Living in the past ain't so bad!!!
- Thread starter SJDinPHX
- Start date
Billy, I can remember you playing at the rack, we used to go there when someone we knew would vouch for us. I remember you playing real high with cornbred or someone else, can't remember who, but the bell bottoms and silk shirts were in style. Also remember you playing down at Peck's coney island when you were in town. It funny how memories come and go.
wincardona said:
Glad you brought this up Billy. I wouldn't even mention The Rack in the same sentence with any other poolroom. NOTHING was close! Not then and not now! This small little place generated more action in one day then most poolrooms do in their entire existence. In the 70's a $1,000 game of 9-Ball was only average. I said a game too, not a set.
Think about $10,000 a game 9-Ball on a bar table. Mind boggling right. Well it happened there on a regular basis. My first time there I wanted to side bet $100 a game on Jimmy Reid. The guy next to me laughs and said the smallest side bet you can make on this match is $500 a game. GULP! I just got a lump in my throat. I was on the road in a late model Eldorado and had $5,000 on me. I felt like I was holding pretty good. But in The Rack, I was considered a near broke!
The Rack stands alone in a category by itself. They could make a movie about that place. I remember the black rack boy (Winston?) who became a millionaire in one year. Richie won $240,000 one day and was broke a week later. Only a couple of stories coming out of The Rack. And Billy knows a million more I'm sure.
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SJDinPHX said:
Dick, I arrived in 1967. I had missed the glory years of The Wonder Bowl and the Krooked Kue on Crenshaw. I only heard stories about these places.
I ventured into Tropicana in late '67 and met up with Kenny Anderson. After he drubbed me I didn't want to go back. I did return to see Jimmy Moore fleece Cy Young winner Dean Chance and his running mate Bo Belinsky. Jimmy was giving up the 3,5,7,9 and the break! That's all!
SJDinPHX said:
SJD, what city did you live in Texas and what was the time frame, if you don't mind telling?
Speaking of high action spots, Flyboy and a few others created some high action at Greenway Billiards in Baton Rouge in the early 90's, I believe. Fly used to have part of the Sports Palace in N.O. (Old Jefferson HWY?) too.
Punter, I am horrible at dates.I know I first moved to Dallas around '62punter said:
or '63. Was there a few years, moved back to S.J. then back to Houston
from about '65 to '70. While I lived in Houston I still spent a lot of time
in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Shreveport. Moved to Phx in '71 and have been here ever since (except for road trips) Probably more info than you asked for, huh! Flyboy and I ran together a few times.One of my favorite people.
Dick
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Guy's N Doll's
Hey guy's what about the pool room in Shreveport, La where Buddy Hall use to live,...the Guy's N Doll's...some of the ones I remember being around their were Danny Jones, Charlie Owens, Scotty Townsend, Charlie Parr, John Mc Carty, Little Wayne, and Topsy just to mention a few.
.....also Eddie Taylor showing off some of his banking abilities, this was back in the 80's and early 90's, me and my brother Country Calvin would frequent that pool room, lots of action!
.....I think it has been closed for some time now tho...
David Harcrow
Hey guy's what about the pool room in Shreveport, La where Buddy Hall use to live,...the Guy's N Doll's...some of the ones I remember being around their were Danny Jones, Charlie Owens, Scotty Townsend, Charlie Parr, John Mc Carty, Little Wayne, and Topsy just to mention a few.
.....also Eddie Taylor showing off some of his banking abilities, this was back in the 80's and early 90's, me and my brother Country Calvin would frequent that pool room, lots of action!
.....I think it has been closed for some time now tho...
David Harcrow
catpool9 said:
Was that the one downstairs?
Thats correct Jay. The owner Red Box used to back Buddy when he was injay helfert said:
knee highs. Worked every prop game on them I could until Buddy just got
too good (and smart) He talks about us a little in his book. Great joint.
Right downtown.
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SJDinPHX said:
SJD,
I got the impression from my Dad that the Golden Cue was somewhere on a road called Camelback and was different than the Golden 8 Ball. He said the owner of the Golden Cue was a guy named Jack and that Jack sold the poolroom to a guy that worked for him. The guy that bought it from Jack moved the room further down the same road and he thought it was still open.
Thanks for the response.
Your Dad is correct, my goof, The old Golden Cue was at 19th ave andKCarson1 said:
Camelback. Jack Levine sold it to Jimmy Farkis who worked for him.
Jimmy lost his lease at that location and moved it to 35th and Camelback
in the early 80's Good action there for about 15 years.Jimmy sold it to
a guy who promptly went under. It's been closed for a few years now.
Felt I owed you an explanation. The Golden 8 Ball was on Indian School
Rd about a mile away. "I thought I made a mistake once...but I was wrong"
Mark Twain.
Dick
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One of the great rooms, John. I didn't get there until the late 60's. By then Hyd Jack and some of the crew (Fitz, Louie St. Pierre, Harry the Hook) had moved out to Chopsticks Billiards on Victory Blvd. in N. Hollywood. Arn Satin and "Tiny" were running Hollywood Billiards. It still had the entrance on Western past the barber shop. By the 70's the entrance had shifted to Hyd Blvd. The room had expanded to two halves. The west room was predominantly billiards, while the east half was pool. I was mostly into 3C in the late 60's. I attended a few 3C tournies at Hyd, and tallied inning scores for the great Allen Gilbert (Gold). I suppose the room didn't last long after Arnie died. That must have been in the '80s.jrhendy said:
Doc
gulfportdoc said:
Jeff Bey took it over after Arnie died and it remained there until the earthquake of 1994. After that the building was condemned and it took Jeff a few years to move over to its new location on Hollywood Blvd.
Costa Mesa
I remember the place pretty well, homemade pizza, gold crowns, about 20 tables, pitcher beer/no hard liquor, and one or two 'islands' in the middle of the room for seating.
Jay, what was the name of the 'all night' place out east of LA that McCready used to play at? The owner I remember has allot of pics of himself on the wall, he was either in the Olympics or great at some sport. I used to roll in there about 1 am in my van..get some sleep..wake up a few hours later for the all night games. King Kong played there allot and the Big Ball was on the 7 footers. Bernardo taught me how to draw my ball with 3 or 9 o'clock Engles. Those were the original Hard Times Costa Mesa days eh?
jay helfert said:
I remember the place pretty well, homemade pizza, gold crowns, about 20 tables, pitcher beer/no hard liquor, and one or two 'islands' in the middle of the room for seating.
Jay, what was the name of the 'all night' place out east of LA that McCready used to play at? The owner I remember has allot of pics of himself on the wall, he was either in the Olympics or great at some sport. I used to roll in there about 1 am in my van..get some sleep..wake up a few hours later for the all night games. King Kong played there allot and the Big Ball was on the 7 footers. Bernardo taught me how to draw my ball with 3 or 9 o'clock Engles. Those were the original Hard Times Costa Mesa days eh?
When I was young, it was special when we could make it to Pocket's in Shreveport. Action all night long and got to see some great shooters. Before my time I heard it was really happening when the name of it was Guy's and Doll's. I even heard it was Buddy Hall's main hangout for a while.