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Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler
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Product Description
Running the Table spins the outrageous tale of Kid Delicious, an affable skilled pool shark from New Jersey, and his studly if less talented setup man, Bristol Bob. Wertheim follows this mismatched pair of sidekicks as they go underground to learn the art of the hustle while experiencing the highs and lows of life on the road. Their four-year odyssey takes them from podunk pool halls to slick urban billiard rooms across America, some nights taking down as much as $30,000 and others ending up with just enough gas money to get home. With every stop the action gets hotter, the calls get closer, and Delicious’s prowess with a cue stick becomes more widely known. Ultimately the Kid sheds his cover, becoming perhaps the biggest sensation in professional pool since Minnesota Fats. Wertheim paints a lasting portrait of an insanely talented and magnetic hustler who is literally larger than life.
“Renders the trappings of a road player’s life . . . readers are taken on a sweet and varied ride.”—Sports Illustrated
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #288654 in Books
- Published on: 2008-10-03
- Format: Bargain Price
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This new release from Sports Illustrated writer Wertheim (Venus Envy), who expertly reports a true life story reminiscent of The Hustler and The Color of Money, details the exploits of Danny Kid Delicious Basavich, who, after dropping out of high school in the 1990s, went from being a suicidal, overweight teen to a legendary pool player. Wertheim has created a new version of the American dream, one where the predictable life of white picket fences and green lawns is replaced by the adventures brought by the spin of a cue ball and wads of greenbacks continually changing hands. At the heart of the book is the engrossing tale of two distinct relationships. The first is about Kid's two selves—the personable, pool-playing wiz and the bedridden, depressed bundle of nerves. The other story line follows the ruckus raised by the pool-playing exploits of the fat and friendly Kid and his fit and feisty partner, Bristol Bob. Adding to the book's appeal is Wertheim's eloquent and vivid prose that so perfectly captures the squalid, sepia-toned environs of America's billiard halls that it's easy to forget that the events in this book reflect recent history and not pool's roaring 1920s heyday . (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
If professional pool players are an endangered species, pool hustlers would seem altogether extinct. But like a field researcher reporting a passenger pigeon in New Jersey, Wertheim presents Danny Basavich, aka Kid Delicious, as proof that hustlers walk among us yet. He couldn't have asked for a better subject. Like pool's most famous big man, Delicious has a larger-than-life personality and an ability to make losers love him. But he also has a dark side, "full-moon phases" that sometimes lay him low for months. Wertheim records Delicious' journey from high-school loser to high-stakes winner, keeping the pacing brisk as the Kid learns the ropes on the road, in bed, and at the bank. Eventually, with his face and belly too well known to prospective marks, Delicious tries to make the transition to professional pool, which, paradoxically, is far less lucrative. Pool insiders often lack the literary chops to sell their stories to the general public; Wertheim, a professional sportswriter (Transition Game, 2005), has an eye for detail and can turn a phrase—and he's clearly fascinated by the game. You will be, too. Graff, Keir
Review
"What makes "Running the Table" so special is not the pool prowess of its protagonist but the unlikely bond between two wildly different young men." (Los Angeles Times )
"This road story about a bipolar pool hustler is filled with colorful characters, rich detail, and rat-a-tat action." (Stefen Fatsis, author of Word Freak )
Customer Reviews
Highly recommended
The story of Kid Delicious is great fun and a look into the world of pool, hustling, gambling and life on the road that most of us have no idea even exists. The author brings the cast of characters to life and for someone like me with a 9 to 5 job, wife and kids it was stunning to read how these guys lived on the road for months with only their wits and pool skills to keep them going. I was afraid this book would be another pumped up magazine article, but there was much depth and backstory throughout so I never got that feeling. The book is well researched and the writing is crisp and to the point. I highly recommend this book.
PoolJax
I found Running The Table to be an excellent read. Even if your not a hard gambler or a pool player, you will enjoy this book.
Jon Wertheim's writing is exceptional and the tales of Kid Delicious and his travels are really fun and entertaining.
To read more about Danny Basavich aka Kid Delicious Google: PoolJax
RUNNING THE TABLE
RUNNING the TABLE...Danny Basavich's life story up to now is a great read as I knew it would be. If you enjoy pool, hustling, gambling and con jobs, this is a must read. Although I never got to play Danny, I've met him and watched him play many times. He's a great player and a great guy. John "Johnny T" Terrell
