Be on the lookout for the next video I post on You Tube featuring Mark Tadd playing Jose Parica bank pool.
How good were Cole Dickson and Mark Tadd?
- Thread starter Magyar19
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Mark & Keith story
I recall, when I was a Hard Times (Bellflower) Houseman, holding $4k for a seven ahead 9-Ball match between Keith & Mark on table 1.
The set was over in 45 minutes- with Mark the winner. This was 1990 I believe.
Most thought this was a close match. I knew better as I'd played them both; beating Keith with the 5-Ball, and losing to Mark with the 5 & 7. Lol!
I recall, when I was a Hard Times (Bellflower) Houseman, holding $4k for a seven ahead 9-Ball match between Keith & Mark on table 1.
The set was over in 45 minutes- with Mark the winner. This was 1990 I believe.
Most thought this was a close match. I knew better as I'd played them both; beating Keith with the 5-Ball, and losing to Mark with the 5 & 7. Lol!
nitty bitty
Registered
Thanks for posting that.
This is the Tadd I remember. It was a different era but reminds me he deserves to be talked about with the all time greats.
Tremendous talent and work ethic.
Meanwhile, Mark wouldn't have had a chance to defeat Keith when Keith was in his prime.
I beat Nick Varner in the '80s in Rockville, MD. Most people there thought it was close, but I knew the difference. Yep, that's the JAM and Nick story.
I can't wait for the stories to come out about Shane when Shane gets beat by so-and-so. People will forget how great Shane was and only remember the time he got beat.
Bunch of knockers on this forum.
The times that I saw Tadd he made everything seem easy. One year at the Bicycle Club he played with a cue that was wrapped in duct tape.
During those years Keith's play was sometimes erratic due to some bad habits. However, when he found his gear he would destroy anyone and if you were lucky enough to be there you would have the time of your life.
John Schmidt was learning 1 Hole from Jack Cooney. They played most afternoons. One Monday John came in to play and he laughingly told Jack that he had played Keith that Friday night and that Keith had broken almost every rule Jack had taught him while kicking his butt.
During those years Keith's play was sometimes erratic due to some bad habits. However, when he found his gear he would destroy anyone and if you were lucky enough to be there you would have the time of your life.
John Schmidt was learning 1 Hole from Jack Cooney. They played most afternoons. One Monday John came in to play and he laughingly told Jack that he had played Keith that Friday night and that Keith had broken almost every rule Jack had taught him while kicking his butt.
Mark
Mark was around my parts over winter. Not sure if he still is. Central Wisco. Saw him playing in a bar box tournament. He also matched up with a few players around here on the bar box.
Mark was around my parts over winter. Not sure if he still is. Central Wisco. Saw him playing in a bar box tournament. He also matched up with a few players around here on the bar box.
Mark's game has really fallen off a lot. He plays a Wyoming tournament every now and again and never really threatens the top spots. Granted, these are tourneys where the field might contain SVB, Corey, or Rodney Morris, but these are the ONLY top players that tend to play in these events, out of a favor to the promoter.
Mark seems to have lost his stroke, and doesn't know how to get it back... He was asking a few years back on here if someone had video of him playing in his heyday, with the intention of him trying to analyze what he is doing wrong now..
ShortBus Russ
I've match played, and gambled with both in the late 70's. Kieth was a tougher game. I've gone hill/hill twice with Tad/lost, but Kieth in the long haul was waaaaaaay more dangerous.
Tadd-Davenport 1992 Cardone-Helfert commentary. 3parts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi2gWf-BWzc
In Early 90's I was living in Calgary Alberta and used to go to Missoula Montana for tournaments. The first time I saw Mark play was there. He practiced for 8 hrs Friday night alone. Then he played poker all night, and made it through Saturday to Sunday. On Sunday he played my travelling partner Chris Wood from Toronto. Chris is only player to hold Canadian Snooker and Canadian 9 Ball titles in same year. Any way Mark put a 6pk on him to beat him and went on to win tournament easily.
Then Henry Nojack from Vegas brought him to Edmonton Alberta where there was 3 tournaments in a week, Paying 3k each and he won all 3.
He was so fast he was often waiting for cue ball to stop. His stroke was so long it often slid out of his bridge on delivery.
A one pocket player from Vegas named Toby, who was about 4ft 10 but best one pocket player there at the time told me Mark had won 50k there in a week during a pro event. He first went through Tony Ellin giving up the 7, Ronnie Allen JR and a few others. Toby said he offered any one the 7. At the end of the week he got in a private poker game at Ceasars Palace, and lost it all in one night.
He then went to LA where picked up another 40 K in a week at the Bicycle Club where he won that all around. Id say he was one of best ever.
Never saw Cole play but heard he got so good that no one would play him.
Then Henry Nojack from Vegas brought him to Edmonton Alberta where there was 3 tournaments in a week, Paying 3k each and he won all 3.
He was so fast he was often waiting for cue ball to stop. His stroke was so long it often slid out of his bridge on delivery.
A one pocket player from Vegas named Toby, who was about 4ft 10 but best one pocket player there at the time told me Mark had won 50k there in a week during a pro event. He first went through Tony Ellin giving up the 7, Ronnie Allen JR and a few others. Toby said he offered any one the 7. At the end of the week he got in a private poker game at Ceasars Palace, and lost it all in one night.
He then went to LA where picked up another 40 K in a week at the Bicycle Club where he won that all around. Id say he was one of best ever.
Never saw Cole play but heard he got so good that no one would play him.
It's always fun to compare players from the past. How they would preform now vs the great players of today. IMO Cole would do well but Cole really never tried to become a great pool player. Once he caught his game, he never practiced and spent long periods of time away from the game. He enjoyed poker more than pool and when he matched up in later years he was mostly on the losing end. He was a good friend and I staked him even though I knew he would lose. I just tried to keep the bet to a few hundred dollars so I wouldn't get stuck too much. Cole lived life in the fast lane...........He was a lot like Richie Florence. I miss them both very much.
How is claiming to be past your prime in your early to mid 30s anything other than an excuse? I was your biggest fan throughout the 90s at HT during the first sunday of the month tournaments. .As regular Calvin said: nobody shoots a prettier game of 9 ball than Keith" but the intimidating, flashy style wasn't working the same as the game became international and the consensus from the locals was keith shot a little too fast and was 1/2 ball behind the best.
There is no reason to demean Tadd or way to know whether keith would have scorched him in the 70s so why say it? The pool world wishes keith would pick up the cue and compete again rather than live in the past listening to "Glory Days" by Springsteen every day.
Overall View
Having locked 9 ball horns with both in their prime....their primes were not the exact same years. Tadds play style was unique/easy going, he had a play smoothness/straight swing that ''stood alone''. I think in his prime and Kieth's prime, the Only advantage he had over Kieth was long straight in shots. Kieth would probably hit 95 outta of 100, Tad 99 outta hundred. Once you got away from this type of game, Kieth was more creative and he had another gear. Tad in his prime only had a high gear, that could beat anyone in match play and gambling. When both their games were at their peak, Kieth was the better player.
Having locked 9 ball horns with both in their prime....their primes were not the exact same years. Tadds play style was unique/easy going, he had a play smoothness/straight swing that ''stood alone''. I think in his prime and Kieth's prime, the Only advantage he had over Kieth was long straight in shots. Kieth would probably hit 95 outta of 100, Tad 99 outta hundred. Once you got away from this type of game, Kieth was more creative and he had another gear. Tad in his prime only had a high gear, that could beat anyone in match play and gambling. When both their games were at their peak, Kieth was the better player.
No. Archer, Strickland and Reyes are 3 of the greatest pool players who ever lived with a multitude of accomplishments. Tadd and Dickson have no accomplishments even close. People like to talk about road players like these guys and Keith, but if they could have done it, they probably would have done it. Keith would have had the greatest chance of being a champion in my opinion.
Yes, I've seen Dickson and Tadd play. They are great players and strong gamblers, but they are not Earl, Efren and Johnny!
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