Greatest Players

railbird

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May 31, 2004
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Cuda:

You have a good list but maybe a couple of ommisions and one short stop!
Must adds:
Jack Cooney (your kind of guy)
Squirel
Artie (Chicago)

Short Stop:
Sonny Springer (not on this list)

Also number three and four could be on a bank pool list but this is one pocket site!

Got to love this new hog pool side! That's right grab a hole and hog eight in!
 

hemicudas

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May 24, 2004
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From
Jackson, Miss.
Good point Railbird

Good point Railbird

railbird said:
Cuda:

You have a good list but maybe a couple of ommisions and one short stop!
Must adds:
Jack Cooney (your kind of guy)
Squirel
Artie (Chicago)

Short Stop:
Sonny Springer (not on this list)

Also number three and four could be on a bank pool list but this is one pocket site!

Got to love this new hog pool side! That's right grab a hole and hog eight in!
If you look on another post you'll see I stipulated that my list was of only players I have seen play. I have seen Squirl many times yet never seen him in gambling action. I have never seen Jack Cooney play for the cash either. I did mention Artie Bodendofer in another post as being a top player. Especially one handed player. Not in Ronnie Allen's league but very good. Vernon Ellliot is another I have never seen play. Steve Oaks told me how good he played many years ago. Wish I could have caught him in action.

Tuff Tony, another Chicago legend, who lived with Rhomberg told me that no one had seen Rhomberg play his top speed because he never had to. He and Bugs didn't play each other but did cut a ton of money up, trapping people.
 

jrhendy

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Placerville, CA
Greatest Players

I agree with the guys who think Jack Cooney should be on the list. If being the greatest $$ player means coming away with the dough, he is at or near the top. I watched him play Grady in LA when Grady was considered the top one pocket player in the country. Jack was getting 9 to 8 & they played two or three long sessions and came out near even. Grady said "I am trying to find something I do better than him, but there isn't anything I can see". Shot selection is a key to good one pocket, and watching Jack play was a clinic on shot selection. Grady could almost invent shots to get out of any situation and would demoralize you by beating you with shots you've never seen before. I was a fair shortstop & he tortured me 8 to 6 on my home court. I could write a book on all they guys they sent around to beat me, but we will save that for another post.
 

hemicudas

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jrhendy said:
I agree with the guys who think Jack Cooney should be on the list. If being the greatest $$ player means coming away with the dough, he is at or near the top. I watched him play Grady in LA when Grady was considered the top one pocket player in the country. Jack was getting 9 to 8 & they played two or three long sessions and came out near even. Grady said "I am trying to find something I do better than him, but there isn't anything I can see". Shot selection is a key to good one pocket, and watching Jack play was a clinic on shot selection. Grady could almost invent shots to get out of any situation and would demoralize you by beating you with shots you've never seen before. I was a fair shortstop & he tortured me 8 to 6 on my home court. I could write a book on all they guys they sent around to beat me, but we will save that for another post.
Tell-ya what, John. Anyone who even thinks about playing Grady 8-6 in his prime has my respect sir. These younguns haven't a clue how "Great" the "Great" "Professor Grady" played at one time. In fact, he was called the "Great" Grady all over the south, before the "Professor" handle caught on. I remember Grady giving Buddy Hall weight for the longest time. The first time I saw them play Buddy was getting 8-7 with Grady winning but I heard Grady had spotted him the same 8-6 that that you played him with. That's impressive.

You have to keep in mind that Buddy was, at the time, thought of as the greatest 9 ball player on earth. By the way, Grady was a hell of a 9 ball player in his time too.
 

yobagua

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John Ive admired your game from afar for a long time. I know that when the pros play you they have to focus. Hope you share some of your stories with us.
 

jrhendy

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Placerville, CA
More On Great Players

More On Great Players

Grady also beat me playing golf on the 6 x 12 in Bellflower in the late 70's or early 80's. Heart Attack Jack staked him and I should have known I was in trouble because Jack didn't get too loose with his money. We also played a lot of ring game liability snooker on the same table and Grady beat the game most of the time. It was one of the tightest tables in the country with deep cut pockets and the balls would actually sit on top of the rails on the corner pockets. They still play on the same table at Hard Times in Bellflower, but I hear the action is not like it used to be. 9 or 10 years ago we were playing up to $50 a point fairly often, and good players would go busted because it was such a trick table. But getting back to one pocket, Keith McReady plays very good one pocket and can beat anyone on the list when he gets rolling.
 

cuesmith

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Great One Pocket Players

Great One Pocket Players

I didn't see any mention of Eugene "Clem" Metz or Heydon Lingo. Clem was one of the all time great one pocket gamblers and Heydon Lingo invented the game!

Sherm
 

hemicudas

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Jackson, Miss.
Jimmy Metz

Jimmy Metz

cuesmith said:
I didn't see any mention of Eugene "Clem" Metz or Heydon Lingo. Clem was one of the all time great one pocket gamblers and Heydon Lingo invented the game!

Sherm
Just wondering if anyone knows if Clem was related to Jimmy Metz, who lived in FL in the 70s? Thanks.
 

Chris Cass

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hemicudas said:
If you look on another post you'll see I stipulated that my list was of only players I have seen play. I have seen Squirl many times yet never seen him in gambling action. I have never seen Jack Cooney play for the cash either. I did mention Artie Bodendofer in another post as being a top player. Especially one handed player. Not in Ronnie Allen's league but very good. Vernon Ellliot is another I have never seen play. Steve Oaks told me how good he played many years ago. Wish I could have caught him in action.

Tuff Tony, another Chicago legend, who lived with Rhomberg told me that no one had seen Rhomberg play his top speed because he never had to. He and Bugs didn't play each other but did cut a ton of money up, trapping people.

Hi Cuda,

I don't remember any of these players but I'm still wet behind the ears when it comes to One pocket. Only played it for a yr and that was 2 yrs ago. Was sick for the past yr (cancer). I do remember a guy that played at the Billiard Cafe named , Geez, can't remember his name. He had a limp and all he did was play One pocket. I think his name was Freddy? I do know of Bugs though. I used to see him at Alsip. I also remember a match up between him and Efren for some really big doe.

Regards,

C.C.~~Alsip now owned by Zaksas now I believe.
 
Last edited:

Lunchmoney

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Washington State
hemicudas said:
Tell-ya what, John. Anyone who even thinks about playing Grady 8-6 in his prime has my respect sir. These younguns haven't a clue how "Great" the "Great" "Professor Grady" played at one time. In fact, he was called the "Great" Grady all over the south, before the "Professor" handle caught on. I remember Grady giving Buddy Hall weight for the longest time. The first time I saw them play Buddy was getting 8-7 with Grady winning but I heard Grady had spotted him the same 8-6 that that you played him with. That's impressive.

You have to keep in mind that Buddy was, at the time, thought of as the greatest 9 ball player on earth. By the way, Grady was a hell of a 9 ball player in his time too.

$Bill,

Another great, in my opinion, is Johnny Ervolino. I haven't seen his name mentioned in this thread, if it was I missed it. I had the opportunity to watch him play one pocket up here in Seattle a couple of years ago and he walked all over the young guns.

Lunchmoney
 

jrhendy

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Johnny Ervolino/florida Player

Johnny Ervolino/florida Player

Ervolino played terrific one pocket. He beat me 4 zip in a tournament in Seattle several years ago. He won the winners bracket & played in the finals against Dan Louie. He told Louie he was getting tired & it was ok to just play one set for 1st. He won the 1st two games, playing almost perfect one pocket, a bunch of $$ went down on Louie getting odds, & Johnny fell dead & lost 4 to 2. I was sitting with Hal Mix & Johnny came over & said "I know it looks like a dump, but the arthritis in my elbow just set in". Bill Cress had his last $$ on Ervolino & was mad as hell. I know Louie wasn't in on the dump, he is a very classy guy, but he won the tournament. Does anyone remember Ray Booth from Florida? I played him quite a bit in CA in the 60's. We played evrything, one handed & two handed, & I often wondered what happened to him.
 

NH Steve

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Chris Cass said:
I don't remember any of these players but I'm still wet behind the ears when it comes to One pocket. Only played it for a yr and that was 2 yrs ago. Was sick for the past yr (cancer). I do remember a guy that played at the Billiard Cafe named , Geez, can't remember his name. He had a limp and all he did was play One pocket. I think his name was Freddy? I do know of Bugs though. I used to see him at Alsip. I also remember a match up between him and Efren for some really big doe.
That sounds like Freddy 'The Beard' Bentivegna, a very smart One Pocket player who has since done a little commentary for some of the Accu-Stats One Pocket videos. Often found at Chris's Billiards in Chicago -- possible dozing in a chair looking like the usual pool room old timer that needs to be woke up at closing time -- but he can play. Deceptively smart guy to talk to also -- compared to what he looks like. Got to watch out for those old guys dozing in a chair!
 

hemicudas

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Jackson, Miss.
You're right Steve

You're right Steve

NH Steve said:
That sounds like Freddy 'The Beard' Bentivegna, a very smart One Pocket player who has since done a little commentary for some of the Accu-Stats One Pocket videos. Often found at Chris's Billiards in Chicago -- possible dozing in a chair looking like the usual pool room old timer that needs to be woke up at closing time -- but he can play. Deceptively smart guy to talk to also -- compared to what he looks like. Got to watch out for those old guys dozing in a chair!
It is Freddy, Steve. Freddy use to run the hottest gambling room in Chicago, N. Shore Billiards. He was a fixture at Benzinger's before it closed. Freddy was a very good one pocket player. He posts on a few sites that I post on. I'm sure he will find this "Wonderful" site before long. Freddy and Artie use to bump heads daily at N. Shore.
 

Gerald

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JR, you are absolutely right there is nowhere near the action at HT that there used to be. I've watched a lot of $ games on "Big Bertha" but I've never seen anyone rifle in shots like Parica! Playing Liability for 40-50 a point and he never seemed to baby anything. I drop in there a couple of times a week and still don't think that a ball can go into the pockets at that speed and stay there.
 

Lunchmoney

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jrhendy said:
Ervolino played terrific one pocket. He beat me 4 zip in a tournament in Seattle several years ago. He won the winners bracket & played in the finals against Dan Louie. He told Louie he was getting tired & it was ok to just play one set for 1st. He won the 1st two games, playing almost perfect one pocket, a bunch of $$ went down on Louie getting odds, & Johnny fell dead & lost 4 to 2. I was sitting with Hal Mix & Johnny came over & said "I know it looks like a dump, but the arthritis in my elbow just set in". Bill Cress had his last $$ on Ervolino & was mad as hell. I know Louie wasn't in on the dump, he is a very classy guy, but he won the tournament. Does anyone remember Ray Booth from Florida? I played him quite a bit in CA in the 60's. We played evrything, one handed & two handed, & I often wondered what happened to him.

I was at that Tournament at Dr. Cues, it was the first time I had seen Johnny play. You are right about Dan Louie, I have know him since the mid 70's and he would never participate in a dump. He oozes class. Any idea where Bill Cress is these days? He used to hang out in a pool room in my home town here in Washington. The last I heard he was in Portland. I wish I could get inside his head for a few hours, that man has an incredible storehouse of knowledge. He gave my son some lessons and it made a huge difference in his game. I used to play him one pocket, he gave me 10-6 and my scratches didn't count. We would play for ten bucks a game and my "lessons" usually cost around $50.00 a session.

Lunchmoney
 

jrhendy

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Bill Cress

Bill Cress

I haven't seen Bill in a few years. I first met him at Hard Times in Bellflower several years ago & got thumped playing one pocket & nine-ball. He was around San Francisco a few years ago for quite a while, but I have not seen him since. I thought he was still up in the Seattle area. I know he was in Portland for quite a while before he came down to CA, so maybe he is back there. I stick pretty close to home anymore (Sacramento area) & wouldn't see him unless he came around here.
 

Lunchmoney

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Washington State
jrhendy said:
I haven't seen Bill in a few years. I first met him at Hard Times in Bellflower several years ago & got thumped playing one pocket & nine-ball. He was around San Francisco a few years ago for quite a while, but I have not seen him since. I thought he was still up in the Seattle area. I know he was in Portland for quite a while before he came down to CA, so maybe he is back there. I stick pretty close to home anymore (Sacramento area) & wouldn't see him unless he came around here.


Thanks JR.

I do know that Bill is in Portland and has been for a few months. I like the guy and was wondering how he was doing.

Lunchmoney
 

ajrack

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Bill Cress

Bill Cress

I heard about two months ago in Portland, that Bill Cress is staying with his sister in the Seattle area...also heard his health was not real good.
 

Lunchmoney

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ajrack said:
I heard about two months ago in Portland, that Bill Cress is staying with his sister in the Seattle area...also heard his health was not real good.


Thanks for the info. I know that Bill's sister lives in Monroe and he stayed there a lot when he was up in my neck of the woods. I hadn't heard about his health problems though. If you hear anything please let me know and I will do the same.

Lunchmoney
 

Voodoo Daddy

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Davie, FLA
Chris Cass said:
I think his name was Freddy?
Regards,

C.C.~~

Freddy "The Beard" Bentavegna...limps cause he wouldnt get the surgery to correct the problem, played jam-up! I have a pic of him playing a backroom game in the 70's, one of my favorite 1-pocket guys!!

Voodoo~~~waited to make my 1st post a good :cool: one!!
 
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