How good was Mark Tadd?

Do a search, there are tons of threads about Mark Tadd..

sammylane12 said:

One of those two gentlemen told me that one year Tadd won all three divisions at Derby City, banks, one pocket and nine nall. Does anyone know if that is true? If so, what year? I would also love to hear from anyone with first hand knowledge of how good he played. I keep hearing that he was at the top of the food chain during his heyday.

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DCC Past Champions - http://www.dcctickets.com/DCCChampions/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Like Mojo suggested... do a search here. If you ever have a question like "how good was so and so, or who is so and so", the first thing you should do is type in their name in the search box and read every thread about them. THEN you have more of a idea of what question you might have.

Mark was real stinkin' good. The story about the Derby City may not be accurate but Mark did play in three divisions of a Hard Times event. He won the One-Pocket and Nine-Ball, and placed second in the Banks - an amazing showing.

I've never heard of Mark dodging anyone. The craziest matchup I heard was the time he gave weight to Tony Ellin in Las Vegas and won - I couldn't imagine anyone else who would even think of trying this, except maybe Buddy Hall.

Tell Tom Wallace that Ernie from College Billiards says hi.

sammylane12 said:

I grew up in the East and never heard about Mark Tadd until I opened a pool room in Florida. A fellow named Tom Wallace started to come in and he told me he managed College Billiards in San Deigo for a while in the 90`s. He said Tadd would come in from time to time and he just scared the hell out of everybody. Another guy, Marc Masden, a good one pocket player from Kentucky called Tadd "one of the best gamblers in the world". One of those two gentlemen told me that one year Tadd won all three divisions at Derby City, banks, one pocket and nine nall. Does anyone know if that is true? If so, what year? I would also love to hear from anyone with first hand knowledge of how good he played. I keep hearing that he was at the top of the food chain during his heyday.

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Where is your pool room?

sammylane12 said:

I grew up in the East and never heard about Mark Tadd until I opened a pool room in Florida. A fellow named Tom Wallace started to come in and he told me he managed College Billiards in San Deigo for a while in the 90`s. He said Tadd would come in from time to time and he just scared the hell out of everybody. Another guy, Marc Masden, a good one pocket player from Kentucky called Tadd "one of the best gamblers in the world". One of those two gentlemen told me that one year Tadd won all three divisions at Derby City, banks, one pocket and nine nall. Does anyone know if that is true? If so, what year? I would also love to hear from anyone with first hand knowledge of how good he played. I keep hearing that he was at the top of the food chain during his heyday.

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Mark Masden is a trust fund baby and all he did was playing pool. good guy.you can believe him.
Mark Tadd was in his top form in early 90s.One day another proplayer roger griffis brought a break cue and was demonstrating to show how good it breaks and Roger said that it was impossible to make the cue ball jump out of the table even if one wished to do that.Several pros tried to make the cue ball jump out of the table when the rack was broken but the cue ball never left the table.
Mark said that he would do that impossible thing ,broke the rack and made the cue ball flying. he was that good.

Mark tadd won jay helfert`s LA open also in 1993

Efren Reyes walks into Hardtimes in Bellflower and says anyone can have the 8 except him, pointing towards Mark Tadd....True story.

sammylane12 said:

I am sure I mixed up Derby City with the Hard Times event. Thanks for the info

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It was neither. The event was the LA Open which was the same format as the derby before the derby existed, and EVERYONE was at this thing. He was a dominant player.

I heard in the early 90's was a monster player but his game faded away during the years. I read he discovered religion and this put away him from pool and gambling, he still plays poker i believe. Is poker more pure than pool?

I was maybe 20 then when I went to Greensboro NC to see my first pro tournament. It was at the Howard Johnsons. All the top pros were there at that time. Hall, Rempe, Siegal, Varner, Strickland, Hopkins ect ect. Was a Tux tourny lol. After the tournament one night they all would pile in Baker's pool room there. Pete Horn, Hatch, Joyner, Brunson were among the non elite there if that is possible. I remember a Big Indian looking dude playing on the back corner table by himself not talking to anyone. Never missed a ball the whole time I was there. Seigal, Massie, Jimmy Mataya, Hall, and Varner were standing in front of him with their backs turned and never said a word to this guy. I wondered why until someone told me that he (Tadd) probably could give the room the 8. That is a bit strong but regardless what a powerful statement that was at that time with that clientel in the room. Noone wanted to play him. That's how good he was.

Also same night.....First time I ever saw Tony Watson. he was about 12 or 13 then and looked about 9. Christ, the case was bigger then him. Had these nerdy glasses on that dwarfed his entire face lol. Brunson was on the front gambling table and was woofing so loud he had the entire rooms attention. Lil' Tony walks up through the crowd and Brunson saw him and yelled "And you, you lil' son of a b$tch....you got the 8 and last 2 ...GET UP" Lil' Tony walked up in front of that entire crowd and all those top pros, reached in his pocket and pulled out some cash, counted it, and slammed it on the table and said "I have 506 dollars, Thats what were're playing for". That's heart! Tony won like 1800 when it was done.

sammylane12 said:

One of those two gentlemen told me that one year Tadd won all three divisions at Derby City, banks, one pocket and nine nall. Does anyone know if that is true?

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Nope, myth...busted; it never happened. Although Tadd certainly had the ability. FWIW, the most dominant player in the history of DCC, with the best overall record would be Efren.


Eric

Slh said:

I heard in the early 90's was a monster player but his game faded away during the years. I read he discovered religion and this put away him from pool and gambling, he still plays poker i believe. Is poker more pure than pool?

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Pool came before Poker, Poker came before the religion I believe.

ShootingRazbone said:

Pool came before Poker, Poker came before the religion I believe.

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ok but because the religion he doesn't gamble anymore in pool, how can you play poker without gambling?

ShootingRazbone said:

Pool came before Poker, Poker came before the religion I believe.

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thats how it went, he is still a monster player, he can lay off a year and in a few weeks beat anyone(almost), 15-20 years ago If he would have had the work ethic of SVB he would have been among the top 5 players in the world.

Fatboy2 said:

thats how it went, he is still a monster player, he can lay off a year and in a few weeks beat anyone(almost), 15-20 years ago If he would have had the work ethic of SVB he would have been among the top 5 players in the world.

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He was active on the forums a few years back, unfortunately, mostly spewing and I do mean spewing, religious stuff, bible quotes and whatnot. I had a few pms back and forth with him. He was polite but a real fanatic.

Eric. said:

Nope, myth...busted; it never happened. Although Tadd certainly had the ability. FWIW, the most dominant player in the history of DCC, with the best overall record would be Efren.


Eric

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The tournament was the LA Open. And yes he won two of the tournaments and took 2nd in the third. Pretty much every great player at the time was there. I'm sure Jay Helfter could give you more details since he directed this tournament.

He's friends with Jay. I'm sure I've posted this before, but I believe when he found religion part of his deal with God was that he would not gamble on pool any longer. I think this pact was very specific to pool, which I'm assuming allows him to still play poker.

brandoncook26 said:

He's friends with Jay. I'm sure I've posted this before, but I believe when he found religion part of his deal with God was that he would not gamble on pool any longer. I think this pact was very specific to pool, which I'm assuming allows him to still play poker.

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god works in strange mysterious ways....

Mark was as feared a player as Keith was, the only difference is Mark didn't stay a pool player for very long.