McGoorty: A Pool Room Hustler

by Robert Byrne

The Broadway Books Library of Larceny
Luc Sante, General Editor

McGoorty is master billiards writer Robert Byrne’s racy account of the life of Danny McGoorty, a billiards champion of that bygone era when cue artists were often scam artists and pool rooms were held to be dens of iniquity. Hustler and hobo, womanizer and fashion plate, McGoorty was at once eyewitness to Capone’s Chicago and the feats of greats like Willie Hoppe and Willie Mosconi. In an all-American voice at once sarcastic, profane, humorous, and chock full of colorful lingo, he relates his colorful and seedy life and times with a unique style and brio.

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Robert Byrne is the author of seven novels, five collections of humorous quotations, seven books on billiards, two anthologies, and an expose of frauds in the literary world. One of his novels, Thrill, was made into NBC’s Monday Night Movie, which aired for the first time on May 20, 1996. Four of his novels were selections of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books and published in many languages. His style is widely praised for its clarity and wit. Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool and Billiards, published in 1978 and expanded in 1998, has sold over 500,000 copies. -byrne.org

Reviews

[Bill Peirson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read, especially if you have played pool in your life. It has a lot more meaning if you were or are a serious player which I was many years ago. Either way it is very informative and greatly entertaining . It describes a way of life in a diminishing popularity of a once great game (billiards) and how the game of billiards evolved into straight pool, eight ball, and presently nine ball. Quite a character , McGoorty describes his life of a bum, drinker, hustler, and one of the top players of his day. I've had this read on my shelf for nearly 50 years and will always cherish it.

[Mark K · Rating 3 out of 5]

it should be illegal to be this horny

[Cary Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious, memorable, a great read. A little (lot) profane, but it's a great ride. If you don't literally "laugh out loud" at least a dozen times while reading this book, you need a funny bone transplant.

[JBP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was a bawdy piece of fun. Dan McGoorty--self claimed pool hustler, drunk, hobo and ladies man--takes us through the key points in his life. Learning how to play billiards--three cushion his specialty--in Chicago in the 1920s, riding the rails in the '30s, decades of drunken tales, various women he's bedded and finally off the drink while trying to still win billiard championships.

Lively, crude, honest (at least according to McGoorty) and full of pool/billiard tales from start to finish--this might have a lot of stretching of the truth but it sure is the best time I've had reading about pool playing ever. Maybe more fun than playing pool I'm so terrible.

[J.C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A autobiography about a semi famous pool and billiards player who told his story to the author a few months before his death. 3 and a half for me.

Told by a rough talking, booze and broad hound with a gift for the colorful use of the English language, we take a short but enjoyable journey into his life story (kind of an adventure that guy had) and a history of billiards pool and snooker at the heights of their popularity. Although I wouldn't want to trade places with him I can say I did enjoy strolling through his world.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book, and a true story, about a hobo pool hustler. The book was written based on interviews and told in Mcgoorty's voice. The book is rich in its language and gives one a real feeling of the man and the times he lived.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...It was his fate to see the game he loved shrink steadily until it almost disappeared."

A sad oral history of a billiard player who lived to long and saw the game die around him. Sociologically interesting for the raw language and now (and even then) arcane slang.

[Kit Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about an old-school SF pool hustler. His hustler argot is pretty funny, too. Doesn't have too many tips on how to improve your game, though. Man, I really suck at pool.

[Greg Just-greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Great stories of the old time pool rooms.

[Emil Kruthoffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rip-roaring fun from an old coot recounting the days when Americans played proper billiards, without pockets.