Efren Manalang ReyesOLDPLH (born August 26, 1954), popularly known by the nicknames "Bata" (Tagalog for 'Kid') and "the Magician", is a Filipino professional pool player, who is widely regarded as the greatest pool player of all time,[1][2][3][4][5] and especially famed for his skill at the challenging one-pocket discipline. In 2003, he was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame.[6][7]
Reyes is nicknamed "the Magician", for his ability on the pool table, and "Bata", to distinguish him from an older fellow pool player by the same name. In addition to pool, Reyes has played international carom billiards, specifically balkline, one-cushion, and three-cushion.
Early life
Reyes was born in Pampanga, Philippines, on August 26, 1954.[12] He moved to Manila at age five to live with his uncle, who owned a pool hall.[13] He cleaned the hall and slept on the tables.[14] Because Reyes was not tall enough to reach the pool table, he played while standing on Coca-Cola cases that he moved around. Reyes started gambling from a young age; he won his first match for money at the age of nine and continued to play money games with locals in the 1960s.
By 1976, other players were avoiding playing Reyes; due to this Reyes started playing other games such as three-cushion billiards and balkline in order to find people who would play him for money.[15] In 1979, the writer John Grissim published the book Billiards, where he wrote an article about his encounter with Reyes, where he described Efren as an "excellent player".[16]
Career
In 1978, Reyes competed in the Philippines vs. Japan Rotation Competition, where Reyes represented the Philippines alongside Jose Parica, Rodolfo Luat, Jorge Dacer, and Manuel Flores, where the Philippines team won two years in a row until the event ended. In 1979, Reyes defeated Japanese champion Takeshi Okumura to win the All Japan Championship in nine-ball, although not winning the all around title that year.[citation needed]
In 1983, Reyes took on Pepito Dacer in the finals of the Philippine Rotation Championship. The finals were played in race-to-39 and the players competed over 11 racks on a weekly basis. On the seventh week of play, Reyes defeated Dacer 39–32.[17] By the early 1980s, Reyes was considered one of the best players in the country. He was even banned from playing in some tournaments on account of him being too good. This led Reyes to travel to the United States in 1985.[18]
In 1985, at the start of his career in the U.S., he used the alias "Cesar Morales" to hide his identity so he would be allowed to compete unknown.[19] Although shortly after Reyes was discovered, when he won the first tournament he entered in the Houston Red's 9-Ball Open with a field of 108 of the top players in the country. The same year Reyes finished third in the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship.[20]
In 1994, Reyes won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship by defeating Nick Varner in the finals and became the first non-American to win the event.[21][22] He would reach the final of the US Open 9-ball Championship for three consecutive years in a row in 1995, 1996, and 1997, however Reyes failed to win a US Open title again and lost all three finals. In 1996, Reyes and Earl Strickland were chosen as the two best players in the world, to compete against each other in a challenge match, named after the film The Color of Money.[23] The event was a three-day race-to-120 challenge match of nine-ball.[24] It was held in Hong Kong, with a winner-take-all prize of $100,000.[24] Reyes won the match 120–117 despite being 17 racks behind, to win the prize.[24] In 1999, Reyes won the first televised World Pool Championship that was hosted by Matchroom Pool, earning $60,000, which was the largest first-place prize in a pool tournament. At the time, the tournament was not recognized by the World Pool-Billiard Association, which ran their own event, although they later acknowledged the event was an official WPA World Championship. This made Reyes the second Filipino player after Jose Parica to win a world championship in pocket billiards.[25][26] In 2001, Reyes participated in the 2001 Tokyo 9-Ball Open, the event had over 700 players participating. Reyes dominated the event, beating Niels Feijen in the finals 15–7 and earning $163,000 first prize. At the time, this was the largest first prize in a pool tournament.[27]
Efren "Bata" Reyes (left) after winning the 2005 IPT King of the Hill Shootout
Reyes won the 2005 IPT King of the Hill Eight-ball Shootout, winning $200,000, which was the largest first-place prize of any pool tournament at the time.[32] In the final, he met Mike Sigel in a best-of-three sets match, winning 8–0 in the first set and 8–5 in the second.[33] The following year, Reyes won the IPT World Open Eight-ball Championship over Rodney Morris 8–6, earning $500,000, which is still the largest first-place prize of any pool tournament in history.[34]
Reyes partnered with Francisco Bustamante to represent the Philippines at the inaugural World Cup of Pool. They reached the 2006 final, where they met Earl Strickland and Rodney Morris representing the United States.[35] They won seven consecutive racks to win the final 13–5.[36] He also won the 2009 event once again partnering Bustamante.[37] The pair met the German team of Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann in the final and won 11–9.[38][39][40]
Reyes still actively competes in professional events on occasions, in such events as the Southeast Asian Games, which he won six gold medals[41][42][43] and the Derby City Classic which he is the overall winner on five occasions. In 2023, at the age of 68 years old, Reyes finished third in the Derby City Classic One Pocket, with a field of over 400 players.[44]
Media and persona
Reyes is known for his highly creative play.[45][46] Reyes is often called by his nickname "Bata", which means "kid" in Filipino, given to him by close friends to distinguish him from an older Efren who also played pool.[47][48] Reyes' ability to play kick shots led to his gaining the nickname "Magician".[49][50] When Reyes first arrived in the United States, he took the name Cesar Morales as he knew that players had heard his name but not seen what he looked like and he wished to continue hustling.[19]
In 2003, Reyes was featured in the Filipino movie Pakners with actor Fernando Poe Jr., which was Poe's last film before his run for presidency and then death later in 2004. Reyes also appeared in the 2007 short film Nineball.[51] In one episode of the TV series Magpakailanman, the story follows a young Efren "Bata" Reyes (portrayed by Anjo Yllana) in his early pool-playing days as he progresses from a money player to a tournament contender.[52]
Despite admitting that his skill had declined by 2019, his games still drew big crowds in the 2019 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games.[55][56]
Accolades
Reyes on a 2021 stamp of the Philippines
Numerous fellow professional players have credited Reyes with being the greatest living player in the world.[57][58] During ESPN television commentary on a semi-final match between Reyes and Mika Immonen at the 2000 BCA Open Nine-ball Championship, veteran professional Billy Incardona stated that Reyes was "indisputably the best player in the world—especially when you consider all games—he can play any game as well as anyone, maybe better than anyone... In my opinion we're watching probably the greatest player in my lifetime and I've been watching pool for the better part of forty years."[58][59]
In 1995, Billiards Digest magazine named Reyes the Player of the Year.[60] The following year, when Reyes was ranked number one on the United States' Pro Billiards Tour, the June 1996 issue of the magazine featured a poll of "billiard cognoscenti"—pro players, billiards writers, industry insiders and the like—to pick the best in billiards in various categories.[60]Billiards' own elite named Reyes the best one-pocket player of all time.[60] The magazine wrote, "While a bevy of one-pocket geniuses abound, Efren Reyes, whose prowess in one-pocket is sometimes obscured by his 9-ball[sic] stardom, was the popular pick. Is there anything Bata can't do?"[60]
Reyes has been the Money Leader for the year seven times: in 1995, 1999, 2001,[70] 2002,[71] 2004,[72] 2005,[73] and 2006.[74] He also holds the record for highest recorded earnings of any pool player, being the most amount of money won in tournament play in a season, winning $645,000 in 2006.[74]
In 2024, Reyes was inducted into the inaugural World Billiards Hall of Fame held at the newly opened World Billiards Museum in Yushan, China.
Reyes was among the five inductees announced in the greatest players category. Also inducted were veteran female pool player Allison Fisher, seven-time World Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, Chinese snooker player Ding Junhui, Belgian carom player Raymond Ceulemans, and late Andre Gagnaux, former president of the World Billiard Union (carom).[75]
In 2024, the Matchroom World Nine-ball Tour announced the Inaugural Reyes Cup in honour of pool's greatest ever player that will take place in Manila, Philippines in partnership with Puyat Sports Inc. and Sky Sports. This is a brand-new Invitational event that will see Asia’s finest players take on team Europe in a 5v5 team events. The teams compete over one team match, several doubles matches and singles matches, with the first team to win 11 matches claiming victory.[118][119]
Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer added: “The Reyes Cup sees a dream become a reality. Thanks to our partners at Sky Sports, the 30-year success of the Mosconi Cup has paved the way to deliver this format to a global audience. Given the storied history the Philippines has on the sport, it is only right that we honour Efren in his home country. It was a privilege to welcome him and dear friend Putch Puyat to the Hanoi Open last year. Efren’s passion for the sport has been unwavering for over 50 years, he is the perfect figurehead for this tournament and our sport. I couldn’t be more delighted than to be working alongside such a legend and organisation in Puyat Sports.”[120]
Efren “Bata” Reyes said: “I am truly humbled and honored that Matchroom has chosen to name this prestigious event after me. The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament; it’s a celebration of the sport we love, and I am excited to see the pool community come together for its first edition in the Philippines.”[121]
Nine-ball is a discipline of the cue sport pool. The game's origins are traceable to the 1920s in the United States. It is played on a rectangular billiard table with pockets at each of the four corners and in the middle of each long side. Using a cue stick, players must strike the white cue ball to pocket nine colored billiard balls, hitting them in ascending numerical order. An individual game is won by the player pocketing the 9 ball. Matches are usually played as a race to a set number of racks, with the player who reaches the set number winning the match.
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 and is considered one of the greatest pool players of all time.
Marlon Manalo, also known by the nickname "Marvelous Captain", is a former Filipino professional pool player. He previously served as barangay chairman of Barangay Malamig, Mandaluyong. He also became the press relation officer of the League of Barangays of the Philippines and ABC president.
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Thorsten Hohmann is a German professional pool player, nicknamed "the Hitman." He is a three-time world champion, winning the WPA World Nine-ball Championship in 2003, and 2013, and winning the WPA World Straight Pool Championship in 2006.
Rodolfo Luat is a Filipino professional pool player from Angeles City. He holds many Asian titles and has won a few titles in U.S. Luat turned professional at age 16. He has titles in the Asian Championship and the Philippine Nine-ball Open in 1992. In 1996 Luat won the Camel Open 9-Ball Championship defeating Nick Varner in the finals.
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Roy Apancho is an Indonesian professional pool player. During the 2006 WPA World Nine-ball Championship he survived the group stages despite losing 8–5 to Efren Reyes in the double elimination round, and the round of 64, but was eliminated in the round of 32 by Rodolfo Luat.
Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit is a Filipino female professional pool player from Mandaue, Cebu. She is a two-time WPA Women's World Ten-ball champion and the first Filipina pool player to become WPA Women's World Nine-ball champion in 2024.Amit is also the second Filipino player behind Carlo Biado to win both ten-ball and nine-ball championships.
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The 1999 World Pool Championship was a professional pool championship that took place in 1999 in Cardiff, Wales. The event was billed as a world championship by Matchroom Sport as an alternative to the World Pool-Billiard Association's 1999 WPA World Nine-ball Championship, won by Nick Varner. Despite there being two world titles for the same discipline in 1999, both are considered as valid in 1999 by the WPA.
1 2 "2000 Billiard Congress of America Open Nine-ball Championship, playoff round 1 playoff: Efren Reyes against Mika Immonen.". BCA Open Nine-ball Championship. ESPN Classic. February 13, 2009.
1 2 3 4 Mangahas, Mahar (September 2, 1996). "Pinoys in Billiards' Best". Manila Standard. Manila. p.25B. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
↑ "The Order of Lakandula". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
↑ "Executive Order No. 540, s. 2006". Official Gazette. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office. June 13, 2006. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
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