S TORY
Lucky
#12
BY: ANDREW MONSTIS
Lucky Plays the Pescado Grande
We did make it out of Vegas safely, and back to Lucky’s ranch. Lucky checked in with his doctor, who said he was in remarkably good shape, under the circumstances. On our way to California we hit several spots. Lucky was sadden that some of his favorite pool halls were gone but that didn’t stop us. We made it to Hardtimes in Bellflower CA. Kind of a legend of a place we were hanging out for a couple of days. Playing easy and light action. We were wining mostly and laying down some. After setting himself up as a B player with a witty demeanor, Lucky was playing a little pool with a Canadian gal, cheap while he waited for one of the big fish to appear. It’s almost two in the morning. I’ve been scribbling my notes, recounting the past day of some pretty strange up and down action on Lucky’s part. When The FISH walked in. He noticed Lucky right away. That was likely because some of the locals told him about Lucky. I think this is going to be the big one. Lucky has said nothing for the past 15 minutes. He finished playing the girl and was sitting at the bleachers looking glassy eyed out over the pool tables down below. We both journeyed in the silence, staring at the tables like they were shrines. But, to the business at hand -- Lucky has to make money here. He knows the guy he will play is fully backed and will play for a good chunk of dough. Lucky got up and walked through the place, jostled by the small crowds at each table even at this late hour, I ask Lucky how he feels. “Just got some pool to play,” he says. He usually says something witty. Things are different. As we approached the group Lucky was accosted immediately by a tobacco stench person, maybe a bodyguard backup type guy, who obviously smoked. Lucky looked past him to this fancy player. He was dressed to the max! The suit jacket, slacks and shoes he was wearing were likely over thousand dollars. He had a babe on his arm. Lucky asked him to play one pocket. No lets play nine ball, he said. Lucky got a match in a few minutes with a guy from Mexico. Time to go I thought. I put away my journal and we head for the table they were going to play on. I suggest to Lucky that he warm up a bit. He says he doesn’t need to. Then he changes his mind and tosses a few balls out on the table, saying need to warm up for this guy so everyone
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could hear. Lucky asked me if he was dressed nice or should he go get some nice shoes on. And should he go find a date!! “I’m relieved to see he still has his sense of humor and am reassured that he’s probably feeling ok. While Lucky strokes the balls around, I see an entourage of a half dozen people followed the Pescado Grande around the room. He briskly walks right over to Lucky and says, “Ready, amigo?” Lucky says, “Well, I got to hit a couple more balls first.” Lucky never does that I thought. He always plays cold. Why is this different, I wonder? A few minutes pass while Lucky pulls up the rest of the balls and strokes them in, and the other guy screws his cues together. The Babe, who’s with this Mexican sets a couple of plastic bottles of cold water by his chair. I notice that another guy is side betting with the crowd. The same guy who backed the Canadian gal earlier. I can’t understand Spanish, but I think I know pretty much what he’s saying as he gesticulates toward Lucky, speaking rapidly and laughing, and I hear something about “loco hombre” or something. Lucky tells me to go side bet with that guy which I did for $20 a game. I should have done more but Lucky said only $20. Presently, Lucky says, “Ok, let’s lag.” “How much do you want to lose?” says the Mexican, grinning through his mustache. Lucky gives him a look and says, “Whatever you want to lose, amigo.” Pescado Grande, probably thinking this is his opportunity to bet high, says, “Five hundred a game.” Lucky raises his bushy eyebrows and says, “Is that it? Don’t you want to freeze up twenty grand?” Pescado Grande consults with his backer. They must be thinking this is the easiest money ever. I can see them chortling. He turns back to Lucky, who is busy blowing his nose into his hankerchief and says, “Ok, we will play for a grand a game -- ten games ahead. “Ok. He holds the money.” Lucky is pointing to me. They finally agreed. Lucky pulls out a huge stack of one hundred dollar bills from inside his jacket, and hands it to me, and the guy’s backer hands me another stack. Holy cow. I’m highly nervous about holding $20,000. I’ve had that much money in my hands before. I count it all out in front of everybody. “Hope I don’t get mugged,” I laugh nervously to Lucky. He says not to worry, he did his homework on these folks -- it’s fine. NO!, in this place they are too known. So I get it all stuffed into my shirt and jacket pockets and zip up my jacket and sit back down with my arms folded tightly together, just hoping I don’t have to use the bathroom. Pescado Grande wins the lag. Lucky racks and sits down. Grande runs three games just like that. I’ am paying off the side bet every game which is a pain but a safe way to go since iI didn’t know him. His crowd is babbling and laughing all over the place, and though I can’t understand
them, it is clear they are happy. On the fourth game, however, Pescado misses a shot and Lucky steps up to the table, saying, “I thought I might never get a shot.” Pescado Grande slaps him on the back, and laughing, says, “You are not supposed to get a shot, hombre!” Lucky glances at me. I know what he is thinking, but what he says is, “I am an old man! Do you think that I am going to win any money from you?” Pescado Grande says, “No, amigo, I do not!” and everyone laughs. It takes Lucky few games to get even. Nothing spectacular from either player -- they each play just well enough to win. When they are even, the old man Lucky, who in this moment does look old to me, says to Pescado Grande, “This can’t be all you’ve got! If it is you are going to lose!” Thinking that Lucky is funny they all laugh at Lucky and slap him some more on the back, and keep on chattering, loud enough to be distracting to some... Lucky is now breaking. He breaks and makes the nine, breaks and runs, breaks and makes the nine, breaks and rides, breaks and runs, breaks and makes the nine, breaks and makes the nine, breaks and runs, breaks and rides, breaks and runs. I am enjoying having this guy I am side betting with come over and pay me so fast, but he’s stating to give me the look. Lucky looks at Pescado Grande and his entourage, grins, and says, “Almost halfway there!” No laughter this time. No chattering now. No merriment. Lucky has the Mexican in the CHAIR. I feel like I am in the chair, too. I can feel the pressure, the Mexican having to get up every few minutes to rack the next game and still not get to shoot as minute after long minute stretches into the wee hours. The watching crowd all looks puzzled, floored, speechless… a look I can’t justly describe. Finally, Lucky sets his cue next to his chair for a stretch, and pulls out a new cinnamon stick to chew on. “I’m getting tired,” he says to me. “I need to get this over with.” Lucky waits for Pescado to rack, gets up and runs another, then a couple more. Pescado won a game or two in this stretch but Lucky is at 8 ahead. It’s only been about 90 minutes. A little disagreement on the rack ensued. The worn felt made it difficult. Pescado brought out a Magic Rack. This was interesting to Lucky a great idea he thought to get the balls to rack near perfect. Foreign to Lucky he said no at this time. If we play, freeze up some more then I say yes. Lucky finished the last two games. Side better paid me on the last game. I handed the money to Lucky. Lets do it again he said. Lucky got out a new cinnamon stick. Money re-upped. My side bet guy came up to me and wanted to jack the bet to $50 a game, pay after every game. Lucky gave me the nod to go ahead. Lucky won the lag. Here is the Magic Rack Pescado said. Lucky said OK. The games went back and forth basically were no one ran
more then 4 racks at anytime. Lucky two games behind looked puzzled Lucky noticed that it was easier to make extra balls with this rack. He was accustomed to knowing where all the balls go on his break with all his different break speeds and break spots. Knowing Lucky, he was playing position off break for the three ball from the position in the rack. The one and two went down, but the three went go too. His methodical break strategies were out the window. He would have to learn how this rack makes the extra balls that he didn’t expect to go in and adjust for it. It could cause a problem for him if he doesn’t figure out the magic rack break soon. It was 6am. The game score was even. Lucky was up late, unusual for him, who likes his beauty sleep. We had been up all day, I know Lucky was tired I certainly was. Lucky looking ragged said do you want to come back tomorrow to play some more. Pescado Grande says I might be in the Bahamas tomorrow. I want to play now. You know that he probably just woke up just before he came to the pool hall so he was fresh and ready to play. Being around Lucky so much I can see Lucky slipping some in this match. I am also getting tired of running the side bet money after each game too. It was 9am. I could barely keep my eyes open. If it wasn’t for the back and forth side bet pay off and if I wasn’t carrying all this money. I’d sleep. The late night makes you think about a lot of things. I was wondering about having Thanksgiving at home with my wife and friends even how I’d cook the Turkey and what side dishes to have. I hoped my cat was doing ok, I know we were talking about introducing a new cat to our house and whether my cat would accept a new cat in her space. Lucky started to talk maybe to keep me awake or even himself awake. I know the sun was out. He brought up his old friend Jimmy Caras. He was remembering his old friend who had had a passed away a few ago. Started to tell a story where Caras was playing for days…. What an encouraging conversation I thought…and he looked at me with that half joking stare. I smiled back. Lucky said “I think I figured out this rack”. The Score even again Lucky broke made nothing, “I must be getting tired” “I was going to make four balls on the break and run out”. he said, instead Pescado Grande ran out. I got a snack for Lucky thinking this would help him. I went over to the counter everyone was watching me. You know they were nervous that I might bolt out of the place. I came back Lucky had won that game. I told the guy that we should just pay on the end of 5 ahead. I got in a small conversation with the Canadian Girl. She was interesting and from Kamloops. All of a sudden the guy interrupts us and pays me $250 five games ahead. I felt I must have not paid attention. Lucky got there so fast. Looked over to him he had a second wind……….. Copyright 2011 by Andrew Monstis