Big $$$ pool match
 

....

what, in Salem

Naw, just a link to the match between Danny Harriman and Rodney Morris @ the U.S. Open...nobody seemed to care, so I deleted as much as I could. Thought folks here would like to watch, but I was obviously wrong...

But maybe I was wrong to delete? Here you go...

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=OJ1dbuZ2g7A

I watched while working. Great comeback. Thanks Paul.

Damn! I'm glad somebody watched! I guess I'm weird, liking to watch any game being played at a top level. Hell, I even watch golf despite never playing the game.

I had the honor of watching Rodney Morris live some years back...he entered a tournament in Springfield, Oregon. Went through our local West Coast (From Canada to Southern Cal) top players easily...not even close. He must have needed some lunch money? It was like Tiger Woods taking on the resident "pro" of a local golf club....the local pro good in his small pond, but world class talent shows.

I got shipped off to private school because I was spending too much time hustling pool. Never lost my love of the game and I've always enjoyed watching a good game being put together. I can make the shots but then it's not what you make, its' what you leave.

Back in the day Cliff Thornburn was our local Canadian hero. I saw him recently on the trick shot tour. Still shoots a good game.

To think...if you'd kept it up, you could have wasted your life instead of getting a "real job". ;) What amazes me is how little these top level guys really earn in a year, compared to say, Tiger Woods.

You're right...the game isn't about making balls, it's all about playing good shape...
This leaves those not in the know wondering why these guys seem to always have easy shots...other than when they get purposely hooked by their opponent.

I grew up with a pool table. There were plenty of holiday parties at my parents house for my dads law firm. I was told to lose to the other partners by my dad. He was a founding partner, so not much was going to happen to him, but I apparently annoyed several partners over the years by beating them. I guess they were sore that they lost to a 7 year old.

BTW Paul, we all post threads that get ignored from time to time. Don't take it personally. :)

Gotcha...nice to know that some here have held a cue...:)

I think it was one of your other threads regarding pool cues, that made me dig mine up from out of my old closet at my parents house. I played (amateur and bar) through college, then my cues were put away. I did play an occasional game at the local pub later.

The cue I dug out, is a plain jane cue that one could find along the walls of any pool hall, but it's a two piece. It needs a little work to bring it back. It's not always about having the most expensive cue....

Here's my cue. It's a Dufferin I picked up in Billings Montana years ago.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228274726.jpg

Hang on to that puppy! The Canadian made Dufferins are prized these days...no longer made. The Taiwan versions are not. Yours has a great canadian hard rock maple shaft.
Have that shaft cleaned, a good tip installed, and you'd be back in the game in no time!

I went a little bonkers after selling the '72S. Now have some pretty nice sticks & case. Sadly, they don't improve my shooting skills. I'm still a half blind old goat with no stroke.

Oh...the outfit?

Case by Jack Justis, 3X6 "prolite"
main playing cue, Keith Josey custom, two shafts, talisman tip
backup playing cue, Dave Jacoby..original shaft with lepro tip, extra tiger X shaft with sniper tip.
Cheap Taiwan sneaky pete for the break stick..love it's hard leather tip.

If only I was able to play half as well as my honory nephew Matt...note his playing cue in this pic...looks cheap as all get out, hits like a dream. He picked it up from a Florida road player. When we ate in a restaurant during the BCA 9 ball regionals, Matt's case went in with us. Good players get very serious about protecting their sticks.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1228277755.jpg

My new house has a dedicated space for a 4.5 x 9 instead of a dining room table.... Looking around for the 'right' table.

I'm jealous as hell! Two brands of new tables seem to be favored these days...Brunswick Gold Crown (understand they are made overseas now?) and Diamond Professional.

Maybe go for antique? I love the 1940's Brunswicks in my favorite hall...click on the pics for a table image. May take some hunting to find a nice Brunswick Centennial...but would be worth it IMO.

http://www.thecueball.com/

(edit)

Scroll down here to see the centennials...I just love the art deco look of these old guys.
http://www.thecueball.com/PoolRoom.html

I would love to find something with a lot of stories. Cigarette burns, beer glass rings and maybe a bullet hole or two. What's it cost for a set of speed bumpers and new felt?

No idea of the cost...but a good table mechanic could tell you. Or, ask around if there is a true pool hall anywhere near you. There are guys who specialize in setting up and restoring tables. I know Jim (owner of the cue ball) recovers & rebuilds his tables as needed. Where are you located? Might be able to give you a lead...I'd love having a 9' table here...just no room, and no way I'd want to go through the hassles of adding on to the house.

edit...probably the largest pool junkie website in the country is azbilliards.com. You could probably find leads there...looking for the best table mechanic in your area should bring more leads.

Paul, my cue does need a new tip, just looked at it. Not sure I would have the shaft cleaned, it took a while for it to glide well as it is. I was looking at the back end and it could be refinished - has a few chips in it, but I'm tempted to leave them as well. Hmm, the top half of the shaft (tip end) is not the original. I had two. This one needs a little work at the joint, but it does not affect performance. I wonder what happened to the original tip. Worse comes to worse, I can just turn another shaft, heck I could make my own cue...

Pool tables can give rug burns. :)

Dave, Several ways you can go...one way would be to simply buy a new shaft and tip...high tech these days is with laminated shafts that supposedly give less deflection, along with layered pigskin tips for less mushrooming. I dunno about the less deflection thing, but layered tips make one really pay attention to where you hit whitey (cue ball)...be a little off and unintended english can result. Still, less likely to miscue, since they grab really well. These folks make a range of shafts to fit nearly every cue joint. Cue screws are made in SAE bolt sizes...
http://www.tigerproducts.com/

Another option is to send the entire cue to a good cuemaker for repair...but that could easily run more than the cue itself is worth. (Sounds like restoring an old P-car, eh?) Repair prices listed here are representative. Matt likes this cue maker for repairs to his cue, recently had Sheldon give it a stacked leather wrap:
http://www.sheldoncue.com/

Another option if you only wish a new tip installed is that you could mail the shaft to me, I'd take it to the cue ball the next time I go to Salem, and ask John to put a new tip on it. Last time he retipped for me, it was only $30 or so, IIRC...this with a standard non layered tip.

One arguement for a standard tip is that Matt just went back to them, a brand called elkmaster. He likes the consistant control they give him. Considering that he's currently the 2nd best player of the Northwest, I sure won't debate him on what works for him.

Oh...2nd best? He recently placed 2nd in the Western BCA regional 9 ball championships, men's master division. Bob Zack barely got him in a thrilling hill-hill match.

Video of the match here:
http://www.onthebreaknews.com/9BallWBCA.htm
Then click on "masters singles"...

What the video doesn't tell is that matches started at 9:00 A.M. This match ended at 3:30 A.M. the following day. I was whipped...and all I did was watch Matt's matches throughout the day. High level tournament pool is an endurance sport...not easy to keep up concentration for 18 hours or more.

Paul, I may take you up with the new tip. The rest looks like a fun job for me. On second look, the cue is whole, it just is not lining up correctly and for some reason, I did not see the corresponding grain patterns.

If things work out to my satisfaction, maybe I'll send both halves and once the new tip is attached, you can take the cue out for a test game or two ;).

Oh, I have to weigh it, but I think it is on the heavier side.

Dave

I'm in Vancouver, BC. Not too much to choose from here as far as old halls. They put condos in where I used to play.