Mabuhay Manila
- Thread starter jay helfert
- Start date
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Jay, I wish there was a way to give you MEGA REP for posting your experiences in the PI. Many of us AZB'ers would love to visit there, but it's not feasible. Your exceptional reporting paints a pretty complete picture...almost like being there. THANKS FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO HELP US DAYDREAM!!
Go, Pat go!
A good cue can be had for $100-200.
Action report first. The highlight from play at One Side was a Ten Ball match between Francisco B. and Chang Jung Lin of Taiwan. A race to fifteen for 40,000P. Django jumped out to a 11-4 lead only to see Chang come back to tie the match at 13-13. They went hill-hill and Chang won the deciding game. These guys from Taiwan can gamble too, with Yang still the money king in Asia.
In the World Cup, the USA lost out to a resilent Polish squad of the veteran Babica and his young partner Skoneczy. It was the youngster who shined here, firing in balls from all over the table. It was not so much a case of the USA playing bad (they came back from 4-7 to go hill-hill) as Poland playing good under pressure. Archer did miss a key four ball in the case game.
Germany and Taiwan continued their stellar play, cruising into the Quaterfinals. Both these teams have a nice flow and rhythm to their play, and they operate like well oiled machines. The PI 'B' team of Orcollo and Gomez also looks sharp and they will be tough to beat. Finland's Mika I. and Markus J. are playing well and dominanted a good Holland squad yesterday as well.
England (Peach and Boyes) is out, after playing horrible in a match against France. This was the second day in a row I watched England struggle. They barely escaped a mediocre Qatar team 8-7 in round one. The match with France was one of the ugliest I've ever witnessed (and commentated on). Many missed balls by both teams, and error after error in position and safety play. It went on and on, taking nearly two and half hours to play a race to eight! With a 35 second shot clock no less! It got so bad that Peach elected to play safe on a relatively easy cut shot. I've never seen anything like it before. Both teams went brain dead! I think all pool players have had days when their mind goes blank and it's like you forget how to play. That's what happened here on world wide television. The best thing for these two teams is that this show never airs again. Yes, it was that bad!
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That isn't that surprising. I would put Busty as only a slight favorite in that match up.
I know, you are in the know, Jay, but I think a lot of ppl aren't quite aware of some of the unknown killers in Taiwan. Most Taiwanese players tend to have a methodical, less flashy game. Everyone seems to play that style; big breaks, precise pocketing, tight cueball control and controlled strokes.
It aint flashy, but it definitely gets the job done.
Eric
Maybe I haven't seen enough of the Taiwanese players, but I would say what you're describing is more a European style. The Asian players seem to have a more fluid than mechanical style, IMO. The Taiwanese pro that lives near me seems anything but mechanical, but maybe he's more old school!
Maybe I haven't seen enough of the Taiwanese players, but I would say what you're describing is more a European style. The Asian players seem to have a more fluid than mechanical style, IMO. The Taiwanese pro that lives near me seems anything but mechanical, but maybe he's more old school!
Methodical (not mechanical), there is a difference.
I'm guessing you are referring to Jui Lung? He plays quick, but not flashy i.e. excessive stroke/arm movement, etc.
Eric
Hey Jay!
Sounds like fun - wish I was there - so is there any sign of Alex or Warren Kiamco?
Ah, they seem pretty close to me! I guess when you said "controlled stroke" I read in "mechanical" for some reason.
Yes, Jui Lung Chen lives nearby, though I haven't seen him lately. Watching him next to say... David G.... there is quite a difference in their pool strokes.
First nite(9/9), I was picked up from the airport by my good friend. Went to check-in and go straight to Oneside. Saw Jason Klatt playing a filipino a10-ball match. Jason was ahead most times, but lost at the end. John Morra was also playing with another pinoy and that match went hill-hill with John lossing. Efren was also in the house playing a couple of Japanese players giving the stone cold nuts in rotation, but lost both matches. He was really having a bad day (this was the nite he and Django lost to Indonesia). The big match for the day was (as Jay mentioned it) Django against Chang Jung-lin for Php40K 10-Ball Race to 15 that went Hill-Hill. Met Sarah Rousey who was talking to Rubilen Amit opposite my table. Met Jeff De Luna and his ever lovely wife. Oneside was packed with Pool players from around the world... Ko Pin Yi, Li He-Wen, Fu Jen-Bo, Alcade and Ruis of Team Spain and many more sweating the Django-vs-Chang match.
Sarah with Rubilen and a friend... See the background, everyone was sweating that match between Efren and Chang. This was pass 2am...
9/10 - Finally, I carried myself to WCOP venue. The place was jam packed. Team England-vs-Team France on the battle field. Met up with Joyren Ting and went to Holy Cow Resto(besides the WCOP Arena) for my late lunch. I was so hungry. It was something like 2:30pm. Lo and behold, Ralf Souquet was having lunch with Biboy Soriano and his family and Chito Ines with his family too. Man, even pool is a family affair here. After lunch, we all went into the WCOP Arena for the 2nd and last session.
I met up with Jay. He was very exhausted from the England-vs-France match that just finished. As he described it, it was like working 2 matches. When I arrived, the score was something like 3-5 France. That was an hour and a half ago.
Today(9/11) - Just woke up and had breakfast. Saw Jay down at the hotel lobby. Didn't bother him as I was about to finish and head out with my son. 2 Sessions by 2 games will be played today. The match to watch will be Phil B -vs- Finland.
Sarah with Rubilen and a friend... See the background, everyone was sweating that match between Efren and Chang. This was pass 2am...
9/10 - Finally, I carried myself to WCOP venue. The place was jam packed. Team England-vs-Team France on the battle field. Met up with Joyren Ting and went to Holy Cow Resto(besides the WCOP Arena) for my late lunch. I was so hungry. It was something like 2:30pm. Lo and behold, Ralf Souquet was having lunch with Biboy Soriano and his family and Chito Ines with his family too. Man, even pool is a family affair here. After lunch, we all went into the WCOP Arena for the 2nd and last session.
I met up with Jay. He was very exhausted from the England-vs-France match that just finished. As he described it, it was like working 2 matches. When I arrived, the score was something like 3-5 France. That was an hour and a half ago.
Today(9/11) - Just woke up and had breakfast. Saw Jay down at the hotel lobby. Didn't bother him as I was about to finish and head out with my son. 2 Sessions by 2 games will be played today. The match to watch will be Phil B -vs- Finland.
First nite(9/9), I was picked up from the airport by my good friend. Went to check-in and go straight to Oneside. Saw Jason Klatt playing a filipino a10-ball match. Jason was ahead most times, but lost at the end. John Morra was also playing with another pinoy and that match went hill-hill with John lossing. Efren was also in the house playing a couple of Japanese players giving the stone cold nuts in rotation, but lost both matches. He was really having a bad day (this was the nite he and Django lost to Indonesia). The big match for the day was (as Jay mentioned it) Django against Chang Jung-lin for Php40K 10-Ball Race to 15 that went Hill-Hill. Met Sarah Rousey who was talking to Rubilen Amit opposite my table. Met Jeff De Luna and his ever lovely wife. Oneside was packed with Pool players from around the world... Ko Pin Yi, Li He-Wen, Fu Jen-Bo, Alcade and Ruis of Team Spain and many more sweating the Django-vs-Chang match.
Sarah with Rubilen and a friend... See the background, everyone was sweating that match between Efren and Chang. This was pass 2am...
9/10 - Finally, I carried myself to WCOP venue. The place was jam packed. Team England-vs-Team France on the battle field. Met up with Joyren Ting and went to Holy Cow Resto(besides the WCOP Arena) for my late lunch. I was so hungry. It was something like 2:30pm. Lo and behold, Ralf Souquet was having lunch with Biboy Soriano and his family and Chito Ines with his family too. Man, even pool is a family affair here. After lunch, we all went into the WCOP Arena for the 2nd and last session.
I met up with Jay. He was very exhausted from the England-vs-France match that just finished. As he described it, it was like working 2 matches. When I arrived, the score was something like 3-5 France. That was an hour and a half ago.
Today(9/11) - Just woke up and had breakfast. Saw Jay down at the hotel lobby. Didn't bother him as I was about to finish and head out with my son. 2 Sessions by 2 games will be played today. The match to watch will be Phil B -vs- Finland.
Welcome back sir, it nice to meet up friends with the same passion, playing pool, thanks for the patches sir, i owe you something hah
well at Starbilliards, Tong Drago played with Nikoy Lining and it finished almost 6am in the morning already, wow, they started playing around 10pm 7 series of 10 balls race to 9:smile::smile:
but here's the shocking news, i hope someone enlighten us on whats happening, ALL EUROPIAN PLAYERS WILL NOT JOIN THE PREDATOR INTERNATIONAL 10-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!! Tony Drago was saying this that he even wanted badly to play here,after hearing which i even called up Ralf Souquet to double confirm and he said it's true, wow even pool has politics in it, this sadden a lot of the Europian players, i hope thingsa would work out for both worlds to unite
wow what a nice game to watch there at one side, soory to hear about the England match, i was there too, just kind of weird why shots decision were like that hehehe
i sadly can't go to one side simply becoz i hate the smoke, it simply irritates my eyes and would have some problems for second hand smokers, well by simply staying for 5 mins there, just go out and you will smell like shit
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Yes Joyren! If you are a smoker, One Side is the place to be. Or if you just want to check out the action, after an hour your eyes will be watering and when you get home, you will have to shower to get the smell off you and out of your hair.
It is a great place, I played in a few of their Monday night 10 ball tournaments and it sure is fun and well organized but I really cant go and stay very long.
If they somehow could make a smoking room and have the air exhausted, that would be ideal.
The air conditioning and exhaust system is good at One Side, it just gets overwhelmed after everyone lights up 3 times an hour!!!
If you look at the One Side sign and their logo it says One Side with a large J in red. That means One Side - Japanese. It is owned by Japanese. I like it!!!!
--Jeff
It is a great place, I played in a few of their Monday night 10 ball tournaments and it sure is fun and well organized but I really cant go and stay very long.
If they somehow could make a smoking room and have the air exhausted, that would be ideal.
The air conditioning and exhaust system is good at One Side, it just gets overwhelmed after everyone lights up 3 times an hour!!!
If you look at the One Side sign and their logo it says One Side with a large J in red. That means One Side - Japanese. It is owned by Japanese. I like it!!!!
--Jeff
Buboy Piolo was his name and they played 10ball even. I think it was a Race to 15.
Warren was in action a couple of nights ago at One Side with one of the Taiwan players. I had taken Barry Behrman over to check it out. I had to work the next day so I didn't hang out too long.
Last night I went over to Pan Pacific, a large hotel in the Ermita district near Robinsons Place where the WCOP is being played. They have a large poker room and poolroom on the fifth floor, supposedly owned by Manny Paquiao. I had a hard-on to play pool, so I took my cue along. My first mistake for what would be a long evening. Some guy who was giving a massage hustles me to play right away. I tell him sure, One Pocket or Banks. After some conversation I realize he is only a game-maker for the better players. The only guy willing to play me One Pocket is Lolong, one of the better hustlers in Manila. We agree to play a race to three for 1,000P plus the time, a very "friendly" wager.
In the first game, I see that he knows little about One Pocket. No one plays this game here (not even Efren) so they have no role model to follow. Meanwhile he can make any shot on the table, so I must play carefully with him. I win the first game easily. Quickly he is beginning to catch on. In the second game I miss an open shot and he runs seven and out! Oops. He wins another close battle in the next two games to take my thousand. I realize that I am still not comfortable with this new cue. I wish I had my Josey, my game would go up two speeds. But I don't trust the airlines or the baggage handlers. Team Poland lost their cues this trip, and it happens all too frequently. That is my whole purpose in owning a cue here.
As with any new cue there is a period of adjustment. I need to spend one whole day just hitting balls with this cue. It's solid but I don't have certainty on my shots yet. During our game, none other than a small fry named Alex trots over. He laughs at me, trying to act like a pool player. Compared to him, I'm a bum. But he asks around for anyone who wants to bet against me. He wants to bet up to 10,000p on me. No takers! Lucky for him. While I play Alex warms up a couple of tables over. He s practicing with Edgar Acaba. All the filipinos are getting ready for next week's Predator Ten Ball. $50K up for grabs!
It's true, the European players are forbid from taking part, so about a dozen good players will fly home after the WCOP ends. There is a conflicting event in Switzerland and the European Federation has threatened them with a one year suspension if they play here. I don't want to get into the politics of all this, but let's just say it stinks. Believe me the Euro players would play here if they could.
After my little pool game I wander over to the Poker room. I still have that itch for action and quickly find myself in a small NL game, with 50P and 100P blinds. Soon a bigger game starts up with 100 and 200 blinds and a minimum buy-in of 4,000P (almost $100). I see many players buying in for ten and twenty thousand, much more to my liking. I change games and take several bad beats to the tune of 15,000P total. I blow about $350 in a couple of hours and quit the game. I have over $700 in my pocket, but sometimes the best move is to pull up when you're running bad. It takes will power to leave, but I don't want to turn a loss into a disaster.
Tourney report to come.
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