How good was Mark Tadd?

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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i am kinda a tadd fanatic. he was playing his best right when i was coming up, and it was just the most amazing thing to watch this guy play.... we're talking wayne gretzky quality stuff here, stuff you'll never ever see again..... ill post the few stories i love.....

i walked into hard times one day, and saw tadd practicing with our own jimmy m. if you have even been to bellflower hard times, you know it is pretty no nonsense. so, he was in the tournament room, practicing with jimmy, and literally squawking loudly the word "sweeeeeeeeeeeet" every couple of minutes. nobodt said a word to him-- thats how good he was, and he knew it.

one year, maybe 92 or so, i got to the bycycle club tournament early in the morning, maybe 11am. tadd was there, some matches had just ended, and the filipinos walked in. tadd talked with them all, but what i remember was his talks with efren. efren would not give him ANYTHING-- and they were talking mostly one pocket. efren was really suppiosed to be giving up something, but he just wouldnt. it was obvious he was afraid of tadd. i always thought erfren was one of the smarter gamblers.... doesnt go off, an dont get into too many bad games.... im not knocking either guy, just saying what i think.

and the last solid info i heard on tadd was he was going a little crazy.... walking into poolrooms and playing with one piece house style cues (like hed walk in with 3 or 4 of them), and tell everybody how they were the best with no joint blah blah. just really odd stuff.

its sad, here in LA we had mark tadd and keith in the 90's, just SO much interesting stuff going on.... there didnt even have to be a game for the poolroom to be the most entertaining place in the state. now all i see are leagues. anyway.....

one last story.... i think the guy may have been the best gambler out there for a good 5 or so years. i have a tape of him playing parica short rack banks.... tadd was down 3-0 in a race to 5. he won 5 to 3. i mean just unbelievable stuff.... and he is SO intimidating, even to parica. there is no doubt he is one of the most intruguing and talented pool players ever. he played all games well-- but something did seem to happen to him at some point there.
 
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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i, and everybody underatnds what youre saying, but for me.... i think there is more at work there. i think what you said may be something like saying beethoven would have written the 9th better if he studied music more. i dont think it always works like that. i definitely have the instinctual opinion that more practice wouldnt necessarily have furthered tadds game. there was just sine ineffable quiality with him. anyway, in my opinion, winning 9 ball and banks and second to steve cook in one pocket in the la open.... that is easily pools greatest accomplishment in my lifetime.... nobody had any more talent than this guy, the question is.... what happened?
 
Mark spent a lot of his life in an around Salt Lake City, although I haven't seen him in about a year. I have had the opportunity to play him here a couple of times. I still remember years ago playing him in a tournament here in SLC at a pool hall that was open for about a year. It was a round robin with 8 invited players, race to 9, bar table eight ball, alternating breaks. Mark had not been playing much leading up to the tourney, but he won pretty easily. I think he beat me 9-4. I didn't know how good he was at the time, but it seemed that while we were playing he just never missed and played just well enough to win. It seemed like we was giving about 60% effort the whole time.

Later I was able to watch him practice several times on nine foot tables. He would throw out fifteen balls and run them out and then practice his break for an hour and then repeat. I had heard some stories, but really never knew how good he was until I joined AZ and read stories about his past. If I only knew then what I know now I would have tried to get him to share some of his knowledge. Hope to run into him again someday.

By the way - in the taped matches I have of him he looks pretty skinny. The last time I saw him he looked like a professional power lifter. Guys arms are HUGE.
 
sammylane12...As you know by now, your friend was wrong. Mark Tadd never won any of the events at the DCC. What he did win, was 2 out of 3 events at one of Jay Helfert's tournaments, in Los Angeles. That was around the late 90's IIRC. Jay will probably comment on this. Mark was an astounding player, and a consumate gambler. Later on he found Jesus, and quit pool, but still played poker out in Utah. He came back to pool briefly, but quit again, realizing that there just isn't any money in playing pool.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

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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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 Tadd is the real deal, He can do things with the cue ball that I have never seen anyone else do and I have seen most of them He would get you so weak if you should ever get a turn at the table you might not be able to pull your cue back he can bet his own dough and will bet high. dont mean to be knocking the guy but believe me he can go good luck Mrk where ever you are
 
ShootingRazbone said:
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.
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You have very good recall of that night at Bakers Im the guy that brought little tony to the game he was living with me at the time, later that night he busted Frank Tullis (kiss pool champion)the next day he and Earle were practicing and tony opened with a 7, Earle quit had something important to do The kid had no fear Big Slim
 
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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Eric, I know him now and I knew him then. He had a strong work ethic then. I have seen him practice for hours at a time on his break or a couple of hard shots. I think he just got so good that he lost interest. He was and is one of the strongest players I have ever known, and I have known a bunch.
 
DoubleA said:
Eric, I know him now and I knew him then. He had a strong work ethic then. I have seen him practice for hours at a time on his break or a couple of hard shots. I think he just got so good that he lost interest. He was and is one of the strongest players I have ever known, and I have known a bunch.
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You really think he got so good that he lost interest? I can't buy that. It's not like he was winning loads of major events or anything. If he had won say 2 or 3 World Championships and U.S. opens each then MAYBE that would hold water.
 
Mr441 said:
You really think he got so good that he lost interest? I can't buy that. It's not like he was winning loads of major events or anything. If he had won say 2 or 3 World Championships and U.S. opens each then MAYBE that would hold water.
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there are a few assumptions ill make about tadd.... he did seem to get good fast, and nobody ever credits themeselves for his rising.... ie he didnt seem to have any teachers. so, i assume he learned on his own. having said that, ill also assume he is very intelligent, i dont think this is a stretch. you just dont become one of the best players in the world on your own by some fluke. so, my point.......

what do i think sunk his career? i mean think about it.... this is a guy who could walk into a pool room with a bunch of world beaters, and not get any action... at least even. he didnt want to give up too much of the nuts. the point is, money just isnt there in this sport. i think if he was a golfer with his same talent hed be at the top still. so, in a sentence, i think pool itself was mark tadds demise.
 
enzo said:
nobody had any more talent than this guy, the question is.... what happened?
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I don`t know the truth but I was told that he found Jesus after he was badly beaten in Washington DC in a gambling match by a well known African American pool player of DC area.It has been so long ago I now don`t remember any details.:cool:
 
ShootingRazbone said:
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.
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OWNED! lmfao
 
vagabond said:
I don`t know the truth but I was told that he found Jesus after he was badly beaten in Washington DC in a gambling match by a well known African American pool player of DC area.It has been so long ago I now don`t remember any details.:cool:
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wow, i had never heard that. that would make totall sense. total conjecture here, but mark did have a cocky way about him, which im sure was part of his success.... AND, i mean if youre a pool player, you just couldnt help being jealous of the guy. it all makes sense on the surface anyway. anybody have any more info on this?
 
enzo said:
there are a few assumptions ill make about tadd.... he did seem to get good fast, and nobody ever credits themeselves for his rising.... ie he didnt seem to have any teachers. so, i assume he learned on his own. having said that, ill also assume he is very intelligent, i dont think this is a stretch. you just dont become one of the best players in the world on your own by some fluke. so, my point.......

what do i think sunk his career? i mean think about it.... this is a guy who could walk into a pool room with a bunch of world beaters, and not get any action... at least even. he didnt want to give up too much of the nuts. the point is, money just isnt there in this sport. i think if he was a golfer with his same talent hed be at the top still. so, in a sentence, i think pool itself was mark tadds demise.
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This is basically the idea I was refering to.
 
Mark Tadd

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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In the mid 80's, I motorcycled through Salt Lake City from Chicago, played Mark Tadd--I lost of course, with a spot. I have not forgotten the short time I spent with Mark, nor will I ever. This is what I remember. After he won we talked and he told me that about two weeks prior he had played Billy Incardona banks and broke even with Billy. I was very impressed. I believe he was a teenager at the time, maybe early 20's can't remember??? I was mid 20's. Lanny Charles-Memphis
 
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I seem to remember there were some videos of him playing bank pool in Vegas on youtube a while back. My search today turned up empy though.
 
vagabond said:
I don`t know the truth but I was told that he found Jesus after he was badly beaten in Washington DC in a gambling match by a well known African American pool player of DC area.It has been so long ago I now don`t remember any details.:cool:
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He was NOT physically beaten.He was beaten in the pool game.Sorry,if it caused any misunderstanding.:o
 
vagabond said:
was it at ' Farmer`s daughter ' pool room ?:cool:
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I played Mark golf on a 6 x 12 at the Farmers Daughter many years ago.

After he quit we played some one pocket and I had to pull up. He was in his late teens at the time, but banked like a champion and the way he ran balls you could tell he was already a very good player.
 
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