twomoetimes

John ''doeboy'' Leonetti was born and raised in Connecticut having to fend for himself at just the age of 13 becoming very street smart and having that split second to trust someone it's no accident that doeboy became a professional gambler. Not having anybody to really turn to,trust or look up to being able to run the streets never going to school and hanging with the wrong crowd almost cost him his life until one day Leonetti walked into cool breeze billiards on a hot muggy July night in 1993 where he was hoping to buy a drink and sit down for awhile but he found a whole lot more. As he sat down he started to look around and was seeing how these pool players were making so much money from just playing a game he was instantly hooked. He never picked a pool Q up in his life but he was determand to learn and learn quick he did he was a natual. John was at that pool hall everyday from when they opened to close keeping a low profile in the beginning practicing at the very end of the room where he really couldn't get noticed he practiced 6,7 hours a day everyday and then sitting and watching other players games picking up on different styles of holding a pool stick watching how they shot he was like a sponge but there was one player that he always kept an eye on and that was proffesional pool player Tommy Jr., Tommy was in his very early 20's and already a very well known player in the state on Connecticut and across the pool world. John started hanging around Tommy asking him questions watching every game he played and really trying to model his game after his. After sitting and watching for weeks John finally went up to Tommy and asked him if he'll play him in a few games Tommy said yes and noticed how John held the pool stick the same as he did took the same shot as he would and lined up the q ball in the same spot and position as he does when he brakes. Noticing that this 13 year old kid who really nobody knows except for just hanging around the pool hall Tommy took and instant liking to him took him under his wing and with in a month doeboy was starting to realize all the practice he put into playing was paying off winning his first tournament beating out a field of 125 player's and taking 600 dollars and his first trophy he knew right then and there this was what he was meant to be doing sure its easy to say to yourself what is a 13 year old kid doing spending all his time in a pool hall with grown men,gangsters and gambling he should be in school and playing sports like a normal kid well he didn't have the chance to really live like a normal kid like so many other kids that grew up in an urban city. When i asked Doeboy about skipping school everyday to go to the pool hall and how he always got away with it he told me that he would go to 1st period sign in show his face to other teachers then just go out the back door doing this so many times after playing pool all night was never easy tho he said but living the life of a gambler isn't always easy. In 1994 the legendary Chicago billiards opened up in west haven Connecticut and thats when John really took off winning serious money. Owner Ralphy was already a very successful business owner owning the bread docks having to drive to Bridgeport to play pool he decided that he would open up his own pool room not to make a profit from it but he wanted his pool hall to be known as when you walk into Chicago billiards its a room filled with professional players and if you want action this is the place to come and it was players from all over the country came to play there including Doeboy who was only 14 at the time and really becoming known across the country and another 14 year old phenom Billy ''The Kid''... Billy's from Providence and cought the eye of Ralphy when Doeboy, Tommy Jr, and Ralphie all took a road trip to play in a tournament and spreading the Chicago name they dicided to go to several pool has across the east coast including Chelsy's pool hall in white plains where many professional players got there start. When they stopped into a pool hall in providence to play in a tournament Doeboy made it to the finals and having to play Billy it drew an instant crowd Billy was another 14 year old phenom the two hit it off instantly Doeboy knew that him and Billy can make alot of money together and so did Ralphie. Billy came back to Chicago billiards for the summer Raphie now having Billy and Doeboy together and backing both of them in big tournaments having them have a place to play and practice for free was huge and the payout was even bigger him and Doeboy never looked back. Winning countless tournaments having there picture in every billiards magizine both getting there pro card at just the age of 15 Chicago became the destination for every pool player in America,Canada,Spain and Mexico. Ralphie alway known to back players had himself 2 of the best its been said Doeboy's biggest winnings was 650K when he played another pro from Canada in one pocket they played for 37 hours straight and Billy played the other player that Doeboy's opponent came with Billy winning a little over 150K not bad for just a couple of street kids Chicago billiards has had the most legendary tournaments, side games and players in just about any other pool hall ever and ohh yea by the way Chris ''Chubaka'' who was 15 also growing up on the same block Doeboy did in Bridgeport ran the pool room and ran it like a well oiled machine earning everyone's respect and becoming best friends with Billy these 3 kids were inseparable. After Doeboy's name became known across the pool world and having to enter every tournament giving players to much of a spot he quickly turned his focus on side games and stopped playing tournaments but he did play in the U.S. 9 ball championship every year and the world nine ball championship where every player plays even no spot all being pro's tho his best feat was 4th in the world nine ball championship. around 1998 pool started to die down and all the money started going to poker Doeboy going from one green felt to another being no stranger to poker tho he played countless hours of cards in the back room of pool halls Doeboy,Billy and Chubaka would become regulars in the poker room of the casino's at just the age of 16 being under the legal age limit to enter a casino was no big deal for these kids they new everyone and everyone new them and they all new to look the other way. 'Doeboy has been really taking cards serious in the last 3 years as serious as he took billiards winning many tournaments at Foxwoods and Atlantic City i had the unfortunent exparents of playing on the right side of him in a 1,500 buyin no limit texas holdem Foxwoods classic tournament having him bust me out by the way his kings stood tall against my queens but after the tournament i got to talking with him and i'll tell you some of the story's he has told me and they were all confirmed by many people i told him he lived a life he could right a book on and man i'll tell you it will probably be the best seller. I expect him to absolutly turn the poker world upside down if he dicides to go main stream and start playing in televised tournaments but from what he's told me he's more of a cash game player saying why grind for 2 days to make what you can in 2 hours tournaments is more for the public. keeping a low profile as he did when he first walked in to Coolbreeze billiards believe me this is one person that knows every in and out of gambling he has the swagger,personality demeaner of becoming the next Phil Ivey and taking the poker tour by storm there have been sightings of Doeboy playing on fulltilt under the name ''doeboy132'' and also Ultimatebet using ''johnleonetti'' as his username and ohh by the way became a legend on Ultimatebet in just under 2 months way to go! if you would like to hear more of John ''doeboy'' Leonetti's life story expect a book in the near future I've heard he's made a book deal i can't waite!