LeCue and Big Train

androd

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LeCue and Big Train


First time I saw Grady.
I came in the LeCue at my regular time, this goofy looking guy came to me

nodding his head up and down, said $20 one pocket. Rack'em

I won the flip, broke'em well, won the 1st game.

He broke'em well, couple of moves and he runs 6 balls, get's straight on the

9ball. (see diagram below) Tries to make the 9ball, have the CB hop up on the
rail and roll out for position.

It works fine except the 9ball double's the pocket and comes back to my
side.
Luckily I ran out.

Greg came over and told Grady "That's all" " I'd shoot at a white flag in war
time, even I wouldn't have shot at that"

Greg held out his hand and got whatever money was left from Grady.
Game over.

The 1st and only time I ever saw Greg stake anyone, the guy's around the

room said Greg had busted Grady early that morning. Grady must have been a

hell of a salesman to move greg to part with his cash.

The rest of the story.
Pool was slow, everyone drinking coffee and BSing, Grady now one of the
guys.
He gets up to go to the restroom and as he leaves, his notebook falls out of his
pocket.

Dottie, Jersey Red's wife pick it up, opens it and says to everyone look at this.
Grady had diagramed that shot and in Large letters and underlined, it said,
Never shoot this shot on case Money.

 

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androd

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Greg and credit.

I was on the way into the LeCue, stopped at an action spot kinda on the way.
Greg was playing the owner $40 a game, 15/3 and the break.
Chester Truelove/ Trueluck (whatever his name was) from Oklahoma was staking him.

Chester owned a pool room and had brought One eyed Tony to Houston hustling pool.
They didn't last long, Greg torched Tony and Chester Quit and said I'd like to stake you Greg.

Greg said I've a spot we can go. Away to 19th Street and began playing Joe Hopkus.
After I got there Greg lost the second game to Joe and began playing # 3.
Greg lost that one also and Chester quit, said I want to stake you but not this game.

I had $60 in my pocket, I said go ahead Greg I'll stake it, Then I bet one of the crowd $20 and had him put up.
Well we got lucky, Greg got a gear and won 6 straight. My side bettor quit and they raised the bet to $50 in the middle.

When the smoke cleared we were $3280 winner, It was now Saturday AM, I gave Greg a ride downtown to LeCue and we sat
in the car to whack the money.
During the game Joe brought up $800 that Greg owed him, from some gambling, staking, whatever kind of deal. I told Greg,
just pay him off. We did and Joe kept playing. Those were the days when everyone was wired and inspired.

When I cut the money I took $800 off the top and gave Greg $1240, He screamed like a banshee, you're not going to do that are you?
Of course you paid Joe from our winnings, you gotta pay me too.

He stormed into LeCue and I went home to watch football.

I came in around lunch Monday, Greg comes over, stake me, blah blah blah, There was no telling how long he'd been up.
I said no way, where's Chester ?
He asked me to give him the $120 he lost, I said no, he went back to Oklahoma.

If you won't stake me , loan me $200. NO. Greg said, after all the money I made you?
I said, thought I made you that money.

Why won't you loan me $200 ?
Every time I see someone ask for money you borrowed, you tell'em they shoulda kept it in their pocket.
Well I'm keeping it in my pocket.

Greg was really mad, I was thinking he might jump on me, but no, he went off looking for someone else to bite.
 
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androd

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From
New Braunfels tx.
Big Train and Wimpy.


I'm sure some of you have heard this story, It's from the invitational tourney in Houston, around 1980. I believe Dwyer mentioned it in his
book.

Greg and Luther were to play a 9ball match, race to 11, they lagged for the break, Greg won and got the 1st break.

He broke and ran 5 racks, 6th game he made a ball but was hooked, he rolled
out on a very tough cut shot, Luther looked at it, said "go ahead"

Greg sawed it in, CB ran up and down the table and stopped with an open shot
on the next ball.

Greg ran out and then broke and ran the next 5 racks.

The only option Luther had in a 11 of 21 set was to have taken the shot on the roll out.

The story goes, someone asked Lassiter what the hell happened, he said "all I know is I need to practice my lags."

 

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androd

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From
New Braunfels tx.
More Big Train and credit.


My good friend Duke told me this story.

I asked Duke if Greg ever paid anyone, He said if Greg thought he might rehash the bite, he might pay, but not if they asked for it. No way.

Greg was playing someone nobody knew, they were playing all the way in the back of the LeCue.
Most of the games were over it's early AM and the regulars moved to the back to sweat the game.

Greg proceeded to run all the sweaters off, he was winning big and getting paid every game. Everyone is leaning on a table up front
and watching from five table widths and space between away.

About daylight the guy finally runs out of money, they pick up the balls and turn to come pay the time. All the sweaters raise off their elbows and stand up.
Greg sees the lineup, puts his cue down, stuffs his hands in his pockets, shakes his head back and forth and says "Nobody gets paid"

P.S. Jeffs posts are spot on, he knew Greg to a tee. I can see Greg standing there picking at his hands.
One more thing about Greg's game, Greg stood straight up when playing, ALA Fats, all the great players were either
chin players like Jeff, Tall Jimmy and Johnny Vivas or bend over players, to many to name.
 
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androd

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Joined
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7,718
From
New Braunfels tx.
LeCue and Grady


Grady and I were playing 9 ball, I was about 5/6 games winner.

Big Train and Jack Terry were playing on a table catty cornered to the front, their was a huge crowd sweating their game.
Claude Paulus was staking Greg and taking all side bets. His wife Lilla was helping keep the rail straight.The crowd was rowdy and
making a lot of noise.

Grady was going nuts about the noise, he came and said to me "you've got to make them quite down" I said that'ed be your job,
I have no control over that.

He called over a ne'er do well that hung around the room called Coca Cola Bill.
They called him Coca Cola Bill because he once drove a Pepsi truck. Don't ask.
I saw him give him his room key and tell him something.
Bill was gone, in a while he came back with a roll of cotton.
Grady took the roll, tore some off and stuffed it in his ears.

He proceeded to win 4 games, then he jerked the cotton out and threw it away.
I said "what's the matter, you haven't missed a ball"

He said "I can't play like this, I can't hear the balls click" I said not to worry
"I quit"

P.S. Point of interest, Lilla Paulus was convicted in the murder for hire of Dr.John Hill. A novel written about the case by
Tommy Thompson named "Blood Money" a movie about the case "Murder in Texas" Starring Sam Elliot and Farrow Facett.
 

androd

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Joined
Dec 10, 2008
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7,718
From
New Braunfels tx.
Big Train


I came into the LeCue in the afternoon, Greg was playing Jack Terry, spotting the 7 ball.
The guys around said Greg had been up 4/5 days, I didn't doubt it.
That's when he finally go off, 4 or 5 days. Jack and a few others and played position on him to catch him when he was near crashing.

I began to sweat the match, they were near even, Greg a couple of games up.
Greg won three more games and was playing perfect.

The next game he broke the rack and his nose started to bleed, someone got some ice in a towel, put it on the back of his neck,
stuck some toilet tissue in his nose, in a few minutes it quit bleeding.

He got up and ran the rack out. He broke the balls again, same thing.
Same treatment, stopped bleeding he got up and ran out.

Now Jack's bitching, saying let somebody else break for you. No chance.
Jack's 7 games stuck, so he has no control. Break, bleed, treatment, wins next game. Ems shows up, Miss Jimmie the manager had called them.

Greg has a hissy fit, they check him out, say he needs to go to the hospital.
He aint going, Miss Jimmie gets the owner on the phone, who pays Greg's rent, time, and a small stipend. He tells Greg go now, so he went.

As I remember his blood pressure was low his temperature was low and he was having an irregular heartbeat.

Jack double crossed himself playing position on Greg that time.

This was near the end of Greg's reign at the LeCue. His father showed and visited and soon Greg was on his way back to Wichita.

Some flashback stories later.
 

androd

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Joined
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Messages
7,718
From
New Braunfels tx.
LeCue and Big Train

I had some Champion tips from the guy in California, someone gave me his address and I wrote him asking to send me a box of
assorted tips COD.

Nice fellow he was, he sent the box, with a note saying just mail a check or money order as COD was a hassle. As I remember the
cost was very cheap, maybe 4 or 5 dollars.

It was only a few years before Crown tips bought him out. Hence the next issue of Crown Champion Tips.

Anyway Greg had been begging me for one of the Champion Tips. I gave in and handed him one on a friday night, I went home for
the weekend to watch football, when I came back on monday, I asked him about the tip, he didn't remember, he shook himself down
and said I don't have a tip, you never gave me one.

I'm pretty sure he swallowed it, because it looked like an Ambar, which was his drug of choice at the time. I'm guessing he found it in his
pocket and downed it.

Probably took a while to kick in. :)
 
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androd

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New Braunfels tx.
LeCue and Jersey Red.

NY Blackie came into the room, no one but Red knew him,
Blackie was broke as usual, or more likely under cover with his bankroll.
Red gave him $200 and pointed out Hitchcock Red, shortstop who'd play $20 or $30 a game 9 ball.

They start playing $20 a game and soon Blackie is stuck $100, Hitch goes to the restroom.

Blackie comes over to Red and asks "do you know this guy? "

Red goes wild,"do I know him, DO I KNOW HIM" yeah I know him, I had the FBI following him for a month, why else would I give you $200 of my own money.

Now get over there and play til he quits, and don't play the build up with my cash or I'll be on you ass like white on rice.

Blackie got even and Hitch quit. LOL
 
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