Players, Hustlers,Stakehorses and others

baby huey

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Oct 29, 2008
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1,950
Pool in LA during the 1960's was an amazing scene. You couldn't drive for more than 10 minutes without spotting a pool room. I mean all over the city. In the black neighborhoods, there was a 3 - 4 table room every block. In the mexican neighborhoods there were even more rooms. You could get in and get out with the cash. The bars were a different story. You had to be careful in bars. Suckers in bars are a different animal. They get edgy when they lose cause they weren't used to seeing players run out. And the drinking made them invincible. I never liked to hustle in bars but to keep money in my pocket I had to. That's why there were so many top players who only played the bars because of the loose money to be won and never went to the pool room. Sergio and Mario were great bar players who never would be seen in a pool room. But in the bars, you had to have backup. Some of the great back up men were in LA. They were super tough guys who got 20% for being there with you. My favorite was big Lloyd. You could go on forever about the great back up men around the pool room and bars. Another story for another time.
 

jrhendy

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Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
5,717
From
Placerville, CA
Pool in LA during the 1960's was an amazing scene. You couldn't drive for more than 10 minutes without spotting a pool room. I mean all over the city. In the black neighborhoods, there was a 3 - 4 table room every block. In the mexican neighborhoods there were even more rooms. You could get in and get out with the cash. The bars were a different story. You had to be careful in bars. Suckers in bars are a different animal. They get edgy when they lose cause they weren't used to seeing players run out. And the drinking made them invincible. I never liked to hustle in bars but to keep money in my pocket I had to. That's why there were so many top players who only played the bars because of the loose money to be won and never went to the pool room. Sergio and Mario were great bar players who never would be seen in a pool room. But in the bars, you had to have backup. Some of the great back up men were in LA. They were super tough guys who got 20% for being there with you. My favorite was big Lloyd. You could go on forever about the great back up men around the pool room and bars. Another story for another time.

I went to high school with Big Lloyd. 6'10" and 275 with no fat. He was an iron worker and stayed fit. Lloyd was married to a little Armenian gal who would give him hell when we would come rolling in after playing pool all night. Lloyd had an almost new caddie and we hustled in style.

He had a little beer bar in Temple City for a while called the Gold Digger. Lots of action there for a while. Some of the Jockey's from Santa Anita would be in there from time to time. I remember beating one of the Valenzuela's out of $50 playing eight ball one time and Lloyd told me to keep my eye on him or he would sucker punch me.

Lloyd loved pool but was not a good player. Last I heard he was living in Boise, ID.
 
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Mike

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May 25, 2004
Messages
222
Joe veasy and Peter Rabbit both played by me when I was a kid. Would love to hear a veasy story!

Btw- yes bill, Peter Gunn passed. His son is a friend of mine who believe it or not, protected a president for 8 years. (Clinton)

I played Veasy some knock rummy at Tacony Billiards a few years ago. During the game he was telling me all the stories about playing rummy with all the old time Atlantic mobsters and taking their money. He didn't know a lick about the game and I beat him so bad he threw the cards and the money at me. He didn't talk to me for some time and accused me of cheating.

I lend Rabbit money many times and never got stiffed. I had to wait quite a while at times but he always paid. He carried a list and when he made a score he would look you up and pay. He was a degenerate horse player.

One thing he did do that's a good idea is to buy a card and send himself some money if he scored and was away from home. Great guy for a poolroom.
 

stedyfred

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Apr 13, 2012
Messages
197
Rabbit won some money at the casino in AC and went to gift shop to send himself a card through the mail with $ in it; then he went back to casino floor and lost and was trying to get into mail box to retrieve the card and $. We asked him about sending the money to himself through the mail and was he afraid that it would get lost and he said that he liked those chances better than gambling at the casino. He was a funny guy and gr8 to be around.
 

jrhendy

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May 24, 2004
Messages
5,717
From
Placerville, CA
I gamble with a player from San Francisco who is a real character. He is a good one pocket player who plays a lot of Pai Gow Poker. He called me from the card room one time a couple years back and wanted to play before he lost all the $$ back.

We agreed to meet at California Billiards in Mountain View. He showed up in a Taxicab he had taken from San Francisco. Guess he liked the game.:D

He had me 5/4 going to 6 for a nice bet when karaoke started. We did not know it was karaoke night and it was loud. I could see it was bothering him more than me. I laid my cue on the table and asked him if we could quit for a while while I sang a couple tunes. :eek:

He declined and I ended up winning 6/5 and gave him a ride to the train station.:lol
 

Dudley

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Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
756
From
San Jose, CA
I gamble with a player from San Francisco who is a real character. He is a good one pocket player who plays a lot of Pai Gow Poker. He called me from the card room one time a couple years back and wanted to play before he lost all the $$ back.

We agreed to meet at California Billiards in Mountain View. He showed up in a Taxicab he had taken from San Francisco. Guess he liked the game.:D

He had me 5/4 going to 6 for a nice bet when karaoke started. We did not know it was karaoke night and it was loud. I could see it was bothering him more than me. I laid my cue on the table and asked him if we could quit for a while while I sang a couple tunes. :eek:

He declined and I ended up winning 6/5 and gave him a ride to the train station.:lol


I remember that night... A couple songs are etched in my brain. I happened to be there.

Especially a unique version of a song from phantom of the opera!!

My buddy has a recording of it on his phone.

A very memorable evening for sure.

It took some mental power to keep your focus.. lol

Dudley
 

onepocket926

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Joined
Apr 11, 2006
Messages
744
From
Anderson, CA
I remember that night... A couple songs are etched in my brain. I happened to be there.

Especially a unique version of a song from phantom of the opera!!

My buddy has a recording of it on his phone.

A very memorable evening for sure.

It took some mental power to keep your focus.. lol

Dudley

.....in the 60's...playing at the Billiard Palace in Bellflower, Ca......if You wanted to gamble...there were two tables that most players wanted to play on...those particular tables were located in front of the juke box...(and reserved as action tables by the House Man)....

.....so You were constantly barraged with loud music.....there were no remote speakers...and all the sound came directly from the box...and loud enough to be heard across the pool room.....there were people constantly walking back and forth...talking, arguing and shouting across the room.....:frus

.....it was the same scenario and somewhat worse in the bar scenes.....especially during after hours...play......so You learned to play thru it...or You didn't play.....a lot of Players used that to their advantage...and insisted on those tables....;)
 

Frank Almanza

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Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
2,569
From
Upland, California
I went to high school with Big Lloyd. 6'10" and 275 with no fat. He was an iron worker and stayed fit. Lloyd was married to a little Armenian gal who would give him hell when we would come rolling in after playing pool all night. Lloyd had an almost new caddie and we hustled in style.

He had a little beer bar in Temple City for a while called the Gold Digger. Lots of action there for a while. Some of the Jockey's from Santa Anita would be in there from time to time. I remember beating one of the Valenzuela's out of $50 playing eight ball one time and Lloyd told me to keep my eye on him or he would sucker punch me.

Lloyd loved pool but was not a good player. Last I heard he was living in Boise, ID.

I always thought his name was Gary? Of course I have a bad memory.
 

jrhendy

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Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
5,717
From
Placerville, CA
.....in the 60's...playing at the Billiard Palace in Bellflower, Ca......if You wanted to gamble...there were two tables that most players wanted to play on...those particular tables were located in front of the juke box...(and reserved as action tables by the House Man)....

.....so You were constantly barraged with loud music.....there were no remote speakers...and all the sound came directly from the box...and loud enough to be heard across the pool room.....there were people constantly walking back and forth...talking, arguing and shouting across the room.....:frus

.....it was the same scenario and somewhat worse in the bar scenes.....especially during after hours...play......so You learned to play thru it...or You didn't play.....a lot of Players used that to their advantage...and insisted on those tables....;)

I expect you remember Heart Attack Jack. He dragged me out of the Billiard Palace one night to go play Little Jeff in a bar in Orange County called the Humdinger.

There was loud music and a semi nude dancer within 15 feet of the table. I couldn't make a ball and we went off. Jack was a semi nut hunter and didn't take me anywhere after that.:D
 

onepocket926

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Joined
Apr 11, 2006
Messages
744
From
Anderson, CA
I expect you remember Heart Attack Jack. He dragged me out of the Billiard Palace one night to go play Little Jeff in a bar in Orange County called the Humdinger.

There was loud music and a semi nude dancer within 15 feet of the table. I couldn't make a ball and we went off. Jack was a semi nut hunter and didn't take me anywhere after that.:D

....I remember both Jack and the Humdinger........

.....the more pleasant of the memories was of the Humdinger.....;)....

......Jack was a pretty tough....guy...I think that whole...."Heart Attack Jack"....had more to do with the way he acted when He got pissed....:lol....it always looked like He should be having a Heart Attack....:lol.....

......I don't recall Him loosing many arguments....:heh

......when I left So. Cal....I went to Santa Rosa, CA...beat a bar owner out a pretty good stack....He owned a Topless Bar (the only one North of SF)....so He hired Me...and I played out of there for about 3 years....titties in My face every night....I learned to see past them...but, if I was playing someone...I'd always call the Girls over to discuss work related stuff (...:heh ....:heh ...)....not many beat Me while I was working there....:D
 

jrhendy

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Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
5,717
From
Placerville, CA
....I remember both Jack and the Humdinger........

.....the more pleasant of the memories was of the Humdinger.....;)....

......Jack was a pretty tough....guy...I think that whole...."Heart Attack Jack"....had more to do with the way he acted when He got pissed....:lol....it always looked like He should be having a Heart Attack....:lol.....

......I don't recall Him loosing many arguments....:heh

......when I left So. Cal....I went to Santa Rosa, CA...beat a bar owner out a pretty good stack....He owned a Topless Bar (the only one North of SF)....so He hired Me...and I played out of there for about 3 years....titties in My face every night....I learned to see past them...but, if I was playing someone...I'd always call the Girls over to discuss work related stuff (...:heh ....:heh ...)....not many beat Me while I was working there....:D

Jack was quite a guy. He did have a bypass operation long after he had the nickname Heart Attack Jack.

He was in Darby's Rangers in WW2. Said when they crashed the beach in North Africa with those 20 inchers coming in you were pretty happy to make it to the next day. He said they ran around with Colt 45 ACP's sidearms and Thompson submachine guns. When they were off duty they terrorized the bars and towns and got away with it. They were considered to be the best of the best (Jack's words), and the army's first ranger unit.

Jack was about 5'7" and 250lbs. You are right, he did not lose many arguments. He loved pool, mostly one pocket and golf on a snooker table, and staked quite a few road players that came through.
 
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