Alfredo De Oro’s Glorious 1918 Return to Cuba
In 1918, after a decades-long absence, billiard champion Alfredo de Oro returned home to his native Cuba. His mission: to defend the world title. Some years ago I took a deep dive into three-day match, now remembered as one of the most dramatic in the history of three-cushion billiards. It was played out Jan. 10-12, 1918 and the challenger was a man named Charles Otis, then one of the leading...
Favorite Pool Halls: Allinger’s, St. Elmo, Cue & Cushion
Pool halls. Everyone has a favorite. I was partial myself to Houston’s Cue & Cushion and Costa Rica’s Center Pool. Both now are defunct. For this post I’ve reproduced a number of letters I’ve received over the years about our readers’ favorite rooms. Some were stately. Others decrepit. But all, in their way, important. At the end of this post I’ve also...
Cranfield, Plus Record Runs Official and Otherwise
UPDATE: John Schmidt is said to have broken the record on Memorial Day, May 27, 2019 — running 626 on a nine-foot table in Monterrey, California. We’ll post video and details as they become available. Back in 2010 I received a note from reader Dave Capone, who told me about an encounter with the late Hall of Famer Arthur “Babe” Cranfield. Cranfield, as you may recall, was...
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