Best Action City of All Time

jnav447

jnav447

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was flipping through the book "Hustler Days" again and reading about how Norfolk was THE action city in the late 40's. It was estimated that Luther Lassiter won about $300.000 in a 6-year period in the 40's. I checked the inflation rate tables and that equates to about $2,100,000 in today's money. Detroit has been famous for years for the high action there. Chicago belongs in the mix, Louisville during the Derby City Classic, Houston, Johnston City, NYC. I gotta go with Norfolk because ALL the top pool players hung out there for years and matched up with each other constantly, and you had people like Titanic Thompson and Nick the Greek throwing their huge bankrolls into the mix. What's your pick for the best action city of all time (and maybe the current best action city)?
 
I'd say the Detroit/ Toledo areas are currently the hottest....
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My Grandfather, Don Willis played in all the action towns, but he was not interested in being the top dawg just the "well fed" dog. He told me that it was past his heyday but Detroit was unreal with the action. He took a trip there when he was past his prime and seen a thousand a game or better on three tables at once at the rack. He won 40k shooting wing shots in one day at the rack.
 
Are you saying you're the grandkid of THE Don Willis aka the Cincinnatti Kid, Huckster?

I've heard New Orleans used to bet it up pretty good. Freddie B. and Billy Incardona talk about Detroit on the Varner vs Mathews exhibition tape in Detroit. $5K a game one pocket on more than one table at a time.
 
I have not been to too many other places, but I dont know how it could get any better than at the DCC. the action goes all day and all night, I lose alot of sleep those 9 days every year and it is worth every bit of it.
 
Best action city?

Look, when it came to big action, The Rack dwarfed all others. Rosie lost close to a hundred million dollars. There were about thirty other millionaires, from all walks of life, who frequented the place.
Amazing to me is the fact that nobody ever got robbed despite huge wins.
Hell, the rack boys made ten thousand a week during the Rack's heyday. I could go on and on but to what avail. You had to be there to believe it.
 
bud green said:
Are you saying you're the grandkid of THE Don Willis aka the Cincinnatti Kid, Huckster?

I've heard New Orleans used to bet it up pretty good. Freddie B. and Billy Incardona talk about Detroit on the Varner vs Mathews exhibition tape in Detroit. $5K a game one pocket on more than one table at a time.
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I did not know him as the Cincinnatti kid, I knew him as grandpa Don.
 
Now Grady - Think about it.............

Grady said:
Look, when it came to big action, The Rack dwarfed all others. Rosie lost close to a hundred million dollars. There were about thirty other millionaires, from all walks of life, who frequented the place.
Amazing to me is the fact that nobody ever got robbed despite huge wins.
Hell, the rack boys made ten thousand a week during the Rack's heyday. I could go on and on but to what avail. You had to be there to believe it.
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I know exactly what you’re saying (and agree) as far as action - BUT - You & I both know why nobody got robbed.
1st - The FBI was usually parked across the street in that light blue van (in the Stanly Steemer parking lot).
2nd - Getting the cash and living long enough to spend it would have been two different things.
Also "The Rack" was very seasonal. The season started each year once Paul made his first appearance.

You are definitely correct though about having to be there to believe it.

(LOL) - TY & GL, OHB
 
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I, of course, wouldn't have the faintest idea of the best action city based on personal experience; but it is obvious that NO ONE COULD DISAGREE with Grady and OHB about Detroit. For those who have not read it, pick up Cornbread Red's biography; he was an integral part of that Detroit scene - you will never read about bigger action than that.
 
huckster said:
My Grandfather, Don Willis played in all the action towns, but he was not interested in being the top dawg just the "well fed" dog. He told me that it was past his heyday but Detroit was unreal with the action. He took a trip there when he was past his prime and seen a thousand a game or better on three tables at once at the rack. He won 40k shooting wing shots in one day at the rack.
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I played your grandfather (didn't know who he was) in the mid 60's in downtown LA. He was with Dean Chance and Dean told me they were there for the World Series (LA Dodgers) and Don was a rich old farmer that could afford to lose a few bucks if I wanted to play. I told them I was a college student (true) and I was hanging around the pool room studying the diamond system in three cushion billiards (not true). I thought I was hustling them. We played $10 a game & I lost around $100, but he never ran out much and didn't look flashy at all. I followed them over to Hollywood Billiards where some top players hung out & nobody wanted any. After they left I asked why nobody would play him and they told me " He's the best player the other side of the Mississipi and the only reason he is not the best here is he never comes out here". I never heard of him coming out here again. John Henderson
 
Cincinnati Kid Who?

huckster said:
I did not know him as the Cincinnatti kid, I knew him as grandpa Don.
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I only know of two players who could rightfully call themselves, "The Cincinnati Kid" and that would be the late great Joey Spaeth, father of Gary Spaeth and son of the best Hustler ever to come out of Cincinnati (Northside Eddie Spaeth)

I believe the other player who earned his right to the name, Cincinnati Kid, would be Donnie Andersen.

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
 
The Rack

Grady said:
I could go on and on but to what avail. You had to be there to believe it.
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Hi Grady...

I was there and you are right on! Nothing equaled the Rack in its heyday. But I would like to ask you this...

If it weren't for Cornbread Red Burger and NineBall Harry "Poochy" Sexton do you think there would have been so much action?

Best Regards, and I don't care what they say about how the bank ring game enede, in my opinion you did a great job at the DCC this year and I hope you run it next year. Moreover, I hope I am in the finals!

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
 
CrossSideLarry said:
I only know of two players who could rightfully call themselves, "The Cincinnati Kid" and that would be the late great Joey Spaeth, father of Gary Spaeth and son of the best Hustler ever to come out of Cincinnati (Northside Eddie Spaeth)

I believe the other player who earned his right to the name, Cincinnati Kid, would be Donnie Andersen.

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
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Larry...I don't know how old you are, and mean no disrepect, but Don Willis was the ORIGINAL "Cincinnati Kid". Although he was actually from Canton, all the old time hustlers put that name on him. He was known by that name for more than 25 yrs...and neither Joey Spaeth, nor Donnie Anderson could touch his skill on the pool table, let alone all the other things he gambled at. Willis was one of the greatest gamblers in the country, and had a standing offer to play anyone for $25K, even back in the 50's. To my knowledge, nobody ever took him up on it.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
What about North Shore Billiard Club?

I have to agree with Scott Lee. Don Willis and Eddie Taylor were the only two humans Luther Lassiter was afraid of. Willis wasn't just "good," he was rated as the best Nineball player in the world for many a year.

Now as far as action rooms go, we couldnt compete with The Rack in Detroit in it's heyday, but when the Rack was a dead issue, my joint, North Shore Billiards was the next best thing as far as action. We routinely had from five to ten world champs up there on a daily basis, and everybody bet big. The roster read like a whos who of top players and gamblers. We stayed open 24hrs a day and we had cards too. When Earl the Pearl was a broke kid, he slept on the floor upstairs. He left there to go on to greatness.

the Beard
Bet on, brother!
 
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North Shore Billiard Club logo

freddy the beard said:
I have to agree with Scott Lee. Don Willis and Eddie Taylor were the only two humans Luther Lassiter was afraid of. Willis wasn't just "good," he was rated as the best Nineball player in the world for many a year.

Now as far as action rooms go, we couldnt compete with The Rack in Detroit in it's heyday, but when the Rack was a dead issue, my joint, North Shore Billiards was the next best thing as far as action. We routinely had from five to ten world champs up there on a daily basis, and everybody bet big. The roster read like a whos who of top players and gamblers. We stayed open 24hrs a day and we had cards too. When Earl the Pearl was a broke kid, he slept on the floor upstairs. He left there to go on to greatness.

the Beard
Bet on, brother!
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I am including a jpeg. of the North Shore logo. This is what I put on my T-shirts
 

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Cincinnati Kid

No disrespect taken!

Born and raised in Cincinnati and approaching 70.

Lets just post a thread and see how many vote for who rightfully should have the distinction of being called "The Cincinnati Kid" ?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
 
RoadAgent said:
Toledo ????? went though there and could not get a game.. that place sux
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Maybe your hustle wasn't right...LOLz
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CrossSideLarry said:
No disrespect taken!

Born and raised in Cincinnati and approaching 70.

Lets just post a thread and see how many vote for who rightfully should have the distinction of being called "The Cincinnati Kid" ?

Cross Side Larry

"Learn from the best, and beat the rest"
Click to expand...

Maybe you should be the one to start that post...;)
 
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