Jimbo
10-23-2002, 04:04 PM
I just read a post in the tourney forum that reminded me of this guy. His nickname was Fat Randy, it is likely you never heard of him unless you have been scammed, stiffed or dumped in a pool room. What follows is a sad story......
At age 16 Fat Randy was a phenom, he took to pool like a duck does to water. On a bar table he beat ALL comers bar none. He was able to consistently and accurately cut a ball backwards (at more than a 90 degree angle). For those physics majors among you after you prove it cannot be done I would be happy to explain how he regularly performed this feat. He may have been the first player to "hop his rock" during an actual game and not for a simple exhibition shot. His heart was as inexhaustable as was his endurance. What major flaw could have ended such a promising career? ? Hard to pin it down to one thing, perhaps drugs, or too lazy to work hard to win when scamming was easier. It could have been as simple as becoming too well known too quickly and all his action was tough action. By the age of 17 he had to spot professional tour players the near nuts just to get action. He would offer weight beyond belief just to gamble. One famous tour pro was offered the 7 in 9 ball by Randy and he turned it down by saying if I cannot beat you even I want no part of you.
It got to where Randy had to make this offer in order to play an average human being. He would get the first break and if you ever drove a ball with a legal hit to the rail you won the game. During this period of his life it was not at all uncommon for Randy to string 10 to 12 racks of nine ball together before you ever stepped up to take your first shot. Well giving up weight like this can be draining, if you are off even a smidgeon you will lose your bankroll and this happened to Randy often as his bad habits outweighed his desire to win with dignity.
My most memorable personal encounter with Randy was when he was in his late twenties. He played me on my home turf offering insurmountable weight and lost his $300 bankroll. He posted up a $1000 cue stick (a Joss West) to play me another set. Well he lost that set as well and left a gentleman, after asking for walking money. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif About a week later a friend of mine called telling me I had his brothers pool cue. Sure enough he described it to a tee and I gave it up. I had beaten Fat Randy and still been hustled by him all at once. He was known for dumping his backers, not paying when he lost and many other angle shots. Naturally all his action dried up, no backers, no suckers no life left at pool.
To this day I wonder just how good he could have become relative to todays' top name players. I believe the answer is he would have been the Tiger Woods of billiards and brought the game more respectability than it has already achieved. Just goes to prove sometimes the good old days weren't that good for everyone.
Jimbo
At age 16 Fat Randy was a phenom, he took to pool like a duck does to water. On a bar table he beat ALL comers bar none. He was able to consistently and accurately cut a ball backwards (at more than a 90 degree angle). For those physics majors among you after you prove it cannot be done I would be happy to explain how he regularly performed this feat. He may have been the first player to "hop his rock" during an actual game and not for a simple exhibition shot. His heart was as inexhaustable as was his endurance. What major flaw could have ended such a promising career? ? Hard to pin it down to one thing, perhaps drugs, or too lazy to work hard to win when scamming was easier. It could have been as simple as becoming too well known too quickly and all his action was tough action. By the age of 17 he had to spot professional tour players the near nuts just to get action. He would offer weight beyond belief just to gamble. One famous tour pro was offered the 7 in 9 ball by Randy and he turned it down by saying if I cannot beat you even I want no part of you.
It got to where Randy had to make this offer in order to play an average human being. He would get the first break and if you ever drove a ball with a legal hit to the rail you won the game. During this period of his life it was not at all uncommon for Randy to string 10 to 12 racks of nine ball together before you ever stepped up to take your first shot. Well giving up weight like this can be draining, if you are off even a smidgeon you will lose your bankroll and this happened to Randy often as his bad habits outweighed his desire to win with dignity.
My most memorable personal encounter with Randy was when he was in his late twenties. He played me on my home turf offering insurmountable weight and lost his $300 bankroll. He posted up a $1000 cue stick (a Joss West) to play me another set. Well he lost that set as well and left a gentleman, after asking for walking money. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif About a week later a friend of mine called telling me I had his brothers pool cue. Sure enough he described it to a tee and I gave it up. I had beaten Fat Randy and still been hustled by him all at once. He was known for dumping his backers, not paying when he lost and many other angle shots. Naturally all his action dried up, no backers, no suckers no life left at pool.
To this day I wonder just how good he could have become relative to todays' top name players. I believe the answer is he would have been the Tiger Woods of billiards and brought the game more respectability than it has already achieved. Just goes to prove sometimes the good old days weren't that good for everyone.
Jimbo