Fats #6

In this segment of b-roll with Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, the larger-than-life pool player shoots around a pool table while giving insight into his personal philosophy. Showing off his incredible abilities on the table, Fats also attempts trick shots and demonstrates his unique playing style.

00:00Copy video clip URL Color bars

00:40Copy video clip URL Minnesota Fats, the legendary pool player, sets up a number of pool balls in the corners of the table in order to demonstrate the bank shots for which he is renowned.

01:21Copy video clip URL Fats banks a shot from the bottom right side of the table, sinking a ball into the bottom left corner pocket.

01:31Copy video clip URL Fats proceeds to shoot the pool balls into the pockets, using straight shots and bank shots around the table.

02:27Copy video clip URL On his pool playing ability in certain situations, Fats remarks that if he is playing for money, he hardly misses a shot. “See, other fellas, when they play in exhibition, that’s their bag… my bag is playing for money.” After missing a shot into the right corner pocket, Fats states that if he was playing in a pool game for money, he would not have missed the shot “in a hundred years.”

03:24Copy video clip URL Fats marks the distinction between his ability to play pool for money and playing against children or people of importance. He says that when he plays governors, celebrities, dignitaries or children, he is inclined to let them win games, while if he is playing on his own against a fellow pool player, he rarely loses. Fats then sinks the remaining pool balls into the pockets of the table.

04:20Copy video clip URL After sinking the pool balls into the pockets, Fats takes them out again, setting them up in difficult formations. As he does this, Fats talks about the 1961 film The Hustler, a film that starred Jackie Gleason as a renowned pool hustler named, “Minnesota Fats”. Fats rejects this notion that he is known for “hustling” pool games. “I never hustled in my life. All I do is play.”  He continues speaking about his reputation in cities around the world as he sinks more shots.

06:23Copy video clip URL Fats describes his style of betting on pool shots, tapping the 8-ball into the right corner pocket as an illustration.

08:04Copy video clip URL Fats explains the importance of speed as it relates to pool. He demonstrates his point by banking the 8-ball off of the side of the table toward the bottom left corner pocket at different speeds, until he finds the correct speed and sinks it in. “Speed is a tremendous factor.”

09:25Copy video clip URL A high shot of Fats breaking the rack of pool balls, then sinking every single ball into the pockets on his first attempt, with the exception of one.

11:48Copy video clip URL Various close up shots of Fats as he shoots pool balls around the table.

12:48Copy video clip URL Low angle shot of Fats attempting a difficult, behind-the-back shot three times, missing twice before banking the ball into the pocket on the third try.

13:36Copy video clip URL Another close up on Fats as he lines up and shoots.

13:56Copy video clip URL A close up of Fats in profile as he makes a shot and chalks his cue.

14:09Copy video clip URL Close on Fats’s fingers as he lines up and sinks a shot.

14:33Copy video clip URL Close on Fat’s fingers as he shoots the cue ball, zooming out as the balls travel to the respective pockets. He repeats this shot a second time.

14:59Copy video clip URL Low angle follow shot of Fats sinking a ball into the corner pocket.

15:12Copy video clip URL As Fats pulls the pool balls out of the pockets, he talks about the way he takes care of his hands and fingers. “My hands are just as soft and timid as a girl’s hands,” he says, before sinking two balls into the corner pocket in a row.

16:16Copy video clip URL Fats talks about his ability to distinguish between good and bad pool players simply through conversation and observation. He then banks a number of balls into the corner pocket across the table.

18:11Copy video clip URL Fats gives his definition of a “sucker”, of which he says there are many different versions. “A sucker is a man that bets on the worst of it . . . anybody that takes the worst of it is a sucker.” He then proceeds to tell about his other definitions of “suckers,” including people that chase after women that are out of their league and people that pay too much for things.

19:54Copy video clip URL End of tape.