I was reading a thread about The Rack (a pool hall) in Detroit this morning, and about all the high dollar action that use to occur there back in the day. A few members reminisced about one particular character that was a regular there, and about all the bazaar methods (bets) of making money he had when he was down and out. The stories seemed to be vague, but the parts they felt comfortable sharing were grimy enough to make you want to stop reading...
Anyway, reading that thread had me reminiscing myself of some of the stranger things I've seen over the years, and so I thought I'd share a few, much less "exciting" but equally as WTF (in my mind).
Both of these instances occurred at Breakers in Mobile, AL, at the same tournament.
If I remember correctly Scott had brought a fellow with him that wasn't intending to play in the tournament, but that was looking for some one pocket action instead. A match was made, a bet was set, and then ensued 8-10 hrs of one pocket. See, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't, the bet was $4000, in a race to 4 games ahead, playing even. By the end of it, I think both the guys just wanted to get off their feet and stop playing the game. The table time ended and came out to something over a $100.00, and I'm not sure there was even a winner. I think it was so back and forth that both parties may have just agreed to quit.
The following day (Sunday) as the tournament had wrapped...in comes a little then fella. Shaking and jerking, he grabs his cue and begins shooting the cue ball around the rails of one of the larger tables. He gets to talking to a group of nearby people and starts a story I'm sure I'll never forget...
This little guy standing here apparently use to be a player see...some of the bigger names seemed to have almost recognized him, when he could stop shaking and squirming... So as he's talking to this group, he tells him he's from Chicago or Detroit, one of the two...and how after all these years of being absent from playing, he's back at the game. Apparently, this little fella had quit the game because he had become a crackhead. So, on he goes about how much he's spent on smoking crack and that he'd been through all the major northern cities trying to buy more...Philly, Chicago, New York, Detroit, he'd been to them all... And, are you ready for it, he had finally given up crack (not because it was bad for him) but because he couldn't find any more "quality sh*t" anymore.
So, here this fella is, having the shakes, an admitted crackhead, and shaking so strong you just know he can't shoot... So, he goes on...He tells the group, standing around listening, that he's looking for action. Says he's got $2000 and wants to play nine ball, even or he'll give up some weight... A bit of time goes on, he works the room, and me and my group are getting ready to leave, and look here who I see on my way out. It's this fella. So I ask him, "did you find that game you were looking for..." and I shit you not this was his response, "Yea, I'm playing (XYZ person) but we gotta wait till tomorrow. Me and my buddy got to find a bank to make change in the morning (Monday) all we've got is 5 gallon buckets full of quarters..."
So, what's your story? What's the strangest action you've seen?
Anyway, reading that thread had me reminiscing myself of some of the stranger things I've seen over the years, and so I thought I'd share a few, much less "exciting" but equally as WTF (in my mind).
Both of these instances occurred at Breakers in Mobile, AL, at the same tournament.
If I remember correctly Scott had brought a fellow with him that wasn't intending to play in the tournament, but that was looking for some one pocket action instead. A match was made, a bet was set, and then ensued 8-10 hrs of one pocket. See, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't, the bet was $4000, in a race to 4 games ahead, playing even. By the end of it, I think both the guys just wanted to get off their feet and stop playing the game. The table time ended and came out to something over a $100.00, and I'm not sure there was even a winner. I think it was so back and forth that both parties may have just agreed to quit.
The following day (Sunday) as the tournament had wrapped...in comes a little then fella. Shaking and jerking, he grabs his cue and begins shooting the cue ball around the rails of one of the larger tables. He gets to talking to a group of nearby people and starts a story I'm sure I'll never forget...
This little guy standing here apparently use to be a player see...some of the bigger names seemed to have almost recognized him, when he could stop shaking and squirming... So as he's talking to this group, he tells him he's from Chicago or Detroit, one of the two...and how after all these years of being absent from playing, he's back at the game. Apparently, this little fella had quit the game because he had become a crackhead. So, on he goes about how much he's spent on smoking crack and that he'd been through all the major northern cities trying to buy more...Philly, Chicago, New York, Detroit, he'd been to them all... And, are you ready for it, he had finally given up crack (not because it was bad for him) but because he couldn't find any more "quality sh*t" anymore.
So, here this fella is, having the shakes, an admitted crackhead, and shaking so strong you just know he can't shoot... So, he goes on...He tells the group, standing around listening, that he's looking for action. Says he's got $2000 and wants to play nine ball, even or he'll give up some weight... A bit of time goes on, he works the room, and me and my group are getting ready to leave, and look here who I see on my way out. It's this fella. So I ask him, "did you find that game you were looking for..." and I shit you not this was his response, "Yea, I'm playing (XYZ person) but we gotta wait till tomorrow. Me and my buddy got to find a bank to make change in the morning (Monday) all we've got is 5 gallon buckets full of quarters..."
So, what's your story? What's the strangest action you've seen?
. Playing against someone using one hand, leave them away from the rail and long, for instance.
Read my mind. Could have been any of the 90's crew of thieves. Hard to find one without a yoyo. Most of them sold the things. Best one I saw was laminated to a piece of plastic the same width of a bill.