Johnston City 9 ball

[Ross Keith Thompson]

When I played the 9 ball division in 1970 I won seven straight matches to win the championship.

Opponents were as follows, black fellow called Red, that's all I can remember of him but he was a dam good player, final score 11-9 maybe, Blackie Laseur, 11-8, Cole Dickson, My Buddy, 11-5, Boston Shorty, 11-9, Joey Spaith, 11-9, Irving Crane 11-7, Joey Spaith again, 11-9.

I was pretty much broke when Paulie Jansco put up my entry fee of a 100 to play in the 9 ball tournament, man did I have to conn him out of that 100, lmao.

Had to convince him I was a world beater that nobody heard of, LMAO.

But Paulie broke down and put me in the tourney and told me YOU BETTER NOT EMBARRAS ME KID THIS IS THE BIG LEAGUE AND YOU'RE ONLY 18?

So when I played my matches nightly I felt an urgency to show I belonged, I wound up as the last man standing and Paulie was shocked to say the least that I actually played the way I knew I could play.

But the story here is kind of not just about me!

Some guy bet on my first match when I played this black player named Red, he was a slight advantage over me and paid odds!

Amarillo Slim might have made the odds on all the matches, I'm not sure, but I was never made the favorite in any match I played and that pisses me off, (LOL) and I wasn't happy about it back then.

But this guy kept betting on me every match I played and I thought to myself (you dumb son of a gun, you have no idea what your doing, lol).

My next to last match against Irving Crane, the bookmakers discussed not even making book on our David and Goliath match, but they did and I wasn't suppose to make to seven games. I won the match 11-7.

But Eddie Burton or Boston Shorty told me that this guy bet heavy again on me, man did I feel sorry for that guy, he had no idea what he was doing and kept on betting on me.

He kept his bet up thru the championship match and won big.

I believe the same guy and his son bought me a T-bone steak half way thru the All-around on the last day, man did I need that steak; LOL.

He told me I could win and he had a lot of faith in me, I carried the burden into my final matches with Lassiter and Ronnie and of all things I could think about while playing these Giants was about a clueless fan that had no idea what he was doing and I wanted to win for him and his son, GO FIGURE.

So goes his story, of all the people he could have bet on he decided on me, I wonder what prompted him to pick me, talk about picking out a needle in a haystack, he bet on me and had no idea, you talk about the luckiest guy on the planet! What were the odds, a billion to one or even more. I wish I would have thought of that! LOL.

 

[beatle]

i wonder if it was dirty low down preacher red. as he played real well when younger. but later on maybe shortstop speed at best.

or fountain inn red from south carolina. he played better than the preacher. but i only heard stories of him.

pool was great back then.

 

[OneRock]

That's one of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard, Keith. That's what I would call a GIANT moment. So, what happened afterwards? That was your only moment in the sun? You did all this at the age of 18, and then what?

When I played the 9 ball division in 1970 I won seven straight matches to win the championship.

Opponents were as follows, black fellow called Red, that's all I can remember of him but he was a dam good player, final score 11-9 maybe, Blackie Laseur, 11-8, Cole Dickson, My Buddy, 11-5, Boston Shorty, 11-9, Joey Spaith, 11-9, Irving Crane 11-7, Joey Spaith again, 11-9.

I was pretty much broke when Paulie Jansco put up my entry fee of a 100 to play in the 9 ball tournament, man did I have to conn him out of that 100, lmao.

Had to convince him I was a world beater that nobody heard of, LMAO.

But Paulie broke down and put me in the tourney and told me YOU BETTER NOT EMBARRAS ME KID THIS IS THE BIG LEAGUE AND YOU'RE ONLY 18?

So when I played my matches nightly I felt an urgency to show I belonged, I wound up as the last man standing and Paulie was shocked to say the least that I actually played the way I knew I could play.

But the story here is kind of not just about me!

Some guy bet on my first match when I played this black player named Red, he was a slight advantage over me and paid odds!

Amarillo Slim might have made the odds on all the matches, I'm not sure, but I was never made the favorite in any match I played and that pisses me off, (LOL) and I wasn't happy about it back then.

But this guy kept betting on me every match I played and I thought to myself (you dumb son of a gun, you have no idea what your doing, lol).

My next to last match against Irving Crane, the bookmakers discussed not even making book on our David and Goliath match, but they did and I wasn't suppose to make to seven games. I won the match 11-7.

But Eddie Burton or Boston Shorty told me that this guy bet heavy again on me, man did I feel sorry for that guy, he had no idea what he was doing and kept on betting on me.

He kept his bet up thru the championship match and won big.

I believe the same guy and his son bought me a T-bone steak half way thru the All-around on the last day, man did I need that steak; LOL.

He told me I could win and he had a lot of faith in me, I carried the burden into my final matches with Lassiter and Ronnie and of all things I could think about while playing these Giants was about a clueless fan that had no idea what he was doing and I wanted to win for him and his son, GO FIGURE.

So goes his story, of all the people he could have bet on he decided on me, I wonder what prompted him to pick me, talk about picking out a needle in a haystack, he bet on me and had no idea, you talk about the luckiest guy on the planet! What were the odds, a billion to one or even more. I wish I would have thought of that! LOL.

 

[OneRock]

https://www.onepocket.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6440&page=2

 

[Jimmy B]

i wonder if it was dirty low down preacher red. as he played real well when younger. but later on maybe shortstop speed at best.

or fountain inn red from south carolina. he played better than the preacher. but i only heard stories of him.

pool was great back then.

Fountain Inn was a white fellow with reddish hair.. Made several good scores here and there. Burton gave him the wild eight and usually won.

 

[beatle]

it was probably preacher then. as i cant think of another black red guy

maybe someone else knows.

 

[phil dade]

Keith,
Do you play left or right handed? Did you ever play Blackie LeSeur in his own room, Cue & Cushion, Grandview Plaza, Florissant, Missouri?

BR,
Phil

 

[lll]

KEITH
YOU ARE A GIANT
GREAT SHOOTING
AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR MEMORIES WITH US
larry

 

[Ross Keith Thompson]

9 ball division

9 ball division

I gave St Louis Blackie and Red a four pack on my second shot and created separation quick in our race to eleven if my memory is correct, but both of them played well enough to win.

I really can't remember either opponent missing a ball but I had first break and that was the difference in both matches. I felt I could handle both of them in the back rooms of Johnston City. But both were solid players!

Now my next opponent was Cole Dickson, he had a little more mustard than most, he was a heavyweight and we were rooming together,

The only way to beat a guy like Cole is don't let him shoot, if you let him shoot he may run six or more racks on you!

I won the lag for first break and hit him with 6 racks, only time I ever did that in tournament play. I was disappointed I didn't make a ball on the break to start the seventh game and headed for the stool in the neutral corner passing my good friend Cole and he said "GOSHDAM SQUIRREL I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE GOING TO LET ME SHOOT" and I realized what I had just did and that is just too much mustard for most to overcome.

I came from down 7-1 and won against Boston Shorty in our race to eleven, I hit him with a four pack to get back in the match, he was Great, I loved the guy, he was super cool to B.S. with, he is another of my hero's, LOL.

My last three opponents was Joey Speath twice and Irving Crane once and did I have to bring my A game forward at the end, these guys weren't bull s--tting.

In fact I can't remember any of my opponents missing a ball, only Boston Shorty and that is another story!

Five of my seven matches I won first break and took advantage of it other wise we wouldn't be talking, lol.

I did play until right at 20 yrs. old competitively but my game wasn't as strong as it was six months earlier. I played the Stardust tourney in Vegas in 72 and placed 3rd in the onepocket, had been working for about 4 months and let my game go and it would have been too hard to recover it for what?

I could have placed well in most of the one pocket tourneys for it was my strength but the money just wasn't there long term.

I did play right handed as one of you asked and I really appreciate the good compliments about my stories and some of you need to hear them.

People need to know what happened back in the day, I had a blast hanging out in the major pool rooms and action joints, I gave up school and lived in poolrooms, friends, etc.

By 18 years old I was the most battle hardened kid that ever played, I'm not saying I was the best ever because I wasn't, but no other 18 year old that ever chalked a cue did not want to cross roads with me when he was also 18.
I had walked with giants before Johnston City and lived the game and Tall Jeff, John "THE DUKE" Dowel, Rodney Stevens and others watched, it was a good run.

 

[beatle]

i remember seeing you at the stardust. but not much of it. and that you were a one pocket player. thats about when most players started matching up at one pocket over 9 ball out west. earlier on the east coast.
too much business going on in those tournaments on the side betting. even being on the in i couldnt keep up with it all and the doubling out. but always knew who to stay away from like ronnie and such.

shorty still played good although he was on the downslide. and he would have great days and others where he couldnt make a ball and looked like he was dumping every game, which he wasnt. but his best game was always 3 cushion on the slow tables.

 

[NH Steve]

i remember seeing you at the stardust. but not much of it. and that you were a one pocket player. thats about when most players started matching up at one pocket over 9 ball out west. earlier on the east coast.
too much business going on in those tournaments on the side betting. even being on the in i couldnt keep up with it all and the doubling out. but always knew who to stay away from like ronnie and such.

shorty still played good although he was on the downslide. and he would have great days and others where he couldnt make a ball and looked like he was dumping every game, which he wasnt. but his best game was always 3 cushion on the slow tables.

... and my impression with Shorty was that even though you were ?not supposed to play safeties" in 3C, Shorty was a master at it, and was ALWAYS thinking that way. What did he used to say, something about "oil" lol.

 

[Mkbtank]

Johnston City 9 ball

Keith thank you so much for posting your stories!!!! I cannot tell you how much I enjoy them. A question if I may since your memory for Pool matches is amazing. Do you have any other stories that you recall featuring our own Rodney or Tall Jeff? They are both humble guys and I would love to hear more about their exploits. Also any chance you will show up at the Derby again? I remember meeting you and your son a few years back, which was a pleasure. Many thanks, Mitch Brown

 

[chief]

i remember seeing you at the stardust. but not much of it. and that you were a one pocket player. thats about when most players started matching up at one pocket over 9 ball out west. earlier on the east coast.
too much business going on in those tournaments on the side betting. even being on the in i couldnt keep up with it all and the doubling out. but always knew who to stay away from like ronnie and such.

shorty still played good although he was on the downslide. and he would have great days and others where he couldnt make a ball and looked like he was dumping every game, which he wasnt. but his best game was always 3 cushion on the slow tables.

I was also a big fan of Shorty, but I do remember hearing and also read somewhere that he was actually banned for un-sportsman like conduct in a tournament which I think lasted for a year or maybe longer. The un-sportsman like conduct was for allegedly dumping a match. This was around the early seventies.

 

[Jeff sparks]

... and my impression with Shorty was that even though you were ?not supposed to play safeties" in 3C, Shorty was a master at it, and was ALWAYS thinking that way. What did he used to say, something about "oil" lol.

I think Shorty called it, "Playin the oil."

 

[beatle]

many of the players dumped matches back then as there were side bets and backers they didnt like, so they did what gave them the best deal. was that right, no of course,. but that was the way it was back then.
still happens but less so. money makes people do bad things. thats life.

 

[bstroud]

Beatle,

Been meaning to ask if you ever spent time in Ocean City MD?

Bill S.

 

[beatle]

no bill thats not me. but ive been around the block.