The Good Old Days
Old John Roberts and Dufton
How they Played Tom Taylor for "Real Money"
WE hear a good deal about "the good old sporting days." There are those who say that billiards and kindred games saw their prime in the day's when it was the usual thing to "have a bit on the game," ranging from small bets between amateurs to substantial stake money on professional matches. Quite the best way to settle this argument is to look back at the old days as described by Tom Taylor, in his time the third best player before the public, and always a rare battler for the cash.
A Sporting Clique
Describing his early days in London, which take us back to 1870, he says in his reminiscences that after leaving Penzance he got in touch with a London marker, who advised him to steer for the "Belvedere" at Islington. He did so, and we continue the story in his own words. In those days pool was all the rage in most public rooms in London, he observes. Nightly the game was played hour after hour, and a good player could usually make sure of quite an income, if he minded his p's and q's. This applied particularly to the "Belvedere," where a regular sporting clique could invariably be found. Publicans had not to be quite so careful as regards gambling then (County Councils had not been dreamt of), and in most billiards rooms a deal of it went on. I am not exactly a moralist, but frequently I think there was a deal more fun about then than is the case now, and I certainly fail to see that the world has become any better. But to proceed.
"Keeping Mum" - for Profit
Perhaps it is hardly necessary for me to state that I did not pull too much of my form out at the "Belvedere." This, coupled with my very youthful appearance, disarmed all suspicion, and three nights a week for six weeks I played pool at the place, and, of course, did not fail to make the game pay. I have often wondered since what some of the frequenters of the room would have said had they been informed that they were "taking on" a youth destined to become the third best billiard player in the country - a lad who was to have the honour one day of competing for the Championship.
I should have probably gone on playing at the Islington house for a longer period but for the fact of accepting a situation at the New City Club, George Yard, Lombard Street, City.
I had been there a very short time only when the Billiard Committee recognised that my ability was decidedly in advance of that of the ordinary markers, and that discovery led up to my first meeting with the late John Roberts, father of the present champion.
John Roberts, Senr
Before going further, I may place on record my opinion that the old gentleman was the most brilliant, the most dashing player I ever saw.
His power of cue was marvellous; but, of course, it is open to question if the tactics he adopted would pay as the game is played now. Billiards has altered vastly since 1870. Only a few months had elapsed since the late William Cook had beaten Roberts, senr., for the Championship, when the New City Club people arranged for me to play an exhibition match with the ex-champion.
He gave me 200 points start in 500, and won easily. I shall never forget the game he played.
Never, before or since, have I seen such brilliant strokes, and readers can easily understand this when I mention that Roberts told the members he had excelled himself that night.
Won Second Game
This being my first real defeat, it came as a regular "surprise packet," and fairly took the conceit out of me for a time. The reverse, however, served me a very good purpose, for it taught me that I must not neglect practice. Accordingly, I went in stronger than ever for it, and, with a table constantly at my disposal, made considerable headway. Roberts little thought (as he afterwards owned to me) that the boy he had "carved up" in such an unceremonious manner would demonstrate a few months later that he could beat the veteran on level terms. Such, however, proved to be the case.
Soon after my match with Roberts at the club, I played an exhibition game with C. Standen (marker for Jos. Bennett at St. James's Hall), at the "Earl Percy," Percy Street, Pentonville, which I won easily.
Money Match Arranged
After the game was over, I got into conversation with some medical students, when W. Dufton's name cropped up, and, speaking about his play, I remarked that I did not think much of it by accounts I had read in the papers, and that I thought I could beat him. One of them, thinking it good for Dufton to beat me, put down £5 to match him to play me 1,000 up on even terms for £50, to play there (the "Earl Percy") in three weeks; but, having no one to back me, and £50 being too much for my pocket, I covered his £5 to play for £10 a side.
Second Thoughts
On thinking it over the next day, I was sorry that I had made the match, as, if I won, which I was confident of doing, it meant my coming to the front without getting much money; but not caring about forfeiting the £5 down, I at once went into strict training for the job.
On the night, Dufton turned up with quite an army of backers, who did not forget to express their opinion in loud terms of what a good thing it was for their man.
Dufton was very confident, and told the landlord of the house that he always beat all the boys they brought against him. The landlord and a few others were inclined to back me, but they got completely choked off, and put their money on Dufton.
Friend in Need
Just as I thought I was going to be left on my "own," I found a backer in the person of a Mr. Treadwell, a publican, who had seen me play Standen there a few weeks before. He said he thought I would win, and asked me if I would let him stand £3 with me in the stake.
This I was glad to agree to, feeling pleased to think that I had found someone who had confidence in my game.
The game commenced, and at 200 we were about level. It was Dufton's break, and the red was lying over the brink of the middle pocket, his ball being in hand, when, to my surprise, he went over the pocket, and measured it with his hand, and, altogether, made a fuss to make the stroke look difficult. I said to the gentleman who was backing me, "What's all this about? Why, he can't possibly miss it, if he hits it at all." He said, "Take no notice; he is only doing it to put you off." But it had the opposite effect—it put him off.
Winning off the Spot
He put the red in all right, but missed the next stroke, a red loser, anyhow, leaving me a good opening, which I took advantage of to the tune of a 127 break (36 spots), the largest break I had ever made up till then. This staggered my opponent a little, and at the same time gave me more confidence, and, before he could recover himself, I put on in quick succession breaks of 75 (16 spots), 96 (27 spots), and 77 (21 spots). This, of course, gave me a long lead, and I eventually won easily by 497 points.
My newly-found backer was quite as well pleased at the result as I was, and he made me a very nice present, saying that he had done well over it, financially, as he had accommodated Dufton's backers with all the bets they wanted. He told me that any time I wanted a backer I was to go to him and he would find all the money I required.