Poolhall Junkies

The pool hall is a great equalizer.

In the pool hall, nobody cares about

how old or young you are...

what color your skin is,

or how much money you got in your pocket.

It's about how you move.

I remember this kid once...

who could move on a pool table

like nobody had ever seen.

I mean, hour after hour, rack after rack,

his shots just went in.

The cue was part of his arm,

and the balls had eyes.

And the thing that made him so good...

was he thought he could never miss.

I know...

'cause that kid was me.

What they're doing

is forming this new league...

kind of like what they have

for golf and tennis...

but for pool.

They scouted all the best players

in the country...

for 50 spots on this new pro tour.

Then they made their selections.

Last summer, I was in Memphis

playing Bucktooth for that Chevy.

The tournament director himself

was in the room watching me play.

A guy by the name of Toupee Jay.

Anyway, after playing Bucktooth...

this guy Jay comes up to me...

and he says even though

all 50 spots in the tour are filled...

after watching me play, they'd have to make

an exception in my case to carry 51.

Can you believe that? They want me.

He even told Joe

he'd send the invitation himself.

Man, when I was out there playing...

we had no professionals.

All we had was hustlers.

I don't wanna be a hustler, Rags.

I want to be a professional,

and I'm gonna be.

I'm just waiting for my invitation.

What's going on here?

- We were just- -

- We were just what?

You know who this is?

This is Rags, and he's a hustler.

Probably one of the best.

What'd you do? Make him win the first set?

- He's up $20.

- He's $20 up. Right, $20 up.

Then you'd be $50 up, then $100,

then you'd be broke.

Come on, Joe, let me play.

I can beat this guy.

Maybe you can and maybe you can't.

But we don't deal with maybes, do we?

You don't know all the angles yet,

but I do, all right?

He's bad news.

Even if you win, you can't win.

What do you mean, even if I win,

I can't win? I don't understand.

You don't have to understand.

Just listen to me.

If the kid wants to play...

why don't you let him play?

He may learn something.

The only thing he'll learn from you

is how to lose.

I'm trying to do something here.

I'm trying to educate this kid, all right?

So if you got something to say, say it to me.

Otherwise shut the f*** up,

because he's my kid, all right?

He's my f***ing kid.

And I'm gonna make him a champion.

So you stay away from him.

- Mail came today, Joe.

- Thanks, Don.

- White boy's got skills.

- No, he can't.

Damn!

Now let me get this straight.

You're saying that

because you and me are friends...

that makes us n*ggers?

No, "niggas," all right?

There's a big difference.

That's what I just said. "N*gger. "

- No. "Nigga. "

- "N*gger. "

"Nigga," N- I- G- G- A.

- What the f*** is that?

- Man and me, like, we're brothers.

You know, like if I say, "You my nigga,"

that means we're boys.

Like that man you're playing, right there?

That's my nigga Charles.

My n*gger Charles, right?

Hold it. See, you can't say that.

- Only I can.

- Why?

Because, first of all, you don't say it right.

And second, you don't know Charles. I do.

- You do?

- I do.

I've known Charles

since he was knee- high to a duck.

See, me and Charles, nigga, we down.

- You're down?

- Yeah, down.

Of course you're down. You're down

about $5,000. Give me my f***ing money.

You know what?

It is absolutely impossible

to have an intelligent conversation...

with your white ass.

Shoot pool, honky.

This is our night, Johnny.

This is our night. I can feel it.

I mean, you've got them animals in there

eating out of the palm of your hand.

You beat them, you take their money,

you call them names to their faces...

and they love you.

I don't know how you do it.

I never saw anything like it.

Beating a man out of his money, that's easy.

Anybody can do that.

But beating a man out of his money

and making him like it...

that's an art.

That's an art of a true hustler.

But it's getting late...

and I don't wanna be here

all f***ing night, okay?

There's enough drug money in there...

that we're gonna need

a f***ing wheelbarrow to carry it out.

So stop messing around.

I mean, you got a game

those people never seen.

And quite frankly,

I'd like to see it sometime myself tonight.

You're gonna go in there,

you're gonna bump up the bet...

and you're gonna

close this f***ing night out.

So stop wasting my f***ing time.

Just do it.

A bottle of Jack.

I'll be a three- legged dog

if I'm not looking at the Side Pocket Kid.

You don't remember me...

but I saw you play once

about 10 or 15 years ago.

I used to wear a rug.

Toupee Jay.

Yeah, that's me.

I saw this kid play one of the best games

I've ever seen in my life.

Couldn't have been more than

14 or 15 years old...

but, man, he could shoot the lights out!

Now look at him. He's all grown up.

You know, I always wondered

what happened to you.

Why you never made it down

to Johnson City.

Well, Jay, I've never been

much of a tournament player.

- There's no money in them.

- No money?

We just held the U.S. Open in Atlanta.

First prize was $100,000.

But you gotta be invited to those things,

don't you?

We did invite you. A couple of times.

I sent the invitations out myself.

I even called and spoke to a backer

you had in those days.

But he said you weren't interested.

Something about...

your parents wanting you to finish school.

What was the name

of that backer you had, anyway?

Was it Joe?

Bet $20,000!

What's the matter? Did I stutter?

Everybody got all quiet, and sh*t?

About a minute ago,

it was like an evening at the Apollo.

Now, all of a sudden, it's quiet as a church.

That's all right, Chico, I don't blame you.

I've been beating this motherf***er

all goddamn night. He can't win.

You better watch your mouth.

You watch my mouth, Chico...

'cause you sure as hell

don't want to watch me play pool.

Unless I'm blindfolded, handcuffed,

with a cue sticking out of my ass.

Maybe you'd bet the $20,000 then, right?

That's what I thought.

Come on, Joe, let's get the f*** out of here.

These guys wouldn't bet $5 they were black.

Hold this.

You got a bet.

But for $20,000, you got to play

my man Brad in the corner, over there.

What are you doing?

I only got $8,000 on me.

Don't play that guy. He's a pro.

I saw him at the pro tournament in Phoenix.

Don't you ever tell me who I play again.

I'll play anybody in the house,

you know that, Chico.

Do you wanna play this bad motherf***er

on my money?

I don't think so.

Seems you got

too much personal sh*t going on.

You know what? F*** you, Johnny.

Charles, get the rack.

I'll play him myself.

- What the f*** are you doing?

- He's got $8,000 on him, but it's not enough.

What the f*** is going on?

You should have looked out for me.

I was just a kid.

I'll f***ing kill you, you motherf***er!

Shut the f*** up!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes