San Francisco, May 1962 One Pocket!

[NH Steve]

I found this newspaper article about Cochran's 1962 One Pocket tournament. Pretty cool, and I love how Cochran talks about the new One Pocket rage!

 

[gulfportdoc]

Nice find! He devoted only two tables per night for the races to 3 in his 25 day tournament! It must have been action central for a couple of months. He was right about one-pocket, but the game didn't catch on in California for another 4 decades!

 

[thebaby]

Yea that Rusty Jones was a character back in the day. We used to play all the time in the early seventies . Of course he was a lot older then . All we ever played was one pocket . He had a lot of gamble . He never backed down from no one . He used to stand on his head in the poolroom all the time. I miss that guy . He was a real character back in the day . Brings back a lot of memories of Palace billiards , and Cochrans . When I was growing up around the Palace billiards , used to be a guy named Paul Silva , alas 9-ball Paul . He was the night manager at the Palace . He used to steer me around at night during his shift . The bars would close at 2 am , so you can imagine what people ended up there . no where else to go . We made a ton , and as a kid you can imagine what that meant to me . He flipped coins , rolled dice , and played 6-ball , spotting suckers 4-5-6 and just robbing them. I never learned that funzy game back then like it is today . Players today will never know what it was like then . So when I read stories from guys who experienced that era , brings back some of the best times of my life .
I always say I was born 10 years to late.

 

[NH Steve]

Yea that Rusty Jones was a character back in the day. We used to play all the time in the early seventies . Of course he was a lot older then . All we ever played was one pocket . He had a lot of gamble . He never backed down from no one . He used to stand on his head in the poolroom all the time. I miss that guy . He was a real character back in the day . Brings back a lot of memories of Palace billiards , and Cochrans . When I was growing up around the Palace billiards , used to be a guy named Paul Silva , alas 9-ball Paul . He was the night manager at the Palace . He used to steer me around at night during his shift . The bars would close at 2 am , so you can imagine what people ended up there . no where else to go . We made a ton , and as a kid you can imagine what that meant to me . He flipped coins , rolled dice , and played 6-ball , spotting suckers 4-5-6 and just robbing them. I never learned that funzy game back then like it is today . Players today will never know what it was like then . So when I read stories from guys who experienced that era , brings back some of the best times of my life .
I always say I was born 10 years to late.

Nice -- sounds like it was only about 5 years too late, cuz you did get to overlap with some of those legendary places and players!!

 

[NH Steve]

I also like the "fast and spectacular" part

 

[jrhendy]

Frank, I never met Rusty til the 90’s when Tony and Doc reopened the pool room. He loved to tell stories about the old days.

I heard about him from Ronnie, who told me there was this guy named Rusty who would play anyone one pocket on the 5 x 10 and kick it off for $50 a game. Pretty good bet in those days.

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

I was talking to Don Wirtaman, rip, and he stated; "now you can not get anyone to play for a dime, heck, back in the 60's you could always get a OP game for a twenty in the Bay Area!
Nice find Steve! Doesn't Ursetti have a fabulous collection of articles, such as this?
Is this the one and the same OP tournament that Ronnie won?
Whitey

 

[NH Steve]

Yes, Ronnie Allen won it. I found this in some stuff the late Norm Webber sent me. He lived out there in CA for years, but was originally from Maine. He lived many of his later years here in NH.

 

[LuckyLeon]

I also like the "fast and spectacular" part

Yeah,I noticed that 'fast and spectacular" too,lol!

 

[baby huey]

Who won? Junior Allen. That tournament put his skills on the map.

 

[beatle]

jhgf

 

[NH Steve]

iknew norm fairly well. great guy and very fun to be around. not much of a hard hustler. was the best exhibition person after mike massey.
had a son who would be about 60 now or so. played well and was just like his dad and looked like him too. never heard much about him after they moved away.

I didn't know one of his sons played. Norm lived in NH for quite a while after coming back from CA, and yes, he made a living doing exhibitions -- Norm "The Farmer" Webber. In the early to mid 90's I used to play him fairly regularly up in Laconia. He was a senior back then, and has long since passed on. He usually had a lady friend in his senior years that helped support him to a degree -- you could see where he would be a charmer.

There is an interview here that I did with him:

Rack’em up with Norm ‘Farmer’ Webber

www.onepocket.org

Hey, I just re-read this and Norm mentions the snooker tables in southern CA, and Dean Chance and Don Willis -- John Henderson must have run into Norm. I'd like to hear John's side of the story!!

 

[jrhendy]

I didn't know one of his sons played. Norm lived in NH for quite a while after coming back from CA, and yes, he made a living doing exhibitions -- Norm "The Farmer" Webber. In the early to mid 90's I used to play him fairly regularly up in Laconia. He was a senior back then, and has long since passed on. He usually had a lady friend in his senior years that helped support him to a degree -- you could see where he would be a charmer.

There is an interview here that I did with him:

Rack’em up with Norm ‘Farmer’ Webber

www.onepocket.org

Hey, I just re-read this and Norm mentions the snooker tables in southern CA, and Dean Chance and Don Willis -- John Henderson must have run into Norm. I'd like to hear John's side of the story!!

I ran into him a couple times Steve, but we never played. Between 61 and 66, we had three sons and I was working as a route salesman for a saw company, hustling golf at a few different bowling alleys. Most of the big action out my way was at Five Points Bowl in El Monte. Norm spent most of his time out here in San Francisco. I made a couple trips up there in the mid to late 60’s, got busted in the payball game and came home. I ran into him at 4th and Main or Hollywood Billiards, but there was so much bar pool action going on in the 60’s, that’s where most of the players were spending their time. Unfortunately I did run into Mexican Phil, and probably lucky I did not match up with Norm.

 

[baby huey]

Does anyone have access to the players list? The article says nineteen players? I know that Jack Perkins played in it and I'm curious if Glenn Womack (Eufala Kid) also played. He's rarely mentioned but he could play if not binging or outright drunk.

 

[mr3cushion]

In the early to mid 60's, Bud Harris, from San Francisco lived in Chicago, He talked often about the, Eufala Kid, He said he was a top player around Cochran's.

 

[beatle]

hgf

 

[thebaby]

In the early to mid 60's, Bud Harris, from San Francisco lived in Chicago, He talked often about the, Eufala Kid, He said he was a top player around Cochran's.

Yep , Bud Harris smoked like a chimney . Played Billiards pretty good.

 

[thebaby]

Yep , Bud Harris smoked like a chimney . Played Billiards pretty good.

Frank, I never met Rusty til the 90’s when Tony and Doc reopened the pool room. He loved to tell stories about the old days.

I heard about him from Ronnie, who told me there was this guy named Rusty who would play anyone one pocket on the 5 x 10 and kick it off for $50 a game. Pretty good bet in those days.

Yea John , you would have loved playing Rusty. He would not quit till he was busted. I want to say he was a retired long shore man . I might be wrong . Always was able to reload in a matter of hours. Back in the early 70's there was a ton of Filipino's who just loved to Gamble. Golf was good back on that 6x12 up in the Palace Billiards too.

 

[HowardK]

A good straight pool player named Sax DalPorto played in that tournament. He drew Ronnie Allen and beat him. He said that Ronnie was so upset that he chased Sax all around San Francisco trying to match up with him. Sax admitted that he didn't know how to play one pocket, at the time, just straight pool. He said that when he saw a shot he just ran the balls.

 

[jrhendy]

Yea John , you would have loved playing Rusty. He would not quit till he was busted. I want to say he was a retired long shore man . I might be wrong . Always was able to reload in a matter of hours. Back in the early 70's there was a ton of Filipino's who just loved to Gamble. Golf was good back on that 6x12 up in the Palace Billiards too.

Rusty was a Longshoreman. He told me a story about when he was playing an Adagio dancer (They are very strong, throwing their partner around). Rusty likes to stand next to the table. The player asked Rusty to move because he was too close to the shot. Rust would not move, so the guy picked him up and moved him. When the guy turned around, Rusty was right back where he was, so he picked him up and moved him again. This was not working, so the guy started standing right behind Rusty. Rusty picked him up and moved him.

The whole joint was waiting for a fight to break out, but Rusty said they both got to laughing and there was no fight.