The Ghost Haunts Los Angeles

Well, I haven't posted for awhile because I just got back last week after spending 5 weeks in Los Angeles - it's always great to escape from the upper midwest winter for awhile and hook up with 70 degree weather, palm trees, and the Pacific Ocean - I gotta say, I'm a little jealous of the guys that are lucky enough to live out there full time......Ok, here's my One Pocket report...


To start with let me say that I had a great time playing with Jay Helfert over at his house a few times while I was out there - we had fun playing, telling pool stories and woofing at each other.


Secondly, for those of you that don't already know, let me say that Los Angeles (and more particularly, adjacent Santa Monica) is one of the very best places that you can live if you're a One Pocket player......I made it over to Hard Times and Hollywood billiards a couple of times while I was there but House of Billiards in Santa Monica is where I hang out when I'm in L.A.....House of Billiards is a great One Pocket players pool room, and here's why....

First of all it may be the most One Pocket focused room in the country - I'd say approx. 95% of all gambling that transpires in the room is One Pocket - There's constant One Pocket action there everyday - $10-$30-$50, and $100 a game, and all different speeds of players are playing - The regulars that hang out there are mostly a good bunch of guys and gentlemen to gamble with - Another big thumbs up is that I'd say that the 'will gamble' quotient is excellent at H.O.B. and the locksmith/nit quotient is much lower than it is at a lot of other poolrooms/areas of the country - The tables are good gold crowns with super tight pockets - 4"! pretty damn challenging for the poor old glasses wearing Ghost... - 2 excellent european 3 cushion tables (and a few 3c players who will gamble, in case you're one of those shameless predatory gambling 3c players, like the Ghost... ) - And last but not least, there's triple-hot young girls constantly coming in, great restaraunts and the ocean just walking blocks away, and free doughnuts and coffee for the players every morning ! - Yep, this is a great One Pocket players pool room - as long as that pesty old BIG EARTHQUAKE doesn't come !.....

And if the old Ghost may be permitted to boast a little....I did leave L.A. with about a 85%-90% winning percentage in my 20 or so match-ups that I had while I was there - ya understand, I had to represent Chicago style moving and banking (not to mention some 3c billiards) to those west-coasters..........the one guy though, that roughed up the old Ghost a little, was that damn Wayne - he just refused to miss ANYTHING - credit where credit's due though, Wayne plays excellent One Pocket, and he's a gentleman to play with.


So, if any of you guys are reading this, Don, Jay, Roger, Rob, Wayne, Jimmy, Phil, Bob, and the rest of the gang, thanks for the hospitality and I'll be back out there again before too long, trying to 'scare' up some action again.

- Ghost

One Pocket Ghost said:

Well, I haven't posted for awhile because I just got back last week after spending 5 weeks in Los Angeles - it's always great to escape from the upper midwest winter for awhile and hook up with 70 degree weather, palm trees, and the Pacific Ocean - I gotta say, I'm a little jealous of the guys that are lucky enough to live out there full time......Ok, here's my One Pocket report...


To start with let me say that I had a great time playing with Jay Helfert over at his house a few times while I was out there - we had fun playing, telling pool stories and woofing at each other.


Secondly, for those of you that don't already know, let me say that Los Angeles (and more particularly, adjacent Santa Monica) is one of the very best places that you can live if you're a One Pocket player......I made it over to Hard Times and Hollywood billiards a couple of times while I was there but House of Billiards in Santa Monica is where I hang out when I'm in L.A.....House of Billiards is a great One Pocket players pool room, and here's why....

First of all it may be the most One Pocket focused room in the country - I'd say approx. 95% of all gambling that transpires in the room is One Pocket - There's constant One Pocket action there everyday - $10, $30, $50, and $100 a game, and all different speeds of players are playing - The regulars that hang out there are mostly a good bunch of guys and gentlemen to gamble with - Another big thumbs up is that I'd say that the 'will gamble' quotient is excellent at H.O.B. and the locksmith quotient is much lower than it is at a lot of other poolrooms/areas of the country - The tables are good gold crowns with super tight pockets - 4"! pretty damn challenging for the poor old glasses wearing Ghost... - 2 excellent european 3 cushion tables (and a few 3c players who will gamble, in case you're one of those terrible predatory gambling 3c players like the Ghost... ) - And last but not least, there's triple-hot young girls constantly coming in, great restaraunts and the ocean just walking blocks away, and free doughnuts and coffee for the players every morning ! - Yep, this is a great One Pocket players pool room - as long as that pesty old BIG EARTHQUAKE doesn't come !.....

And if the old Ghost may be permitted to boast a little....I did leave L.A. with about a 85%-90% winning percentage in my 20 or so match-ups that I had while I was there - ya understand, I had to represent Chicago style moving and banking (not to mention some 3c billiards) to those west-coasters..........the one guy that roughed up the old Ghost a little, was that damn Wayne - he just refused to miss anything - credit where credit's due though, Wayne plays excellent One Pocket.


So, if you guys are reading this, Don, Jay, Roger, Rob, Wayne, Jimmy, Phil, Bob, and the rest of the gang, thanks for the hospitality and I'll be back out there again trying to 'scare' up some action.

- Ghost

Click to expand...

I'm pissed. I lay down this nice little spread at The Derby, and you spend several weeks on the West Coast and don't even make it up to Sacramento. I would steer you around a little to make sure you were pumped up before we play, get you a ball from The Baby, and make sure you had enough money to get home on. San Jose Dick will be here in May and you could take both of us off.

I'd better not hear you beat Little Al and King Kong at Hard Times in Bellflower because they both BBQ'D me the last time I was down in LA and then I would know YOU were the one stalling at The Derby, not me.

It was a pleasure to watch the Ghost in action . He's a straight-up gentleman at the table and I learned some nifty little Chicago style moves in how to shut down a shooter.

One Pocket Ghost said:

....I did leave L.A. with about a 85%-90% winning percentage in my 20 or so match-ups that I had while I was there - ya understand, I had to represent Chicago style moving and banking (not to mention some 3c billiards) to those west-coasters....

Click to expand...

Sounds to me like the title of your post should have been "The Ghost Fleeces L.A."

The H.O.B. sounds like heaven. I'm surprised to hear of such a 1P mecca in that whacky town, of all places! BTW, you must be doing pretty well to just take 5 weeks off for a west coast trip!! You and Henderson should get together to trade S.S. checks...

Doc

- Another big thumbs up is that I'd say that the 'will gamble' quotient is excellent at H.O.B. and the locksmith quotient is much lower than it is at a lot of other poolrooms/areas of the country..... Ghost [/QUOTE]

It's always been that way Ghosty. The further west you go, the truer it becomes.
Like John, I am crushed you did not make any of our joints. Had we known you were in the area, we may have travelled over to L.A. just to knock your action (JK)

Dick <---let another soft game get away.

jrhendy said:

San Jose Dick will be here in May and you could take both of us off.

Click to expand...

You're tempting me....California in May...you and Dick - a couple of lovely spring daffodils to be plucked....

jrhendy said:

I'd better not hear you beat Little Al and King Kong at Hard Times in Bellflower because they both BBQ'D me the last time I was down in LA and then I would know YOU were the one stalling at The Derby, not me.

Click to expand...

I'm not naming no names.


- Ghosty

Disappearing, Reappearing

Disappearing, Reappearing

"And then through the wall, as if not there at all, came a straight-shootin' One-Pocket Ghost".

gulfportdoc said:

BTW, you must be doing pretty well to just take 5 weeks off for a west coast trip!! You and Henderson should get together to trade S.S. checks...

Doc

Click to expand...

Doc, as the old saying goes....looks can be deceiving - I wish I was moneyed up - the only reason I was able to go out to L.A. for that length of time, is that I was working while I was there, trying to make enough money with my business to pay for the trip, and hopefully a little extra.....As for the S.S. I'm not that old yet - hopefully I will make it there though.

- The Working Stiff Ghost

SJDinPHX said:

- Another big thumbs up is that I'd say that the 'will gamble' quotient is excellent at H.O.B. and the locksmith quotient is much lower than it is at a lot of other poolrooms/areas of the country..... Ghost

Click to expand...

SJDinPHX said:

- It's always been that way Ghosty. The further west you go, the truer it becomes.


Dick

Click to expand...

Maybe so, but I think it can be changeable from region to region and pool hall to pool hall....I made it up to San Francisco for a coupla days a few years ago and I believe Family Billiards has been the players room there in recent years....well, I hooked up with my old friend George Michaels when I was there, and he said that other than the champions like R. Martinez, B. Palmer, etc., the rest of them in that pool room won't bet they're alive....maybe John knows if this is true or not.

- Ghosty

One Pocket Ghost said:

Well, I haven't posted for awhile because I just got back last week after spending 5 weeks in Los Angeles - it's always great to escape from the upper midwest winter for awhile and hook up with 70 degree weather, palm trees, and the Pacific Ocean - I gotta say, I'm a little jealous of the guys that are lucky enough to live out there full time......Ok, here's my One Pocket report...


To start with let me say that I had a great time playing with Jay Helfert over at his house a few times while I was out there - we had fun playing, telling pool stories and woofing at each other.


Secondly, for those of you that don't already know, let me say that Los Angeles (and more particularly, adjacent Santa Monica) is one of the very best places that you can live if you're a One Pocket player......I made it over to Hard Times and Hollywood billiards a couple of times while I was there but House of Billiards in Santa Monica is where I hang out when I'm in L.A.....House of Billiards is a great One Pocket players pool room, and here's why....

First of all it may be the most One Pocket focused room in the country - I'd say approx. 95% of all gambling that transpires in the room is One Pocket - There's constant One Pocket action there everyday - $10, $30, $50, and $100 a game, and all different speeds of players are playing - The regulars that hang out there are mostly a good bunch of guys and gentlemen to gamble with - Another big thumbs up is that I'd say that the 'will gamble' quotient is excellent at H.O.B. and the locksmith quotient is much lower than it is at a lot of other poolrooms/areas of the country - The tables are good gold crowns with super tight pockets - 4"! pretty damn challenging for the poor old glasses wearing Ghost... - 2 excellent european 3 cushion tables (and a few 3c players who will gamble, in case you're one of those shameless predatory gambling 3c players, like the Ghost... ) - And last but not least, there's triple-hot young girls constantly coming in, great restaraunts and the ocean just walking blocks away, and free doughnuts and coffee for the players every morning ! - Yep, this is a great One Pocket players pool room - as long as that pesty old BIG EARTHQUAKE doesn't come !.....

And if the old Ghost may be permitted to boast a little....I did leave L.A. with about a 85%-90% winning percentage in my 20 or so match-ups that I had while I was there - ya understand, I had to represent Chicago style moving and banking (not to mention some 3c billiards) to those west-coasters..........the one guy that roughed up the old Ghost a little, was that damn Wayne - he just refused to miss ANYTHING - credit where credit's due though, Wayne plays excellent One Pocket.


So, if any of you guys are reading this, Don, Jay, Roger, Rob, Wayne, Jimmy, Phil, Bob, and the rest of the gang, thanks for the hospitality and I'll be back out there again before too long, trying to 'scare' up some action again.

- Ghost

Click to expand...

Thanks for the trip report, Ghost. I'm going to be in that very part of the world in a few months for about a week. I'll be sure to check out HB. Santa Monica, depending on the traffic

Lou Figueroa

Cowboy Dennis said:

"And then through the wall, as if not there at all, came a straight-shootin' One-Pocket Ghost".

Click to expand...

Cowboy, your song's a little off the mark (pardon the pun)....I'm not a straight shooter, wish I was - I like to just keep trapping em' till they're in a coma and aren't exactly sure how I got 8 balls before they did.....

- Ghost

I played the Ghost three times while he was out here. All together about 15 hours of One Pocket and maybe 30 games total. He ended up three games ahead after all that. I felt like I played a little better each day but so did he.

I really think I need 9-8 to have a fair game, or else I have to find a higher gear. He out banked me, out moved me and even out shot me - ON MY TABLE!
How I only lost three games is what surprises me.

Comas & Rigor Mortis

Comas & Rigor Mortis

One Pocket Ghost said:

- I like to just keep trapping em' till they're in a coma and aren't exactly sure how I got 8 balls before they did.

- Ghost

Click to expand...

Ghost,

Do you know a guy named Artie B.?

One Pocket Ghost said:

I hooked up with my old friend George Michaels when I was there, and he said that other than the champions like R. Martinez, B. Palmer, etc., the rest of them in that pool room won't bet they're alive....maybe John knows if this is true or not.

Click to expand...

In my experience, gambling is rare there. Once in 1998 there were two SF guys who decided to play 1P, race to 3 for $20. Players came from 9 counties to sweat the action...

Doc

gulfportdoc said:

In my experience, gambling is rare there. Once in 1998 there were two SF guys who decided to play 1P, race to 3 for $20. Players came from 9 counties to sweat the action...

Doc

Click to expand...

I haven't been to Family Billiards in San Francisco much since I moved to the country outside Sacramento about 9 years ago Doc, but when I lived in the East Bay I went there quite a bit and there was a fair amount of action. In recent years I hear about quite a bit of one pocket being played there and across the Bay in Emeryville at The Rack. The same players frequent both places and there are a few that will play $50 to $200 a game or sessions for more $$. The equipment is tough at both places if you are a stranger and they do know how to match up. Hugo & CJ in the city bet it up pretty good and you better bring a good game to beat them.

Not as much gamble and action as the south, but hey, it's California.

Ghost on the West coast...mowing guys down with a 90% win percentage and he wants a ball from ol' VOO??? That heathen!!!

Voodoo~~~hope you had a good trip, sounds like it

Voodoo Daddy said:

Ghost on the West coast...mowing guys down with a 90% win percentage and he wants a ball from ol' VOO??? That heathen!!!

Voodoo~~~hope you had a good trip, sounds like it

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Voodoo........I'm confused, I have never asked you for a ball - you must be thinking of somebody else.

- Ghost

ya understand, I had to represent Chicago style moving and banking (not to mention some 3c billiards) to those west-coasters......

Click to expand...

Ghost,

Good to have you back.

Just curious....did you notice a distinct different style of play between the obvious Chicago moves and the West Coast style, possibly a little more aggresive in Cali?

I do notice that when I get back from the DCC I play a lot tighter and my Phoenix opponents complain that I'm "squeezing" them and need to play a little more aggresive (loosely translated......they don't like losing their cash ).

I wish there were a few more east coast style players in my room so I could hone those skills..(SJD exempted though....he invented some of those moves )

Thanks.

Bernie P.

bernie p said:

Ghost,

Good to have you back.

Click to expand...

Bernie, Thanks for the welcome back.

bernie p said:

Just curious....did you notice a distinct different style of play between the obvious Chicago moves and the West Coast style, possibly a little more aggressive in Cali?

Thanks.

Bernie P.

Click to expand...

Bernie, since you asked, I'm going to give you a long answer - something I've always thought....


I think that geographic region plays into it, but I think there's a lot more to it >>> I think that the long-standing depiction of One Pocket players playing a certain style strictly by region, is an over-generalization and doesn't really tell the whole story....

For example, in California I watched or played several players who played a careful, disciplined, style - and conversely, I can think of several players from the midwest/eastern U.S. that play pretty recklessly...

I think One Pocket style has a lot to do with personality type and/or age, regardless of the region of the country - for example, younger players, 9ball players playing One Pocket, macho types, players with no patience, 'crowd pleasers', players that got/get a lot of money too easily and the not-so-smart/thinking-challenged players, are types that tend to play too recklessly.....

While on the other hand, the types of players who will (or try to) play very smart, strategic, and careful, will usually fall into one of the following categories - some are admirable categories, some not so much: most of the strong One Pocket players will fall into this first admirable category >>>

1. Seasoned players with a lot of experience, knowledge, common sense and strategic focus.
2. Players who are by nature careful and conservative in their general lives.
3. Players who REALLY hate to lose and/or lose their cash.
4. Students of the game who have great respect for the game and want to learn to play it correctly.
5. Scuffs without much $$$ who very much need to win.


So anyway, that's my observations of One Pocket styles, as to not be strictly dictated by geographic region.

- Ghost

One Pocket Ghost said:

Voodoo........I'm confused, I have never asked you for a ball - you must be thinking of somebody else.

- Ghost

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#2 07-14-2008, 04:17 PM
One Pocket Ghost
Verified Member Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Green Felt Jungle
Posts: 646



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Voodoo Daddy
I'll take it, BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. I been gone and kinna lurkin', do I count?



Nope, you don't count as a lurker....and as a matter of fact, for trying to misrepresent your lurkerness, you now have to give me a ball.....

No, this is where I got it, lol

Voodoo~~~havin fun at 7:55AM onna Saturday morning