Running the Table

In most sports athletes want to see their name in lights. But in the world of pool, notoriety is the last thing a hustler desires. Such is the dilemma that faces one Kid Delicious, aka Danny Basavich, a heavyset, bipolar, and endlessly charming Jewish kid from New Jersey, who flounders through high school until he discovers the one thing at which he excels - the felt - and hits the road. "Running the Table" spins the outrageous tale of the Kid and his study - if less talented - set-up man, Bristol Bob. Never was there a more entertaining or mismatched pair of sidekicks - the generously proportioned, easy-going Kid is the complete antithesis of his uptight, clean-cut pal - but together they go underground into the 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 run-down pool halls to slick urban billiard rooms across America, one night taking down as much as $30,000, the next losing so much that they lack gas money to get home. With every stop, the action gets hotter, the calls get closer, and Delicious' prowess with a cue stick becomes known more and more widely.
"Running the Table" is a book about friendship, hustling and an America that you didn't know existed. Wertheim evokes a subculture full of nefarious but loveable characters and illuminates a country's fascination with games and gambling. He also paints a lasting portrait of an insanely talented and magnetic hustler, who is literally larger than life.