Lucky Efren Reyes
In one interview a few years ago, Efren said he liked observing bad players because he could learn a thing or two. If they make lucky shots, he’d try to recreate their lucky shots. Almost everyone who has played pool has made one.
One of my favorite things to do these days is to check the highlights of the greatest pool player of all time, Efren “Bata” Reyes. I like how most of the videos describe him as the most humble champion and the luckiest player of all.
The reason? In almost all of his post-match interviews, his ready reply is “I just got lucky.” He does it so often that in one video, while he and rival Earl “The Pearl” Strickland were fixing their cues just as they were about to start the game, The Pearl told him, “You always get lucky.” In another video, Earl told the crowd watching Efren’s farewell tour, “Efren was the greatest ever.” Coming from Strickland, who had a reputation for being standoffish and being brash, that’s something.
Of course, luck rarely had a factor in Efren’s game and of the hundreds of highlight videos I saw, it seems there were only two instances when luck did play a factor. One was when he missed the eight and fluked the nine and the other was when after making the eight and he was about to shoot the nine, his foe conceded the match. Efren continued to shoot and missed the nine, but the win was his.
In one interview a few years ago, Efren said he liked observing bad players because he could learn a thing or two. If they make lucky shots, he’d try to recreate their lucky shots. Almost everyone who has played pool has made one.
A shot where we didn’t know what happened and Efren, ever the tactician, would break such shot down so he may use it once he encounters a similar situation.
The result? You have numerous scenarios where the commentators don’t see a shot an option but Efren comes up with one. My favorite one was when he used the edge of the middle pocket to get out of a tight spot. Then of course there’s the famous Z shot against Earl, one that up to this day, continues to impress fans.
Efren is at the twilight of his career and it’s too bad that a generation of pool players will only remember him from highlight reels. But as he himself keeps saying it, the future of pool in the country is secure as there are so many good players out there.
No one will be the next Efren Reyes of course. I think it’s best if we stop looking for one. But it’s safe to say that the new generation will be looking to the master for tips on how to be a pool player, both on and off the table.