Rack Mechanics

Neil said:
I agree Johnny, but I don't see any difference in that than guys giving you slug racks. A lot of them do it. Around here, if they give you a good rack a few times in a row, and you make something and run out, they flat out tell you that you aren't getting a good rack anymore! And they don't see a problem with that!
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I know that these things happen but the equipment being used has alot to do with it. I have had on numerous occasions balls that wouldn't freeze in the rack.... I have had to rack the balls high and low just to keep at least the top three touching... and most of the time the 2nd 2 balls aren't touching each other.... It is frustrating but i point it out to my opponent and we agree to rack it the same everytime....That helps on the complaining later...
 
Try This

For a hard to rack table try putting the one ball on the spot and letting it sit where it wants. Then put the rack over it, pull it tight and place the other balls into the rack. That seems to work on most tables.....
 
JAM said:
I did not know that this topic was mentioned in Buddy's book. I had never read the book, but thanks for letting me know about it. Now I want to read it! :smile:

I was not referring to Archer, however! :p
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It has to be the good'ole infamous FRANKIE "New York Frankie" Hernandez....LOL
I seen him bet 5 dimes w/ a dude one time. The game was, dude has 20 chances at a break shot, needs to pocket a ball on one of those 20 breaks. Well, dude was unsuccessful.............

ps
After hanging around Frankie for about 15 years I finally found the secret.....Oh! And dude was allowed to check the rack as much as he desired.
 
Please

frankwhite said:
It has to be the good'ole infamous FRANKIE "New York Frankie" Hernandez....LOL
I seen him bet 5 dimes w/ a dude one time. The game was, dude has 20 chances at a break shot, needs to pocket a ball on one of those 20 breaks. Well, dude was unsuccessful.............

ps
After hanging around Frankie for about 15 years I finally found the secret.....Oh! And dude was allowed to check the rack as much as he desired.
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If I can check the rack. I will break twenty times for 5k and bet I make at least one ball in twenty breaks. Frankie would never make this bet. You had to explain it wrong or I read it wrong.
 
JAM said:
I did not know that this topic was mentioned in Buddy's book. I had never read the book, but thanks for letting me know about it. Now I want to read it! :smile:

I was not referring to Archer, however! :p
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I figured you were referring to Earl just based on how vocal he can be on not just the rack, but ball placement in the rack.
 
JAM said:
I was watching a regional tour event one weekend, and the rack riggers were in full force. One participant made the 9-ball on the break five times in a row. I asked the tournament director about it, stating that it seemed like blatant rack-rigging, and his response to me was that if the opponent does not check the rack, then it is the opponent's fault that he got cheated.

At a Super Billiards Expo pro tournament, I was standing outside smoking a cigarette, when one of the competitors came out, very pissed off. He said his opponent was trying to rig the rack on him, and that he was rigging the rack right back on him. The referees didn't seem to be able to stop them from rigging, and it took longer to rack each game than it did to shoot the balls in the hole.

There is one well-known pro player who is highly regarded in professional circles still today who has the reputation for being the "best rack mechanic." He is also the most vocal when he is being racked against in all tournaments I have witnessed.

Bowlers don't rack their own pins in competition, and pool players should not rack their own racks either. Rack-rigging is nothing more than cheating, much like playing poker with a marked deck of cards, IMHO. :confused:

Maybe players should use magnifying glasses to check the racks. :thumbup:
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The most practical thing we could do to follow what they do in bowling would be to have the cloth tapped on each table so that the balls can settle into the dimples each time the balls are racked. IMO, the next best thing would be a neutral third party racker who has the ability to give a perfectly tight rack every time.

When neither of those are available, we're stuck with the lesser of two evils, rack-for-each-other or rack-your-own. If we do rack-for-each-other, doesn't that make pool the only sport where the opponent is allowed to set up your opening shot for you? There's just too much incentive to make things difficult for your "enemy" in rack-for-each-other.

On the other hand, there is too much incentive to make things easy for yourself in rack-your-own. That's why, IMO, the best solution (in the absence of neutral rackers and tapped racks) is rack-your-own, money ball spots up on the break, and play 10-ball. This keeps all the problems to a minimum, IMO.

No trick-shots to produce an instant win on the break. No trick shots to make a wing ball shoot straight into the nearest corner pocket. Even if the game is 9-ball I think these rules are the way to go, but 10-ball makes it even better, IMO. I would like to understand what the objections are, if any.
 
I must be an idiot. I know what it's like to hit a "slug" rack, one where nothing really moves but... I have no idea how to slug a rack or how to look for a slug rack... Please share, how does one rack a "slug" rack and what shoulf I be looking for to insure this isn't happening?
 
Neil said:
There are ways to slug a rack that you can't see, but I won't mention them, because I don't want any of that knowledge passed on. It should just die and wither away. (wish, wish)
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There is a sure-fire way to make that happen.........

...... make players break their own racks! :D
 
just about a said:
If I can check the rack. I will break twenty times for 5k and bet I make at least one ball in twenty breaks. Frankie would never make this bet. You had to explain it wrong or I read it wrong.
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Nothing explained wrong, i was there!! And I also am aware how he does it. Frankie would'nt make that bet, who are you? LOL LOL LOL
 
I do believe Hernandez is one of the most knowledgeable about nine ball racks- I think he helped Kid Delicious back in the day with rack "secrets".

I like Archers line about balls touching but not being frozen. How good is his eyesight anyway.

Earl used to tap the balls hard and spin them when he racked- supposedly this would change the angle of the wing ball. I think others try to slightly tilt (very slightly) or rack on the spot, but just a little higher/lower etc... where its still a legal and tight rack, but it slightly lowers the make percentage of the wing ball.

I prefer rack your own, with the opponent being able to check the rack.
 
JAM said:
I did not know that this topic was mentioned in Buddy's book. I had never read the book, but thanks for letting me know about it. Now I want to read it! :smile:

I was not referring to Archer, however! :p
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Morro:sorry: :eek: :o

Brian
 
Johnnyt said:
I'm really up to here of hearing about the problems with the racking at tournaments. I can understand why a lot of the pros become rack mechanics. They're doing it for a living. If someone is doing it against them they need to be able to do it back to even things out, so I don't blame them.

I can't see why there can't be a $4.00 per entry to pay rack boys. For the average 30 to 40 player tournament I would think two teens 14-16 year olds would be plenty. That would put an end to the racking problems and let a few teens make some pocket money. Johnnyt
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Good idea. Even in cheapo leagues you see it.
 
jamesroberts said:
until someone makes a deal with the rackboy and you start getting slugged... i think rack your own is the only fair way to go
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I agree 100 percent... even without making a deal, you think to teens who arnt playing in the tourney give a shit about the rack they give you.

Rack your own is waaaay better then this I think.
 
bud green said:
I do believe Hernandez is one of the most knowledgeable about nine ball racks- I think he helped Kid Delicious back in the day with rack "secrets".

I like Archers line about balls touching but not being frozen. How good is his eyesight anyway.

Earl used to tap the balls hard and spin them when he racked- supposedly this would change the angle of the wing ball. I think others try to slightly tilt (very slightly) or rack on the spot, but just a little higher/lower etc... where its still a legal and tight rack, but it slightly lowers the make percentage of the wing ball.

I prefer rack your own, with the opponent being able to check the rack.
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I agree BUD, rack your own "N" opponent checks.......The only fair way...
 
Cuebacca said:
There is a sure-fire way to make that happen.........

...... make players break their own racks! :D
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that is EXACTLY the problem...

third party racking is a very good Idea IMO

if you know enough about racking to make life miserable for your opponent.. then you know enough about racking to make life a dream for yourself..

someone not involved in the game and not receiving money from anyone in the game who has no vested interest in who wins...officials

Actual officials... not A ref... a squad of ref's.. how many depends on how big the tourney is.....handy refs would smooth many things over and solve most of the *****ing..

the problem is finding the "ref pool" where you can find enough for every tourney...

realistically it's not going to happen anywhere except the TV table... but that would be the IDEAL state of affairs..
 
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softshot said:
that is EXACTLY the problem...

third party racking is a very good Idea IMO

if you know enough about racking to make life miserable for your opponent.. then you know enough about racking to make life a dream for yourself..

someone not involved in the game and not receiving money from anyone in the game who has no vested interest in who wins...officials

Actual officials... not A ref... a squad of ref's.. how many depends on how big the tourney is.....handy refs would smooth many things over and solve most of the *****ing..

the problem is finding the "ref pool" where you can find enough for every tourney...

realistically it's not going to happen anywhere except the TV table... but that would be the IDEAL state of affairs..
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I would agree that high profile, televised, pool events are better off with a 3rd party specialist or specialists to rack for the players. The less the tournament budget is, of course, the less practical that becomes.

So when then? One of the two players has to rack. I maintain that rack-your-own is the lesser evil of the two choices. Once the issue of the money ball on the break is taken out of the equation, there isn't much someone can give themselves that would be better than a perfectly tight rack.
 
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