Yank Adams

Yank Adams
Adams posing with a billiards ball
Born
Frank B. Adams

(1847-12-14)December 14, 1847
Norwich, Connecticut
DiedDecember 29, 1929(1929-12-29) (aged 82)
New York, New York
Other namesYank Adams
The Digital Billiard Wonder

Frank B. Adams (December 19, 1847[1] – December 29, 1929[2]), commonly known as Yank Adams, was a professional carom billiards player who specialized in finger billiards, in which a player directly manipulates the balls with his or her hands, instead of using an implement such as a cue stick,[3] often by twisting the ball between one's thumb and middle finger.[4] Adams, who was sometimes billed as the "Digital Billiard Wonder",[5] has been called the "greatest of all digit billiards players",[6] and the "champion digital billiardist of the World."[7] George F. Slosson, a top billiards player of Adams' era, named him the "greatest exhibition player who ever lived."[6] Adams' exhibitions drew audiences of 1,000 or more, leaving standing room only, even in small venues.[8]

Adams' career began when he found his aptitude for bowling translated to the playing of billiards. One day when he was 25 years old, he picked up some billiard balls and began to "bowl" on the table and soon discovered he could manipulate the balls with great accuracy in this manner. Largely self-taught, Adams thereafter amassed a large repertoire of finger billiards shots. He engaged a manager and began to give performances, his first was at an engagement in New York City. Later, Adams traveled extensively, giving exhibitions and taking on challengers in cities across the United States and some in Europe. During his travels, Adams performed before the Vanderbilts, the Goulds, three U.S. Presidents, the Prince of Wales in London, and the Comte de Paris in Paris. One of the largest matches ever played of any form of billiards took place at Manhattan's Gilmore's Gardens in 1878. Adams played using his fingers against William Sexton, the reigning cue champion of the world, who used a cue; Adams won the three-day competition in the game of straight rail.

  1. ^ "Frank B. Adams" (PDF). The New York Clipper. Vol. 26. August 31, 1878. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  2. ^ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WGM-FQX  : 3 June 2020), Frank B. Adams, 1929.
  3. ^ Shamos, Michael Ian (1993). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards. New York, NY: Lyons & Burford. pp. 46, 94. ISBN 1-55821-219-1.
  4. ^ "The New Billiard-Player". The New York Times. September 21, 1875. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
  5. ^ "Finger Billiards: Yank Adams to Give an Exhibition at the Standard To-Night". The Saint Paul Daily Globe. April 26, 1888. p. 5. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference The Sun was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Yank Adams, of Chicago". Omaha Daily Bee. November 2, 1889. p. 2. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
  8. ^ "Fancy Shots". The Saint Paul Daily Globe. May 1, 1890. p. 5. Retrieved January 31, 2010.