Maybe the best pool I have ever played.

07.14.14
Most everyone knows that I really enjoy one pocket, which is almost always played on a 9 foot table.  In recent months I have taken to trying to improve my level of play on bar tables.  At my age, bar tables are probably my best opportunity to compete.  There's a lot to be said for bar tables, especially if you get used to playing on them.

On one magical evening in the heat of a Louisiana Sauna Summer, I was playing at the magnificent Lacy's Cue pool room (non-smoking) in Chalmette, Louisiana.  While there were probably only twenty something players, the field was full of Champions and it was a Thursday night pool tournament on the bar boxes.  Names like Cliff "Lemme hold a hundy" Joyner, Jamie "Progeny of Pool" Baraks, Jamie "The Red Rifle" Ferrell, Ronnie "The Wiseman" Wiseman, Trey Baker, Benny "the Goose" Conway, Jr,  Stoney "StoneWall" Stone to name a few; showed up for the weekly $500 added, NON-HANDICAPPED event.

The pool room owner has this weekly tournament and the races are to 5 on both sides of the brackets.  Everyone knows that the better players are most often going to win on big tables or small tables as evidenced by the results in most pool room events no matter what the race to.

My first match I can't even remember who I played but I know I won but after that, I found myself facing the formidable "WISEMAN" and down 4-2 from his wise play.  Somehow I managed to get back to 4-4 and was breaking.  I broke very well using a new cut break that I have been recently employing on the bar boxes when playing 9 ball.  I made a ball on the break and with the balls spread really well, was able to finish the rack and win the match.  Ronnie, the good sportsman that he is, laughed heartily and congratulated me on a great comeback.  Another note is the Ronnie seeing that the momentum had changed when I was making the comeback NEVER ONCE attempted to shark me or do anything to distract me.  Kudos to THE WISEMAN!

My next match was against THE RED RIFLE, a local legend for his straight shooting abilities.  I came out of the gate firing my six shooter and at close range the six shooter proved deadly over the rifle.  In quick order, as luck would have it, I found myself ahead 4-2, getting roll after roll in my favor.  I win the match 5-3 and send the Red Rifle to the one loss side.

Now I find myself facing the practically invincible "THE PROGENY OF POOL", a moniker I bestow on him because of the conversation he shared with me about his early development. (maybe a story about him in my blog with his permission, another day)  In short races on bar tables, almost anything can happen.  The Progeny of Pool instills fear in every player's heart because of his methodical and precision play.  Well, I know he gives me butterflies on occasion when he is making every shot and every shape needed.  This day his game was a little off and I took advantage of some rolls that went my way and managed to squeak out a hill-hill victory from one of the best bar table players in North America (imo).  The fact that he is a professional player and a WORKING MAN, makes me admire him all the more.  It's tough to get up at 4:00 am, work all day, then come to a pool tournament at night and expect to perform your best.  His play as usual was exemplary but he fell a little short and I got a little lucky.

Pocket billiards is the greatest sport from an amateur's viewpoint like mine, primarily because as an amateur I get a chance to play against the best players in the world and when I have a magical night, I might win a match or two.

After winning the match against "The Progeny of Pool", I had the winner's bracket locked up.  It was late, very late and I was tired at 4:00 am but that is no excuse for losing.  I still played well at this late hour, having slept a couple of hours before the event.  I now faced STONEWALL, an adversary so deadly that few dare stand up to his prowess at the table in gambling matches.  Luckily, this was only a tournament.  Nevertheless, Stonewall played VERY SLOWLY and VERY DEADLY from the very beginning of our match.  He had to beat me two sets in a row and he beat me the first set 5-3 and the second set 5-2.  Even in defeat, I could hold my head high that I never sharked my opponents nor cheated them and I played the best pool of my life against some of the best players in Louisiana.

JoeyA