions over a two or three week period from what I hear, but in that particular session they broke even. I heard that Jim Hill later beat Efren at that game and that they adjusted to 13-5. Not sure how that turned out.

cycopath said:

What's the most "generous" spot you've ever seen/heard of in One Pocket, and what was the outcome?
I wouldn't give my mom that kinda weight. Anybody can luck in a couple.

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Jersey Red (Jack Breit) was reported to give a spot of '6 no-count' in a match in Texas. I had heard of him giving a '8 no-count' from some players here in Sacramento.

SactownTom said:

Jersey Red (Jack Breit) was reported to give a spot of '6 no-count' in a match in Texas. I had heard of him giving a '8 no-count' from some players here in Sacramento.

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Jeeeezz!!!!!!

nothing is more beautiful when Efren Reyes runs 15 and out giving a guy 15 to 5. Except when he does it a second time as I saw in LA.

Big spot

Big spot

Efren was giving a guy 30 to 8 playing one pocket at Hard Times in Bellflower, CA. And beating him. Of course he wasn't a player but that's still a big spot to give to anyone that can make a few balls.

I've been given 12-4 by CJ Wiley when I first started playing the game. I didn't make a ball at all, needless to say.

I'm not that "great" per se, but I have given 10-6 and won fairly easily...

Grady/one Pocket Spot

Grady/one Pocket Spot

At 6th & Western in L.A. many years ago, I watched Grady giving a guy named Mizerak (not the champion) 12 to 3 for two or three hundred a game. Mizerak broke the balls wide open on his break and made a ball in his hole and after running three, did a few somersaults around the floor. Grady ended up beating him. Maybe he can add to this story if he reads this post.

Not many people remember that Steve Mizerak. He was one of the greatest pool suckers who ever lived. His losses in Gardena playing poker were also the stuff of legends. What Steve would do once or twice a year for quite a while was: He'd find some out of the way pool room where two dollars a game was the normal bet and he'd FORCE some small bettor to win $50,000.
Frisco Jack knew him better than anybody and beat him out of more money than anyone.
I used to play a guy in Detroit 8 to 3 and the break and his scratches didn't count. These modern One Pocket champions can shoulder more weight than I would ever have thought possible. Cliff beat a man who is a solid little player out of $60,000, giving him 9 to 5 and the break. It aint' your Grandpa's One Pocket, baby.

jrhendy said:

At 6th & Western in L.A. many years ago...

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John, I'm not familiar with the room at 6th & Western. Must have been before my time. I played many times at Hollywood & Western, and also at Romey's on 4th & Main. Sounds like 6th & Western must have been quite an action room!

Doc

"Okie Sam" Crotchett, among others, frequented 6th and Western.

6th & Western

6th & Western

gulfportdoc said:

John, I'm not familiar with the room at 6th & Western. Must have been before my time. I played many times at Hollywood & Western, and also at Romey's on 4th & Main. Sounds like 6th & Western must have been quite an action room!

Doc

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This was late 70's to early 80's. Hawaiian Brian & Cecil Tugwell played in there and there were quite a few other pretty good players. It was a tough neighborhood and they finally shut it down. I also played some at Hollywood & Western & 4th & Main. I started going to Hollywwod & Western in the late 50's whenever I put together a little money from a score at my local room. I played Don Willis at 4th & Main in the mid 60's. Didn't know who it was until it was too late. He was being steered around by Dean Chance the baseball player who had won the Cy Young award that year.

Hyd & Western

Hyd & Western

jrhendy said:

This was late 70's to early 80's. Hawaiian Brian & Cecil Tugwell played in there and there were quite a few other pretty good players. It was a tough neighborhood and they finally shut it down. I also played some at Hollywood & Western & 4th & Main. I started going to Hollywwod & Western in the late 50's whenever I put together a little money from a score at my local room. .

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I didn't get to Hyd & Western until the late 60's. I mostly played out of a room in North Hollywood called Chopsticks. Hollywood Jack, Harry the Horse, Louie "The Magic Man" St. Pierre, and other thieves were usually in attendance. I always thought H & W had inferior equipment, but there was a lot of action. They used to have 3C tourneys there as well. I loved the entrance on Western going downstairs past the barbershop. When I got back in the late 70's, Arnie had moved the entrance to the Hollywood Blvd. side. I used to get a kick out of Arn Satin and his grossly obese sidekick (Tiny?). Later I heard that Arnie had become something of a predator on the young runaway chicks seeking their fame in Tinseltown. The little devil... Do you recall who owned the joint in the 50's? Who were some of the players there then?

Doc

Just the other night, I ...........

Just the other night, I ...........

Just 2 nights ago, I gave a fellow (a local whale) 12 to 3, the break and a break scratch didn't count. I also had to play "3 or No Count". We broke even but we are supposed to play again for $500 a game as soon as we can get together and get an open table. With this tourney going on and all the action, we probably won't get to play until Monday or Tuesday. Will let you know, Doc.
TY & GL

Doc...Saw Hollywood Jack recently. He's not doing to well but shows some of his old irrascible self at times. You must remember Ye Olde Billiard Den on Santa Monica Blvd. I saw great 14.1 matches there with Danny Diliberto. Met Marvin Henderson there too. And remembered when Ronnie Allen took off Phil Spector. I myself played Richard Pryor there. All the road players came through. Bernie Schwartz, Hawaiian Brian, Davenport, Richie Florence, Richie Ambrose, Jimmy Reid, etc.

yobagua said:

Doc...Saw Hollywood Jack recently. He's not doing to well but shows some of his old irrascible self at times. You must remember Ye Olde Billiard Den on Santa Monica Blvd. I saw great 14.1 matches there with Danny Diliberto. Met Marvin Henderson there too. And remembered when Ronnie Allen took off Phil Spector. I myself played Richard Pryor there. All the road players came through. Bernie Schwartz, Hawaiian Brian, Davenport, Richie Florence, Richie Ambrose, Jimmy Reid, etc.

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I gotta know, Yo, what did, Pryor and Spector, go off for back then if you don't mind? It is great to see the names you posted. Great memories of great times. I made a lot of money betting on, Bernie Schwartz, when he was in Chicago. The guy played much better than the locals around there thought.

Hollywood & Western in the 50's

Hollywood & Western in the 50's

gulfportdoc said:

I didn't get to Hyd & Western until the late 60's. I mostly played out of a room in North Hollywood called Chopsticks. Hollywood Jack, Harry the Horse, Louie "The Magic Man" St. Pierre, and other thieves were usually in attendance. I always thought H & W had inferior equipment, but there was a lot of action. They used to have 3C tourneys there as well. I loved the entrance on Western going downstairs past the barbershop. When I got back in the late 70's, Arnie had moved the entrance to the Hollywood Blvd. side. I used to get a kick out of Arn Satin and his grossly obese sidekick (Tiny?). Later I heard that Arnie had become something of a predator on the young runaway chicks seeking their fame in Tinseltown. The little devil... Do you recall who owned the joint in the 50's? Who were some of the players there then?

Doc

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I was right out of high school & played pretty good snooker on the 5 x 10. They had a tight 5 x 10 & a 6 x 12. Holywood Jack was the desk man. They had a tournament board with all the regular players names on it. There were maybe three guys I could beat - Feathers, Fitz & George the Drummer. The other guys I remember were Legs, Sleepy Bob, Fat Bill, Okie Sam, Jack Perkins, Dick Henry and Junior (Ronnie Allen). Dick Henry lived almost across the street from me in Monterey Park and was one of the better players before he went back to Colorado. I used to go in with Sleepy Bob playing Perkins one pocket in the back room and never won (hmmm). I used to get weight from Jack, Bob & Bill playing snooker. I shot straighter than Tom Mix but didn't know what a safety was before I started playing these guys. Jack played a terrific safety game of snooker, and I almost always got beat, even with the weight, except when I played the other guys even. I never won betting on the side or going in with anyone. Just bad luck, LOL. I got an education and when I went back to the rooms in Monterey Park & Alhambra I robbed everyone. Some of these guys would go back and forth from LA to San Francisco and Play at Cochran's up there. There were some movie stars that used to come around and they got fleeced pretty good too. Pete Falk was a pool nut and there was a guy named Eddie who was a backup star on a TV show with Richard Chamberlain called Dr. Kildare. This may have been in the early 60's. Eddie had a table at his house & used to take players over & stake and bet on them. He got turned every way but loose and gave up on betting on pool. Of course the good players hit the other rooms too, Romy's, 5th & Spring(The Hole) & other joints all the way to Santa Monica. When Arnie got the place later on, it was more of a three cushion place & I was staying close to home, raising a family and playing at the San Gabriel Bowl or the Golden Cue in Rosemead. Brings back memories.

Pryor started talking to himself and then to the tv and wondered off into the night before finishing the game. It wasnt for much so it was just a pleasure to play him and talk to him. I knew it was a great oppurtunity to meet an original.
I hear Ronnie took Spector for 25K. To Spector it was peanuts. I dont know the particulars. Jimmy Caan used to come in too but he was Brooklyn street smarts. Saw him get the 7 & 8 from Diliberto cheap. Course he had no chance. But Jimmy could swing some.
Hey John do you remember a straight pool player they called Engineer Bob? I saw him play some tremendous games with Diliberto for $600 a game. Big money in the 60's. Played a lot at Ye Billiard Den on Santa Monica

yobagua said:

Pryor started talking to himself and then to the tv and wondered off into the night before finishing the game. It wasnt for much so it was just a pleasure to play him and talk to him. I knew it was a great oppurtunity to meet an original.
I hear Ronnie took Spector for 25K. To Spector it was peanuts. I dont know the particulars. Jimmy Caan used to come in too but he was Brooklyn street smarts. Saw him get the 7 & 8 from Diliberto cheap. Course he had no chance. But Jimmy could swing some.
Hey John do you remember a straight pool player they called Engineer Bob? I saw him play some tremendous games with Diliberto for $600 a game. Big money in the 60's. Played a lot at Ye Billiard Den on Santa Monica

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Thanks, Yo. I had heard tales of, Spector, going off. Only question I have is, did, Pryor, leave it on the light when he wandered off in the night, LOL?

Ye Billiard Den

Ye Billiard Den

yobagua said:

Pryor started talking to himself and then to the tv and wondered off into the night before finishing the game. It wasnt for much so it was just a pleasure to play him and talk to him. I knew it was a great oppurtunity to meet an original.
I hear Ronnie took Spector for 25K. To Spector it was peanuts. I dont know the particulars. Jimmy Caan used to come in too but he was Brooklyn street smarts. Saw him get the 7 & 8 from Diliberto cheap. Course he had no chance. But Jimmy could swing some.
Hey John do you remember a straight pool player they called Engineer Bob? I saw him play some tremendous games with Diliberto for $600 a game. Big money in the 60's. Played a lot at Ye Billiard Den on Santa Monica

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I heard about him but never got down that way too much. I lived the other side of LA(San Gabriel Valley) & there were so many places to play you couldn't get to them all. They also had a Billiard Den in El Monte that had a little action. I was still playing mostly golf & snooker. It was either Ye Billiard Den or House of Billiards where I met Brooklyn Butch, if you remember him.