Reviews

who are these people that write reviews. I am only thirteen and i can at least spell my words right. Another thing is that i wonder if any of these people actually play pool. If you look at their other reviews they seem to all be on political books or things that have nothing to do with pool. It is senseless to even write them then. They could be leading people toward something educational or something not educational. Then their comments, some people need to do their homework before they write all these dumb things. I am conviced that i know more about pool than fifty percent of the reviewers.

I bought this tape just so I could see Fats at the table. He claimed to be have beaten every great player in the world - including Mosconi and Greenleaf. All lies. Mosconi ripped him for $600 in one-pocket years before he started spanking him up on that TV "comedy" show where Fats would beat terrible players and entertain the crowd at the same time.Of course, even as Mosconi was putting a good thrashing on him (in 8ball, 9ball, straight pool, and 1-pocket) Fats continued to entertain the audience with jokes. He was a good comedian that played a slightly better than average game of pool. For those of you who know nothing about pool/billiard history I'll let you in on this: Minnesota Fats was a FICTIONAL character from Walter Tevis, author of "The Hustler". Rudolph Wonderone, aka NEW YORK FATS, was a story telling hustler that had to keep his mouth running all the time at the table because his game wasn't good enough on it's own to be considered as a serious pool hustler. The biggest story he ever told is when he claimed that "Minnesota Fats", from the movie The Hustler, was based on HIM! So, not long after the movie hit the big time NY Fats took the name "Minnesota Fats" - no doubt as a publicity stunt.Anyway, this video is not educational. Buy a good book like Phil Capelle's "Play Your Best Pool" if you are interested in learning how to play good pool. BC

This video was great. After watching this video I went and shot some pool and made shots that I had not made before and have then gotten alot better since. This video is filled with sections on breaking,bank shots and many more shots.If you want to be a better pool player then do 2 things get the video and play.Good luck and have fun

If you want to learn pool, buy something else; try Byrnes or anything but this for pool knowledge. However, it is a good insight into one of the best B.S. artist to atempt to play the game. Buy for entertainment only, not serious pool players.

Minnesota Fats was the greatest player that ever lived. That cannot be disputed. If you came up against him in a match, get settled in that seat of yours!Not a great instructional video, but worth buying to listen to what Fats had to say and watch him play the hardest shots without a second thought.If you're looking for new age grates, look for Alison Fisher, but for the old days when balls where made from ivory, pick this title up.

Reviews

This kit is a little clunky and cheap to use (granted it didn't cost much to begin with). I would have been better off just buying a replacement cue stick or having it professionally repaired.

This is a decent pool tip repair kit. However these tips are already shaped and come in two different sizes. The adhesive doesn't set, use superglue instead. There are also replacement glue on ferrals. They come in a variety of sizes from 8mm up to 12mm. Sandpaper is included in this kit.

Reviews

I've been using the stick on league and like it. It's a good stick. Just needs a better player.

Decent stick, I got the 20 oz metallic silver one, which is actually more of a gray or charcoal in my opinion, but no big deal. My issues were the same with the stickers as other reviews above and I kind of wish I could get rid of the big "GRAPHITE" graphic that's on it, and the packaging (I bought this item at the same time as a case for the cue) was in a box about 4x larger than it needed to be that arrived from UPS open. I left packaging feedback recommending next time using a shipping tube to send it. When I took out the cue though and removed all the wrapping, the cue was fine even though it practically fell out of the box. I have played about 40-50 games with it now, and I do like the feel of it, including balance, weight, solidness, and the way it glides through my bridge hand (I think that's the graphite talking - probably won't ever need hand chalk), and it's straight as an arrow too. It does have a funny taper to it just after the joint on the tip end, and I did think the grip would be a little different, like maybe rubberized or something (seems more like paper wrapped around it instead), but it's fine overall. If you're a pro looking for perfection, be prepared to spend $200 minimum, and up to $500 or even more, but this cue will be just fine for anyone on the amateur to lower-mid level. I mostly just play in bars and small time tournaments, and it definitely beats any bar's house cue I've ever used.

For an amateur pool player, this cue is perfect. It has a nice feel and balance to it and the grip is good too. Doesn't come with a carrying case, so keep that in mind if you're planning on taking it places to play.

excellent cue stick very well made and has a nice feel to it. I got the 20oz. so weight is perfect for me and i think helps a lot with the stability of the shot. if you prefer lighter you can adjust it, just pop of the bumper on the butt and 3 metal screw-in bolts can be configured for weight preference. the design for me is good..not too flashy it has a classic diamond theme into it and was a bit disappointed with the metallic orange color that I got since I was probably expecting a more intense orange, no biggie. lastly, if you can manage to CAREFULLY peel of the stickers with short fingernails..the remaining residue can be easily removed with some 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloth (the one used in cleaning car exteriors) and gently apply pressure while rubbing.

bought this as a father days gift for my husband and he absolutely loved it. everything we thought it would be.

Reviews

Great Balls - Beautiful Color, Great Service and Fast Shipping. The only problem is with the shooter when on pool table.

Reviews

I've been using the stick on league and like it. It's a good stick. Just needs a better player.

Decent stick, I got the 20 oz metallic silver one, which is actually more of a gray or charcoal in my opinion, but no big deal. My issues were the same with the stickers as other reviews above and I kind of wish I could get rid of the big "GRAPHITE" graphic that's on it, and the packaging (I bought this item at the same time as a case for the cue) was in a box about 4x larger than it needed to be that arrived from UPS open. I left packaging feedback recommending next time using a shipping tube to send it. When I took out the cue though and removed all the wrapping, the cue was fine even though it practically fell out of the box. I have played about 40-50 games with it now, and I do like the feel of it, including balance, weight, solidness, and the way it glides through my bridge hand (I think that's the graphite talking - probably won't ever need hand chalk), and it's straight as an arrow too. It does have a funny taper to it just after the joint on the tip end, and I did think the grip would be a little different, like maybe rubberized or something (seems more like paper wrapped around it instead), but it's fine overall. If you're a pro looking for perfection, be prepared to spend $200 minimum, and up to $500 or even more, but this cue will be just fine for anyone on the amateur to lower-mid level. I mostly just play in bars and small time tournaments, and it definitely beats any bar's house cue I've ever used.

For an amateur pool player, this cue is perfect. It has a nice feel and balance to it and the grip is good too. Doesn't come with a carrying case, so keep that in mind if you're planning on taking it places to play.

excellent cue stick very well made and has a nice feel to it. I got the 20oz. so weight is perfect for me and i think helps a lot with the stability of the shot. if you prefer lighter you can adjust it, just pop of the bumper on the butt and 3 metal screw-in bolts can be configured for weight preference. the design for me is good..not too flashy it has a classic diamond theme into it and was a bit disappointed with the metallic orange color that I got since I was probably expecting a more intense orange, no biggie. lastly, if you can manage to CAREFULLY peel of the stickers with short fingernails..the remaining residue can be easily removed with some 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloth (the one used in cleaning car exteriors) and gently apply pressure while rubbing.

bought this as a father days gift for my husband and he absolutely loved it. everything we thought it would be.

Reviews

Very nice pool cue for the price. Very sturdy and reliable. Some people have the same stick and they paid at least $50 more than I did. Dependable cue for a novice player or one just for fun.

Great product, very good price. I've been using this stick for over two month. I still love it.

I am very satisfied with this cue. I am a novice, so the mere fact that it was straight (unlike the ones I got with the table) was enough for me. It feels right too. I'll order another one.

Reviews

husband's Father's Day gift....he really loves it and keeps telling all his pool buddies all the stories he has read in the book as he reads it...GREAT READ!

i have heard of willie mosconi and minnesota fats since the early 60s but this book gives me an insight into their lives that i never knew.both their lives border on sad and tragic.it is a shame that willie mosconi,one of the best if not the best in his sport has been almost forgotten by the general public.

there are some great facts found in the pages of this book but the majority of the story is Mosconi champ-Fats hustler , over and over. R.A Dyer is a good writer and his book "hustler days" was a great champion. "The hustler and the champ" was a great hustle.

Upon completing this book, I can say I found it very informative along with being a great story. I have read the autobiographies of both Willie and Minnesota Fats and this book had numerous facts about the two I was unaware of. The book begins by explaining how there televised match originated, then goes on to chronicle the history and careers of both men. I don't think you can say Fats really had a "career" as much as a life spent hustling and gambling. Willie sure had one with all the World Championships and his lifetime spent doing exhibitions all over the country. Keep in mind that the book has much more history on Willie than Fats. The book then tells of their televised match. This part was excellent reading as he told of Fats "starting in" on Willie before the pool match even began. I read this part twice and had to laugh at the things he said and pictured him saying them on T.V. (CLASSIC FATS). The book talks about a few other meetings between the two as well as a little on their lives after pool. I thought it was kind of sad how both ended up. If I had one negative thing to say, it was maybe a little dry during the middle chapters. What I liked most was what the author gives us to think about at the end. Even though Willie absolutely detested Fats, Fats did a lot for pools popularity and Willie's. I believe the book claimed their original televised match had a 30 % share. That's incredible when you think about it. Willie had the records and championships but Fats was like the original one man show. Like Minnesota Fats said to Willie Mosconi...."You gotta have fans".

I have been a pool fan and player for about sixty years. I've been a Mosconi fan as long as I can remember and have attended several of this gentleman's exhibitions. At that time, I was an employee of the Brunswick Corporation, Mr. Mosconi's sponsor. This book was a "good read" from cover to cover. I read much too seldom, however once started in this book I couldn't lay it down. What was appreciated in this book was that it did not seem to be biased, it truly enabled the reader to know Mr. Mosconi.

Reviews

I love this book. But then again, I love the atmosphere of the smokey, dimly lit pool hall. If "The Hustler", "The Color of Money" or "Pool Hall Junkies" are any of your favorite movies then this book is for you! Excellent history on pool back in the day with information about a lot of the greats.

Pool is probably one of the few sports that the general public knows virtually next to nothing on. Ask anybody to name one pool player and the majority will say "Minnesota Fats". Most of the public would be amazed to find out that he wasn't a champion, never won a tournament, probably couldn't even beat half the country. This book explains how he could con a nation into thinking he was "the greatest" and in the process become single handedly the biggest promoter to the sport the game has ever known. Yes, this book is really about the true story of Rudolph Wanderone (Fats) and it is a very good read.

Who wouldn't want to be a pool hustler, being rich without ever having to work a day in your life? It's an exciting fantasy. To live in Little Egypt during the early 40's shooting pool with Minnesota Fats would've been incredible. Or riding with Sonny Barger in the mid 60's or any other kind of walk on the wild side fantasy one could concoct. The author clearly feels the same way in a midlife crisis sort of way. The subject matter is definitely fascinating, but I wish R.A. Dyer could've taken himself out of the text more. The book reads like he learned all his tough guy speech patterns from Scorcese films. Another thing that would've helped the prose is to explain the games more within the text. To an outsider it could get difficult during the game decriptions. It've been nice to not have to constantly check the glossary in the back.

Reflects the history of American pool playing from pre-Depression days to first resurgence in pool after the movie THE HUSTLER. As an aside, the larger resurgence happened after the sequel THE COLOR OF MONEY when women also entered the game and upscale rooms flourished. Many rooms have closed after the recent popularity of poker on TV. Back to the book, anyone with an interest in the history of American pool playing, hustling, and the sociology of pool--this is a must own!!!

As a pool player, I caught the end of what "Hustler Days" describes as the heyday of the road hustler. I watched two of the three main subjects of this book in action: Rudolph Wanderone (The Fat Man) and Luther Lassiter. Having frequented some of the New York pool joints (McGirrs, 7-11) that figure in R.A. Dyer's vivid depiction of the hustler's life, I can partly attest to its authenticity. But I was a player not a hustler. What Dyer gave me was the full and colorful history of the era that I saw ending. This is a beautifully written account covering the 1940s through the 60s. The story is told with the steely, merciless attitude of their game, but with a great deal of humor and affection. Dyer has written about the game in various publications and he appreciates the astounding skills of these men: the hustle was in the fact that if you were not in their world, you had no idea of the abilities that could be brought to bear against you if you went to the table. Anyone who saw "The Hustler" with Paul Newman has some idea of all this. But Dyer digs deep into their lives, sometimes painfully so. The canvas is not just New York but all the towns, big and small, where the action was. Such as Norfolk, Va., the Naval and shipbulding hub which during WWII was a pool hustler's paradise and a regular stop on the circuit. Once tournaments began to be televised, another chapter in the hustler's life opened and Dyer has it covered, shot by excruciating shot. Big-time pool is all about pressure, and with Dyer you can feel it taking the air out of the room. I loved reading this book and look forward to reading it again.

Reviews

The Hustler was NOT based on Wanderones life. Wanderone chose the name Minnesota Fats after the movie came out. This have been clarified by Walter Tevis, the author of the book "The Hustler" many times. The character in the hustler would appear to be based on a short story by Tevis. Wanderone was by many accounts not a world class pool player, but he was certainly a gambler, and an interesting personality.

A very fun book to read. Does not have as much instruction on how to make killer shots as I would have hoped, but still a great book. Just remember to keep your tongue firmly in your cheek as you read about the Fat Man's adventures.