My man Tang

[jay helfert]

Jay for the past few years since Tang took his break from pool, he would come around the local poolhall every once in a while and I would hit balls with him, or he would play the 15-ball rotation ghost. He would play in streaks and then quit for a few months. I first saw Tang back at Players 7 or 8 years ago, and he was one hell of a player, he could park the cueball in places that Efren would struggle to do. I am very glad to see him playing well again. I was rooting for him and Ernesto the whole way, I'm glad they both had high finishes.

And Hemmah also had a good tournament. Parica didn't fare so badly either
(he lives in SoCal too).

 

[jay helfert]

Tang played at last years Open also. It was great to see him playin' good again

He was there on a lark, just like at the Bicycle Casino this year. He hadn't been playing and was there to have fun and see his old buddies. This year was different. He was a man on a mission, determined to regain some stature in the pool world. I think he did that. And by the way, he plans to keep playing now. I can attest he is playing as good or better than at anytime in his life right now.

 

[jay helfert]

I got to hang w/ him a bit in Norfolk and you are all right. In addition to hittin'em real sporty, he is a real nice feller.

Tang has always been quite outgoing and down to earth. I believe he is truly happy to be back playing pool again. You know once it's in your blood, you never get over it.

 

[jay helfert]

Well, I hadn't had sex for 5 years, and when I finally got done,
she told me that I took 6th .... Not bad for laying off for 5 years ...

I want to hang out with you. You're a funny guy.

 

[jay helfert]

Tang is a great player, lot's of heart and tons of knowledge. He is a threat to win anything when he is motivated.

And he's very motivated right now.

 

[jay helfert]

I watched Tang during a couple of his matches and not only is he a great player, but extremely nice with his crowd and opponent. I hope to see more of him.

Thanks Marissa,
He'd probably like to see more of you too.

 

[jay helfert]

Congradulations to Tang Hoa, great finish in US Open. Jay, congradulations to you as well in, a I read in Poker Player news paper on two of your finishes in tournaments in 2005, a 1st place in a CA tournament (commerce casino) and a 41st place in the WSOP.

If the IPT becomes a main stay in pool in the US, then many pool players can start making a living as a pool players....

Thanks, I actually finished 7th in the Limit Hold'em event. It paid 42K. Interestingly, that's slightly more than first in the U.S. Open. First in my event paid 303K! Well maybe someday pool will be as big as poker.

 

[jay helfert]

I too really enjoyed watching him play. Every time he was playing this week, I made it a point to watch him. He is an outstanding player with an obvious, HUGE heart. He really played hard and he seemed to have a great attitude. Very Entertaining. Best of Luck to the Hoa...

JBK

I'll pass your message on to Tang.

 

[jay helfert]

Walt, he used to hang out with Efreb and company years ago in the West coast. Matter of fact, they used to stay at his place and he got a lot of help and tips from the group. I heard that he also used to play and practice with Petralba from Frisco.

In the two weeks before the Open, Tang practiced daily with Efren, Jose and Morro. Pretty good company. They played ring Ten Ball, 20 a man.

 

[jay helfert]

Petralba is from LA area and Tang plays better than Danny does, I have never heard of them practicing together. It's true he used to practice with the Puyat team a lot, I believe he learned their aiming system too.

You should see Tang play snooker.

You're correct. Tang may be the 7 over Danny, who is a good player. And Tang is very close with all the filipinos. He practiced almost daily with Efren and Jose leading up to the Open at Hard Times.

 

[jay helfert]

I've known Tang for a long time and always knew he'd be a great player someday. He practiced hard, still does, and when he commits to the game, he's tough to beat. He never gives up, no matter what the score is. I'm glad to hear he's doing so well outside of pool but I do hope that he gets back into the game because he has what it takes to be a champion. Peace, John.

John, I remember when you and Tang were both kids hanging around Hard Times fifteen years ago. You two were a couple of the best young players on the whole west coast. You may have had the edge on Tang back then.
But he came on strong in the early and mid 90's and became a top player (tournaments and money games). By the late 90's he was making much more money at poker and he finally gave up on pool. The tournament money was small and he was too well known to get games anymore.
I staked him for two years in '97 and '98 and he won over 100K for us.

 

[jay helfert]

Tang is a good guy too. Soft spoken, not like some champions you see who are arrogant and want to challenge and belittle anyone who beats them in a local tournament.

If you talk to Tang, you'll find him to be refreshingly honest and very humble about his abilities. Because he's a good player, he doesn't consider himself any better than anyone else. To this day, Tang is just a guy who loves playing pool (and poker).

 

[jay helfert]

hey tang great tourney my man.you are a very entertaining guy that is good for pool.i met you and you are a very highly explosive player. i like to watch guys like yourself that run through rack after rack making it seem very easy.
hey if you are looking for a good poker game let me know i got some hook ups at myrtle beach. how does $100-$200 a hand sound to ya?texas holdem.

Long way to go for a poker game, when you can play as high as you want in Los Angeles, every night of the week.

 

[jay helfert]

Agreed... mostly.

I don't know Tang personally but I watch him in Santa Monica or in So cal tournaments when I get the chance. But I'm not sure how much heart he has.... at the Shooters tournament in Riverside last month, he left after losing in the first round. Good-bye pool, hello vegas! And apparently he's got a tad of a reputation for that... before it even happened people were joking about it, and lo and behold....

Regardless, I think all the So Cal guys are happy Tang did so well. I was talking with one of the managers of Hollywood Billiards who knew Tang when Tang wasn't even old enough to get into Hollywood, and he was so happy Tang was plowing through everyone. The guy's got style and a hell of a game, so I wish him all the best!

You are absolutely right about Shooters. We had a long talk about that one.
He was disgusted about losing his first match and quit. I told him he could come back from the Losers side and he needed the tournament practice anyway. He went to Vegas and regreted it later. When he got back he admitted he made a mistake. Takes a man to admit when you're wrong.

 

[Rude Dog]

John, I remember when you and Tang were both kids hanging around Hard Times fifteen years ago. You two were a couple of the best young players on the whole west coast. You may have had the edge on Tang back then.
But he came on strong in the early and mid 90's and became a top player (tournaments and money games). By the late 90's he was making much more money at poker and he finally gave up on pool. The tournament money was small and he was too well known to get games anymore.
I staked him for two years in '97 and '98 and he won over 100K for us.

In all the years that Tang and I were there at Hard Times, we never matched up. Not even for cheap sets. I wish we would have because it would have helped both our games. I used to play Hawaiian Jimmy just about every day for $10, $20 sets, long before I could beat him playing even and my game jumped about 3 balls a month, if that's possible. I was getting the 7 from a guy one month, and breaking even, to giving him the 7 three months later, and robbing him. Tang's game jumped like that too once he got out of Varsity Billiards. I remember thinking that I couldn't believe how much this kids game improved in such a small amount of time. But Hard Times gave you that opportunity to improve because the action was non-stop and there were so many top players there everyday. If a guy didn't improve his game during that time at Hard Times, he wasn't ever going to get any better. Anyway, Tang has done well for himself and I'm glad to see that. I've always liked him, along with Dave Hemmah, another guy who's game has sky-rocketed and Im always happy to see when I run into him. Take care Jay, and peace, John.

 

[Josh Palmer]

LOL Varsity billiards.. I think that place closed a few years ago

 

[Jack Madden]

In all the years that Tang and I were there at Hard Times, we never matched up. Not even for cheap sets. I wish we would have because it would have helped both our games. I used to play Hawaiian Jimmy just about every day for $10, $20 sets, long before I could beat him playing even and my game jumped about 3 balls a month, if that's possible. I was getting the 7 from a guy one month, and breaking even, to giving him the 7 three months later, and robbing him. Tang's game jumped like that too once he got out of Varsity Billiards. I remember thinking that I couldn't believe how much this kids game improved in such a small amount of time. But Hard Times gave you that opportunity to improve because the action was non-stop and there were so many top players there everyday. If a guy didn't improve his game during that time at Hard Times, he wasn't ever going to get any better. Anyway, Tang has done well for himself and I'm glad to see that. I've always liked him, along with Dave Hemmah, another guy who's game has sky-rocketed and Im always happy to see when I run into him. Take care Jay, and peace, John.

John
I like your new avaitor (sp) - Arizona sunset, with your son on quads -- cool and it will be the best time of your life.
From an old Hard Times player
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com

 

[Rude Dog]

John
I like your new avaitor (sp) - Arizona sunset, with your son on quads -- cool and it will be the best time of your life.
From an old Hard Times player
Jack
www.johnmaddencues.com

Thanks Jack, you're right, hanging out with him is better than running 20 racks for all the money in the world. Peace, John.

 

[Gerald]

The week or so before the open I never saw Tang practice 9 ball. But almost daily he would come in early evening and either play some one hole ghost or Hemmah would bet him on his getting 22 in in 5. The bet would change according to how Tang was hitting them. What happened in the night I didn't know about as I was usually home.

When I left HT today Tang and Efren had been playing some 8 ball and were just getting started on a game of 1 hole. This will be a great weekend with Efren and Busta both in town for the 1st Sat of the month 1 Pocket and the 1st Sunday of the month 9 ball tournament. Throw in Tang and the usual group of top suspects from the surrounding areas and it will a helluva weekend!!

 

[ghost ball]

I have a few stories about Tang.

Rude Dog, remember that publication I gave sent you, the one with a picture of Tang (with yourself too)? Well I have a bunch of old publications where Tang's name is littered in the tournament top 3 (if not #1). This was in a period where the mecca of pool was in So Cal. Rude and wayne can probably vouch for that. He was unstoppable. I went to Hard Times just to watch him and all the other players including Keith, Efren, Janette, Robin Bell, Hemmah, Ernesto, Ron Rosas, plus so many more....as a learning experience.

With that backdrop, while in college in Chico, Tang and Hemmah hit a tourney there. I had my money with the local NorCal guys on Tang since they didn't know him. Although Billy Palmer took the tourney, I came out ahead. Thank you Tang.

And lastly, My wife and I recently ran into him at the local poolhall but did not recognize him since I rarely can make to the poolhall anymore and his new monk look (shaved head) threw me off. At any rate, my wife strikes up a conversation with him and mentions I used to hang out at Hard Times, his humble response was "Oh, so did I..." At that point I knew who he was. Imagine my embarassment......

ghost ball