Grady
Verified Member
I don't recall the years well any more but I do have interesting recollections from decades past. I remember playing Freddie, Mexican Johnny, Canadian Pete and whoever else wanted to play, downstairs at Benzingers, at Diversy and Clark. I didn't play Bugs and Artie because they weren't there. Artie, of course, bought the place but I'm not sure when. I'm sure Freddie can fill us in on that and when Artie moved to Vegas. Would I have beaten either one of them then? Probably not. I didn't play my best One Pocket until the late
70's.
In fairness to Artie, playing me at Cochran's on the much ballyhooed 5' X 10'
"Big Bertha" was akin to me trying to play him in the dank air and musty netherworld of Benzingers. I mean, all champions got beat there. I survived but left wounded.
At Freddie's place he had that was at ground level, I beat Cole Dixon playing 9 Ball but only after he had been up for two days playing poker. Back then, 9 Ball players gave Cole a wide berth.
Upstairs at Freddie's other place is where I played Artie. The table was perfect for old school One Pocket players like me and Artie. I didn't think it was a home field advantage at all for Artie. We were playing four ahead for $4,000 each and as Freddie said Monroe Brock and TR McIntosh were staking me.
It was a brutal match. I got three games down and five balls to I owed three in the hill game. Somehow I came back and won, after two and a half days.
I have also played Jack many times, some of the matches being fairly long. In fairness to him, he loved playing good players. The reason he had such a hard time with them is that he was so used to stealing that he couldn't really take the heat against top flight competition.
70's.
In fairness to Artie, playing me at Cochran's on the much ballyhooed 5' X 10'
"Big Bertha" was akin to me trying to play him in the dank air and musty netherworld of Benzingers. I mean, all champions got beat there. I survived but left wounded.
At Freddie's place he had that was at ground level, I beat Cole Dixon playing 9 Ball but only after he had been up for two days playing poker. Back then, 9 Ball players gave Cole a wide berth.
Upstairs at Freddie's other place is where I played Artie. The table was perfect for old school One Pocket players like me and Artie. I didn't think it was a home field advantage at all for Artie. We were playing four ahead for $4,000 each and as Freddie said Monroe Brock and TR McIntosh were staking me.
It was a brutal match. I got three games down and five balls to I owed three in the hill game. Somehow I came back and won, after two and a half days.
I have also played Jack many times, some of the matches being fairly long. In fairness to him, he loved playing good players. The reason he had such a hard time with them is that he was so used to stealing that he couldn't really take the heat against top flight competition.