raised my game

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
It was the summer of 68, I was barely sixteen. In my mind absolutely no player on earth under 21 yrs. could win against me at table game that had pockets including bumper pool.

I was steered into Cole Dickson at LeCue Club in downtown Houston. By my 16 th birthday my nine ball game was that of a pretty solid player, my one pocket game was about equal. Played just under the solid players in Houston such as Grady Mathews, John "DUKE" Powell and so on.

Cole Dickson offered me the call eight for ten a game, man did I jump on that action! LEGAL STEALING! Man was I wrong!

I was packing a good wad in my pocket, about 5 or 6 hundred and loved playing on my own money. Ten or twenty dollar action was right down my ally, loved it.

Cole Dickson was the push I needed to raise my game and what a push he gave me. He was no ordinary good playing short stop. He was out of my league and at 10 a game had me 190 stuck, nineteen games down.

Never started dogging it in this match due to the fact I new no other kid in the world could win against me. This was the only reason he didn't bust me.
I was gonna lose my whole stack to him at 10 a game because of ego. No way a long haired hippy looking kid could hang with me playing nine ball on a quality Gold Crown table.

I did become a great racker of balls in this match of babies, LOL. At twenty games down I kicked off the greatest run I had made to date. Hit Cole with three packs and four packs just like he did to me. Had never had to do that before and wasn't sure I could, but I did.

Ran the table the last few games we played and he quit. Turned him down to play even and vowed to never play him again, way too tough! We played once more when I was 18 in Johnston City, we had became great friends. I won the lag for first break in our tourney match and hit him with a six pack.
Needless to say, not many ever recover from six packs in a race to eleven.


Final score 11 to 5, we blew a joint and laughed the rest of the night back at our room with his friend Steve, GOOD MEMORIES!

I was sixteen yrs. old by a few months or so, my one hole and 9 ball game was near first class. The local top players in Houston wouldn't give me any weight playing anything. I was hungry for action and had half a pocket full of money, 300 hundred to be exact. A young road player came thru Houston and we got together and matched up some even one pocket for 30 a game. Man was I in hog heaven, life didn't get any better.

But the young one holer I had matched up with was Larry Liscotti, quite possibly the best all around player in the world at 20=22 yrs. old. It took him about four hours or so to relieve me of my 300 hundred and devastated my ego for a long time.

Didn't give a sh-t about the money, I had to beat this guy but he had left Houston with my bankroll. Vowed to get his ass one day when we crossed roads again. Was in my prime and so was Larry in Johnston City 1971. Was fresh off revenge games with Freddie the Beard and Tall Jeff, had a pocket full and was ready for Liscotti, wanted him bad! Needless to say I was broke and heading home the next day, not from a pool game.

Changed my life forever and soon would give up the uphill struggle. Played the Stardust tournament the next spring at 19 yrs. and quit after that.
Both Cole and Larry inspired me to play at an elite level that most never reach. There is nothing like dominating another good player when you are virtually unbeatable. BEST OF TIMES/MEMORIES
 

cincy_kid

Verified Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2015
Messages
7,792
From
Cincinnati, OH
Great post Keith, thanks for sharing!

I hope to see some more of these posts or read them in your book when it is out. :)
 

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
old cues

old cues

Hello Smitty" Most of the time I played with house cues. However I bought a Palmer built to my specs and my game hit a wall for 5 or 6 months until I got rid of the cue.

After Johnston City late 1970, Alfie Taylor sold me a cheap National cue at cost. Best cue I ever owned but not the best I ever played with. Eddie Burton had a nice playing cue! I'm not sure if it was a Gina cue or what but I used it
some in the all around at Johnston City.

If you were a hustler, most pool rooms had pretty good house cues, just had to find a straight one and the tips were all worn down and played well.

But no doubt having your own cue every day brings more consistency to your game.

Bought another Palmer from a close friend and pool room owner, "Jesse Howard" but never liked it! Loaned it to a friend one night and he got busted, broke my Palmer on the side of the table but at least I got rid of it! lol.

I have two cues today, both by Richard Black my good friend! He made me one in 79 and another in 2013.
 

Jeff sparks

Verified Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Messages
3,317
From
Houston, Texas
Hello Smitty" Most of the time I played with house cues. However I bought a Palmer built to my specs and my game hit a wall for 5 or 6 months until I got rid of the cue.

After Johnston City late 1970, Alfie Taylor sold me a cheap National cue at cost. Best cue I ever owned but not the best I ever played with. Eddie Burton had a nice playing cue! I'm not sure if it was a Gina cue or what but I used it
some in the all around at Johnston City.

If you were a hustler, most pool rooms had pretty good house cues, just had to find a straight one and the tips were all worn down and played well.

But no doubt having your own cue every day brings more consistency to your game.

Bought another Palmer from a close friend and pool room owner, "Jesse Howard" but never liked it! Loaned it to a friend one night and he got busted, broke my Palmer on the side of the table but at least I got rid of it! lol.

I have two cues today, both by Richard Black my good friend! He made me one in 79 and another in 2013.

Whatta ya need with a cue stick!!!! Let alone two !!!! You live up in Madisonville and never play pool anymore!!! You're still young, and have plenty of money, bring your ass to Houston and start playing again. What???? Don't tell me you're not interested anymore, or that you have no time. Both of those are B.S. When you came to the Super Seniors last year I could tell the fire was still burning, albeit not very brightly.

Let's see if you can still play, c'mon on down!

Tall Jeff
 

boingo

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
311
From
San Jose, CA
Road stories with Cole

Road stories with Cole

Keith,

Another poster here said he once saw you and Cole here in the Bay Area way back when, said you and Cole had just come off the road together, Cole called you 'Little Squirrel' and you made one hell of a proposition shot like it was a hanger, just walked up and drilled it.

Do you have any stories of you and Cole traveling and playing together? Talk about getting caught between a rock and a hard spot :)
 

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
Squirrel and cole

Squirrel and cole

Late October 1970 Cole and his friend Steve left Johnston City and I invited myself along to Atlanta Georgia, our only road trip together. We didn't even go to a pool hall, just hung out at his friends place and a motel room.

Cole introduced his friend to me and told the guy I was the real deal. Shortly after I sat down in the living room area of this older rather large home on the out skirts of Atlanta, the guy laid. a lazy susan full of coke on the coffee table right in front of me.

Almost immediately no less than eight hot chicks sat all around me and snorted coke for 30 minutes and I just watched. Never had snorted this drug and didn't know what the fuss was about. Whole giant bowl was gone in less than an hour and so were the chicks, LOL!

We drove to his mothers place in Frisco and I spent a number of days their with him and Steve just having a good time and hanging out.
We did hang out at the Billiard Palace in Bellflower (Vern Peterson's Place) somewhat and Marina Billiards in Marina Ca.

We were at the Billiard Palace in Bellflower late one night and there was absolutely no action and I thought no one was there except for myself and Cole. Watched Cole practice for an hour when he grabbed the eight ball and placed it froze to the rail at opposite end of table. Then he froze the cue ball at center rail on other end of table. He handed me his cue and said make this shot. I asked him what pocket? He said any pocket. I asked how about the right corner and he said that will do!

I jacked up and had to curve the ball slightly with pretty good authority and cut the ball in the right corner pocket, eight ball rolled down the rail on the far end of the table like it had eyes. Cole was devastated that I had made the shot.

He spent the next thirty minutes showing me the trick shots he knew trying to better me on the impossible shot I made. It wasn't impossible it just would take most good players half the night to fortunately curve the cue ball just right. I was lucky to make it on the first try and I really blew Cole's mind when he was trying to mess with me.

Almost forty years later I find a post some body made on this site or some other site describing that shot I made at The Billiard Palace that night. I had no idea some one was watching. I had forgotten that night at the Palace. Reading about it brought back the memory and I'll carry it with me forever.
Cole and I were great friends and considered ourselves the best young road warriors of all time, both of us fearless and highly competitive with each other on how well we played.

He pushed me out of Atlanta and made me go back to Johnston City in 1970 to finished what I started, made me promise I would win the all around.
Never made another promise after that, LOL.

Let me say it was a pleasure to have hung with him and to hang with him just to goof off and have fun. The sweeties were there wherever he went and I never took advantage of it and when we were together he didn't much either, we enjoyed each others company and had good times smoking joints, hash or whatever, LOL. Hadn't seen him since and I miss those days!



W
 

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
Tall Jeff

Tall Jeff

Most people may never know how formidable and intimidating Tall Jeff was as a pool player. Now he is trying to intimidate me again! Both of us are rather large men nowadays and both like to eat, LOL.

Was at Bogies in Houston a night or two during the SS's and he put me on an Italian spot for dinner, it was ZIO'S. Man did I enjoy the spaghetti and meatballs. Next time I went to Bogies I picked up some to go! Brought it home and my son beat me out of it. LOL.

Have a lot of things on my plate right now and just can't make myself leave here to go play pool. But I still want to go back to Bogies and knock a few balls around. Got a lot of things to do around my place here in Madisonville. But will make it down to bogies this week some time. Plan on going to Bogies west and visit James "SNIPER" Cristopher. It pretty cool visiting with my old nemesis.

One thing is for sure, you weren't gonna make a living messing with either one of you, LOL. Spaghetti is on me Jeff, and just like Dock Holiday in the movie Tombstone, SAY WHEN!
 

Jeff sparks

Verified Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Messages
3,317
From
Houston, Texas
Most people may never know how formidable and intimidating Tall Jeff was as a pool player. Now he is trying to intimidate me again! Both of us are rather large men nowadays and both like to eat, LOL.

Was at Bogies in Houston a night or two during the SS's and he put me on an Italian spot for dinner, it was ZIO'S. Man did I enjoy the spaghetti and meatballs. Next time I went to Bogies I picked up some to go! Brought it home and my son beat me out of it. LOL.

Have a lot of things on my plate right now and just can't make myself leave here to go play pool. But I still want to go back to Bogies and knock a few balls around. Got a lot of things to do around my place here in Madisonville. But will make it down to bogies this week some time. Plan on going to Bogies west and visit James "SNIPER" Cristopher. It pretty cool visiting with my old nemesis.

One thing is for sure, you weren't gonna make a living messing with either one of you, LOL. Spaghetti is on me Jeff, and just like Dock Holiday in the movie Tombstone, SAY WHEN!


Anytime brother,
I was thinking about that Spagetti today, I haven't been back since we ate there that night. Let me know when you're coming to town and we will play a few games of one pocket for the honor of who buys. Call me..... 713-302-5801

Tall Jeff
 
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