Wang Can

SCCues

SCCues

< Searing Twins
Silver Member
I'm wondering how many members have seen Wang Can play? He's a young Chinese player and I just can't believe how good he is at such a young age. I missed seeing him play at last years US Open, but I got a copy of an Accu-stats match of Wang playing a Japanese Champion on the TV table at the Open last year. I was away from the tournament (running errands) when they played on the TV table and when I got back I heard a lot of people talking about how good he played. I'd heard about him when he played at the Tunica tournament last year, but i'd never seen him play. Well I got a first hand look at him thanks to Accu-stats and this fellow is one strong player who will be around for a long time. Danny D couldn't say enough about how good he thought this young man is.
 
SCCues said:
I'm wondering how many members have seen Wang Can play? He's a young Chinese player and I just can't believe how good he is at such a young age. I missed seeing him play at last years US Open, but I got a copy of an Accu-stats match of Wang playing a Japanese Champion on the TV table at the Open last year. I was away from the tournament (running errands) when they played on the TV table and when I got back I heard a lot of people talking about how good he played. I'd heard about him when he played at the Tunica tournament last year, but i'd never seen him play. Well I got a first hand look at him thanks to Accu-stats and this fellow is one strong player who will be around for a long time. Danny D couldn't say enough about how good he thought this young man is.
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Here is his match against Darren Appleton in the 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championship. I also had never heard of Wang Can prior to seeing this match and was simply blown away by this guy. Not that he plays that much better than other top pros, but that he is able to hang with the top guys at age 19. I can't understand how it's even possible to get that good that young.

I won't tell you who won this match. Other Wang Can matches from this tournament are also out on YouTube.
 
brechbt said:
Here is his match against Darren Appleton in the 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championship. I also had never heard of Wang Can prior to seeing this match and was simply blown away by this guy. Not that he plays that much better than other top pros, but that he is able to hang with the top guys at age 19. I can't understand how it's even possible to get that good that young.

I won't tell you who won this match. Other Wang Can matches from this tournament are also out on YouTube.
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I watched him play @ SandCastle in a 8 ball tournament , I agree and can't believe someone can be that good and have all that pool knowlege so young But do think some are just a natural
 
Best Young Players

There should be some kind of match between Ko-Pin Yi vs. Wang Can/Landon Shuffet, 3 of the youngest top tier professional pool players as of today.
 
SCCues said:
I'm wondering how many members have seen Wang Can play? He's a young Chinese player and I just can't believe how good he is at such a young age. I missed seeing him play at last years US Open, but I got a copy of an Accu-stats match of Wang playing a Japanese Champion on the TV table at the Open last year. I was away from the tournament (running errands) when they played on the TV table and when I got back I heard a lot of people talking about how good he played. I'd heard about him when he played at the Tunica tournament last year, but i'd never seen him play. Well I got a first hand look at him thanks to Accu-stats and this fellow is one strong player who will be around for a long time. Danny D couldn't say enough about how good he thought this young man is.
Click to expand...

I don't find it *that* surprising someone as young as Wang Can plays so well. We've seen it before, especially from Asia.

Obviously the United States is a huge country with varying economies that can or can't support poolrooms but here in NYC, the average youth would have a tough time achieving pro-level at 19. Manhattan rooms are very cognizant of their alcohol licenses and will discourage under-age patrons. Rooms outside of Manhattan are often ideal for younger players but may not have the mentors (some do). Perhaps in Asia, they have that perfect mix.
 
brechbt said:
Here is his match against Darren Appleton in the 2013 Ultimate 10-Ball Championship. I also had never heard of Wang Can prior to seeing this match and was simply blown away by this guy. Not that he plays that much better than other top pros, but that he is able to hang with the top guys at age 19. I can't understand how it's even possible to get that good that young.

I won't tell you who won this match. Other Wang Can matches from this tournament are also out on YouTube.
Click to expand...

And the scary part is that he isn't even the best guy in China.

As for being good at that age well he is a bit old..................when you consider that guys like Wu Chia Ching won the World 9 Ball at 16. And the World 8 Ball later the same year. :-)

Liu Sha Sha won the World 9 Ball at 17.

Ko Pin Yi was that good at 17. His little brother is that good as well.

Wang is only the tip of the iceberg.
 
brechbt said:
Not that he plays that much better than other top pros, but that he is able to hang with the top guys at age 19. I can't understand how it's even possible to get that good that young.
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Meh. Wu Chia Ching won the World 9-ball Championships at 16 years old.

By the time they were 19 a lot of Taiwanese players like Chang, Ko, Wu, ect... were absolute beasts.

Wang Can is good for his age but he is not unique and TBH I think a 16 year old Wu was better then 19 year old Can.
 
I don't know what you guys are talking regarding age. Id bet high 90% of every "pro" in the US was maybe the 8 ball under their current speed when they were 19.
 
gerard soriano said:
I watched him play @ SandCastle in a 8 ball tournament , I agree and can't believe someone can be that good and have all that pool knowlege so young But do think some are just a natural
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Well, the report is that in Shanghai he wasn't always that good but he buckled down and spent a good amount of time practicing and matching up day and night.

As a pro just told me.........."we were all average players once".

It's funny how an announcer can set the tone for people's comments later. Danny Diliberto gushes over how good Wang plays at 19 and people think it's an amazing and rare thing. But in fact history is rife with players who were great at that age, Johnny Archer, Keith McCready, Landon Shuffett, Wu Chia Ching, etc... it's still amazing but not unprecedented.

What I like is the fact that he has the initiative to come here and play. Instead of just staying in Asia he has done what a lot of great players who wanted to become better have done and that's come to America and play all games under all conditions and get seasoned. I find it admirable that he has done and hopefully will continue to do it. It's honestly the same thing that our top players SHOULD be doing in Asia. They should be going there and using their skills to learn the equipment and mastering it.

Only a few players have consistently tried and their results show great improvement after spending time in Asia. I think if one is going to be a world class pro these days then they need to play around the world.
 
Well I thought I'd chime in...

Since I've actually played him, I thought I'd chime in...

He plays great and has the potential to do really well. Difficult to say if he'll be anything particularly special, but he's an excellent player.

He beat me in the Johnny Archer classic second chance ( which I believe was his first tourney foray into the states) to move into the hot seat match(beat me handily but got lots of rolls too) Then in the next round I lost to Donny Mills. Neither one of those losses are anything to be ashamed of for any player, but I do wish I would've played closer to my game against Donny.

Jaden
 
its not really his level of play that stands out to me (dont get me wrong he's a hell of a player by anyones standards)...its how cool and composed he is at the age of 19 ...his game is "mature" for a 19 year old.
 
Unequivacably...

Rackemep said:
its not really his level of play that stands out to me (dont get me wrong he's a hell of a player by anyones standards)...its how cool and composed he is at the age of 19 ...his game is "mature" for a 19 year old.
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This is absolutely true. I will agree with you 100%. I have played many young players who were excellent players. Curtis Johnson, Brendan Crockett, Chuckie Holyoke, etc...The difference between Wang Can and these other young players is palpable. It's almost like many young players play with a false confidence because they are too young to know any better.

I'm not saying that they're confidence isn't deserved, just that you can tell that it comes more from naivete than pure skill. Almost like it's bordering on overconfidence whether it's meant to or not.

That is not the case with Wang, he plays very mature as you put it.

Jaden
 
I saw him at the Hardtimes last year. He is good but Biado won the tourney. He didn't win an event at the Rio BCAPL.

Wang Can is dull to watch whereas Carlo Biado is exciting.
 
To put things into perspective...prodigies aren't just from Asia.
Willie Hoppe won a world championship at Carombole at the age of 18.
He beat the Lion of France at a game that requires more knowledge than 9-ball.
 
Rackemep said:
its not really his level of play that stands out to me (dont get me wrong he's a hell of a player by anyones standards)...its how cool and composed he is at the age of 19 ...his game is "mature" for a 19 year old.
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His 'guide' probably told him the next 3 generations of his family woul live in poverty if he embarrassed the mother land.
 
Jaden said:
This is absolutely true. I will agree with you 100%. I have played many young players who were excellent players. Curtis Johnson, Brendan Crockett, Chuckie Holyoke, etc...The difference between Wang Can and these other young players is palpable. It's almost like many young players play with a false confidence because they are too young to know any better.

I'm not saying that they're confidence isn't deserved, just that you can tell that it comes more from naivete than pure skill. Almost like it's bordering on overconfidence whether it's meant to or not.

That is not the case with Wang, he plays very mature as you put it.

Jaden
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But much of that is culturally rooted.

The USA embraces the rogue, while Asian cultures ar far miry historically aware, understandable, given the fact that they have doors that are far older than our country, but still true, I believe.
 
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