This is amazing. I've actually never seen Minnesota Fats play before. It's like 2 guys in a bar playing pool over a couple beers. So chill and relaxed. Thanks for sharing.

Great to see the players interacting like real people. Unlike today. Makes the whole experience better.

This match was from 1984. I remember watching it live. Fats had his final notable TV appearance in October of that year, where he finally beat his longtime rival Willie Mosconi.

What a pleasure to watch this in 2022. Discover Minnesota Fats from The Hustler 1961 movie.

I am soooo proud to have watched Fats play my Grandfather when i was just 7 years old at a River Grove IL. Tavern. (Just playing on a Saturday night) He was so charismatic. I wish i had an iPhone back then to record it. “Only my memory”.

I remember as a kid loving Minnesota Fats and Mosconie. At the time, Johnny Archer was just coming up. He was number 1 and I just wanted to be him and get to play these legends. I went to work, playing everyday, my dad bought me a table. Then outta high school I joined the military and that became a life lesson in pool halls and bars. I made so much money playing pool in the Navy. Then I got out and I'd became an alcoholic, which ruined my chances of going on the pro tour or anything else. I'm now 8 years sober but 51 years old and haven't touched a cue stick in 10 years. Still love watching these guys though.

What amazes me while watching Fats is that he draws the cue back only twice. Complete confidence in every one of his shots. Really amazing to watch!

absolutely love watching the old players play!! I'm 43 I learned to shoot pool at around 10 from my father who was an amazing player. this brings back memories. thank you for posting this

Thanks for these old matches. Really a treat to watch. Blows me away how well these two old legends are playing. These are old men here. Half of those commenting, aren't taking that into consideration.

Say what you want about Fats, but that 1st run out and bank shot was impressive!

When ESPN was worth watching.

I really enjoyed watching this whole match from start to finish it was Great to watch some Legends play and laugh, and talk, and compete, love it😁

I couldn't stop laughing at Fats saying, "I've robbed every Greek from here to Zanzibar" lol

I remember watching Minnesota Fats in the early ESPN days and it was fantastic 👏

To see these two athletes go head to head in one of the most dramatic battles in sports history is pretty thrilling!

For those who dont play Pool...the shot he makes at 4:00 is amazing.

Really nice match....that 5 off the back of the 7 was such a great shot.

Sitting here in Austin, TX watching this game with UJ's great nephew, Chug La France (one hell of a pool player himself BTW). TALKING ABOUT NOSTALGIC!! $5000.00 IN 1976 WAS THE equivalent of about $23,000.00!! A GAME!!! A GAME BRO!! That's crazy!¡

This was so much fun to watch! Makes me want to see it again!

the pink striped 7 ball looks sooooo cool!

This guy is a legend, once and a while you could watch pool on TV. back in the day and Minnesota Fats was an entertainer with big skills.

Wow these are two awesome talents and also entertainers

Spent a morning with Fats once in his hotel in Nashville having breakfast and just hanging out, really nice guy totally different than what he was like on tv.

Who in the world would thumb down this match? So many amazing shots. This is definitely one of the best matches I've ever seen. Up there with Ronnie O'Sullivan maximums.

That cross corner break. GREAT shot!

What year was this? Man...Fats was something else. Pure entertainment and skill.

😂 ROFL at 14:40.......Fats reaction to the guy's *powerful* break. 😅 What a great video to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

You can't compare Reyes to these guys, the game has evolved so much. It wasn't played on a professional level when these guys started, just a bar game. They were shooting pool way before Reyes was even born.

It’s amazing how many videos like this are posted with no reference to the date of the event.

To of the greatest having fun shooting love watching it

I remember watching this with my dad it was on Saturday, not understanding at the time when I was watching!!

Go watch Ronnie Allen's road stories on here. It's hysterical. He's got some great stories about both of these guys.

That opposite side of table long bank shot. Unbelievable how he just walked up and executed the shot. Wow!

The gentleman in the green sweater was the greatest of all time!

Minnesota Fats (1913 - 1996), Willie Mosconi (1913 - 1993) , Irving Crane (1913 - 2001), and others of that era. Those were the days! Can anyone name a great player today? There are some great pictures on-line of Minnesota Fats as a young pool player! He looked intimidating!

16:14 insane. No hesitation. Not a sliver of doubt. Minnesota Fats steps up and bangs out and across the table impossible bank shot, and barely reacts when it sinks. Like it's routine. That's pretty mind-boggling.

Best Pool players to come down the pipe.Good as anybody.Entertaining exhibition OLD SCHOOL

Супер! С удовольствием смотрю этих ретро мастеров. Играют не в шахматы, может это возрастное, тяжело ходить, поэтому без лишних кругов и движений. Браво!

You're one of my students.I know you can play. That was awesome 👌

9:25 “i’ve made this shot 100.000 times... and i hit the wrong ball” 😂😂😂 was laughing so hard my butt shed a tear

and one aspect i didnt realize is that these guys agreed that they would only makes shot on their respective sides of the table which is taking away 1/2 of the availible shot to each of them, thus increasing the difficulty

Would've loved to see these guys go head-to-head when they were both younger and in their prime.

Most of the people in the stands watching this are not alive. That's how old this video is

The best pool player to have never won a major tournament.

Wish pool was still this colorful

Lovely. Thanks folks. 🙂

Old Goons! I had so much amazement when I watched. And, I watched every chance I got. Efren Reyes changed everything and in my adult years, I’ve had so much more fun playing ER pool. And less mouth and ego makes all the difference.

It's like listening to WC Fields playing pool ...

You can tell this is just another pain in the ass day at work for fats, he walks up and hits an amazing shot, like how I make a copy then file something.....

I've played with his son of pool in a condo, he's living up to his old pops

I like how Fatty just shoots the ball and doesn't mess around. He's got style. It's a joy to watch him play.

I like this my 1st time viewing older shooter from the 70s

Both these guys played Johnson city, Ill. where my friend Billy Burge (Cornbread Red) always played on the road in small Ohio and Indiana cities, for cash on his way to Johnson city, Ill. U.J. Pukett did the something from Texas. Being a young kid, I tagged along with Red and Fat Jack, those were the days. Fat Jack was a Card mechanic, did card tricks for extra money, and was also one of the best one-handed pool shooters of all time., playing local shooters. I asked him why he played one handed? He replayed, "Can't play with two hands very well, more money one hand, and played lower level pool players and lower skilled players for entertainment and a laugh." Red would always play winners of tournaments especially Snooker tournaments... RC (Real Cool) LeBeau... Now live in N.California...

That bank shot at 16:18 !! What a Master Banker!

We need billiards back on ESPN or ESPN2 or even ESPNews..

If you are interested Minnesota Fats wrote a book. I think it is called bank shot and other Great robberies. I remember I found a copy at the library, he gives great strategy and also tells you what the points on the pool table mean. Also some great Road stories. I hope you find it

great match in so mamy ways

every time i watch this one i marvel at Fatty's talent to shoot from the hip. nobody does that anymore. pops up, watched.

"Practice? I don't even practice when I play with the girls" He talks so slick..Lol

U.J. Puckett was 76 here......11 years older than Fats. He was a hell of an athlete and a hellofa a pool player

Fatty's two rail long wise kick at 16:14, and puckett's bypass clearance shot at 24:10. WOW, both shots. Fatty's talk usually rubs me the wrong way, but he's funny as hell in this one.

Minnesota Fats was the Harlem Globe Trotter of pool

"King Kong couldn't beat me." Said, so casually.

I got to meet Minnesota Fats back in 1960 he came to my home town for Montgomery wards showing pool tables .

The Rodney Dangerfield of pool.

I wish mr fats was around still, when i was a kid my grandma told me how my grandpa was a pool player an got a phone call to go play fats, my grandma told me your grandpa played him for 2 days straight an beat him, i was around 12 years old, it was around 1994 when she told me.

World class, thanks for the video.

True Legend's

My GrandParents Knew Fats Personally back in the 50's and used to eat with Rudolf because he was personal friends With my late Great Great Aunt Elizabeth. I just got into pool the last year or so and mentioned Minnesota fats. Small world too bad im only 20..

Those guys missed more shots in one match than what 10 pros miss in an entire tournament these days. The quality of play has improved tremendously since those guys were around.

The way he aims/shoots is crazy

I remember him before ESPN was around. He used to be on wide world of sports

i wonder how the old school players would do against todays players? ..I like these guys better, they have personality....today's players have a personality like a dead moth.

damn cant believe these guys played that pool game in the near the county I live in. the resort is in Sullivan county which is maybe 40 min from orange county. Damn you'll never see these games here again.

Những sáng tác của Sỹ Luân nghe mãi ko phai.. Phúc hát rất hay và ấm áp

R.I.P RUDOLF WANDERONE 1913-1996

Born & raised Minnesotan = A large around of applause for all things FAT!

Great upload!! Old school man

I love the time when winning was a distant second to showmanship

This had to be in 1988 ~ as Hopkins stated Pucket was 76 years old at the time this was recorded

16:21 fats sure shocked me with that bank.

Earl Strickland would be screaming!

Puckett has some CRAZY cue action on some of his shots, that thing is EVERYWHERE BUT on a straight line. Some darned good exhibition pool here. This is ridiculous...these guys, pushin 80 play about 55 X better than I do at 60. The shot @ 16:10, a MASSE-KICK-BANK ACROSS opposing corners....WTH????? If I saw someone I was playing do something like THAT twice, I'd just give up and go home. One thing that helps, A LOT, is if you compare these pockets to the ones pros use today, they are more like basketball hoops than pool pockets. It looks like you could almost fit THREE balls across the opening points of those pockets. Make em about twice as wide again, and you'd be hard pressed to MISS a shot. That cloth is FAST, too....makes some things easier, some a lot harder. Lots of (speed) touch required. Best comment..after Puckett whines that he's straight in after getting a MESS of good rolls...Fats comes back with....I'll run a benefit for you...totally deadpan. GREAT sense of humor.

16:16 Legendary shot!!!!

@mrquicky the pple who down vote this video do not know the history of pool, not do they respect the fact that Minnesota/New York Fats is a poll legend and had a huge personality , its in part to his personality why they video taped these matches and had them on epsn back in the day. Just the witty comments from Fats alone makes this worth a watch, but if you like or love pool then this is like watching any legend at their respective sport. there are a number of Fats matches like this, best one is with Wille Mosconi and i beleive fats loses but does his best playing and mental game to try to throw willie off,

I like watching the old school the new school has no soul in it.

I remember this tournament. It was in 1984. I was 14. Puckett ended up losing to Moore in the final.

It would be a good idea to put the date up when these games are played. Entertaining game though.

What a name….just too cool

7:30 Mr Lahey from Trailer Park Boys

The brother sitting down in the black suit is the one and only the Robert"RAGS" Woods.!!!

Love that shirt Allen..

That fly that flew off the corner pocket is dead now.

all time greats

Tough for fats he was having off day, and knew it. But still kept entertaining.

Very Very...Relaxing 😎

If Fatty ever just calmed down a little and focused on his shots, i don't believe anyone could of beat him. He's just too fast and proud when he shoots. But his awareness on the table and shooting skill is on another level. If he'd just slow down a bit he's the greatest (in my opinion)

Yep I met him in New York New York, little pool house on the east side, he was trying to get me to play him for 5000 bucks I was beaten every body in the house, till he came in,like I didn't know who he was, all I could do is laugh at him, then told him I saw you on the v the other day, u was killing them, then I said, I'll play u for nothing if u want to play, well about 5 games later, still no shot,but I injoyed watching him play, he was one of the best,

How much of a scam was the guy who gave himself the name 'Minnesota Fats' after the movie came out?

4:01 with authority!