Danny Bernstein, who lives in Cold Spring, has achieved the highest ranking given by the American Poolplayers Association (APA).
How did you get into the game?
My dad was a bus driver and had a side job as a bartender on the Upper East Side [of Manhattan]. When I was 5 or 6, my mom and I’d visit him at the bar, and he’d teach me to play pool. It was awesome; I couldn’t wait to play more. I was too young for most places, but the drivers’ room at the bus depot had two tables. I’d hang out with him, shooting pool with guys in their 50s and 60s, and beating them. By age 17, I’d do anything to play, in pool halls, clubs, anywhere I could sneak in.
What keeps you playing?
It’s such a mental game. If you’re having a bad day, you have to forget it. If you miss a shot, you have to forget it, like it never happened. Most people can’t do that. They get frustrated, become annoyed, lose and don’t want to play anymore. If you’re mentally strong, you can do well. I also like the atmosphere. Everybody’s watching you. In leagues, you’re talking 15 other players, plus their friends, plus whoever’s in the bar. There’s a lot of oohing and aahng and “Oh my god!” I love that.
What leagues do you play in?
I’ve played 8-ball on Monday nights in an APA league on the Lower East Side for nearly 30 years. You can play six nights a week, but I have two kids! There are about 15 divisions, and 10 to 12 teams per division, yet it’s a small community; I know almost everybody. If you play someone, you make an impression on each other because you both love the game. If you win your division, you qualify for “the triangles.” If you win that, you go to Las Vegas, all expenses paid. Win there and you’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. On Thursdays, I’m in a Billiard Congress of America league on East 21st Street, playing 8-ball, 9-ball and round robins. APA has 40,000 to 50,000 members in the city. BCA is larger but pays out less money.
What is most difficult for new players to master?
Playing safety [when you shoot not to pocket a ball but to leave your opponent with a bad lie]. In the bars, burying your opponent like that, leaving him or her no shot, used to be considered dirty pool, but in league play it’s acceptable. I did it to an older guy when I was about 20. He was furious! He hated me but after he watched professional pool, he realized you just do that to win. New players will say, “I play in the bar and beat everybody.” It’s different in leagues. Players are intelligent; they play all the time. It’s soft; they don’t hit hard. They study speed. They’re not reckless with the cue ball. They’re always playing two shots — trying to make their shot but, if they miss, playing safety.
What’s the best movie made about playing pool?
The Hustler, with Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson and Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. The best line is: “Preacher, rack ’em up!” They’re playing straight pool. Fats has a great break, brings the cue ball all the way back, kisses the rail and says: “I didn’t leave you much.” Fast Eddie says: “You left me a lot.” Phenomenal movie.
