Just from a player's point of view, somebody looking to give 20 percent, they must be betting some serious, serious money, maybe $100,000. Anybody that wants to give up 20 percent, it's sort of an insult, especially playing for $500 or $1,000.
Second of all, I've had people back me from out of the stands, never seen them before in my life, just wanting to see a good game. "What would it take for you to play the game?" That's what they would ask me, and then they would ask me, "Well, what kind of cut do you want?" They would never, ever say anything about 20 percent. That's a joke. I mean, that's taking complete advantage of a pool player.
It just reminds me of a couple times they tried to run that by me, and the only time that I ever thought about it is if I was betting 50,000 or more. The going rate on, say, 10,000 to 50,000 to 100,000 would be a third. 25 percent at the lowest. I only say that because there might be a corporation of backers. If there's a corporation of backers and they're all putting up $12,500 to make $50,000, say you got four, then you can work out some arrangement.
You'd really have to be desperate to do it for 5,000 and everybody putting up $1,250 apiece to make 5,000, then your end out of that would be $1,250, I mean, I guess if you're just totally broke and don't have any way to get no money, you might allow it one time. But believe me, you would not let it happen again.
I used to play all the time. I would be betting so much in the center, and there would be four times as much money bet on the rail, and I got real tired of that. I mean real tired, so I stopped that. Everybody winning way more money than me. And then when it came time to get a little bone, they all hit the door.
A lot of backers treat pool players like a business. Too much like a business. A lot of times, you sort of eliminate those type of guys. You sort of want the backers that treat you good, and whether you win or lose, they're still your friend. The 20-percent backers can never get in with you when you're stealing, and on the other hand, when the good backers are there, they can get in on something like that, because they treat you good, loan you money if you're broke, not worried about it, don't hound you for it every day like a 20-percent backer would.
In my lifetime, I've lost some and I've won some, but I will tell you what, my backers are all winners with me. They might have lost a couple times here or there, but all the backers that stayed with me through the years, they're all winner. Every one of them.
Just for your information, 20 percent to a player is use and abuse.
Earthquake out.
[Transcribed verbatim by JAM.]