Jimbo
10-09-2002, 01:09 PM
As promised my Ronnie Allen story follows:
Ronnie is known the world over as one of the best one pocket players who ever lived. He is a magician with the cue ball and proficient in all shots required in this game. It is for these very reasons that he had trouble getting action at his best game. He was in town for a national tournament many years ago and like everyone else looking for side action to make the trip worthwhile. As normally happened he got steered to me since I was known to play pretty high stakes although it was also known noone who matched up with me would ever be stealing.
Our "house" game was golf, played on a 5'x10' English snooker table using standard sized pool balls rather the smaller snooker balls. For those of you not familiar with golf on a billiard table each pocket is numbered one through six and the first player to pocket his designated ball in all six holes in mumerical order wins. Typically the bottom right corner pocket (as observed from standing behind the headstring is number one and moving clockwise two through six with the 3rd and final holes always being side pockets.
Ronnie knew in a heads up match on an unfamiliar snooker table he would have a difficult time beating me. He suggested scotch doubles golf with him as his own partner and me coupled with Bobby Baldwin of Bartlesville, OK.(Not the same Bob Baldwin associated with the Bellagio). This should normally have given Ronnie an edge due to the difficulty of conflicting strategies among partners as well as a substantial difference in playing style. Not to mention that Ronnie was certainly not a criple at any game he chose to play. We agreed to play for $100/game and $10/hickey (foul) per man. In other words Ronnie was playing for $200/$20 and Bobby and I each played for $100/$10.
Though I had been playing poorly Bobby had carried our team to three victorys with three for Ronnie as well. We were still ahead about a hundred each due to the disparity in hickeys in our games won versus Ronnie. He was craved for action and asked to pump the bet to $200/$20 each and we agreed. It is during this game that the real fun begins.
Bobby broke for our team and ran the first two holes while missing the three hole. Getting stuck on the three hole is normally a big disadvantage in golf. Ronnie lagged close to the one hole playing a standard safety at the same time. Now our ball was on the far end of the table a foot or so daigonally out from the four hole. Ronnie had left the cue ball at the oposite end of the table near the rail in close proximity to the one hole nearly 12 feet away from my object ball. I chalked up and attempted a 5 rail shot with our ball travelling close to 30 feet hoping to get it close. Well it dropped in the pocket with perfect shape for me on the four hole. We used the six spot wheras some areas of the country spot on the five spot dead center of the table. From the six spot on the four hole with an ideal angle it is not at all uncommon for even average players to run out. Nearly needlees to say I ran four and out in another 45 seconds or so and Ronnie was hopping mad.
He accused me of sandbagging hollering "Nobody snaps in a five rail and runs out in this game!" It was a funny sight to see this world champion squealing after going to all the trouble of having the best of it against Bobby and I. Although he calmed down some after this he began to play me so safe on my innings that Bobby was able to take over the game and win the next two nearly single handed. During those next two games we played I probably only pocketed one or two balls in the correct holes but it was the 5 rail followed by running out that put Ronnie on tilt and brought home the cash.
Hope you enjoyed the story,
Jimbo
ps: I have one to tell real soon entitled "Hustling an Inanimate Object".
Ronnie is known the world over as one of the best one pocket players who ever lived. He is a magician with the cue ball and proficient in all shots required in this game. It is for these very reasons that he had trouble getting action at his best game. He was in town for a national tournament many years ago and like everyone else looking for side action to make the trip worthwhile. As normally happened he got steered to me since I was known to play pretty high stakes although it was also known noone who matched up with me would ever be stealing.
Our "house" game was golf, played on a 5'x10' English snooker table using standard sized pool balls rather the smaller snooker balls. For those of you not familiar with golf on a billiard table each pocket is numbered one through six and the first player to pocket his designated ball in all six holes in mumerical order wins. Typically the bottom right corner pocket (as observed from standing behind the headstring is number one and moving clockwise two through six with the 3rd and final holes always being side pockets.
Ronnie knew in a heads up match on an unfamiliar snooker table he would have a difficult time beating me. He suggested scotch doubles golf with him as his own partner and me coupled with Bobby Baldwin of Bartlesville, OK.(Not the same Bob Baldwin associated with the Bellagio). This should normally have given Ronnie an edge due to the difficulty of conflicting strategies among partners as well as a substantial difference in playing style. Not to mention that Ronnie was certainly not a criple at any game he chose to play. We agreed to play for $100/game and $10/hickey (foul) per man. In other words Ronnie was playing for $200/$20 and Bobby and I each played for $100/$10.
Though I had been playing poorly Bobby had carried our team to three victorys with three for Ronnie as well. We were still ahead about a hundred each due to the disparity in hickeys in our games won versus Ronnie. He was craved for action and asked to pump the bet to $200/$20 each and we agreed. It is during this game that the real fun begins.
Bobby broke for our team and ran the first two holes while missing the three hole. Getting stuck on the three hole is normally a big disadvantage in golf. Ronnie lagged close to the one hole playing a standard safety at the same time. Now our ball was on the far end of the table a foot or so daigonally out from the four hole. Ronnie had left the cue ball at the oposite end of the table near the rail in close proximity to the one hole nearly 12 feet away from my object ball. I chalked up and attempted a 5 rail shot with our ball travelling close to 30 feet hoping to get it close. Well it dropped in the pocket with perfect shape for me on the four hole. We used the six spot wheras some areas of the country spot on the five spot dead center of the table. From the six spot on the four hole with an ideal angle it is not at all uncommon for even average players to run out. Nearly needlees to say I ran four and out in another 45 seconds or so and Ronnie was hopping mad.
He accused me of sandbagging hollering "Nobody snaps in a five rail and runs out in this game!" It was a funny sight to see this world champion squealing after going to all the trouble of having the best of it against Bobby and I. Although he calmed down some after this he began to play me so safe on my innings that Bobby was able to take over the game and win the next two nearly single handed. During those next two games we played I probably only pocketed one or two balls in the correct holes but it was the 5 rail followed by running out that put Ronnie on tilt and brought home the cash.
Hope you enjoyed the story,
Jimbo
ps: I have one to tell real soon entitled "Hustling an Inanimate Object".