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The GAINESVILLE BILLIARD NEWS
Fall 2005 - Issue No. 6

HOGTOWN LEAGUE OLDEST IN GAINESVILLE

We've been told that the Hogtown Pool League is the oldest league in the Gainesville area. One player told us that it began in the early '80s, another in the '70s. If anyone can give us more info on this, we'd love to include it in a subsequent issue of the GBN. But we do know that it's been around for a while.

I've enjoyed playing in the Hogtown League for almost two seasons. Traveling from place to place brought back memories of the bar leagues I played in back in the '60s. Also the challenge of playing on a variety of table conditions is interesting to say the least! And maybe best of all, the league is competitive. There are no powerhouse teams in the league, but there are quite a few pretty good players, and most of the current ten teams have a good shot at the league title. Which makes it lots of fun. We also like that the league prize fund includes cash for every team. This generally prevents teams from dropping out during the season. I would like to see the league adopt the complete BCA Official Rules, and even become BCA sanctioned as they apparently were some years ago. It would be fun to send an 'all-star' team from the league to the BCA Nationals. The following piece offers the results of the Hogtown season that ended on August 1.

SPINDRIFTER'S "HUSTLERS" TAKE HOGTOWN TITLE

The spring/summer season of the Hogtown Pool League completed play on August 1. The Spindrifter's "Hustlers" team of Eric Larsen, Chris Walls, Joe Wattleworth, Paul Moss, Walter Joseph, Leonard Withey, Vince Walls and Tom Eagle defeated Panama Joe's "Ballbusters"; Mike Gunter, Mike McGraw, Rick Cheever, Bruce McElroy, Jami Beserock, Steve Emmons and Yukon Narlesky. Play-off results:

1 - Spindrifter's "Hustlers", $531

2 - Panama Joe's "Ballbustsers, $319

3 - Top Jewells, $287

4 - Panama Joe's "Top Fuel", $244

5 - J. P. Gators "Black Mariah", $191

6 - Gator City "Mullet Heads", $128

7 - Gator City "exeCuetioners", $85

8 - J. P. Gators "Untouchables", $85

9 - Round Bar "Rebels", $85

10- Eddie C's "Cuemasters", $85

11- Round Bar "Outlaws", $85

Regular season cash prizes:

First place team: Top Jewells, $125

High average: Donny Lutz, $75

Second place: Panama Joe's Top Fuel, $75

Most improved: Sonny Thompson, $75

The Hogtown League began around 1999 after taking over the Gainesville area BCA 8-Ball League from another manager and giving it a new name. We use BCA General and 8-Ball rules with some exceptions (see their website for details).

The league guarantees that every team will receive some prize money, while the previous league only paid some teams. There are about three sessions per year with annual dues of $10 per player and each team can carry up to eight players on their roster, with five playing each match. For additional info, check out the website, send email or come to the next Captain's Meeting at the end of the session at Panama Joe's on November 28th at7:30 PM.

- Jami BeseRock, director of the Hogtown Pool League

WANT RECOGNITION FOR YOUR EFFORTS
IN LEAGUE OR TOURNAMENTS?

If you play in a league or tournament whose results are not listed in the Gainesville Billiard News, urge your league or tournament director to send us the results! We'll include them in the next issue!

CRITIQUE OF MY CRITIQUE

We had numerous responses to my critique of the movie, The Color of Money. Older players tended to agree with me that The Hustler was by far the better movie, both from a players' viewpoint and in the eyes of those who appreciate great acting, directing and cinematography. I understand that the youngsters don't relate to the pool scene as it was back in the '50s. One said that "Color" was better because Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was much better looking than Piper Laurie. I might agree, but must add that Mary Elizabeth was a good actress stuck in a poorly created role, while Piper was a brilliant actress who portrayed a character of great depth and emotion. Newman was good in "Color", but great in the Hustler, which was a believable double love story. It presented Fast Eddie Felson's love of pool in a way that can only be appreciated by a player, but it was not his experience on the tables that gave him "character" in the movie, - it was his love for Piper's tragic character that made the story complete.

The only weakness in "The Hustler" was the image of Minnesota Fats that couldn't have been much farther from the truth. "Fats" was never the classy professional that Gleason portrayed. I saw Fats play, and spoke to folks who had played him. The "legendary" Fats was a rude, crude, hustler who made most of his fortune playing drunks. I have a hunch that the very kind portrayal of Fats in "The Hustler" was an attempt to improve the image of pool in general, but also of Willie Mosconi and Jackie Gleason, who were both known for their rather violent tempers.

Yes, Neuman received his lone Oscar for "The Color of Money", but this was just an example of the Academy trying to atone for not giving him the award for "The Hustler" and other great roles. - Donny Lutz

TOP TWENTY PRO PLAYERS CASH LIST as of 9/15/05

1 Efren Reyes, $68,669
2 Alex Pagulayan, $33,324
3 Corey Deuel, $27,382
4 F. Bustamante, $25,272
5 Allison Fisher, $23,000
6 Shawn Putnam, $18,729
7 Kelly Fisher, $17,500
8 Gabe Owen, $16,355
9 Jui Lung Chen, $13,905
10 Dave Matlock, $13,650
11 Gandy Valle, $13,606
12 Dan Basavich, $13,024
13 Helena Thornfeldt, $12,720
14 Vivian Villareal $12,700
15 Brian Gregg, $12,310
16 Charlie Bryant, $12,244
17 Santos Sambajon, $12,169
18 Tiffany Nelson, $12,000
19 Karen Corr, $11,700
20 Gerda Hofstatter, $10,700

ETIQUETTE & SPORTSMANSHIP

Back in the '40s and '50s, when the majority of "pool halls" were in fact rather sleazy, pool etiquette and sportsmanship were almost unmentionable, - a joke among the money players. They used every trick in the book to gain an advantage: distracting ("sharking") their opponents while shooting, moving balls while no one was looking, bad racks, and even doctoring up "home" tables by creating both tough and easy pockets, bad rails, etc. I even have a video tape that shows one of the all-time great players intentionally moving an object ball while spectators were watching the cue ball roll down the table!

But a huge resurgence in the popularity of the game began in the '60s, with a host of "up-scale" establishments, with league play, ladies' nights, and even youth programs. Before long the BCA and other organizations began adding "code of conduct" rules to their general playing rules. The BCA Handbook even has a rule today forbidding referees from betting on matches! You might laugh at that one, but at an NPBA National Tournament in 1975, I actually had a referee ask me if I wanted to bet on our next match - which he was refereeing!

If you watch the pros on TV, you may have noticed that when a player is shooting, the opponent is always seated. This is actually a rule. I first encountered this rule (and I loved it) at APA Singles Elimination events in Baltimore in the '90s, when we were told that if we were not seated when our opponent bent over to shoot, he or she could call a foul. Typically, players showed good sportsmanship by first asking the opponent to take their seat before enforcing the rule.

Which brings up a good point. Many players aren't up on the rules, so it is common courtesy to give a warning before enforcing some of these rules. But think about it. If you don't like distractions when you're shooting, give your opponent the same respect that you would like to receive. If there is no place to sit, at least move away from the table. One of the frustrations of many league players is the constant milling around the table of opponents, spectators and even teammates, while they're trying to shoot. The BCA has a rule (1.8) that states, "While a match is in progress, practice is not allowed. Taking a shot that is not part of the match is a foul." If you begin to unscrew your cue before a game is over, that is considered conceding defeat, and your opponent can claim victory without shooting. The only exceptions to this might be when one is unscrewing a jump/break cue, or has lost a cue tip and must change shafts.

Most of us have experienced opponents who may cough, drop their cue or even drop a drink while your shooting, to distract you. I once had an opponent "accidentally" spill a plastic cup of water into my cue case when I got on a hot streak. I no longer leave my case standing open where this might happen again.

I have to admit I have at times been guilty of a little sharking (long ago, of course!), and about once a season I still throw my cue to the floor in disgust after missing an easy shot. But nowadays, as I get older, I find that getting along with other players is at least as important as winning, so I really make an effort to show other players courtesy and respect. It makes the game so much more enjoyable. - Donny Lutz

BUYING CUES ON EBAY

During the past year or so, I've bought five cues on eBay. Even when I'm not really looking for another cue, it's fun just to check out the endless variety of cues, cue cases and billiard equipment available. You can bid on cues that sell from anywhere from $10 to $10,000 or more. If you know what you're doing, you can get some really good deals. After seeing jump/break cues being offered for as much as $600, I chose a J & J cue with beautiful butterfly inlays and a phenolic tip that I got for $56, and am very pleased with. Ebay is also a good place to look if you have a cue for sale and need to get an idea of what that cue is selling for.

But you must be careful. I got burned once on a cue that seemed like a great deal, only to find that the shaft was badly warped. Not wanting to pay the return shipping, I decided to try to straighten the shaft myself, and if that didn't work, order a new shaft. I'm still trying to straighten that original shaft.

When bidding on Ebay, check out the ratings of sellers that are almost always available. Be cautious of new sellers. I'm also wary of sellers who offer very poor quality photos of their items, and also those who use good quality photos that clearly show that the cue was not taken very good care of - dirty shafts, mushroomed tips, 'blue' ferrules, etc. You can also tell much about the pool knowledge of the sellers by how they describe their items. The more info they offer, the more they probably know about pool and pool equipment. When pricing cues on Ebay, it's a good idea to visit other sites to compare prices on both new and used equipment. There are hundreds of sites to visit; I chose a dozen or so to keep as "favorites" in my computer.

Perhaps most important of all, if you choose to use PayPal to pay for your purchase, be very careful. Last fall I had my identity stolen by a nation-wide scam that sent very honest-looking emails that pretended to by from PayPal asking for an update on your account information. They managed to extract over $3,000 from my account before being caught. Fortunately for me, Wachovia bank covered the loss and I came out OK. So DON"T respond to any emails from "Ebay" asking for your personal info. If you receive such emails, report them to Ebay by going to their website. By the way, the scam operation of which I'm speaking is still functioning, apparently there are clever and sophisticated enough to stay one step ahead of the FTC. - Donny Lutz

"THE GRUMPY OLD PRO"

Q: What does it take to become a champion?

A: It's really quite simple. All you have to learn is how to make one shot - your next shot! Duh! If you make your next shot, you will never miss and never lose (if you get a shot, of course). All the pros know this, but none have yet to master this principle! More realistically, becoming a champion requires only two things: love and dedication. The first is easy. Lots of us love the game, but few become champions. It's the dedication that's the trick. Enough dedication to practice every shot you miss until you can shoot it with some confidence. Enough dedication to take care of your mind and body - eating right, exercising, avoiding drugs. Most of the top players are athletes - they make a concerted effort to stay in shape. PRACTICE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.

A little GOOD practice is far better than lots of POOR practice. Practicing bad habits only reinforces them. Top players know that you can learn even from players you can easily beat. Get lessons from as many people as you can, but be willing to pay for lessons from qualified instructors. They will often see faults that most players may miss. Dedicated players know that imagination and shot selection is critical - on a "wide open" table there are often countless ways to run out or play a safety. When you lose it is usually because you beat yourself: when you get a decent shot and don't win the game, it's YOUR FAULT, - it doesn't matter if you're playing Efren Reyes or the worst player in the world. The most important words in pool are: dedication, imagination, discipline, patience, execution and concentration. Get these and you've got it made.

GREAT PLAYERS I'VE HAD THE
PLEASURE (?) OF PLAYING #1

When I first picked up a cue in 1955, the best player in my hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin was a fella named Jack Hoffman. At no more than 5'6" and maybe 190 pounds, he was a master at 9-Ball and Straight Pool. He had some legendary matches with touring pros such as his friend Ronnie Allen. Nobody in the area would play Jack for anything substantial, despite the fact that La Crosse had the reputation for having a number of fine players (as you'll see in subsequent installments of this column).

I played Jack in a 3-cushion billiard tournament in '63, an event that he had won something like eight years in a row against some pretty strong players. I ran 6 against him for the high run of the event. Jack still crushed me 25-10! - Donny Lutz

SILVER Q SUMMER SESSION LEAGUE RESULTS

MONDAY NIGHT

The Color of Money team of Nick Scott, Josh Scott, Bruce Johnson, Shawn, Aspen Autrey and Mike Bowman took top honors and first prize of $900. Second place and $450 went to the Balls Deep team of Phil Prince, Happy Gilmore, John League, Brent Skokto and John Overstreet.

Nick Scott won the Most Valuable Player title with a hefty average of 9.4, followed by Shawn Mazzerle 9.1, John League 9.0, Mike Bowman 9.1 and Josh Scott at 8.8.

TUESDAY NIGHT

The Tuesday competition was dominated by the Run-Out crew of Mike Bowman, Nick Scott, Taer Bluett, Shawn Mazzerle and Donny Lutz. They took home the top prize of any Gainesville league, $1,550; 2nd place ($775) went to Level 42: Mike Mutti, Matt Hampson, Mike Walsh, Carlos Mal, and Bear Snay.

Most Valuable Player honors went to Mike Bowman with an average of 9.3, followed by Bear Snay 9.24, Mike Mutti 9.22, Nick Scott 9.0 and Brendon C. 8.87.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

The Wednesday team title went to Chumpzilla. League champs Mike Bowman, Nick Scott, Josh Scott, Donny Lutz and Shawn Mazzerle split $900, while the Last Minute outfit of Chris Storter, Leroy Cromwell, Josh Scott and Leonard took second place and $450.

Mike Bowman led the league (and all three Silver Q leagues) with a fat average of 9.5, followed by Nick Scott, 9.2, and Josh Scott, Chris Storter and Donny Lutz, all at 9.1

BAD NEWS FOR THREE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Perhaps the most consistently strong player in Gainesville league competition for the past several years, Mike Bowman has left the Gainesville area for California and a new job. Mike led his teams to some twelve league titles in recent seasons, and will be missed by teammates and foes alike.

CORRECTION

In a previous issue of the GBN, we addressed the scratch on the 8-ball rule. We explained that it first appeared when the "kitchen" was used to shoot from after a scratch. We said "clever gamblers would intentionally scratch when they had no shot at their group of balls, and their opponent was on the 8-ball, which was in the kitchen (forcing their opponent to kick at the 8". What we should have said was, "clever gamblers would intentionally scratch when both players were on the 8-ball, and the shooter was faced with a very difficult shot on the 8-ball which was in the kitchen...."

Several readers said that our explanation of the "double hit foul" was a bit confusing. Admittedly, it is much easier to explain and demonstrate the double hit foul on a pool table rather than on the printed page. This is another reason why we offer lessons, and also are willing to demonstrate the principles to league directors and league players upon request. Once you see it demonstrated, it becomes rather simple, and you can then play by the official rules, which when understood, create less confusion rather than more.

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