The family of Banks legend Vernon Elliott sadly reports that Vernon died the
afternoon of May 9, 2009, after suffering a heart attack following several
recent surgeries.
Vernon Elliott, like fellow One Pocket Hall of Fame member 'Cornbread Red,'
was a tough country bred Kentucky road player from the old school. Except
unlike Red, Vernon completely shunned the publicity of tournaments, never
once playing in one. Like Red, Vernon's fearless hustling style took him all
over the country, into even the toughest of poolrooms in the toughest of
neighborhoods. He is often called the 'greatest under-cover player of all
time.'
As a young man he developed as a player among the great bankers of the day
in the banking capital of the universe, Louisville, KY. Among Louisville's
banking legends were guys like Bob Bowles and Charlie Jones, where even
Eddie Taylor was humbled now and then. A patient and observant player who
could also win at 9-Ball and One Pocket, Vernon hunted the big game players,
seeking out the 'big score', which he was very successful at.
In a 2006 interview with OnePocket.org's Steve Booth, Vernon described it
this way, "I'm going to tell you something pardner, I wouldn't let nobody
play cheap; if they want to play cheap, they can get somebody else. I always
made 'em bet. They always thought that I was just a damned old country boy,
that I couldn't do nothin'. I got big action everywhere I went, damn near,
because I always had that ability to make 'em bet. They didn't ever know my
real name, because I wouldn't tell them, and I never played in a tournament,
so they couldn't find out."
Vernon Elliott was born February 18, 1938 in Kentucky. He raised a family of
six by playing pool and hustling his whole life, until he was finally forced
to retire in the 90's after suffering several strokes. During his playing
years, he was possessed of one of the most powerful pool strokes of all
time, and if he couldn't get a game for the money he wanted, he had an array
of impossible looking proposition shots that he could win at. Once he even
cashed in with Eddie Taylor on a bank shot that even the great Taylor was
convinced was impossible.
Vernon was inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame in recognition for Bank
Pool in January, 2007.
Submitted to Poolmag.com by Steve Booth
www.OnePocket.org
The Black Widow stayed in top form once again in Korea. Cha and Lee pictured with Dragon Promotions General Manager Myung Jin Kim. Photo courtesy Dragon Promotions
