SpaethHOF

The

One Pocket

Hall of Fame

Is pleased to honor

Gary

Spaeth

Legends of

Bank Pool

Class of 2005

b. Dec 7, 1954 d. Dec 16, 2000

Gary Spaeth grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and was introduced to pool at a very early age by his father, Joey 'Cincinnati Kid' Spaeth, who just happened to be a Johnston City and Stardust regular. Joey Spaeth was one of the top after-hours players of the mid-west and he introduced Gary not only to the finer arts of pool, but also to its subculture, including many of the great players of the day. All of this combined to give the young Gary a top-notch education in high caliber pool action.

Gary won several major Bank Pool tournament titles, including:

1986 Clyde Childress Memorial Bank Pool Division
Chicago Billiard Café tournament

Gary played in the first two Derby City Classic events, but he succumbed to leukemia December 16th, 2000 at just 46 years old.

Gary showing his winning form at the Clyde Childress tournament

Bill Porter photos

Gary is congratulated by runner-up Wade Crane on his victory in the

Banks division of the 1986 Clyde Childress Memorial torunament.

That is Pat Fleming at the mic.

Bill Porter photo

Gary at a 1982 Dayton Ohio tournament.

Standing behind him, with his hand on his hip, is his father Joey Spaeth.

This is a cropped version of one of Bill Porter's photos

Click here to see the full original

A few words from Sherm Adamson about Gary...

Here’s a story you may be able to use. I took Gary to Chicago for the "Chicago Bumps" tournament in November of 1986. It was an eventful trip! Gary had won the last 2 major Bank Pool tournaments and I really thought he was the best Bank Pool player on earth at that time! The tourney was Saturday and Sunday, we drove up to Chicago Friday early looking for some action. We quite frankly were on "short money" leaving home with a little over a grand. One thing about Gary, he played much better on my money than his own! We had an arrangement. When we left town on a road trip, I gave Gary my bank roll to count. When we got back home, we counted it again and split whatever we were ahead. We seldom came up dry and were never busted! The closest we came was the second part of this story, but let me start at the beginning!

We spent most of Friday evening trying to shake loose some action at Chris's and then back at the Chicago Billiard Cafe, where the tourney was being held. Gary was too well known to get any easy action, but finally...

Continued on Gary Spaeth HOF page 2

Click here for Gary Spaeth HOF page 2

including photos from Gary's Hall of Fame induction banquet and more old photos of Gary!

All B&W photos courtesy of Bill Porter, and are used here with his permission.

If you would like to comment on this feature, or contribute any Gary Spaeth stories of your own, please Contact Us, or visit the OnePocket.org Message Board.

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