King the wonder dog

jay helfert said:

Freddie, I saw Jerry and King in action day after day back in the 60's at Ye Billiard Den. By the way, Jerry could play pool. He was a decent shortstop, but he kept his game under wraps pretty good.

King could give any other "smart" dog the five and the break! He could run out a rack of nine ball, picking up the balls in order and dropping them in the nearest pocket. Jerry would break the balls and say, "Run out King" and that was it. King could add! I swear to God. Jerry would say, "Give me two balls that add up to 15" and King would do it. Then Jerry would say do it again, and King would pull two more balls out that added up to 15.

Then the topper was when Jerry said to someone pick a number. Maybe they would say ten, and Jerry would have King pull two balls that added up to ten. Don't ask me how he did it. I have no idea other than that King knew the balls just as good as we do. He recognized numbers and knew how to add, at least up to 15. I never saw him go for a higher number or more than two balls. I suspect he could do it with three balls if necessary.

If Jerry had a drink sitting on a table and he was playing pool, he could ask King to get his drink for him. King would gently take the glass (or cup) in his teeth and bring it over to Jerry. Jerry would have King pay the bill and tell him to bring back the right change, telling him how much he had coming back. If the counter person gave King the wrong change he wouldn't move. He would wait until he got the right amount. So King knew about money and pool balls, that's for sure.

Jerry would tell King to open his wallet and take out ten dollars, a five and five ones. King would do it without fail. Like Freddie said, this dog was one of a kind. Nothing King did surprised me after a while. It was like he had a human brain.

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vapros said:

You guys don't know when to stop, do you? I'm afraid Jay's story has killed every whale in Iowa.

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fred bentivegna said:

Thanks for chipping in, Jay. These King stories definitely need verifiers. That's why I am wondering why SJD and JH havent chimed in yet. They are from California in the 70s, and they are both high on Ronnies bite list. He must have related some King stories to them at some time or another. The photo of Ronnie with King in E Robins book is a classic.

Beard
Here's a little treat for the boys, out of E Robins Winning One Pocket p 247 is a photo of the wonder dog and Ronnie.

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jay helfert said:

The credit on the photo says Charles Jones. Isn't that Preacher Red?

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fred bentivegna said:

Thanks for chipping in, Jay. These King stories definitely need verifiers. That's why I am wondering why SJD and JH havent chimed in yet. They are from California in the 70s, and they are both high on Ronnies bite list. He must have related some King stories to them at some time or another. The photo of Ronnie with King in E Robins book is a classic.

Beard

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fred bentivegna said:

Do you happen to know what happened to Jerry and King? I would bet big that when either one of them died, the other didnt last another week.
Beard
Fellas, honest Injun, there aint no Santa Claus, but there was a King the Wonder Dog.

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jrhendy said:

You couldn't go to any of the action joints around LA or Orange County in those days without running into them. I remember seeing King sitting in a chair beside him wearing a Hat and sunglasses.

I tried to keep my eye on the "Smart Guys" in those days and when they wouldn't bite on some bets/tricks that King would do, I wouldn't bite either.

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fred bentivegna Beard Where O' where is SJD on this thread?[/QUOTE said:

freddy do i get a scence you miss him???

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fred bentivegna said:

You got it JH. The hat and sunglasses were standard wear. Sometimes he would sport an unlit HavaTampa cigar (the one with the plastic holder). I heard the Associated Press will have 11 fact checkers working on this story just as soon as they finish with Sarah Palin's book.

Beard

Where O' where is SJD on this thread?

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SJDinPHX said:

Beardman,

Don't remember ever seeing King in action. I sure heard of him though, over the years.
Apparently Jerry never made it up to the bay area during my tenure. I rarely went to LA in that time frame.

When I was going to LA a lot, all the big action was at the Wonder Bowl, Hollywood & Western, or Downtown.
Not sure if the Tropicana Bowl even existed (Richie and RA's home court) at that time.
It was somewhat before Jay H. or RA's arrival in SoCal. (mid to late 50's) Richie F. was still in grade school... so King may have been a pup in training in those years.

Sure would like to have seen some of his antics. Enjoy hearing about them.

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beatle said:

he is still around and plays a little.

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jay helfert said:

I didn't get to L.A. until 1967, just in time for the big bash at Charlie Milliken's place (the Cue and Cushion) in Norwalk. Ronnie was giving Grady 9-6 at One Hole and there was a ring game with the Jockey, Lou Butera, Richie and Don Watson for 20 a man. Don Watson also beat a couple of good players in the back room playing 9-Ball. I wish I could remember who.

Richie was the best 9-Ball player in L.A. and Ronnie was the One Pocket king. Richie beat just about everyone who came to town including Denny Searcy, Jimmy Reid, Cole Dickson and Jimmy Moore. I watched Ronnie play The Iceman 9-7 and Black Nate 8-7 at Tournament Billiards and win the money. He was the only one who I ever saw spot these two guys. Freddie tried playing Banks with them but came in second.

Ronnie beat Jimmy Marino 9-7, 8-7 (I think) at Marina Billiards and he played Frisco Jack down there also (I think this game was 9-8, 8-7). Ronnie won all these games. He gave Flyboy 9-6 and Cole 9-7 at North Hollywood, both winners too. Ronnie was spotting everyone back then. Only Kelly played him 9-8 on Ronnie's break and even on his. That was his closest game.

But Marvin did beat Ronnie once playing even at Ye Billiard Den. Marvin had the home court advantage. Ronnie wanted him to come out to N. Hollywood but Marvin passed. He took his 3k (they played for 6K - big money back then)) and went out and partied for a month. I know because I was with him some nights.

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fred bentivegna said:

Not true about Iceman and Nate beating me playing bank pool. The first guy I played in California was Nate at the all night poolroom in Culver City. Was Tournament Billiards the name of the joint? We played banks for $50 a game and he quit. I was with Sugar Shack Johnny and Ronnie Sypher, we had just arrived from Vegas. I also handled Iceman playing banks. My troubles with those two, especially Nate, was in the one pocket department. I played Ice a lot and we seesawed, but I had to give up on Nate.

Beard

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jay helfert said:

Sorry! You're right, it was One Pocket they beat you at. I'm getting senile in my old age.

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fred bentivegna said:

You got it JH. The hat and sunglasses were standard wear. Sometimes he would sport an unlit HavaTampa cigar (the one with the plastic holder). I heard the Associated Press (AP) will have 11 fact checkers working on this story just as soon as they finish with Sarah Palin's book.

Beard


QUOTE]

Late Edit: My mistake, it wasnt AP that hired somebody to fact check, it was AZ, and they put their ace investigator, Lou Figueroa, on the job. He's worth 11 fact checkers all by himself.

Beard

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