Back in the late 70's Joey,got a call to come to dayton ohio to play bugs onepocket.He went to dayton and gave bugs 10 to 8.Joey was stealing at this game.They played for 50a game,Joey won 200dollars. This went on every week or so,Joey was laughing about his new job.After about 6weeks the game got toughand was changed to 8 to 7,now Joey was complainingand mumbling under his breath that bugs was learning all his moves.Joey sometimes talked to himself and now this was not a joke anymore.Bugs had managers that were very clever and they knew the best way for bugs to learn onepocket was to play Joey who was the best at basic fundamentals.two monnths into this tutorial BUGS had learned how to beat JOEY, NOW PLAYING EVEN,Bugs was holding his own and Joey finally realized they had used him to teach the best banker in the world a new hustle,Bugs went on to be in the top 5 onepocket players in the country. Bugs was not just a one trick pony,he went on to beat many good players at onepocket. His backers were always gentleman and cool customers ,I still think Bugs would deliberately lose the first two games just to sucker in the sideline,they never turned down a bet. BUGS HAD THE BODY of a dennis rodman and could reach any shot . HE WAS A CLASS ACT he was left handed and could come off the floor to run out at banks and onepocket. FREDDY THE BEARD MIGHT NOT KNOW THIS LITTLE TIDBIT. BILLYC
No, actually this is one story that I didnt know, Billy. I do know that your time frame is about 15 years off. You, like me, have lost time perspectives -- but not me on this one.
Bugs was a top player by the mid 60s, not late 70s. This I know because I wuz dere. Matter of fact Joey played Bugs in Chicago, 63,64,no later than 65 or 66. Joey lost playing even. At an all night pool room in Chicago, Joey was howling about the banks that Bugs had made on him. He then showed us a layout where he needed 1 ball and Bugs banked 8 and out in one pocket! I published that diagram in my book years ago. This so impressed Joey that he staked Bugs in a couple of games in Johnson City, giving Fats and Hubert Cokes a ball playing banks were a few of them. I wish I could have remembered the actual years.
Also as far as being in the top 5 onepocket players, the only 2 players I would have bet on against him were Eddie Taylor and Harold Worst. Ronnie Allen and him, to me, was an even game. Yeah, and Artie Bodendorfer had Bug's number too even tho Bugs always played him 9 to 8. I would bet you couldnt name anyone else who could beat him playing 1pkt aside from an early 60s Clem.
The first year Eddie Kelly went to Johnston City he stopped at Bensingers first and got 8 to 7 and the break from Bugs on table 12, a 5 x 10.
In 62 or 63, Jersey Red was in Chicago before he went to Johnston City. He broke even with Mexican Johnny in Bensingers on a 5 x 10. I have already told the story of when I brought Red to the South Side.
That same time Red also played Bugs at the open all night, All Star Bowling Alley in Skokie, Ill. 20-30 a game. They played on a horrible table, which didnt seem to bother Bugs at all. After a few games Red asked for a ball, 8 to 7. No good. After a few more he asked for 9 to 7! he got it, still no good. Red quit, blaming the table -- which I sympathized with him in that regard. It was horrible. Red didnt lose much, $120 or maybe $150, but he did lose. I always loved Red so I kept this story to myself for many years.
It was these experiences with Red that showed me that as great a player as he was, he needed a little fear or respect out of his opponent to bring out his best game. Bugs wasnt the right man for that because he had zero fear for any human -- and he did know Red by reputation. Well, maybe Bugs feared Eddie Taylor and Younglood Washington, because he had grown up around them and seen some of the miracles that they had performed. Eddie Taylor used to live on the Black South Side when he was in Chicago. You can only imagine the kind of legend he became.
Beard
I was personally present at all the above encounters save for the Fats/Bugs bank game (the one I would have most liked to have watched).
