nPostednon April 11, 2016
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nThengame I commonly think of as “pool” is also called pocketnbilliards. You’ve seen it, right? People hit numbered wooden balls bynstriking a cue ball with a long stick; a good pool player can sinknthe numbered balls into the pockets without also sinking thencue ball.
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Onnthis date in 1940, Andrew Ponzi set a world record during a straightnpool tournament by sinking 127 balls in a row! (That had to be in thencourse of a whole bunch of games. There are only 15 numbered balls!)
Onnthis date in 1940, Andrew Ponzi set a world record during a straightnpool tournament by sinking 127 balls in a row! (That had to be in thencourse of a whole bunch of games. There are only 15 numbered balls!)n
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nWhennPonzi was just a boy named Andrew D’Alessandro, he was in a trolleynaccident. Unfortunately, his right hand was mangled, and it never didnheal correctly. He started playing pool just to get more strength innthat hand.
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nAndnhe found that he was really good at it!
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nD’Alessandronwon so many bets against his friends in the course of their poolngames, that his friends started calling him “Ponzi” after thennotorious “Ponzi scheme” swindler. That sounds like a meannnickname, but I guess nobody thought he was cheating, so it was morenlike an affectionate nickname.
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nLater,nwhen he became a professional pocket billiards player, D’Alessandronadopted the name Andrew Ponzi. He ended up winning titles in 1935,n1940, and 1943. He ended up setting high run records.
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nAndnyou know what Ponzi claimed? He said the hand injury helped him,nbecause he was able to develop a free hand swing from the wrist!
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| Pool (pocket billiards) is all about learning the angles and practicing how hard to hit the cue ball — at what angle — to get the result you want! |
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nBynthe way…
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nYounprobably know that world records often fall to new world records.nSprinters run faster, high jumpers go higher, and baseball playersnhit more home runs. In 1954, famed pool player Willie Mosconi sankn526 balls in a row!
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nEnjoy!
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Checkn out these trick shots.n
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nAndn then there are these!
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nNotn as amazing, these real shots fromn a real tournament show what great pool – not fancy tricks –n looks like.
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nAlsonon this date:
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Submarine Day
Submarine Day n
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nBarbershopnQuartet Day
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nLouie,nLouie Day
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nSlownArt Day
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nNationalnPet Day
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nJuannSantamaria Day in Costa Rica
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nScientistnand inventor Percy Julian’s birthday
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nPlannahead:
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Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nApriln holidays
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nMayn holidays
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nMayn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
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