Minnesota Fats vs Irving Crane Legends of Pocket Billiards

Rudolph Wanderone, a.k.a. Minnesota Fats, vs Irving "The Deacon" Crane at the Legends of Pocket Billiards. Another classic match between two legendary pool players. See more vintage retro pool matches at www.InsidePOOL.tv and The Billiards Channel on Roku.

[@chefhomeboyardee8]

For me things like this is what makes KZbin priceless, it's like time traveling back and sitting in the room with two legends.

[@jeffreykeady4758]

I used to meet Irving Crane back in '81/'82 on the big bright corner of Winton and Blossom near where he lived in Rochester NY. There was a place that sold pool tables with a nice show table in the front. He would come in the afternoons and shoot. I would stop by after work and often it would be just me and him - he would shoot, I would rack 'em up for him and watch, we would talk, and I would LEARN! I loved it when I would get there just before him, and for 90 minutes he could shoot and never have to rack the balls - my way of appreciating him and the opportunity to learn from one of the greats. I saw him many times over those 2-3 years before I moved away. I love watching these old videos of him - they were made right around the same time.

[@Enny_Gima]

i love how Fats and Crane could not look or act any more different from each other. It's almost like a movie, seeing these two compete

[@kirk9853]

I grew up across the street from Mr. Crane in Rochester. He did not have a table in his house and had to practice at Ridge or Olympic billiards. I racked balls for him a few times as a kid. Watched him run over two hundred once. He is VERY straight laced and hated Fats because he thought he cheapened the sport. He was a big fan of Lawrence Welk and rarely missed his show. His driveway had three to four Cadillacs (he sold them). I met Willie Mosconi (sp) at his house, had no idea who he was. They were good friends. I will always remember that at Christmas he had a train running through his entire house. His daughter was an absolute knock out, Sandy I think was her name. My mother and his wife both taught school her name was Althea (sp). Thanks for posting this it brings back memories of my childhood growing up on Yarmouth Rd.

[@RichardsWorld]

It's great to have this video to show us part of history.

[@anandguruji83]

R.I.P RUDOLF WANDERONE 1913-1996 AND IRVING CRANE 1913-2001

[@anandguruji83]

R.I.P RUDOLF WANDERONE 1913-1996 AND IRVING CRANE 1913-2001

[@jking0.o121]

They both had long, full, & impactful lives.

[@OO-ll8ge]

Fats was a helluva showman! RIP Fatman

[@22neohenry]

20:50 "Rack the balls Willie. Willie, rack the balls please" -Scratch... brutal.

[@TheAvenstar]

I personally saw the legends of the day play. In fact, Fats was giving an exhibition one day in Oak Park, IL and playing the local guys. (My buddy, Neil, ran a rack of nine ball on him while Fats was purporting to be the greatest ever at the game ...a title he loved for himself) Anyway, someone told Fats you're not the greatest. WIllie Mosconi is. And the Fatman, without missing a beat, retorted, "Right. That's why they made the movie about me and Mosconi was racking the balls." I also had the pleasure of seeing Irving Crane run over a hundred in straight pool finals -- as well as Mosconi, Joe Balsis, and the best billiardist for over 30 years whose name now escapes me. He broke Hoppe's record of 25. (My high run was 18 in billiards, 85 in straight pool, 7 racks in 9 ball. Oh well, we can't all be great.)

[@MolokaiBilly]

wish there were some tapes of Rags Woods playing..

[@kevintaylor5269]

Wish there was some footage of him playing!!! he was a great player, I was really fortunate in having to know him personally and watching him play in person at his house way back in the day.!!!

[@unclewreckum4977]

Watch how Fatty's ball slightly comes up off the table at 9:35 when he hits the cue ball. He always hit a lot harder than other players imo when it wasn't always even necessary to do so but hit them pretty well he do be that as it may. The key there is to get a little further out on the object ball to make up for more slide than you would normally get by not hitting it as hard.

[@rusher1977]

I would love to have seen Fats in his prime. It's like he was just an offensive player for the most part. Not great at serious pool but an awesome bank shot maker.

[@garrison6863]

Irving Crane looks like he hosted the Miss America contest, Wanderlone looks like he just got out of the custodian's office.

[@johnhanselman6371]

Both Billard legends. Both playing outside their prime. Eveyone's eye sight and physical abilities get worse over time. Eye sight is crucial for Billards.

[@matthewg9205]

These guys define the term "legends".

[@rev889]

I wished I had met Mr Crane I live just a town away from where he is from

[@HoosierRooster]

randy eddy I met Irving crane at the Billiards Expo I believe in 1988 I have a picture with him he was such a gentleman and glad to hear from fans

[@steed3902]

what happens at 19:50? how did that ball move so far that it had to be moved back without a penalty?

[@buddybates3247]

Imagine shooting a few racks with either one of them. Like Irving crane said, even the best can and will miss at times. Luck and skill go hand in hand. So to say. It will always been a Fun game. ✌

[@iVenge]

what year was this?

[@unclewreckum4977]

Everyone says Fatty was just an entertainer and not a real pro player but he was a much better player imo than folks give him credit for. Especially in regards to shot making

[@fjccommish]

He lost every time.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

He only got famous when he co opted the name from a fictional movie character from 1961

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

Look at the shot at the six minute mark and tell me he wasn't the best Hustler ever he lost these matches that the IRS was gonna take their cut and by losing on TV that gave the suckers the illusion that he could lose. But just like a good Hustler. Just like he said if we're playing for crackers your grandma can beat me but when the money's down I'm leaving with the money. What a Hustler that proves he was the best Hustler he lost on TV so he could clean house in the side games be WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

[@mickm9585]

Lmao zero thought, this why one pocket is the caddilac of pool, can't do this strategy in a real strategic game

[@egroegartfart]

Were these 5" pockets?

[@AsifIqbal-ve4in]

its 7 ball. players choose sides after break and the last ball has to be played on their side.

[@patriciajrs46]

Okay. Thank you. I was wondering why they said his side, or his side. I've never seen pool played that way, nor heard of those kind of rules.

[@terryglenweaver]

Cannot hear it

[@neilharrington8767]

Irving Crane - legend! Fats - legend!

[@Salesman]

what game are they playing?

[@donnybro6536]

7 balls

[@extraordinary_pan]

Was that a bird at 18:40?

[@paeng46]

Did Wanderone ever win a match against his contemporaries in the Legends of Pocket Billiards?

[@troypalisi3757]

Yes…. He actually beat Mosconi in one of the last matches they played.

[@paeng46]

@@troypalisi3757 Do they have video of that here in KZbin?

[@TheAvenstar]

Tuning this in the Deacon actually looks a little intimidated --which is ridiculous considering Ol' Rudy couldn't shoot his way out of a paper bag. And the Deacon always dressed up too! Respect for the game.

[@MikeSmith-cn6ub]

Rudy did respect the game. But the game he knew and rather game you know are two different games. He said it his self I played in places you needed a gas mask abd a pistol and they had goons with teeth this long at every exit making sure it went smooth. Now that's the game Rudy knew.

[@myblacklab7]

@@MikeSmith-cn6ub Good point. It's a different game depending on where it's played.

[@HUNTERS_CRACKPIPE]

Did you have to be a senior citizen to play pool back then?

[@ATown-ql2nj]

Lmao im curious myself.

[@robertburnett5561]

Fats said Irving's shots were so safe that his grandmother could make them. And what made them safe, Fats? Geez...

[@Mindsaw]

Watching Mr. Crane shoot pool I can not imagine him being a wasteful spender of money, I'm sure his whole life was like how he played pool.

[@egroegartfart]

I remember watching fats when I was young and just thinking how good he was. I think he was better when he was younger but still not great. But he made the balls that counted. He missed so many easy, straight in or slight cut shots that low level amateurs regularly make. Today he would be completely destroyed on the table. Alot of the times it was almost as soon as his left palm touched the table he took his stroke not even lining it up. Lol. Also I never thought about it before but alot of the top players were in their 6p's and 70's back then. They couldn't 3ven bend over to take their stroke. Lol.

[@punkman30]

I love how fats claims to be the best ever but the games he plays on KZbin he loses them all lol

[@ABikerLife]

+punkman30 Rudy was a good banker, and a shot maker. Not really a strategist.

[@brandashusband]

I've always loved watching Fats shoot pool. I believe he was a much better player than his detractors say, but nowhere near as good as he himself said. :-) And as for his constant gabbing ..... he was full of more baloney than an insomniac's midnight snack. May he Rest In Peace.

[@danielbusby5773]

punkman30 he was alot better before his stroke

[@adrianwright3256]

punkman30 hes a showman lol

[@escobarguns]

He was a legendary and unbeatable hustler. He didn't do well at all in formal competitions. Notice he never wore a suit or tuxedo like others did. He was famous for saying this about suits and celebrity games "...it's like putting ice cream on a hot dog.."

[@HUNTERS_CRACKPIPE]

I'm genuinely asking with no disrespect. Was Minnesota Fats all talk because I've watched 3 matches against 3 different "straight" pool players and he was destroyed every time.

[@jefferyskelly3769]

This is BRIDGEPORT pistola', after I broke and ran 9 Racks of 9- ball against carmine sardo beating him 9" to 3" at the bicycle club casino in 1993, I got my picture with Minnesota fats because I was from Bridgeport Connecticut and he was from Morningside heights NY,

[@famasmaster2000]

Bob Barker vs Archie Bunker....classic 😀

[@danieltruax7005]

famasmaster2000 *spits beer out laughing* !!!

[@ronniecoffman401]

No

[@bamhva9852]

Troll

[@wombra8314]

lolz

[@mikephillips8538]

I got 20 on Archie !

[@denversdabsc6073]

It looks like the Mafia is playing.

[@Smartdevildog06]

Watching this I’m wondering how fats won as much as he did he’s just getting down not looking and blasting balls

[@gumaming]

Perfect 10 match up. Crane - 1, Fats - 0

[@_GandalfTheGrey_]

Imagine Efren Reyes against these guys

[@wildernesstom7353]

These guys were several decades past their prime here. But guys like Crane, Lassiter, and Mosconi were just as good as todays pro players.

[@thinkagain9457]

Fats was such a bullshitter. He took the name Minnesota Fats AFTER the movie 'The Hustler' came out

[@Ghost-_-732]

Think Again no the movie came out in the 60s they ben calling him fats in the 50s

[@bamhva9852]

You must be a snapchat user

[@wombra8314]

😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴

[@LinktoLinkGamer]

​@pokergolf7842 the book came out in the 50s

[@illiros]

In 1961 when The Hustler came out, Fats started going by Minnesota Fats claiming the character in the movie was based on himself. The author of the book always claimed to have invented the character, but early manuscripts name the character as New York Fats which is what Fats was going by at the time.

[@grc3577]

Young bloods playing pool

[@Joe-bo4vl]

lol.

[@TheAvenstar]

Also, the old greats wore suit and tie almost always -- a real handicap.

[@BillyL1212]

Fatty said “ Putting a suit on a pool player is like putting whipped cream on a hot dog “

[@fjccommish]

Fats never won. He was a big talker, great with trick shots, but one on one he was the pits.

[@jking0.o121]

Not true. He lost on TV to purposely give an illusion of an easy target. My grandpa Brennan played with him for decades and Fats never played with the same laser focus and intensity in tournaments as in high stakes cash games. $500+ and that was back in the 30s, 40s, 50s, ect.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

@@jking0.o121 that's what fats tells himself and others to keep his legend going

[@maddiiydaddiiy]

Getting too old to cut a ball.

[@rockymontana1]

I shoot better than Fat's when I'm drunk.

[@bamhva9852]

Troll

[@eddiecampbell2173]

He's also like 70 years old here lol

[@jimbo16720]

Fats doesn't even try to win....to busy talking.

[@ronniecoffman401]

Cool note he is not Minnesota fats he changed he's name to that after the hustler with Jackie Gleason and pall neaumon became famous the real Minnesota fats is Jackie Gleason he really was that good and the real Minnesota fats. Period.

[@bamhva9852]

You obviously dont know shit. I traveled with fatty for over 10 years. Do more research

[@dodgerbrian1375]

@@bamhva9852 Then he was bullshitting you for 10 years. Walter Tevis wrote the fictional short story “The Hustler” in 1957. Minnesota Fats was a fictional character until the guy you traveled with took that name

[@bigbill2376]

Holy crap. I was born in the wrong era. I could have blown either one of these guys off the table. By today's standards, I'm only fair to midland. So many mistakes! Poor strategy. it's hard to watch!

[@rickdangerous5606]

well in spite of your comment... to even play in this exact event at the time... you'd have needed to be considered a legend so kind of an arbitrary observation you've put forth.

[@troypalisi3757]

Hahaha

[@Salesman]

what game are they playing?

[@rogermerritt636]

Seven ball. The players choose sides after the break, and have to play the seven in one of the pockets on that side. I've seen a version of 8-ball where the player is required to play the 8 in one particular pocket, but I forget how that pocket is chosen.

[@chrisrutherford9216]

@@rogermerritt636 we used to play last pocket in the mission district (San Francisco). It's 8 ball and wherever your last ball before the 8 goes is where you have to put the 8. You learn to bank pretty well and almost never use a side pocket as your last one unless you can run it immediately.

[@Salesman]

what game are they playing?

[@RockSpoon123]

7 ball.