Who is Efren Reyes?
Basketball has Jordan.
Boxing has Ali.
Hockey has Gretzky.
Billiards has Efren Reyes.
Who is Efren Reyes? Unerringly referred to as “The Magician”, Reyes is the most incredible pool player of all time. His pool game is as flawless as a Steph Curry three-pointer or a Hendrix guitar solo.
He’s won every eight- and nine-ball pool title, accolade, honor and award that exists. Here is an incomplete list of achievements, however, instead of exploring each title individually let’s appreciate the immense volume.
If there is a world title or championship, Reyes owns it many times over. His career earnings are also unmatched. The highlight of his winnings was in 1996 when he bagged the biggest purse in pool history by beating Earl Strickland in the inaugural Color of Money event.
As we deep-dive into his career and legacy, let’s simultaneously rank the top five supernatural shot making moments that truly illustrate the exospheric heights of Reyes’ rare virtuosity.
Supernatural shot making #5: No one saw that coming!
Reyes is the godfather of the precision kick. After his cue ball contacts the object ball, he masterfully guides its direction and momentum to complete impossible shots that don’t even seem available. In both of these nine-ball examples, Reyes intentionally redirects the kick of the cue ball for a crafty instant win.
(All videos in this article will start just before the shot being referenced takes place.)
He was built for this
Who is Efren Reyes? If one were to compose a fictional tale of a legendary pool player, Reyes’ life would serve as the ideal template. He was born in Angeles City, Philippines but spent most of his childhood in Manila. He lived, breathed, ate and showered in a pool hall; he literally slept on a pool table. When he was too small to reach the table he moved soda crates around, standing on them to reach the balls.
The bulk of his early, pre-tournament hustling and gambling career is undocumented. Stories of individual shots and inimitable runs exist only as legends.
It didn’t last long before he was picked up by promoters and began touring the Philippines professionally. By the time he was 24, he was representing Team Philippines in international tournaments.
Supernatural shot making #4: Reyes’ unmatched position play
Pool is not only about pocketing the object ball, but about setting up the subsequent shots as well. Reyes does this as well as anyone who has ever played the game.
Efren Reyes takes the US and Europe by storm
By the 1980’s, Reyes was living in the US as a pool hustler and claims to have made US$80,000 in a single week. His name was internationally known, but no one knew what he looked like so he would enter tournaments and hustle pool players under the alias of Cesar Morales, a Mexican migrant.
It didn’t work very well as he was often forgetful about his alias.
He spent the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s dominating almost every tournament he could find in the US, Europe and Asia. However, by 2018, Reyes seemed to be finished with tournament life. He had become so popular that a bittersweet international farewell tour was put together. His final games in the US and Europe were friendly, yet competitive matches against his long-time rivals and many of world’s best players.
Supernatural shot making #3: The farewell tour
Both of these videos were filmed in competitive games during his farewell tour. These were low pressure events so Reyes took the opportunity to showboat as best he could.
If the game of pool has a Babe Ruth “call your shot” moment, then this is probably it. He indicates every bounce with his stick and the crowds laughs, fully entertained but also a bit shocked by the audacity of the call. Before the ball even reaches the pocket, exactly as he called it, they erupt.
The Color of Money event
Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland, thought to be the best two players in the world at the time, met in Hong Kong for the inaugural Color of Money event in 1996. It was a three-day, nine-ball, winner-take-all race to 120 wins for US$100,000. This was the largest billiards cash win of all time.
By day three, Strickland was in complete control, leading by more than 20 games. Reyes met the moment however, as he ripped off an incredible 17-game win streak and won the tournament 120-117.
Strickland completely lost it. He cursed at the audience, gave the finger to the judges and broke his cue stick in half. More on him in a moment.
For Reyes, this was one of the biggest wins of his illustrious career.
The Earl Strickland unintentional comedy break
Earl Strickland is a brilliant pool player. There is a good reason he was chosen to face Reyes in the Color of Money event. He also a bit of a character.
Earl Strickland not only breaks sticks and plays angry, but he is also one of the greatest unintentional comedians of all time. You probably didn’t come here to hear Earl Strickland being called a “Schmuck” in some interview from 2006, but trust me this is well worth the detour.
The highlight is the slouch-motion he makes as the interviewer approaches. I can watch that on a loop. Strickland is a rare comedic gem.
Supernatural shot making #2: The Z-shot
If you search the internet for the best pool shots of all time, this one will be near the very top.
In the beginning of this video you’ll see Reyes accidentally pocket the eight-ball, unintentionally delivering a brutal defense on himself. He is playing against Strickland, who celebrates Reyes’ bad luck.
But even Strickland is impressed by how Reyes expertly manages to escape his own trap.
Efren Reyes had as good of a career as a sportsman can have
So, who is Efren Reyes? He is instantly likable, relatable, humble and funny all at once. In the Philippines, he stands alongside Manny Pacquiao as the country’s most beloved and iconic national sportsmen.
If you travel throughout the Philippines, you will see his likeness everywhere, endorsing the some of the biggest brands in the country. He has appeared in Filipino movies, plays Manny Pacquiao in chess and represents the Philippines whenever possible.
The truth is that Reyes didn’t retire; the farewell tour was really about Reyes leaving the US and Europe, not about an exit from the game of pool. He still competes in Asian tournaments to this day, his skills only slightly diminished.
As far as having a successful sports career arc, it might be impossible to have a better one than Reyes. He grew up playing the game he loves, made lots of money doing it and left the spotlight on his own terms while still playing at a high level.
There are very few who have accomplished this difficult feat with the equanimity of Efren Reyes.
Supernatural shot making #1: The side pocket bank
Pool doesn’t get any better than this.
This video begins with Reyes’ opponent playing an excellent safety. Reyes needs to contact the yellow one-ball on the bottom left of your screen. Every conceivable bank direction, jump shot and masse option seems to be off the table.
After Reyes’ opponent plays the safety, at the 1:22 mark:
- Pause the video
- Ask yourself how you would play to contact one-ball in this situation
Check your solution with The Magician.
