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Killer One Pocket DVD by Cliff Joyner & Wade Crane

Wade Crane Cliff Joyner


Vols. 1,2 & 3 $25 ea.





or special price of $59.95 for the set. Save $15.






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How I rate the Billiard Magazines

Billiard Digest: = two to three tripper

I rate pool magazines by how many trips to the john they last with me doing number two. Billiards Digest takes from 2 to 3 seatings on the donicker to finally finish. All other pool mags are finished by me in a single sit. Sometimes, George Fels’s column uses up one whole squat all by itself.

Michael Vick/ Doggie Style

Here's hoping that Michael Vick lands among some serial-killer dog lovers when he checks into the hoosegow. Then we'll see how he likes getting it "doggie style."

Who don't know me?

A poster on one of the internet pool forums remarked that he had never heard of me in all in 22 years in the pool world. This was my reply to that shut-in.

Re my anonymity -- at least to you-- A archeologist friend of mine just returned from a trip to Tibet. While in the mountains, in an old temple, he discovered the monks had a game room and an old Russian snooker table. He was amazed at how well they played the game, and when they found out he was from Chicago, the best playing monk of the bunch asked him, "Hey, how's The Beard shooting?"

For a long list of who I played and beat (at least once) refer to: http://bankingwiththebeard.com/about.html

Strickland/Archer IPT match on the internet

Tues nite, the day before the Strickland/Archer match, I hooked up with the IPT conglomeration of Grady Mathews, Deno Andrews, J. Archer, E. Strickland, the cute blonde pool babe, Rachel Abbink, and a few others, for some pizza, beer, and pool talk, at Giordano's on Rush st. Mike Sigel had a taste for steak that nite so he excused himself. Even so, the rest of us all had a great time. Johnny and Earl were very entertaining and personable. Aside from his famed antics at the table, Earl is a great guy. Once, when Earl was fronting for a big distributor at a convention show, Earl requested the owners give me a set of poker chips as a gift of the show. When they outright refused, Earl gave me the best set they had (about $300) and paid for it out of his own pocket. He wouldn't let me say no to the gift. Regarding the future of the IPT -- of course we talked about it -- I can honestly say I see a glimmer of hope. As far as the pizza, beer and wine, Deno and the IPT picked up the check. I went to the studio where they broadcast the match the next nite and came away impressed with their first effort at the new internet match format. They are spending money, and they are using top people. Something can happen. Keep your fingers crossed.

the Beard

My night out at the IPT event

I was one of the 50 invitees to the Bustamonte/Deuel Internet match game last night. I would first like to say how amazed I am at all the criticism leveled at last night's festivities by so many AZ forum contributors. With all the beefing and squawking about the sound, and interruptions caused by a problem with the Internet streaming company in Calif., something that the IPT had absolutely no control over, you would think that the IPT was charging a Pay Per View price to see the show. It was a freebie, fellas, a freebie. Sheez. An ambitious, expensive attempt to get something started again for pool players. I, for one, had a good time. In my view the whole operation was a first class operation. The 50 sweators were treated to a lavish free buffet of food and drink before the match. Pizza from Giordano's, Italian Beef, Sausage, Poor Boy sandwiches, and salad. They had a sexy waitress bringing in free drinks all during the match. When I asked Grady if the IPT had finished paying off all their old debts to the players, he said the final payment went out and now everybody has gotten their money. Terrific, if true. With so much groaning about the IPT payouts I think back to my Johnston City days whereby you would have to stay 3 weeks and beat the 64 best players in the world to win $2000 for each event and $2000 for the all-around. I was dumb enough back then to think that that was generous. That should give you some idea of how poor other pool payouts were at that time. Those of you who watched the match online surely must have noticed the bevy of lovelies that were flitting around; The score girl, the director, the waitress, Bustamonte's 3 Filipino girlfriends, Rachel Abbink, and about 8 or 9 more beauties that had my old pal Mike Sigel thinking about getting hair plugs. The best part, however, was the match itself. Bustamonte shot the numbers off the balls. Man, did he play good! Corey didn't really play badly, but Busty was breaking so good that Corey didn't get to the table often enough to win. On that slow IPT cloth, Busty was shattering the balls with his break. They're gonna do it all again on Mar. 5th. Hopefully, they will have the streaming problems ironed out by then. No matter, I'm still looking forward to the next one.

The Beard
(Jeez, I just realized that this post is so IPT positive, maybe Trudeau might give me a job, or at least a couple of free self-help books.)