Best of RSB - October 97
Each month a distinguished Committee of one unnamed rsber presents the official "Best of RSB." This
monthly highlight is in recognition of those very special posts that simply stand out from the crowd. The guidelines
are far too complex to go into, but suffice it to say that originality, content, humor, and - most importantly
- the whim of the Committee play a large role in the selections. As always, the Committee's decisions are final,
and intentional groveling will be looked upon with much disdain.
On to the awards for October.... The Committee offers up this question: What do you get when you mix an age-old
stalemate between room owners and players with some *really* creative "out of the box" thinking? Yep,
you get a "Best of rsb" award (and all the fame and glory that comes along with it).
Good going, Bob; room owners take note in case you missed this gem:
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Subject Re: Semi-masses
From jewett@netcom.com (Bob Jewett)
Date Fri, 17 Oct 1997 23:36:58 GMT
RACKS BOSS wrote:
Bob, PLEASE retract statement "it's only cloth and cloth doesn't cost that much" - I'm a room operator and it costs me $125 (good price) to recover a table (Simonis). I only charge $5.90 per hr. for prime time pool ...
Bob Jewetts reply:
I understand your problem, but maybe you could turn the situation to your advantage. When you are about to recover some tables, offer a masse clinic: four hours of instruction and practice for $40. You could get in four or six clinics on a weekend. Get a competent instructor, wax up a bunch of cue balls, and let'em rip -- the tables about to be recovered, that is.
Then post a sign: "No masse shots unless you've taken the class." And another: "On masse shots, use a landing pad," which Robert H. described earlier, and can be a small section of leather belt that you slide under the edge of the ball to be under the tip when it lands.
RACKS BOSS wrote:
... show offs that don't really know what they're doing try to get away with it the most and cause the most damage.
Bob Jewetts reply:
Absolutely. I feel that more education is the answer rather than more prohibitions, though.
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The Committee tried. Really hard, too, but was totally unsuccessful in limiting the number of honorees. So, we did what anyone would do in this position: We gave up. Here are the runners-up:
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It was just a matter of time, we suppose, that Mike "Real Deal" Shamos got the nod. The Committee
appreciates Mike's contributions from his vast resource of knowledge, this one about the Great Irving Crane (and
thanks, Laura, for making Mike come a-runnin'):
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Subject Re: gambling in pool
From Michael Ian Shamos
Date 12 Oct 1997 22:30:32 GMT
Laura Friedman writes:
Re: Did Irving Crane ever dress up as a farmer and hustle yokels?
Hey Shamos, what's the real deal here?
Mike Shamos reply:
When Laura, my late-night playing partner in Vegas, calls, I come running.
Crane set the world straight pool high run record of 309 in 1939 on a 5 x 10 table. He won his first world championship in 1942, repeating in '46, '55, '68, '70 and '72. His picture was in every paper in the country. A tall, lanky gent, he was easy to spot. It was because of his height advantage over Mosconi, Ponzi and Caras, none of whom was over 5'6", that the size of tournament tables was reduced from ten feet to nine in 1949. He also worked full-time selling cars in Rochester, NY.
He might have had a chance at hustling the blind if he dressed up as a lady farmer and walked on his knees. Everyone else would have recognized him. Furthermore, he was not a road player and found it degrading to walk into pool halls trying to separate people from their money. Can I prove he never pulled the farmer act? No, but he had no need to, no time for it, and felt it was damaging to the game's image. If he had been caught at it, it would have been an unneeded embarrassment compared with the cash he might have gained.
Crane is still available to talk on the phone. Anyone who needs the answer to this vital question can just ask him.
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One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that it is *truly* global. Because of that, we are able to
enjoy offerings such as this one from John Collins about the pool scene in Germany. The lengthy and insightful
post is trimmed here (most of us probably have their own saved copy anyway) - and only a few points off from a
perfect score because Ron had to draw it out:
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Subject Re: Gambler vs. Player- A "B" is a "B"
From John Collins
Date 18 Oct 1997 23:25:06 GMT
Ron Shepard wrote:
But now that you are in this discussion John, I'm wondering what you can say about the gambling/tournament issue from a German perspective. How many professional German players are there? How active of a tournament schedule do they play? What are their salaries from tournament winnings, endorsements, and gambling? How do _you_ think they got so good so fast, gambling or tournaments?
John Collins Reply:
Well Ron I will be glad to give my perspective on this. First of all the Germans didn't get "so good so fast". Most of the top players started very young as did most of the top Americans. The reason that they are so good is of course championship talent, years of practical experience and a system which allows the cream to rise to the top.
The Germans have a very, very good league system which starts at the juniors level and continues to the National level. Basically most serious organized players in Germany are part of a team which competes with other teams in their division once or twice a month throughout a five month season....
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And a huge thank-you to Bob Campbell for his reports from the Camel Boston Open. Usenet is about news after
all, and this series of reports was hot off the presses:
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Subject Camel Boston Open-Final
From AAboutPool (Bob Campbell)
Date 27 Oct 1997 03:07:58 GMT
Just wrapped up about an hour ago.
Jose Parica took on Lenardo Andam in the final match. Andam was having few problems and went ahead 4-1. Parica then moved ahead 5-4. The games went back and forth to 8-8. Andam broke and failed to make a ball. Parica ran out. Broke, made a ball, then missed a shot on the 2. He left Andam a kick that was missed. Parica ran out for the win.
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And, finally, some "posts of note." (Sounds more classy than "honorable mention," we thought.)
Dreaded Doug did it again. OK, we admit it, we're just plain suckers for a good tall tale [this one had to be
shortened for the awards ceremony, but you'all remember it well]:
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Subject Re: Ever Heard This Trick Bet?
From Smorgass Bored (The Dreaded Doug)
Date Wed, 8 Oct 1997 00:29:58 -0400
One night I was hanging out at the Sonra Lounge (tucked in behind the cinema and on a canal) on Vets Hwy. in New Orleans, it was THE action spot from the mid 70's to the mid 80's and EVERY form of hustle was run AND bet on in this bar.
On this particular night a stranger says to everyone and no-one in particular, "I can KNOCK DOWN the headpin in a bowling alley with a playing card." Twenty heads swiveled at the same time to see who had made this claim.
Well, it just so happens that there's a bowling alley about 3-4 blocks up the street, which is closed, BUT, the manager comes to this bar every night after closing and is willing to re-open for all of us to make this bet (plus he wants some of the action too).
Well, everybody in the bar puts up all the cash they can afford and...
...After a few more throws, you could see the light dawning on the faces of forty very unhappy campers (including my total net worth betting ass). The pin started to lean and while Still holding a few cards the next throw toppled the pin. You could have heard a pin drop (I just COULDN'T resist the pun) as the banker handed over all our cash....
That night was one of the saddest nights ever back at the Sonra Lounge as everyone sat around bumming drinks and blaming each other for taking the bet. I'd like to say that it was the last time I went tapped betting on someone's hustle, but I'd be lying. Once a sucker, always a sucker....
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Cuemaker Sherm Adamson graced us with a number of good old war stories this month, but this one about a young
Johnny Archer struck a certain chord with the Committee - sentimental fools that they are:
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Subject Re: Why not talk About Archer
From Sherm Adamson
Date Mon, 06 Oct 1997 15:48:16 -0400
Johnny will surely be a "Hall of Famer". I don't know anyone who's ever met him who didn't like him.
I met him the first time when he was only 16 years old. He snuck into a bar table tournament at what was at the time known as "B.J's" in Tucker Ga. (Near Atlanta). I staked a player against him. They started out for just $5 a rack. My player thought that the way to beat the straight shootin' kid was to "Jack the Bet". By the time it got to $50 a rack and I was stuck about $1800, I woke up to the fact that the kid was a "future champion". We've been friends ever since. I often rib him about "hustling me out of my hard earned money"....
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Call us gearheads, but the Committee just *loves* data. Almost as much as it hates to hear (yet again) something
like "when I break from the side, I always make at least one ball." No surprise, then, that we salute
Wayne Crimi for takin' down some data and postin' it:
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Subject Re: How often pros pocket a ball on 9-ball break?
From Wayne Crimi
Date 1997/10/11
I have been working on my break for years. I have done several experiments.
Break from the side 200 times. Count total balls dropped and percentage of time dropping at least one.
Break about 8 inches from center 200 times. Count the same.
These were my general personal observations.
1. It is easier to control the q-ball from the center.
2. I drop at least 1 ball the same amount of the time but more total balls from the side.
3. I make the 9-ball more often from the center.
4. I get better spreads from the side.
5. I get that occasional terrible break more often from the side.
6. The center break works better on rug clothes.
7. The side break works better on Simonis
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Keep it up folks, and remember, the Committee sees all!
See you next month.
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