Goodbye Taiwan - Hello Korea!

TheOne

TheOne

www.MetroPool.club
Silver Member
Well on Saturday I finally left Kaohsiung and caught the slow train to Taipei. I wanted to see the capital and the tallest building in the world (Taipei 101) before leaving Taiwan. I had a great time in Kaohsiung even though the city itself and the venue was a little dissapointing. The qualifying event was an experience and even though I didn't qualify I dont regret coming. But it is definately better to qualify through ones own country, if I move back to the Uk I will have the chance to do this for the first time. The pool was great though and I think I learnt quite a bit from watching. I watched many matches right upto the last day, unfortunately I didn't watch the final live but I saw it on TV. It was some finish. I had a few bets during the last week for a bit of interest. Despite predicting 34 match results out of 44 correctly I still manged to lose money, guess thats a gambling lesson learnt! Anyway, the observation deck on 101 was great and Seoul looks even better than Taiwan!

I won my first match 9:2 earlier against a qualifer but I play again against in an hour. I will try and keep you all posted on the results and any partying etc..

Oh I will post some pics soon too.

Cheers
 
Looks like you are enjoying the Oriental Express. Thanks for giving us an update.

The tournament in Korea, I think I read somewhere that UPA Touring Pro Mike Davis is competing in that. Are you gunning for a qualifier into that event? If so, I wish you good luck and hope that you get in. That would be GREAT! :)

Looking forward to those pictures, too! :D

JAM
 
JAM said:
Looks like you are enjoying the Oriental Express. Thanks for giving us an update.

The tournament in Korea, I think I read somewhere that UPA Touring Pro Mike Davis is competing in that. Are you gunning for a qualifier into that event? If so, I wish you good luck and hope that you get in. That would be GREAT! :)

Looking forward to those pictures, too! :D

JAM
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I was lucky enough to get a spot in the round of 64 (representing England) along with Mike Davis, Archer, Hillbilly, Schmit, Hohman, Immonen, Morris, a bunch of Japanese and Koreans, and of course Charlie Williams. Its double elmination and then single elimination from the last 16. The semi's and final are televised on Korean TV.

Oh, I won my second match 9:7 and play CHarlie williams for a place in the last 16, have two chances though so hopefully will win one of the next two! I was cruising at 7:3 but made some terrible mistakes to let him back in it, I eventually fell over the line! :rolleyes:

I'm actually rooming with Mike because the hotel was full, unfortunately he lost his first but still has a life left. I think all the other big guns won.

Promise pics soon, I don't play until 4pm so I have no choice - I HAVE to go out and get drunk! :-)
 
Sweet Marissa said:
Someone needs to bring me back a pink hanbok! :p :D
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A what, I'm not sure if I fancy the idea of wondering around ladies shops looking for pink stuff, whatever a hanbok is? ALthough if it does take batteris you might be able to convince me he he
 
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TheOne said:
I was lucky enough to get a spot in the round of 64 (representing England) along with Mike Davis, Archer, Hillbilly, Schmit, Hohman, Immonen, Morris, a bunch of Japanese and Koreans, and of course Charlie Williams. Its double elmination and then single elimination from the last 16. The semi's and final are televised on Korean TV.
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Wow, they shorten the matches for Korean TV, just like here in the States! :eek:

TheOne said:
Oh, I won my second match 9:7 and play CHarlie williams for a place in the last 16, have two chances though so hopefully will win one of the next two! I was cruising at 7:3 but made some terrible mistakes to let him back in it, I eventually fell over the line! :rolleyes:
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Good luck, TheOne. Hope you play well! :)

JAM
 
Sweet Marissa said:
A hanbok is the traditional Korean dress. :rolleyes: They're worn during holidays and weddings.
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That's similar to the japanese kimono dress worn by the geisha. :)

The One, Korea or Seoul for that matter is definitely better than Taiwan. Food is also better(I love that spicy hot Kim-Chi). The place much cleaner. The girls are definitely much prettier. ;)

But still, if you don't speak Korean, you need that tiny piece of paper written with the destinations you want to go to.

Good luck, my the rolls go your way.
 
BlowFish said:
Food is also better(I love that spicy hot Kim-Chi). The place much cleaner. The girls are definitely much prettier. ;)
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I love kim chi, it is perfect with beers. Blowfish, are you Philipino? I spent hours in a mahjong hall in Subic City, they were eating baloot and salted dried chicken feet. That was a little more adventure than I was looking for. After all that time watching them play, I still had no idea how to do it.

Tracy
 
RSB-Refugee said:
I love kim chi, it is perfect with beers. Blowfish, are you Philipino? I spent hours in a mahjong hall in Subic City, they were eating baloot and salted dried chicken feet. That was a little more adventure than I was looking for. After all that time watching them play, I still had no idea how to do it.

Tracy
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Kim-chi is yummy with beer, but better with soju(the korean equivalent of the famous saki or tequila).

Yes, I am proudly pinoy/filipino/flip. :)

Mahjong, the all time filipino past-time game of the chinese whom the filipinos adapted with a slightly different variation. The basic filipino style is played like gin rummy, although there are several variations of it and it gets really complicated when gamblers play.

Eating balot(15 day old duck egg) and adidas(chicken feet) takes a brave heart and a stomach to digest one. :D
 
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Sweet Marissa said:
Geishas are not the only ones who wear kimonos! :p
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True, you can also wear one and I'm sure you'll look good in one. :p

But in order to be Geisha, it's mandatory to wear a kimono.

No kimono, not a Geisha. :D
 
BlowFish said:
Mahjong, the all time filipino past-time game of the chinese whom the filipinos adapted with a slightly different variation. The basic filipino style is played like gin rummy, although there are several variations of it and it gets really complicated when gamblers play.
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It was actually just a small room, with maybe 20 people there. They were playing for Pesos. I was the only non-Filipino there, everyone was speaking tagalog, so it is not surprising, that I did not catch on to it. It was a very interesting experience though.
BlowFish said:
Eating balot(15 day old duck egg) and adidas(chicken feet) takes a brave heart and a stomach to digest one. :D
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I tried the chicken feet, they were better than I thought they would be. I had heard about balot before, from my Filipino friends. I had some liquid courage in me, so I thought I would try it, but I could not get the balot, past my nose. ;)

Tracy
 
Hello TheOne,

is there a opportunity to see the brackets and results from the tournament somewhere in the i-net?


thx in advance

ccc
 
No idea ccc, I just played Charlie and lost 9:8 in a crazy match, it started out pretty well, I won the lag and ran 3 racks, then played a poor safety and charlie ran 3 racks then he messed up. Then it went down hill from there and got very edgy. I missed a ball to go 6:3 and also to go 8:6 up. But at 8:7 down charlie goes in off the 9 and then I had a dry break. A few safety's in the last but Charlie ran out for the win.

Next I played a japanese guy that had just beaten the number one japenese player 9:1 in his last match. I lost the first but ran the next 5 to go 5:1 up eventually winning 9:3 and playing a little better. Next I play Charlie Bryant in the last 16. Two wins away from the TV games! :-)) :eek:
 
TheOne said:
No idea ccc, I just played Charlie and lost 9:8 in a crazy match, it started out pretty well, I won the lag and ran 3 racks, then played a poor safety and charlie ran 3 racks then he messed up. Then it went down hill from there and got very edgy. I missed a ball to go 6:3 and also to go 8:6 up. But at 8:7 down charlie goes in off the 9 and then I had a dry break. A few safety's in the last but Charlie ran out for the win.

Next I played a japanese guy that had just beaten the number one japenese player 9:1 in his last match. I lost the first but ran the next 5 to go 5:1 up eventually winning 9:3 and playing a little better. Next I play Charlie Bryant in the last 16. Two wins away from the TV games! :-)) :eek:
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Craig, just keep running 'em. You can make it, just stay loose and have fun ! The balls will find their way into pockets ! Just keep us informed how things are going there.
 
Ottermann rules

Thanks Craig,

Nico Ottermann, 18 year old german and runner-up in straight pool at european championships 2005, lost to "the scorpion" for the last 16. Then he won over another player and the draw was to play again against Archer. Then he did it better. He won 9:2 and is in the last 8........

Great Nico, rack´em up!!!!

ccc
 
Cheers guys, well guess what.....I DID IT! :-)

I beat Charlie Bryant 9:8 after getting a few roles at 8:6 down. That put me in the last 8. Then I thought I would be playing Hohman but he lost to a Korean 9:6. I went 4:1 up after losing the first and stayed in front throughout the match. At 8:7 up my opponent missed a crucial 6 ball down the rail and I ran the last 3 balls for the win and my first TV match tomorrow morning!! :eek:

The last 4 are...

Immonen v Japanese guy (sorry dont have brackets in room)
CHarlie Williams v Me!

So a chance to get my own back on CHarlie ;-)
 
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