Index and Links to all the Beards Stuff

To quickly scroll thru and examine the contents of my whole website click on:http://indexandlinkstobeardstuff.blogspot.com/

16 famous player interviews,
includes 14 on video.Complete pool movie script for "Roxanne's Game."22 Vintage pool articles from Sports Illustrated.28 miscellaneous vintage pool videos

Five Pool Blogs: The Beard's Forum, War Stories, The Last Days of Bugs Rucker, Secrets of a Hard Core

U J Puckett on CBS 60 Minutes

Harry Reasoner's look into the hustler's life of Utley Puckett on CBS 60 minutes. Part 1

Rare cameo appearances of Mexican Johnny, Bananas Rodriquez and Jersey Red.

U J Puckett on CBS 60 Minutes part 2

Harry Reasoner's look into the fabulous hustler's life of Utley J Puckett on CBS 60 minutes. Part 2
Rare cameo appearances of Mexican Johnny, Bananas Rodriquez, and Jersey Red.

Grady Mathews One Pocket DVDs

Grady Mathews is a legendary gambler, professional pool player, and a four-time World One Pocket Champion. In 2004, he was the first player to be inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame. He has authored two books, promoted nineteen tournaments and produced eleven instructional videos. He has commentated on ESPN and The Billiard Channel, and has been a contributing writer to Billiards Digest and The National Billiard News. He is also the creator of the Legends of One Pocket tournament series.

All 3 remastered OnePocket DVDs are available for purchase for $29.95 ea. Http://www.bankingwiththebeard.com/grady.html/

The Beard's SPEEDO 1 Pocket Rules

These rules are Trademarked

1.__ Draw a balk line from diamond one on long rail to diamond one on short rail

on both sides of the table. This will be designated Balk Area 1.

2.__ Draw another set of diagonal balk lines between the points of the back corner

pockets. This will be designated Balk Area 2.
a. ____When there are less than 8 balls on the table the balk area recedes to the

smaller space between the points of the corner pockets, designated Balk Area 2,

and we now spot only the balls that lie in that smaller space.

3. __When there are 8 balls or more on the table and they have all traveled past

the second diamond at the foot of the table, the 3 balls closest to the head

rail are to be spotted up except in cases where balls are in balk. Balls in balk

will always have precedence in the spotting order.
a. ____If a ball is pocketed in a non–scoring pocket by the outgoing player, it is

placed on the foot spot and that in itself constitutes a ball outside the balk

area and no other balls need to be spotted.
b.____ If more than 3 balls qualify to be spotted up, the order of preference is:
(1.) _____Any ball pocketed in a neutral pocket
(2.) _____All balls within Balk Area 2
(3.) _____All balls within Balk Area 1.
(4.) _____Balls closest to the back rail.
(5.) _____If balls are equally located the low numbered ball is spotted.
c. ____No more than 3 balls can be spotted altogether

The Beard's SPEEDO Bank Pool Rules

SPEEDO BANK RULES

1. Fifteen balls are racked and must be broken wide open like nine ball. Safe breaks

are not allowed. If a ball is made on the break without a scratch, the ball(s) is spotted

and the shooter continues.

2. Draw lines between the points of the two side pockets. Then draw lines between

the outer points of the corners on each short rail. These are the 3 balk areas.

3. After the break, balk area spot up rules go into effect, as follows:
a. Spot all balls that lie inside the 3 balk areas.
b. Any ball touching a balk line is considered in balk.
c. Balls made on the break are spotted immediately. All other balls
are spotted after each shooter's inning.
d. After the breaker’s inning, continue to spot up balls that lie in the
balk areas, all balls pocketed illegally and any balls that jumped
the table.
e. These rules remain in effect as long as there are 8 or more balls
on the table.
f. When there are 7 balls or less in play, the game reverts to
standard BANK POOL rules, where balls are spotted normally
and the balk rules are discontinued.

4. Nine Ball Banks: All the above rules apply except that the balls required to

nullify the balk area spot up rules is reduced to 5 instead of 8.

Who were the best players for the Big Money?

(Probably my all-time favorite pool pic)

I look at this question from a little different perspective. I rate not who played the best for the big money, but rather who you had better not give a gamble to. Some guys played great for big money, but they always had a good game. My respect goes out to those guys that didn't need a good game, just a good gamble. Just show them that they could win big money, and how good the game was was secondary. Artie Bodendorfer played great for big money, but he wouldn’t play with a bad game. Cornbread Red Burge, Ronnie Allen and Leonard "Bugs" Rucker, their only requirement for playing was to just give them a gamble and tititlate them with the prospect of a score. Having the worst of it did not really matter. Actually, every time I ever seen those guys playing for the big stuff they had the worst of it. The standard advice about playing one of those guys for big cheese was, "Whatever it is you think you need to have the nuts, you better still try to get one or two more balls, if you want to win. I never in my life seen any of those guys get an even-up gamble for the mega-bucks. As the bet went up, so did their competitive nature.
The key factor that those guys had for outrunning the nuts, was when they did come with a shot they got all the way out! Games that had both players in the one-hole were rare because those guys never stopped on the game ball. If I had to pick the most frightening guy to play with for giant money out of those three it would have to be Cornbread Red. As the bet went up his already long slip stroke would lengthen ever further. I will never forget a set for 30k he won in Philly playing "Cornflakes" (aka John "World" Hennigan, he now plays in the World Series of Poker) with me, Buddy Hall, and Wade Crane each betting 1800 each on Red. Cornbread was shooting at a triple-shimmed 4" pocket, and he had a long straight-back for the money. He long-stroked it in 100mph. After the set he grumbled that he didn’t have time to go home to Detroit and get more money to bet than the measly 30k. He was my hero and I miss him terribly.

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Here is a poem dedicated to that great man:

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The Pilgim, Chapter 34

By Cowboy Dennis

.

See him standing at the table

With the cue stick in his hand

He's played in every poolroom

And all the bars throughout the land

.

They say to be the best

You have to beat this man

This man with nerves of steel

And piano player hands

.

His amazing grace and accuracy

Have shot men down like lambs

Many men have tried to take him

At oh so high a cost

Many men that thought themselves better

Have only to say "I lost"

.

Yet they still keep trying

To take him if they can

Somehow they think that if they win

It makes them the better man

.

But he's been around forever

And he's paid all his dues

So everyone knows he's still the best

If occasionally he should lose

.

He's played for hundreds and thousands

Sometimes for days and days

He's played the best the world can offer

And takes the cash and all the praise

.

He's a legend in his own time

He's a hustler supreme

He's a gentleman with the ladies

He's the best that we have seen

.

He's a killer when it comes to pool

A shark in a sea of fish

To play with his ability

Mortal men have wished

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Who is this man with steely nerves

And hair of fading red

To some he's known as Billy Burge

But he'll go down in history

As the one and only "CornBread Red"