androd
Verified Member
Reportedly he was two balls below the top 1P players, but he didn't book too many losers.
~Doc
Taylor said he gave him 8 to 7 and the game was very tough.
Rod.
Reportedly he was two balls below the top 1P players, but he didn't book too many losers.
~Doc
Shreveport was our last stop of the year with Royal American Show. They had there own Train moving across country. I wonder what carnival Grady worked for.The real flat stories where the Pin store the Blower and the razzle. The red circle game they used 3 white circles.You had to cover the red circle so no red would show. That.s how you would win. But there was always a little red showing. And when the agent showed you howto do it no red would show on the red circle. Grady could have gotten different jobs in the carnival. He could have been a set up and tear down guy. With the boots. He could have Been a ride Jokey. Or a guy who runs the rides.Grady also spent some time in the Carney world when he was young. This is the part of my interview with Grady dealing with his experience in the Carnival:
I went through New Orleans around 1973 with Jim Fusco and Pittsburgh John. Fusco gave Heisler 10 to 8 and beat him. Heisler was a gentlemen to play with..never said two words just liked to play, pales in comparison to years ago. he stroked the ball for a long time before shooting and was tough to play because he played so slow. Fusco didn't mind, he was a grind out player and Heislers style didn't bother him at all. We went through Mobile before going to New Orleans and I gave Cleo Vaughn the 8 and 9 and beat him easily, I was playing some of the best 9ball in the country winning the Johnston City 9ball division prior to going there. Cleo didn't realize that I won the tournament until he was told later..after we played. No cell phones or computers back then to wise people up. Actually that's probably the biggest reasons why the action today pales in comparison to back then.Larry-- I didn't move to Dixie until 2000, so I never got to see Heisler play. The word I got on him from some old timers was that he was extremely difficult to beat at the Sports Palace.
He played lots of road guys, but if they weren't from the South, they couldn't adjust to his high proficiency on those wet tables-- especially at the Sports Palace-- what with the swamp cooler running, and the shrimp boil cooking...
Reportedly he was two balls below the top 1P players, but he didn't book too many losers.
~Doc
That's pretty high praise, coming from E. Taylor. My guess is that he was referring to playing Heisler in New Orleans.Taylor said he gave him 8 to 7 and the game was very tough.
Rod.
I went through New Orleans around 1973 with Jim Fusco and Pittsburgh John. Fusco gave Heisler 10 to 8 and beat him. Heisler was a gentlemen to play with..never said two words just liked to play, pales in comparison to years ago. he stroked the ball for a long time before shooting and was tough to play because he played so slow. Fusco didn't mind, he was a grind out player and Heislers style didn't bother him at all. We went through Mobile before going to New Orleans and I gave Cleo Vaughn the 8 and 9 and beat him easily, I was playing some of the best 9ball in the country winning the Johnston City 9ball division prior to going there. Cleo didn't realize that I won the tournament until he was told later..after we played. No cell phones or computers back then to wise people up. Actually that's probably the biggest reasons why the action today pales in comparison to back then.
I believe players like Kelly and Ronnie played Heisler 10 to 8 as well, SJD or maybe even Rodney may be better equipped to tell that story. Any ways playing at the Palace under those conditions wasn't a picnic for any player.
I also stopped in I believe it was Houston and played Craig Stevens he gave me the 7ball playing 9ball and I won easily. Craig played poorly I believe I caught him on one of his binges after he was up for about three or four days. He also didn't know who I was when we played, not that he would of cared anyways.:lol
Pool was fun back then, action was a plenty and times were good. Now all I can do is occasionally talk about it. Thanks for listening.
Bill Incardona
I'll write a story about Billy Incardona that happened over 50 years ago. Later today or tonight.I'm sure Nine Ball Billy will remember.
Billy I. what I want to hear, correct me if I'm wrong. Weren't you at Janscos when it was raided 1970?, and what amount did you put in the manila envelope with your name on it?
Larry,
I never played Earl but I was in with Taylor when he played Earl. Earl could really play but had no game with Taylor. He did bet though.
New York Blackie I forget about. I ran into him several times but he never wanted to play. Last time I saw him was at the Stardust tournament in Vegas. I forget the name of the woman he was always with. Blackie had a strange style of play.
Is he gone too?
Bill S.
When I played him, I'm pretty sure that the woman that was with him was Betty. Pretty sure of that. I don't recall her last name. He was with her for a good while.
To describe her a bit she was average height but very very slim.
I went through New Orleans around 1973 with Jim Fusco and Pittsburgh John. Fusco gave Heisler 10 to 8 and beat him. Heisler was a gentlemen to play with..never said two words just liked to play, pales in comparison to years ago. he stroked the ball for a long time before shooting and was tough to play because he played so slow. Fusco didn't mind, he was a grind out player and Heislers style didn't bother him at all. We went through Mobile before going to New Orleans and I gave Cleo Vaughn the 8 and 9 and beat him easily, I was playing some of the best 9ball in the country winning the Johnston City 9ball division prior to going there. Cleo didn't realize that I won the tournament until he was told later..after we played. No cell phones or computers back then to wise people up. Actually that's probably the biggest reasons why the action today pales in comparison to back then.
I believe players like Kelly and Ronnie played Heisler 10 to 8 as well, SJD or maybe even Rodney may be better equipped to tell that story. Any ways playing at the Palace under those conditions wasn't a picnic for any player.
I also stopped in I believe it was Houston and played Craig Stevens he gave me the 7ball playing 9ball and I won easily. Craig played poorly I believe I caught him on one of his binges after he was up for about three or four days. He also didn't know who I was when we played, not that he would of cared anyways.:lol
Pool was fun back then, action was a plenty and times were good. Now all I can do is occasionally talk about it. Thanks for listening.
Bill Incardona
Great story Dr Bill. I just talked with my buddy Johnny Hennigan who was called Cornflakes at Fuscos room in Philly. He just won $1.5 million at the World Series of Poker in the Players Championship and a week before took down $320K taking second in another event. He stopped playing pool when their were other lucrative markets.
Though he did come into our room, The House of Billiards in Santa Monica, when I told him Efren was coming in. He tells Efren in front of the Philipino contingent, respectfully. He says to Efren-Ill play you one ball you give me 2 holes you got one. You got the corner and I get the other corner and the side hole. Efren says no way. John then says ok Ill take the corner and you get 2 holes but you got to give me odds on the money. No one in the contingent says ok. Efren just shakes his head.
John unravels his cue and walks out to go back to the poker room which I guess is where all the action now is.
I think Betty was a Monterey Park girl and a waitress at the Fairway. My mom used to play the piano there and Betty, her brother Stan (I think) and parents, we're old family friends. I lived about two blocks from there.
I tried to sneak Blackie in a bar joint once and he could not stall with that sneer on his face and that big stroke, drawing the big rock all over the table. There were quarters up and down both rails and they raced to pull them off after Blackie ran a rack.
John,
That's why they called him NY Blackie. He loved to put that stroke down.
He would be lost trying to control the rock today.
I have spent most of the last year changing my stroke to more back and straight through.
Who thought when I started to play one pocket that it would end up being more like snooker.
Bill S.
Great story Bill, and an even better payday!... A funny ending to this story, years later, when I more or less stopped going around the country hustling, I was playing in a huge international 3C tournament in NYC. At Abel Caulderon’s room in Queens, first time I met Sang Lee, he finished second. I had just finished playing the Belgian Champion at the time, Marin Spoormans, I won the game and had the high run of the tournament 16. After the match, a tall lanky older guy with a not so good grey-haired rug, but, with a gorgeous young blonde on his arm. He says to me, “good to see you again after all these years, “ “can you sign my program?” I ask, “What’s your name?” He says, “make it out to Paul,” you want your last name too.” “Instead, just make it out to, “Smitto!” I take a closer look at the guy and yell out, “SMITTO!” Didn’t recognize him with the rug, we laughed together about the past. He parting words to me were, “You taught me a VERY valuable lesson, that I was only a BIG fish in a LITTLE pond!” “And, I can see you certainly know this game, good luck in the FINALS!”
back in the early 1970's billings had great action. few came to take it off. at george franks pool room you could always find someone to beat out of a lot of money if you laid it down right.
300 a game starting out wasnt too much to ask for. i might have been the one to get them started on 6 ball as nine ball took too long to win big scores and you had to waste too much time by keep missing the first five balls anyway so i would only play 6 ball and they liked it as you always had a shot it seemed..
they also played cards downtown and gin rummy and winning and losing over 100 grand in a night wasnt too unusual for a few people. you had to be known and play on the tab for the big amounts which kept it to regulars.