The Rack in Detroit
- Thread starter FSutton
- Start date
i'm going to have to swing by there sometime.
I am glad someone else is saying this! Nobody believed me when I said this. FatBoy, the other night a guy turned down 10,000 Rabbits and would not play for small amount of Rabbits. After they had played for 17,000 Rabbits the night before. There are a lot of Rabbits floating around the worlds pool hall, Buffalo Billiards.
Last night, Rerun and Kid Carl played for 1000 Rabbits a game, one pocket Rerun, giving up 10/6. Nothing but action.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
Yes, Cletus was indeed a character and I could go into more detail about the match we played, but of course I have to leave something extra for the book.
Yes, you're right about your comments, and there were times when you may get 15% playing "J. Paul", Cletus, or Rosy and take off several hundred thousand. Sammy and James won $900,000 one night and Rosy ended up losing 15M over the course of a few years.
All this seems like fairy tales now, but I did see it, as you did and I still wonder if parts of the experience weren't a dream. I had my jewelry stolen out of my hotel there and some other negative experiences, but overall I came out pretty well and left Detroit with much more than I went there with. To beat those "sharps" was a major accomplishment, there was every top notch con, thief and hustler in the country there on a regular basis.
'The Rack was a great Teacher'
Hello Mr. CJ,
Look at this link!
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CCwQrQMwAA
Their is a guy in the link that looks like you.
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
Just a bump for the best thread on AZ
it's not the same without you and the LOCK SOCIETY input.
I believe you're right LNL.....we hope you start posting again, bud, it's not the same without you and the LOCK SOCIETY input.
Aloha,
CJ
I believe you're right LNL.....we hope you start posting again, bud, it's not the same without you and the LOCK SOCIETY input.
Aloha,
CJ
I have a better one than that!
He came to town with a backer, he beat my buddy out of 1100.00 playing 1 pocket and when they quit he said he liked to play Gin.
My buddy asked me if I wanted half his action at gin , I said yes .
He beat Cliff out of 800.00 and Cliff said he was broke.
All they did from when Cliff won his money to when Cliff stiffed us was drive to another pool room.
I saw Ken's other thread, and I thought this one deserved a bump for folks who have not seen it before. In my opinion this is the best thread on AZ.
Old Nine Baller
Banned
I asked a guy earlier this year (I think) about Tony Black. I played him years ago and it took a helluva player to beat him. I wasn't a helluva player back then:embarrassed2:.
He told me that Tony is still around and still on the needle. It's amazing he's still alive after all the years of doing that shit.
ONB
Just read the whole thing, greats stories!!
Here is a little story about what one of my friends did at the Rack in Detroit .
Not sure what year it was, around 30 years ago or so.
Pittsburgh Mike Kasaris and I believe Cotton was running around together and they ended up at the rack one day, well Cotton had to leave and go back home (I believe) they were pretty close to bust it, Cotton left 50 dollars with Mike and by the time Cotton had made it back to The Rack in a few days, Mike ran that 50 dollars up to over 5000 I believe, when Mike gave Cotton his half of the money, Cotton couldn't believe his eyes!
There is not many pool players out there today or yesterday that would of been completely honest if they were in that situation , Pittsburgh Mike was!
When Mike was here in Baltimore I would go out in my Car and go to sleep at times and I would leave Mike with a 1000 or more dollars just in case a game broke out!
Pittsburgh Mike Kasaris was as honest as a pool player could be!
When you here money don't mean much to a pool player, I know it is hard to believe, but I do know 2 pool players that don't care about the money, they care more about winning, Earl Strickland and Mike Kasaris, I am sure there is probably more out there in their Boat!
Not sure what year it was, around 30 years ago or so.
Pittsburgh Mike Kasaris and I believe Cotton was running around together and they ended up at the rack one day, well Cotton had to leave and go back home (I believe) they were pretty close to bust it, Cotton left 50 dollars with Mike and by the time Cotton had made it back to The Rack in a few days, Mike ran that 50 dollars up to over 5000 I believe, when Mike gave Cotton his half of the money, Cotton couldn't believe his eyes!
There is not many pool players out there today or yesterday that would of been completely honest if they were in that situation , Pittsburgh Mike was!
When Mike was here in Baltimore I would go out in my Car and go to sleep at times and I would leave Mike with a 1000 or more dollars just in case a game broke out!
Pittsburgh Mike Kasaris was as honest as a pool player could be!
When you here money don't mean much to a pool player, I know it is hard to believe, but I do know 2 pool players that don't care about the money, they care more about winning, Earl Strickland and Mike Kasaris, I am sure there is probably more out there in their Boat!
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I grew up and made my bones in the Detroit area... played MANY games with Cornbread... I was fortunate enough to be one of the "kids" he liked and would screw around with for $5 and $10 racks. One night, I was actually beating him.... up about 300.... It was then that reality set in, and I was reminded it was Red who was playing me... ummmmmm we all know how it ended. lol I can say that the old tales of him playing lookaway for $100 a ball.... are in fact TRUE! I've seen him play more than 10 matches that way. One night Harry Sexton ( 9-ball Harry, or Poochy) and I were playing in a room called Hit n Run near Flint... I told him I could get him a game with Red that night... we drove down to The Rack, got buzzed in, and then proceeded to watch Poochy n Red play for over 20 hours... The played 1-hole (Reds game), then 9-ball (Poochy's game). All told, Red was up on harry about 40k after 1 hole, then he proceeded to take another 5k in 9-ball. Was a fun night, Red cut me some, and Poochy was actually understanding and not upset in the least because he knew I was in with Red and I set the game up.
I remember that night! I was in there playing with Red earlier that day. Pooch walks in, walks straight up to me and asks me what I'm doing down there from Flint, and in a "back room" like this. lol I played Pooch too many times to count... never anything but $10 sets. We'd play for hours like this. Does anyone remember what Poochy's "quirk" in his shooting was? He did something that to this day... over 30 years later... cant do.
He broke the balls from off the rail better than anyone
He broke the balls from off the rail better than anyone I'd ever seen. He had a funny style, and really didn't look like a pool players, at least any stereotype. Nice guy though, he was always pleasant to talk with at the RACK....at least the times I was there.
He broke the balls from off the rail better than anyone I'd ever seen. He had a funny style, and really didn't look like a pool players, at least any stereotype. Nice guy though, he was always pleasant to talk with at the RACK....at least the times I was there.
He ALAYS lined up, practice stroked low left english, then when stroking his shot... Would hit where appropriate. His reasoning was that he charged for lessons, and didn't want anyone to get free lessons. Lol
This thread is awesome.
It makes me even more depressed though to walk into my local poolhall that has been open since the 60's, with their original Gold Crown tables, cue racks and tournament blue chairs and see it so empty and devoid of life.
The old pics on the walls tell a story of the glory days, but now it's just a dusty, dark place with a too-loud jukebox and no personality.
Thanks for sharing these stories!
It makes me even more depressed though to walk into my local poolhall that has been open since the 60's, with their original Gold Crown tables, cue racks and tournament blue chairs and see it so empty and devoid of life.
The old pics on the walls tell a story of the glory days, but now it's just a dusty, dark place with a too-loud jukebox and no personality.
Thanks for sharing these stories!
Rosie was from Medford Oregon originally, and he did not always have big money but he always had a ton of gamble. When he was in Medford he had fire fighting planes and then moved to cargo aircraft and soon after that he relocated to Detroit. Fred Owens who beat Rosie out of at least a million over the years told me he had a contract to fly all of GM part around. There are rumors that he was involved with Iran Contra but who knows. I played Rosie twice in Medford and his action was unbelievable. You could start out playing him for $100 dollars a game and end up betting $10,0000 a game all on his money. After he moved to Detroit he would come back to Medford 3 or 4 times a year and I never saw him play he did not lose $100,000. Now that I think about Rosie and the kind of action we had in Medford in those days makes me wonder why I am even wasting my time with this pool these days. As much as I liked pool it was the action and chance to make a big score that kept me involved and that is all ancient history now. Just writing this makes me sad.
Awesome stories...more please!!:thumbup:
What?!?!?! No more stories? I'm finding that hard to believe....
We are a little busy right now.....checking the rack....
....with a magnifying glass