Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler

In most sports the pinnacle is Wheaties-box notoriety. But in the world of pool, notoriety is the last thing a hustler desires. Such is the dilemma that faces one Danny Basavich, an affable, generously proportioned Jewish kid from Jersey, who flounders through high school until he discovers the one thing he excels at--the felt--and hits the road.

Running the Table spins the outrageous tale of Kid Delicious and his studly--if less talented--set-up man, Bristol Bob. Never was there a more entertaining or mismatched pair of sidekicks, as together they go underground into the flavorfully seamy world of pool to learn the art of the hustle and experience 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, as they manage one night to take down as much as $30,000, only to lose so much the next night that they lack gas money to get home. With every stop, the action gets hotter, the calls get closer, and Deliciouss prowess with a cue stick becomes known more and more widely. Ultimately, Delicious sheds his cover once and for all and becomes professional pools biggest sensation since Minnesota Fats.

In a book sure to appeal to fans of Bringing Down the House and Positively Fifth Street, Wertheim evokes a subculture full of nefarious but loveable characters and illuminates Americas fascination with games and gambling. He also paints a lasting portrait of an insanely talented and magnetic hustler, who is literally larger than life.

1 The Opening Break 1 2 Hustlers Finishing School 16 3 The Ribbon of Highway 37 4 Life on the Rail 56 5 The Warsaw Pact 76 6 Kings of the Road 91 7 Philadelphia Story 105 8 Bristolicious, Inc. 114 9 Flying Solo 134 10 Wherever I May Roam 145 11 Pros and Cons 168 12 Roll Tide 190 13 Back in Form 203 14 A New Wingman 208 15 Running the Table 226

Epilogue 237 Glossary of Pool Terms 243 Acknowledgments 246