Hustling America

Watching Hustling America on NatGeoTV. Show on right now about Titanic Thompson. This is Episode 1. Episode 2 is about Amarillo Slim. It's worth a look. Check your local programming

Both of those guys were amazing at knowing what to say and do to make people go for their tricks.
The only person I ever saw who had that ability in the last 40 years was The Flipper.
I had the privilege/curse of going on the road with him on my birthday sometime around 1977 I believe.
We made money everywhere we went, until the last spot, where he dumped me.
I don't feel too bad, because almost everyone I ever talked to, that actually was with him , got the same treatment. {The two that didn't would have chopped him into pieces and fed him to the dog, and he knew that.}
I also helped him cure his nervous tick by telling him on the way back , that if he did that again while he was with me, I would stop the car , throw him out, and run over him 4 or 5 times, I should have been a motivational speaker , because he never err erred again the rest of the trip.

He could flip coins, pitch coins, make coins come out of your ears, he also was a blackjack card counter in the 70s when almost no one else knew how.
Someone taught me a fractional counting system in the late 60s, but not many people played it in house games here, and I sure wasn't going to Vegas and see if I could become a green place out in the desert. {it was also really difficult to keep straight in your head after a while}

senor said:

Watching Hustling America on NatGeoTV. Show on right now about Titanic Thompson. This is Episode 1. Episode 2 is about Amarillo Slim. It's worth a look. Check your local programming

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thanks for pointing this out. I watched two episodes last night. had never seen that trick shot where he pocketed three balls before. confidence men everywhere are going to hate this show.

speaking of titanic Thompson...
when the beard sent me my encyclopedia, there was a road scholars dvd tucked in there. I couldn't fall asleep last night and finally watched it. freddy shares a gem/gossip/possible fact about Arnold Rothstein, titanic Thompson and Hubert cokes....

senor said:

Watching Hustling America on NatGeoTV. Show on right now about Titanic Thompson. This is Episode 1. Episode 2 is about Amarillo Slim. It's worth a look. Check your local programming

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Senor, thanks for the heads up. Ive set my dvr to catch those any any future episodes. Ive read books abouy both Slim and Titanic they were both amazing. anyway thanks again. keith

Anyone who records these, I have hundreds of videos to trade and would seriously like to have these in my collection.

Miller said:

thanks for pointing this out. I watched two episodes last night. had never seen that trick shot where he pocketed three balls before. confidence men everywhere are going to hate this show.

speaking of titanic Thompson...
when the beard sent me my encyclopedia, there was a road scholars dvd tucked in there. I couldn't fall asleep last night and finally watched it. freddy shares a gem/gossip/possible fact about Arnold Rothstein, titanic Thompson and Hubert cokes....

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It aint gossip, Miller. Those guys all made the NY newspapers as murder suspects in the killing of Rothstein. They were all arrested and released.

Beard

I have the show DVR'd for tonight. I hear my pal Cotton LeBlanc had a good part in it. I will call him and get the lowdown on the show.

fred bentivegna said:

It aint gossip, Miller. Those guys all made the NY newspapers as murder suspects in the killing of Rothstein. They were all arrested and released.

Beard

I have the show DVR'd for tonight. I hear my pal Cotton LeBlanc had a good part in it. I will call him and get the lowdown on the show.

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I saw his segment. He played the fellow that stars on the show, Alex Conrad, a game of pool and then goes outside for a card slinging bet and the guy slips in a hotel key card to throw on top of a building. I'd feel mighty weak if I ever got taken in on any of those bets. Like I would ever let somebody throw a walnut (which was weighted down) or something without holding it. Or let somebody in an eating contest excuse themselves and go to the bathroom or somewhere. All they would have to do is gag and throw up everything in their stomach and start all over. And that guy pocketing the three balls in three different pockets. I hope he has more sense than to think he would ever get paid on that. And then the old fly and sugar cubes.

Jimmy B said:

I saw his segment. He played the fellow that stars on the show, Alex Conrad, a game of pool and then goes outside for a card slinging bet and the guy slips in a hotel key card to throw on top of a building. I'd feel mighty weak if I ever got taken in on any of those bets. Like I would ever let somebody throw a walnut (which was weighted down) or something without holding it. Or let somebody in an eating contest excuse themselves and go to the bathroom or somewhere. All they would have to do is gag and throw up everything in their stomach and start all over. And that guy pocketing the three balls in three different pockets. I hope he has more sense than to think he would ever get paid on that. And then the old fly and sugar cubes.

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You must be one of them big brains.
Most people in the world do not have that gift, they listen to the snake charmers and get bit. :heh

Billy Jackets said:

You must be one of them big brains.
Most people in the world do not have that gift, they listen to the snake charmers and get bit. :heh

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Titanic was quite a fellow. Some old heads have a good memory and have seen them. That's all. Like when you pay a magician to show you an effect. All of a sudden, it's nothing. I like these type of prop bets. In the video, you set it up and start acting like you are trying to make it, if you think a mark is around. You don't challenge anyone for a bet. Backing into the bet is the whole thing. You start talking about how you cleaned a guy out across town. Then you run the object ball into a ball on the rail. You miss the pocket by several inches. You tell the crowd how that idiot was loaded until you got done with him. He was so stupid he gave you five tries but you were doing it in three or four. When you miss look embarrassed and set it up again really quick like you can't wait to try again. Then miss it badly. I use to could make my face turn red like I was extremely embarrassed. Flash a roll. If anyone has a notion they might offer to bet something and might possibly give you two or three attempts. I would try to get three. Let them make the offer. Act scared and say let me think about it. Then tell them you will bet on three tries with one stipulation. That being that they will let you go again if you lose the first round. This would give you 6 chances before you lose anything. IF you miss it 6 in a row, then you are the sucker anyway. But really we know he will be the one trying to get even, but he never does, does he?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpbBhiT5bh0[/ame]







Now on this one, I would not practice it at all in front of people. I's a frozen combo three rail bank. You can maybe switch someone to this shot and finish them off. Dippy was taking hard core players for some good bets. An amateur might think you have it set wrong, thinking the ball is heading the wrong way, which it will off the first rail. Act drunk and act like you are not sure if it's set up right. Obviously you are banking the eight three rails under you where the duece is. This is very easy to make with low right medium hard with practice and knowing the exact set up on your pet equipment. Remember backing into the bet is key. I drew the red lines for the path of the eight ball only. It's just a quick recreation and not exact at all...

Now when I get done with him on the pool table, I'll bet him I can move all that sugar into the saucer with a knife. I liked that one. It's a winner...

Earl

Earl

http://www.nytimes.com/video/nyregion/100000002755086/new-yorkers-earl-strickland.html?smid=pl-share