Two-pocket tables

[amanjyaku]

There was a mention of two-pocket tables in the Farmer Webber interview. I came across one of these in West Texas in the late 70's--I believe it may have been San Angelo. The room proprietor was a real one pocket fan and had it custom made.

I never played on it, but I think a lot of the road players thought it detracted from the game; they couldn't sink balls for spotting after they were tied up at the far end, and it was harder to defend against banks.

Maybe someone will come along who remembers playing on it.

[Mark Tademy]

I played Dan Louie on a two pocket table once he tried to trap me by prcaticing on it before we played

[NH Steve]

That two-pocket table might have been made for the game called Corners, which is closely related to One Pocket, except that the two scoring pockets are at the head of the table -- not the racking end! Now that you have mentioned the game, I will put up the article I have (I was waiting for pics, but here you go anyway...)
http://onepocket.org/Corners.htm

[NH Steve]

I played Dan Louie on a two pocket table once he tried to trap me by prcaticing on it before we playedMark, was that table set up to have the balls racked down on the same end as the two pockets, or up at the other end? It sounds like the original 'Corners' tables -- which go back to the 20's -- were designed to be racked opposite the two pockets! I'm assuming you guys played standard One Pocket, with the two pockets down on the racking end of course.

Welcome aboard, btw :)

[Lunchmoney]

I played Dan Louie on a two pocket table once he tried to trap me by prcaticing on it before we played

Dan has always tried to hit some balls, if possible, on the table he is going to be playing on. How did you make out against him? How long ago was the game?

Lunchmoney

[amanjyaku]

I will put up the article I have (I was waiting for pics, but here you go anyway...)
http://onepocket.org/Corners.htm

Great article. I'd never seen it before.

I was once listening to a conversation between Red and Bob Hemple. Red was saying that when he first started playing, one-pocket was played front-and-back and back-and-back. Corners might have been the origin of the game, although it seems to me that the game would have been invented first, and then a table developed to enhance it.

[OldHasBeen]

Back in about '75, I played some one pocket on a two-pocketed table in Joplin, MO. They racked the balls on the other end away from the pockets. It was basically a game of long rail banks without the side pockets getting in the way. It took me a while to adjust but it didn't affect the general outcome. I wouldn't recommend it though as it is very gaffey.
TY & GL

[1pRoscoe]

I played Dan Louie on a two pocket table once he tried to trap me by prcaticing on it before we played

Yeah, I can see how that would be pretty cool, however would be a PITA if you wanted to spot balls back up at the top...

[BIBLEMAN]

Mark, was that table set up to have the balls racked down on the same end as the two pockets, or up at the other end? It sounds like the original 'Corners' tables -- which go back to the 20's -- were designed to be racked opposite the two pockets!

I saw one of these tables in Tulsa, OK in the early 60s. The 2-pocket table was in a little alcove away from the rest of the tables like they thought one-pocket was something special. The balls were racked at the foot of the table. Apparently they played ordinary one-pocket on it.

I never found out because the joint was deader than a doornail and I needed action.

What I found interesting was shooting out of the upper "billiard" corners. A lot of interesting banks seemed possible in the former pocket areas.
BIBLEMAN

[George Fels]

Eddie Robin once told me that when he was a road player, he walked into a room in Texas (he didn't say where) that had EIGHT tables like that - and nothing else!

We had one here in Chicago, at the old Wilson-Sheridan room (it was a great place once, with over 40 tables and a separate room for 3-C). I never saw anyone play on it, and it seems to me that taking most of the scratches out of the game makes 1-P a very different game indeed.

Speaking of front-to-back, Jersey Red was supposed to be the greatest who ever lived at it. Normally, the guy taking the back pocket (diagonally opposite his opponent's pocket) gets the break and half the game (e.g. 8-4 or 10-5). Red would take the back pocket and spot the other guy! GF

[NH Steve]

Chris Owen sent me a photo of an original 'Corners' table, which is now included in the 'Corners' article here on the OnePocket.org...
http://onepocket.org/images/CornersTable.jpg

The article is in the OnePocket.org History of One Pocket section in case you haven't seen it:
http://onepocket.org/Corners.htm