I am either a...

fred bentivegna

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Real balls of course

Real balls of course

Wow! A 2.5 x 5. I never heard of one. Sounds like a toy table. Did they use regular size balls? I would love to see a picture of that table. I've played a lot on the 3 x 6 that we called the postage stamp.

Real balls. Real size balls. And usually the big cueball. I always wondered why so few people ever mention the crackerboxes. It must have been a local phenomenon, Chicago or mid-west only.
Got to thinking, they would probably be a collectors item today. Great basement table since you didnt need much space to put them in.

Plenty of big table players got broke trying to play on them.

Beard
 

RedCard

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I just had to use the quotation marks one time. Calired is a riot, isn't he? I never knew about five footers either. I've seen great legendary matches on the 7, 8, and 9 footers. The cream always seemed to rise to the top. I have played money matches on all three in the same day. Made little difference to me. I threw the red card on all three of them too. How do you remember Marvins character in that movie, RedCard?? Did you have a crush on Jane like I did?? You did didn't you??? I loved that bitch till she started pitching for the other team. Dobie Gillis was in that flick too. Remember Hickman? Remember M-Sqad with Lee Marvin?? Precious Memories, how they linger. Now I got to go get myself off while listening to some David Allan Coe Underground Music and fantasize about giving a young Jane Fonda a pearl necklace and a prefontal lobotomy at the same time.

I remember Kid Shelleen dead drunk in the saddle propped up against the side of a building when he's supposed to be helping avert Jane Fonda's (pre-North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gunner version) hanging . She's been beautiful right through but her appearance for the cameras in the saddle of that gun is the defining moment of her life. She's tried to walk it back but with no success, her excuses have been pitiful. However...hard not to love something that could look like Barbarella.
 

bstroud

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I played a lot on 3 1/2 x 7 bar tables with the big ball.
Never booked one loser and played everyone that wanted to play. Gave Billy I. 2 breaks out of 3 and beat him in the bar katty-cornered from the Golden eight ball in Chicago.

Surfer and I used to play eight ball and one pocket on one for 2 or 3 hundred a game in the early 60's.

The 3x6 was a different question. I simply could not play well on one.
Puckett on the other hand (we were traveling together at the time) would just rob everyone he played. Go figure.

Bill Stroud
 

SJDinPHX

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1p on a 3 1/2 x 7 must be tough

Surfer Rod and I used to play all games, including full rack One Pocket, on a 3' X 6' with the "bowling ball" cue ball. They were called 'cracker boxes' in Texas and throughout the south...There were many more of them, than 3 1/2 X 7's...I got to playing pretty decent on them..out of necessity..:p

By the way Mr. Stroud, Before we became friends...Puckett could not beat me on them, or any other size table...He could never beat the Surfer, either...Who I batted 1000% against, in about 25 or 30 plays..:cool:

The 'Braggin' Duck <---two (or more) can play that game..:D

PS..Don't think I've ever seen a 2 1/2' X 5', Freddy...Did they have "cardboard" bed's, instead of slate ?..:lol
(I sure hope I didn't crank up ER again).. :sorry
 
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fred bentivegna

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Quotient up, up

Quotient up, up

Surfer Rod and I used to play all games, including full rack One Pocket, on a 3' X 6' with the "bowling ball" cue ball. They were called 'cracker boxes' in Texas and throughout the south...I got to playing pretty decent on them..out of necessity..:p

By the way Mr. Stroud, Before we became friends...Puckett could not beat me on them, or any other size table...He could never beat the Surfer, either...Who I batted 1000 against, in about 25 or 30 plays..:cool:

The 'Braggin' Duck <---two (or more) can play that game..:D

PS..Don't think I've ever seen a 2 1/2' X 5'...Did they have "cardboard" bed's, instead of slate, Fred ?...:lol :sorry

Since the cease fire, your "brag quotient" has gone up exponentially. No matter, I always thought for a pool player to denounce the brag was on a par with an alky marching and protesting with Carrie Nation anyway. You and I could never catch up to brother Bill anyway.

The 2 1/2 x 5 was the first table to hit the bars. I dont even remember who made them. I dont think it was Valley. It would be interesting to find out just who started that trend, and whatever happened to those tables. The precursor to them in the bars were the bumper pool tables.

Back then there were 2 hillbillies, Gilbert McNutt and Sonny Garrison who made a bushel of money on them beating good, dumb, big table players before those guys caught on to the equipment. Gilbert and Sonny were just average shortstops on big tables, but beat guys like Detroit Whitey and Cornbread on the crackerboxes before everybody wised up.

Beard

Well you got me started, and so I am going to post my old Sonny Garrison Stick-up story next.
 

fred bentivegna

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This is the stick up story

This is the stick up story

A lot of years back when I was hustling pool. This bird dog brought me to a bar spot to hustle some pool. A bird-dog is a guy that goes around sniffing out action spots and then he brings a player back with him to take the spot off. Sometimes they're also called steer men or backers because they put the money up for you to play with. His name was, Little Johnny, he was a stone creep, but I was dead broke and desperate for action so I went with him. So Johnny brings me to this place and inside the joint there's an old time bar pool champion. Now I knew this guy but he didn't know me, because I was only an up and coming player at that time. The players name was Sonny Garrison.

We started playing nine ball on the bar table, and he starts off playing real good but he couldn't keep that kind of pace up anymore, and I wind up breaking him. It was a real nice score back then, $800. He paid off with a lot of 5's, 10's, and 20's. It was over, so the steer man and I leave the place. Sonny follows us outside and he suddenly pulls out a .45, cocks it in my stomach and tells me to give him the money, so I reach in my front pocket and pull out a package of money and I hand it to him. He pushes the gun deeper into my stomach and says, "Give me all the money".

This was not an inexperienced stick up man. So I reach into my left front pocket and give him another package of money. With this he's satisfied and he lets us go and he takes off the other way.

Now we're walking down the street, my backer and I, and he hails down a passing squad car. He calls them over and he tells the coppers that we just got stuck up. He told them who it was. He was very excited and upset. Now I wasn't all that upset at the guy, even though he emptied out two pockets of money from me. You see, I was already a turned out hustler in those days, I was prepared for any contingency, and so I had money in three pockets! And as a matter of fact, the majority of the bankroll was in the third pocket. This information I did not share with Little Johnny.

So, the bottom line was, I was still pretty good ahead. I wasn't stuck at all. What the guy really stole was the steer man's money. My end and my litttle bankroll was still nicely intact in my back pocket.

Anyway, later we got called down to the station, they had picked this guy up. He was in the office with the lieutenant and the lieutenant was talking to him. They called me into the office and the lieutenant said that he had heard a different story from Sonny. And that Sonny's story was that he didn't stick me up with a gun but that he stuck me up with a pool stick! He said that what really happened was that he beat me fair and square playing pool, and that I was just a sore loser.

Well now I was mad, I didn't care so much that he had put a gun on me, because like I said before, I wound up ahead of the game. But when he started saying he could beat me playing pool I really got upset, because I had robbed him. I shot his nuts out. I murdered this guy. So when the lieutenant says to me, "Well now, I don't know who to believe ... two different stories". That's when I stood up and said , "Listen, what we can do, this will settle it, he and I and you will go down to the poolroom and we'll play a race to eleven nine-ball. Eleven out of twenty one nine ball, and the loser goes to the shit house! Then we can see about who beat who and who robbed who.

Anyway the cops , heh heh, didn't take me up on the offer and sort of let it go, and I never did show up for the court date, nothing happened to him and I never did see the guy again after that.

Beard
 

SJDinPHX

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Anyway, later we got called down to the station, they had picked this guy up. He was in the office with the lieutenant and the lieutenant was talking to him...Well now I was mad, I didn't care so much that he had put a gun on me, because like I said before, I wound up ahead of the game. But when he started saying he could beat me playing pool I really got upset, because I had robbed him. I shot his nuts out. I murdered this guy . So when the lieutenant says to me, "Well now, I don't know who to believe ... two different stories". That's when I stood up and said , "Listen, what we can do, this will settle it, he and I and you will go down to the poolroom and we'll play a race to eleven nine-ball. Eleven out of twenty one nine ball, and the loser goes to the shit house! Then we can see about who beat who and who robbed who.

Anyway the cops , heh heh, didn't take me up on the offer and sort of let it go, and I never did show up for the court date, nothing happened to him and I never did see the guy again after that.

Beard

Great story Beardmonster...But, I've told you, at least a billion times, never to exagerate...:frus
 
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wincardona

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Dallas Tx.
I played a lot on 3 1/2 x 7 bar tables with the big ball.
Never booked one loser and played everyone that wanted to play. Gave Billy I. 2 breaks out of 3 and beat him in the bar katty-cornered from the Golden eight ball in Chicago.

Surfer and I used to play eight ball and one pocket on one for 2 or 3 hundred a game in the early 60's.

The 3x6 was a different question. I simply could not play well on one.
Puckett on the other hand (we were traveling together at the time) would just rob everyone he played. Go figure.

Bill Stroud

Bill, wow, either my memory is really fading or you are the best ever. I don't remember getting two out of three breaks from any one on a bar table ever, even when I was eighteen. What were we playing , straight pool?

You're a funny guy, really, I have developed a weird kind of love for your tall tales and yes you amuse me. I know i'm not offending you and I also know what ever I have to say you'll brush right off, considering how you handled Artie, and Fred's attacks. I'm already on your beat list playing all games, and now you want me to accept losing with two out of three breaks.:lol

Would you be so kind to give me your opinion just one more time? When we were both playing our best what would I need in all games to have a chance?:D

Billy I.
 

androd

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Bill, wow, either my memory is really fading or you are the best ever. I don't remember getting two out of three breaks from any one on a bar table ever, even when I was eighteen. What were we playing , straight pool?

You're a funny guy, really, I have developed a weird kind of love for your tall tales and yes you amuse me. I know i'm not offending you and I also know what ever I have to say you'll brush right off, considering how you handled Artie, and Fred's attacks. I'm already on your beat list playing all games, and now you want me to accept losing with two out of three breaks.:lol

Would you be so kind to give me your opinion just one more time? When we were both playing our best what would I need in all games to have a chance?:D

Billy I.

A little more of an inflated ego and a convenient memory and you could of won every game. :lol
Rod.
 

CaliRed

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I know i'm not offending you and I also know what ever I have to say you'll brush right off, considering how you handled Artie, and Fred's attacks.

Billy I.

You do have to give Bill credit in that department. I have never seen anyone in all of my time on the Internet (we're talking about 18 or so years) that has been able to just brush off whatever anyone ever says to him and just continue on with the same matter of fact bragging, not missing a beat.:)

And we're talking some nasty attacks... didn't even seem to make his heart rate go up one iota. He is one cool dude:D Or quite possibly, he's fooling all of us and he has everyone on ignore except himself.:D
 

SJDinPHX

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You do have to give Bill credit in that department. I have never seen anyone in all of my time on the Internet (we're talking about 18 or so years) that has been able to just brush off whatever anyone ever says to him and just continue on with the same matter of fact bragging, not missing a beat.:)

And we're talking some nasty attacks... didn't even seem to make his heart rate go up one iota. He is one cool dude:D Or quite possibly, he's fooling all of us and he has everyone on ignore except himself.

Gregger's

I have the distinguished honor, of being the only one Mr. Stroud ever admited to losing to, at ANYTHING,...Of course, he prefaced it by saying it was "before he really learned to play one pocket", (which neither of us could even 'spell' at that time)

I also don't remember him beating me playing 9 ball, as he said happened before, or after, he lost playing 1P...But thats OK...We were both too young to really remember all the details of our first meeting in Denver. (sometime before Colorado had gained statehood)

All I know is, he was eager to hook up with me, and head for Johnston City...Had we not broke down en route, I am sure one of us, or both, would have booked a few losers, in 1962 or '63, or whenever it was we went.

Theres nothing wrong with an inflated ego...Most pool players have it in spades...However, lets keep it real Billy.... Surely someone must have beat you, at something, somewhere, sometime... :rolleyes:

PS..Your admission that U.J. played better than you on the 'Cracker Boxes', should say something...Puckett could never beat a top shelf player at anything. (but he was a lot of fun to be around, wasn't he ?)... :p

PPS...Gregger's, I see you have been promoted..Congratulations...Boy, Steve knows real talent when he sees it...:D

View attachment 4147
 
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Frank Almanza

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Upland, California
Someone needs to start an official "beat List" thread so that we can compare who beat who. My beat list is a very silent one, but I do get offended when I appear on a list that is untrue.
 

SJDinPHX

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Someone needs to start an official "beat List" thread so that we can compare who beat who. My beat list is a very silent one, but I do get offended when I appear on a list that is untrue.

Frank, Surely you remember when I gave you the 5,6,7,8,9 and all the breaks, and beat you for $650,000
at $25,000/$50,000 a game...It was in San Jose, back in 1935, I think...Things get a little sketchy at times...Can
you fill me in on the details..?... I am suffering from terminal C.R.S.(Can't Remember Shit) but I recall it like it was yesterday, don't you ?...:D

PS..Sound familiar Frank ?... It is ALL pool player's true [sic] life story. (with a ghost writer, of course)...Thats why I'm never going to write a book...No one would believe how much money I won, while NEVER, ever booking a loser ...:rolleyes:
 
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CaliRed

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Gregger's

I have the distinguished honor, of being the only one Mr. Stroud ever admited to losing to, at ANYTHING,...Of course, he prefaced it by saying it was "before he really learned to play one pocket", (which neither of us could even 'spell' at that time)

I also don't remember him beating me playing 9 ball, as he said happened before, or after, he lost playing 1P...But thats OK...We were both too young to really remember all the details of our first meeting in Denver. (sometime before Colorado had gained statehood)

All I know is, he was eager to hook up with me, and head for Johnston City...Had we not broke down en route, I am sure one of us, or both, would have booked a few losers, in 1962 or '63, or whenever it was we went.

Theres nothing wrong with an inflated ego...Most pool players have it in spades...However, lets keep it real Billy.... Surely someone must have beat you, at something, somewhere, sometime...

PS..Your admission that U.J. played better than you on the 'Cracker Boxes', should say something...Puckett could never beat a top shelf player at anything. (but he was a lot of fun to be around, wasn't he ?)...

I'll be the first to say, I don't see anything wrong with a pool player bragging a bit, after all we spend a lot of time telling everyone how BAD we play in order to get a good game:D

But that's the funny part. When we could play, we would say we can't play. When we can't play now, we tell everyone how good we did play.:lol

And as with all of being human (I think), there are some of us, that really like to brag, some of us that brag every now and then, and then some of us that have to be coaxed into even spitting anything that even resembles a brag.:)

Going even further, there are some people that have the talent to really brag it up, but make us like it, others that brag it up and make us want to puke. So there is a certain "way" of bragging that makes the excessive bragger come across as enjoyable, then again, he could also come across as extremely annoying.

Now the part that confounds me is the ones that will never admit to losing at anything. I believe that the only time you can say you "beat" someone, is if you have played them at LEAST several times and you came out on top. All these brags where someone said they beat someone 1 time, I feel should have a asterisk next to it and really doesn't tell us anything. I mean it could have been a race to 3, or the guy could have been drunk off his ass, or they could have had one arm in a sling, or it could have been for 10 bucks, or they could have been trying to lay down a lemon in hopes of busting you, but then they figured out that was a waste of time and they quit or you quit.

On a final note, the absolute worst bragging is done by the people that, no matter what you're talking about, they brag about how they did it even better. This goes in line with the know it alls, that no matter what you talk about, they know all about that subject too, or if you tell a story, they feel the need to tell another one that try to top yours.

DaDuck said:
PPS...Gregger's, I see you have been promoted..Congratulations...Boy, Steve knows real talent when he sees it...:D

I guess I accidentally posted under greg the other day, as I've been logged in so much due to the upgrade that I forgot. It's been almost a year and I haven't' slipped up once, so I guess I got careless.

And yes, he does know real talent when he sees it, because I am damn good at many areas in the computer world. (Damn, I believe I just bragged... hey, that kinda feels good)

It takes a lot of trust to allow someone the keys to everything, especially with all the blood and sweat he's poured into this place. It's a big decision and I know that I am trustworthy, careful and can really do a lot of good stuff, so I know he made a good decision and I know I won't disappoint him either. (Damn, I believe I just bragged again... this is starting to get addictive)

As far as that picture, I'll remember that one, that was low. You got one coming your way;)
 

Guest

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I'll be the first to say, I don't see anything wrong with a pool player bragging a bit, after all we spend a lot of time telling everyone how BAD we play in order to get a good game:D

But that's the funny part. When we could play, we would say we can't play. When we can't play now, we tell everyone how good we did play.:lol

And as with all of being human (I think), there are some of us, that really like to brag, some of us that brag every now and then, and then some of us that have to be coaxed into even spitting anything that even resembles a brag.:)

Going even further, there are some people that have the talent to really brag it up, but make us like it, others that brag it up and make us want to puke. So there is a certain "way" of bragging that makes the excessive bragger come across as enjoyable, then again, he could also come across as extremely annoying.

Now the part that confounds me is the ones that will never admit to losing at anything. I believe that the only time you can say you "beat" someone, is if you have played them at LEAST several times and you came out on top. All these brags where someone said they beat someone 1 time, I feel should have a asterisk next to it and really doesn't tell us anything. I mean it could have been a race to 3, or the guy could have been drunk off his ass, or they could have had one arm in a sling, or it could have been for 10 bucks, or they could have been trying to lay down a lemon in hopes of busting you, but then they figured out that was a waste of time and they quit or you quit.

On a final note, the absolute worst bragging is done by the people that, no matter what you're talking about, they brag about how they did it even better. This goes in line with the know it alls, that no matter what you talk about, they know all about that subject too, or if you tell a story, they feel the need to tell another one that try to top yours.



I guess I accidentally posted under greg the other day, as I've been logged in so much due to the upgrade that I forgot. It's been almost a year and I haven't' slipped up once, so I guess I got careless.

And yes, he does know real talent when he sees it, because I am damn good at many areas in the computer world. (Damn, I believe I just bragged... hey, that kinda feels good)

It takes a lot of trust to allow someone the keys to everything, especially with all the blood and sweat he's poured into this place. It's a big decision and I know that I am trustworthy, careful and can really do a lot of good stuff, so I know he made a good decision and I know I won't disappoint him either. (Damn, I believe I just bragged again... this is starting to get addictive)

As far as that picture, I'll remember that one, that was low. You got one coming your way;)


Cali, thanks for the wonderful upgrade. I especially like the adorable new emoticons. Oh, and I appreciate the email I received about my PM box being 95% full.

Clare

P.S. I happen to like geeks. I think Ducky might be jealous.:lol
 

jtompilot

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Feb 17, 2009
Messages
5,797
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New Orleans
Frank, Surely you remember when I gave you the 5,6,7,8,9 and all the breaks, and beat you for $650,000
at $25,000/$50,000 a game...It was in San Jose, back in 1935, I think...Things get a little sketchy at times...Can
you fill me in on the details..?... I am suffering from terminal C.R.S.(Can't Remember Shit) but I recall it like it was yesterday, don't you ?...:D

PS..Sound familiar Frank ?... It is ALL pool player's true [sic] life story. (with a ghost writer, of course)...Thats why I'm never going to write a book...No one would believe how much money I won, while NEVER, ever booking a loser ...:rolleyes:

Well I gave this women Jackie the 2 and out, the breakes. Race to 5. I won the hill game.
 

vapros

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May 24, 2004
Messages
4,806
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baton rouge, la
Mr. Duck - I'm sure most of us would believe your tales of dragon-slaying and tax collection as gospel. Just show us the money. :D
 

fred bentivegna

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Feb 2, 2005
Messages
6,690
From
chicago illinois
Never forget...

Never forget...

I'll be the first to say, I don't see anything wrong with a pool player bragging a bit, after all we spend a lot of time telling everyone how BAD we play in order to get a good game:D

But that's the funny part. When we could play, we would say we can't play. When we can't play now, we tell everyone how good we did play.:lol...
...Going even further, there are some people that have the talent to really brag it up, but make us like it, others that brag it up and make us want to puke. So there is a certain "way" of bragging that makes the excessive bragger come across as enjoyable, then again, he could also come across as extremely annoying.

Now the part that confounds me is the ones that will never admit to losing at anything. I believe that the only time you can say you "beat" someone, is if you have played them at LEAST several times and you came out on top. All these brags where someone said they beat someone 1 time, I feel should have a asterisk next to it and really doesn't tell us anything. I mean it could have been a race to 3, or the guy could have been drunk off his ass, or they could have had one arm in a sling, or it could have been for 10 bucks, or they could have been trying to lay down a lemon in hopes of busting you, but then they figured out that was a waste of time and they quit or you quit...

...What the great Dizzy Dean once said about bragging...

Beard

By the way, Greg. I will leave it up to you as to whether or not I should put an asterisk next to your name on my b... list.
 

MARK..HOU TX

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A smaller playing surface than all of the aforementioned surfaces.. MARBLES!!..I was a run out Marble Player..I'm not gonna lie though..I could not draw my rock :(:D
 
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