Joe Rogan Experience #1917 — Fedor Gorst Transcript

Transcript

0:00 The Joe Rogan Experience. How old are you, man? But I've been around the billiard balls since the very beginning. So since the end of February when the whole thing started, they banned all the Russian athletes. You know, Ovechkin is still playing. Well, you can understand it from, I don't know, from like the business point of view. From Russia, yeah.

2:56 So how did you make the trek from Russia coming to the United States to play? So you were like, what, 16 or something? And then a lot of people kind of recognized that I can play, everybody goes down to the Derby City. I've heard, but I wasn't. And I injured my knee. It was a big deal. Not an early age for most people, obviously not an early age for you,

5:53 It depends on my tournament schedule. The biggest amount that I ever won was Oh, yeah. On a pool table, there's six pockets. something like 11 something like because it's something that people get very, very, very addicted to. And I think I was about 8 or 9 years old. Only in the U.S., it's more of a, you know, some entertainment that you can just go to the bar and drink beer and have fun.

9:49 Kopinyi, I heard they have a day where all they do is jump. before when I was a kid. bunch of movies and stuff. Really, really interesting guy. But he went over to Russia I think that's the main all raced with discipline. I think that's the main factor No, but he was thinking, I think, at that time that it's better off starting with pool It's tougher to make the ball.

12:24 Oh, wow. Look at a snooker table. This is crazy. So this guy is shooting. Any pocket, yeah. there's a lot of room for fucking around the same way. Yes. Well, you know, that's because they started when they were young and they couldn't Similar, right? That's interesting. your legs um you have a more stable stance but then i watch guys like shane van boning

15:58 I didn't used to do that, though. even know I had that's the difference I guess what I'm talking about with Russia switch because that's that's the only way to grow and uh once i uh found that coach the very last He came to Russia as a national coach and practiced with the national team for two years. step because we have a Euro Tour that's the major tournament in

18:58 He's the best. there was like this one match how long ago was it it wasn't that long ago uh we played in in his Is this it right here? there's a regular rack where you put the balls in the rack. It's a wooden rack or a plastic rack, like that. Yes, some people get upset at the magic rack because really good players, when they have a Oh, yeah, you put some pressure on me. At least I got one.

21:39 Yeah. He gets out. is just basically doing it because they have a passion yeah yeah yeah that's a strange thing and bigger the app when the Hustler And I have some ideas of my own, what I want to do. For prize money. enough to play in a tournament, there's a hope. So I spent my own money out of my own pocket and did really good. And there was one guy, his name was Mike Nikolaev.

26:21 We have to meet again tomorrow. Yeah, yeah. because Mike told me that we can possibly work with Johan individually 16. friends with this guy who was a really hilarious uh pool player uh who used to call everybody oh I mean, that sounds stupid for bull. And on the side, I used to always hustle and do something, played roberto gomez we asked him if you know if you want to double or nothing or bet again and they said no we're good so i ended up losing and then uh they were staking uh skylar woodward

30:32 It's a team match between Europe and the United States. But it's perfect for left-handed so much screaming and cheering when someone makes a shot, and then everybody quiets down again. No, cuz like when Russian fighters fight in the UFC and no one has a problem with it time ago or or some of them made it might have been here originally but this Don't you think?

33:49 Oh, for sure, yeah. Or Earl, how many times did Earl win the U.S. Open? Yeah. We're joined here tonight live from Hollywood Billiards in Los Angeles, California, waders. For people to understand, Earl is Now, play a video of Earl Strickland actually talking. How can you watch pool? It's a perfect copy. Oh, my God, for sure. I mean, he's very athletic too.

37:31 What is he doing? He's good. This is his new thing. It's like a 14 millimeter tip. It looks like some weird cue to his cue all the time. extension. Oh, really? Yeah. Just for and to make this trek come from Russia and come to the United States and now live here and play pool I'm just You can't be playing with non-pool players. Like Josh Filler, his wife is a pool player.

40:05 But there are pool groupies. But girls loved him because he was so good. Yeah, I've heard of him, but I never read the book. And he was with this guy, and the guy goes, look at that guy, No, a lot of them are like that, man. yeah, at the International Open this year. They were doing something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's cool. As elite as it gets. Seven foot.

43:18 Yes. I actually tried his shaft, and I'm the big fan, I like it a lot, and I'm going to have him make me some for other cues. and a bunch of other elite players and they started making like really good Probably thinner. Oh, excuse me, 12.5. You used to play with 11? And I didn't want to change my Q on the tournament right before I start playing. that is unusual

46:42 for me it's so fascinating you got within inches of where you wanted to be. Yeah, and they liked high deflection shafts. And so everybody calculates that when you shoot a ball. Like and you can get out there and you can just fire balls in. And the problem with me is I like to work out. He's like, I'm not touching shit. player died in 1959 so okay so when did they invent power steering let's find that out

50:57 arms not communicating with you right but it's actually really good to play after your workout Does that ever help you? Have you ever done anything to strengthen that? Well, there's a bunch of things that you can do for lower back that can help you a lot. Yeah, that'll help a lot. so I have scoliosis and it really makes difficult for me to because for decades he's just been pulling with his right arm and so his right side is like his

54:28 Oh, my God. But have you, if you tightened up the other side, if you tightened up the other side if you strengthened up the other side but there's people that believe that spinal decompression and strengthening and yoga Like I said, it's different. Do you break with one of those break rack things or do you just keep racking the balls? No, I actually ordered a break rack thing a couple of months ago.

56:59 Yeah, when you have a great break like a guy like Shane that has a killer break, it's such an advantage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they'll just practice all day and figure out which ball should be in which positions Really? that you could do with like bands or something like that where you develop a pool machine called Hips So you're developing the right muscles

1:01:06 be like sliding your cue through that tube i think it's it's really helpful i don't see these things 17. You know, I'm like a Yeah, yeah, yeah. your fundamentals you know the player nick vandenberg sure he used to work on his fundamentals Yeah. tournament but you were on beta blockers you probably wouldn't feel any of those nerves and And if I miss, and if I hang that ball, you're going to win.

1:04:40 They just miss the ball by a full diamond. what I'm gonna do, decide what speed, what spin, Some guys pause with the tip in forward. Yeah. They would play until somebody went bust. i don't know if you ever do you ever smoke marijuana yeah i did once upon a time uh I used to smoke it before jujitsu all the time. For a reason. when you're writing for that kind of writing. Cause like I write silly shit, you know, and when

1:09:17 players too like somebody is so talented and I believe that some players have a No, he's ridiculous. like we were talking about this small handful but that was on an eight foot table wasn't it yeah and bigger pockets five inch pockets I mean, nine-ball players will take over. Gleason and Paul Newman. And what straight pool was, was always the king of pool games because you would play,

1:11:51 commonplace with like the really, really elite players. Yeah. I mean, I played the straight I think the level of players right now is as high as it's ever been yeah and i say this as a someone who really respects like the old level too. But back then, the players just, they weren't the same level. Yeah, but also the game I think when the Filipinos came here and guys like Efren started kicking balls to get safe,

1:14:20 Yeah, I mean they all say it's a feeling, but in the end of the day, it's all i was coming there to play good players, for me it's insane if you walked into the bar here or anywhere else i mean would you imagine Well, pool came over the Philippines in the 1950s when the GIs were over there. See if you can find these Efren Reyes matches where he still plays right now.

1:17:28 And then there's 50 people around the table with flip-flops talking on their cell phones. I was watching the Alex Pagulian video and you hear. In a tournament, other than the Moscone Cup where people are cheering in between shots, in these matches that they're playing, there's so much distraction. This is this guy, Jeff Galing. Here, I sent you something.

1:19:57 now look at the powder so there's a stack of powder on each side rail and the stack of powder He's getting ready and warming up. and also he i think that's probably one of the reasons why they chose heavier cues. But the guy's still in action constantly. open, there's people on the street They're that close to the table while some of the best players in the world are playing. But it's really good practice, like you said, after playing in such a different experience.

1:22:38 Yeah. Isn't it? Is there? So I'm like, no, bro, it's my break. And he's like, i didn't say anything We played for 20 grand, yeah. That's a heart attack special right there. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but there is a lot of moving part. Oh, my God, that's insane. And the way it was made, it looks like it was self-published, like the font would be different sizes on different pages.

1:27:39 So, yeah, of course it gives them big advantage in matches like that. He would go to the bathroom and lock the door. and he would get on the table and he couldn't fucking miss and there was a table at executive billiards it was a He would do those carriage races, and they banned him from carriage racing because while his horse was winning, he stood up in the carriages trying to slow the horse down

1:30:12 Kunstler. for uh like games of straight pool so they play like 150 points for like $10,000. And so he was doing this to try to get Water Dog agitated. He had this just like, I've never done heroin, but I would imagine it must be wonderful. You would go there on a Sunday night or Sunday day to play, and you could play Francisco Bustamante. I said I'll put you in he goes yeah but we gotta go get some shit I go what do you mean and he goes

1:32:41 So I had a 1995 Toyota Supra. It was the shit. it was a Supra turbo. Do you ever see one of those? but um and he couldn't make a ball. those players who are top players who play really well on drugs then they try to enter into a Why would you? players yeah that's what people don't understand you could play really good and get bad rolls and they're down like seven, eight games in a row,

1:35:38 is what they have for food. killer dennis hatch was around back when i was playing and there was a Hatch was a fucking killer. Dennis Hatch was around back when I was playing. But I went there and I'm playing and Steve Misurak is there and Rodney Morris is there and Johnny Archer is there. Yeah. And, you know, he was a big, fat guy. pool and my wife comes in the room and i'm watching pool she's like what are you doing yeah

1:38:42 Otherwise, I don't see any other reason why they do it. cormier they go on and coach kids or coach colleges but for the most part it's they're doing it just But it's possible I think I think it's possible row excellent cue ball control great shot maker but he was he was playing this guy, Neptune Joe Frady. So he was like this older guy. He said, I realize I can't do this.

1:42:05 was doing amateur taekwondo tournaments they were very dangerous and it was free I wasn't getting I have to hit the bag and spar and do rounds. It was also I was worried about brain damage too, I think where you're at right now with pool is different because my personal belief is like the stuff that's going on right now with Matchroom Pool and with a couple of these other companies that are putting on these streaming shows.

1:44:10 goals for every tournament I went to of course but this year has been different but i believe i believe once everything gets approved, hopefully, Once I get a green card, maybe I'd... it'd be great i think it's people don't realize how tough it is i mean to get a citizenship you it starts to slide. It's very rare. Dennis Arcolo is still one of the very best players in the

1:46:55 No, no doubt. which was a casino in Los Angeles, and I think the tournament, and the cue would slide out of his hand and then back through. Everybody who is involved in pyramid world in Russia, unique player he he is like the russian pyramid star everybody who's involved People, they would play it. So his practice strokes, he's shooting left, like to the left side of the ball and always low.

1:49:29 I don't know. or right hand english it version of that is Efren when Efren first came over here, he had a fake name. Yeah, Cesar Morales. Cesar Morales stuns the field at Reds. Younger rather than that guy. Wade Crane. Danny DiLiberto. Yeah. Have you ever heard of that book? and they did it for a book. And tragically, I think about a year and a half or so ago, he took his own life.

1:54:15 That is a whole subset of Americana where these guys would travel around, stay in shitty hotels, and gamble. Yeah, I mean, all of them. No, but my friend did in the Philippines. guy pulled his gun and like started shooting in the in the area like trying It's not about the money for him. There was always guys that were backing people back in my day when I was hanging around New York where there were these guys that were drug addicts or drug dealers.

1:57:14 and they would play big money one pocket. It was just so, just to sit there. And at the time, the garbage workers were on strike. So all the garbage was stacked outside. So when they would take garbage out to experiences for the world because they were so it was so interesting to see I was really sad to me because in LA the big pool hall in town was Hollywood

2:00:08 And then it went under. Why do you think that happened? the room was filled with lemons. it was dying at some point 100 yeah i mean i got lucky i when i was starting to play pool If you never experienced it, it's even tough to describe it. with people that that been playing for Really? But gambling is really small. and he was actually my favorite player he's a great player growing up yeah yeah i sent his

2:04:27 So there was a thing, there was like a label on those guys, I'm not an action player. I mean, nowadays you can make less money playing tournaments, But still, it's completely different to tournaments. it's boring to watch a longer race. to five is so quick it is but when you have a lot of them it will even things they put the 10 ball on the spot, three and it's it's it's such a mental format that i was i was one rack away from the win

2:08:20 Whoa. Yeah. Just like I think the Moscone Cup is good as an alternative. I agree, I agree. What's next for you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's explain the Calcutta. if you purchased a player in the Calcutta, when that person wins, you can get a pile of money. A bar table can be huge sometimes. Like sometimes it will go over $150,000,, yeah, always. Especially on a bar table. Bar table can be huge sometimes.

2:12:04 Super loud. Music, smoking. During bars? Yeah. So it's like louder. Super loud. Coin operated. What was the bad experience about it? footer 9 football it's different 7 footers are a good equalizer because an amateur can play good And both in preparation, in the way people train and practice. Tyler plays very much like a European player he looks like he could be playing for. Yeah he's a

2:15:40 I mean, you're right there. Who knows? Maybe I am already. You might be. For that. And I wish you all the best of luck, and hopefully you'll keep on trucking.