Efren Manalang Reyes, popularly known by the nicknames "Bata" and "The Magician", is a Filipino professional pool player. Reyes is widely considered one of the greatest pool players of all time. In 2003 he was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame. A winner of over 100 international titles, Reyes was the first player to win the WPA World Championships in two different pool disciplines. Among his numerous titles, Reyes is a WPA World Nine-ball Champion and WPA World Eight-ball Champion, a U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship winner, a four-time Sands Regency 9-Ball Open winner, and a thirteen-time Derby City Classic winner. Reyes also represented the Philippines at the World Cup of Pool, winning the event with his partner Francisco Bustamante in 2006 and 2009. Reyes defeated American legend Earl Strickland in The Color of Money challenge match in 1996, in a winner-take-all prize of $100,000.
Francisco Bustamante is a Filipino professional pool player from Tarlac, Central Luzon and the 2010 World Nine-ball Champion, nicknamed "Django", after the lead character of the 1966 film of the same name, and sometimes also called "Bustie", especially in the United States. Bustamante has won over 70 International titles.
Dennis Orcollo, sometimes called Dennis Orcullo, is a Filipino professional pool player, nicknamed "Surigao" and "RoboCop". He has been called "The Money-Game King".
Alex Lely is a Dutch former professional pool player. Lely won the 1999 World Pool Masters after defeating Efren Reyes 7–5, and reached the final in 2000 but lost to Ralf Souquet 7–3. He is a two-time European champion having won the nine-ball and eight-ball at the 2005 European Pool Championships.
Nick van den Berg is a Dutch professional pool player. He was the runner up at the 2005 WPA World Eight-ball Championship, where he lost to Wu Chia-ching 11–5 in the final. He is a multiple time winner of events on the Euro Tour, winning 10 tournaments between 2002 and 2017, the fourth highest in the history of the tour. A six-time winner of the European Pool Championships, Van den Berg has represented Europe at the Mosconi Cup on eight occasions, winning the event on six occasions as well as tying the event in 2006.
Oliver Ortmann is a German professional pool player from Gelsenkirchen. Ortmann is a three-time world champion, winning the 1995 WPA World Nine-ball Championship and the 2007 and 2010 World Straight Pool Championship. Ortmann became the second player to win three WPA world championships. With fourteen wins, he the second most successful player at the European Pool Championships. Ortmann is also the second most successful player on the Euro Tour, winning fourteen events. Ortmann was the first non-American player to win the BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship, in 1989.
Daryl Peach is an English professional pool player, from Lancashire, who resides in Blackpool, England. He won the 2007 WPA World Nine-ball Championship, where he defeated the Philippines' Roberto Gomez 17–15 in the final to become the first British player to win the WPA World Nine-ball Championship.
The 2009 World Cup of Pool was a professional nine-ball pool, and the fourth World Cup of Pool, a scotch doubles knockout championship representing 32 national teams. The cup was played at the Annex of SM City North EDSA in Quezon City, Philippines from 1 to 6 September 2009. The Korean pair of Ga Young Kim and Yun Mi Lim were the first all-female team to participate at the event. The tournament featured a prize fund of $250,000 with the winner receiving $60,000. It was sponsored by online poker website partypoker.
The 2011 World Cup of Pool is the sixth edition of the said tournament. For the third straight year, the event is once again being held in the Philippines, at The Block of SM City North EDSA in Quezon City, from 6 to 11 September 2011. The event was won by the German team of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann, who defeated Thailand's Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Kobkit Palajin in the final 10–4.
The 2017 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XXIV, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in Gibraltar between 17–19 February 2017. It was the 24th edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport.
The 2019 World Pool Masters was a nine-ball pool tournament which took place in Gibraltar from 29 to 31 March 2019. It was the 26th edition of the World Pool Masters invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport. The event contained increased participation from 16 to 24 players, and increased total prize fund to $100,000. Spaniard David Alcaide won the event, defeating Greece's Alexander Kazakis in the final 9–8, doubling the final ball the length of the table to win. The reigning champion was Dutchman Niels Feijen who defeated Shane Van Boening of the United States in the previous year's final to win the title for the second time in his career. Feijen was defeated in the opening round by Alcaide.
The 2015 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XXIII, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in Manchester, England, between 14–16 August 2015. It was the 23rd edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport.
Mario He is an Austrian professional pool player. He is a former winner of the European Pool Championships, and winner of both the 2017 and 2019 World Cup of Pool events alongside Albin Ouschan.
The 2014 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XXII, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in Nottingham, England, between 14–16 November 2014. It was the 22nd edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport. Shane Van Boening won the event, defeating Nikos Ekonomopoulos in the final 8–2.
The 2012 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XX, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in Kielce, Poland between 5–7 October 2012. It was the 20nd edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport. Poland's Karol Skowerski won the event, defeating Mateusz Śniegocki in the final 8–6.
The 2011 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XIX, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in Quezon City, Philippines, between 3–5 September 2011. It was the 19th edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport.
The 2010 World Pool Masters, also known as World Pool Masters XVIII, was a nine-ball pool tournament that took place in The Riviera, Las Vegas, United States, between 12–16 May 2010. It was the 18th edition of the invitational tournament organised by Matchroom Sport.
The Dynamic Billard Leende Open 2016 was a 9-Ball pool tournament, and the fifth Euro Tour event of 2016. The event was held between 29 September and 2 October 2016. The event was won by Niels Feijen, who defeated David Alcaide 9–7 in the final.
The 2019 World Cup of Pool was a professional pool doubles tournament, and the 13th edition of the World Cup of Pool. The event was contested by 32 pairs representing different nations, and took place at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, England, from 25 to 30 June 2019. As host nation, Great Britain were allowed to enter two teams in the draw.
In 2018, championships were held across three continents to determine the best players in major cue sports, including snooker, pool, and English billiards. While these are mostly single player sports, some matches and tournaments are held as either doubles or as team events. The snooker season runs between May and April; the pool and billiards seasons run through the calendar year.
Niels Feijen 
Darren Appleton 
