Best all-around player in the world?

Mr441

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was having a conversation with a friend about who the best all-around player is right now and we were considering just what we consider the main games: straight pool, one pocket and 9 ball/10ball. We surprisingly came up with very few names, because it seems a lot of top players play 2 of the games at a very high level but don't play the other at all, for example: Shannon Daulton's name came up but then we realized that he doesn't play 14.1 that we know of. The only names we could think of that play all 3 games at a high level right now are Alex Pagulayan, John Schmidt and Danny Harriman, and probably still Reyes.

So who does everyone think is the best right now? I don't mean who could be the best if they played the other games, I mean right now who's the best all-around player?
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
I know Souquet doesn't play one-pocket (at least that I know of), but he is right near the top in 9-ball and 14.1, and I can't imagine that if he put his mind to it he wouldn't be an excellent one-pocket pocket player as well.
 

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Just to get the ball rolling...

I think it comes down to Harriman and Schmidt. You might be able to give Danny the edge because he is a world class bank pool player as well (don't know how John does in this game).

How's Mika's one pocket game?

But this discussion invariably favors Americans since not many other nationalities play one pocket or bank pool for that matter. If you substitute 8 ball for one pocket then it opens the discussion up to a lot of Europeans. Thorsten Hohmann would be a big favorite at that point along with Ralf Souqet and Mika Immonen.

Any of the phillipino's are able to play anything as they are such finesse players. But the Taiwanese seem to be one trick ponies as I don't think they play anything besides 9 ball and perhaps a little 10 ball. Correct me if I'm wrong though, I'd be happy to hear if they are competing at 14.1 as well.
 

Bobby

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just to get the ball rolling...

I think it comes down to Harriman and Schmidt. You might be able to give Danny the edge because he is a world class bank pool player as well (don't know how John does in this game).

How's Mika's one pocket game?

But this discussion invariably favors Americans since not many other nationalities play one pocket or bank pool for that matter. If you substitute 8 ball for one pocket then it opens the discussion up to a lot of Europeans. Thorsten Hohmann would be a big favorite at that point along with Ralf Souqet and Mika Immonen.

Any of the phillipino's are able to play anything as they are such finesse players. But the Taiwanese seem to be one trick ponies as I don't think they play anything besides 9 ball and perhaps a little 10 ball. Correct me if I'm wrong though, I'd be happy to hear if they are competing at 14.1 as well.


I've seen Mika play one pocket and he sometimes gets by because he's such a great shooter but when he's not totally in stroke he gets beaten easily by even second tier one pocket players. He simply doesn't move that well.


I'd take Alex Pagulayan as the best overall right now, with Harriman coming in second and maybe Bustamante third - I know one pocket is Busta's weakest game but he's not bad.

It's funny, if this question came up just a few years ago there'd be plenty of candidates that have since retired or are somewhat on the downside of their careers like Mike Sigel, Efren Reyes (though he still must be considered even now) Nick Varner, Allen Hopkins, Jose Parica, Jim Rempe etc.
 

rustystrokes

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jose Parica is a solid nineball player a great one hole player and 14.1 he can stay with the best.
 

mosconiac

Job+Wife+Child=No Stroke
Silver Member
Yep, Alex #1 with Schmidt & Harriman right on his tail. Those 3 have proven they have skills in all games on multiple occasions.

Buste did well in recent 14.1 tourney action & seems to do OK in 1P so he may be a contender.

Mika's got the 14.1 & 9B/10B skills for sure, just never seen him play 1P. The same could be argued for JA.

BTW, Efren (as always) is assumed to be at the top of the list.
 

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
gotta throw my favorite player in the mix

you guys might think I'm crazy. and he is not really doing anything at the moment as far as i know...but then again he wasn't doing much when he dam near snapped up the all around at the derby a few years back.

Plays every game super speed

Snooker
3cushion (smoked the national champ some years back)
9ball
8ball
One Hole
Banks

David Matlock....The Giant Killer

If you had every pool game to play I like his chances as a true 5 tool player. He's the best banker of anyone that was mentioned danny could be a little better or maybe not could swing either way.

3cushion....only player mentioned that could win is probably effren, and i still like dave

8ball he could hang

One Pocket - he got 2nd or 3rd at the derby he won the banks

9ball-i believe he took 2nd in that too at the derby

Snooker- no idea....lol

Lets not forget his odds shoot up even higher if you throw in bar box pool, as everyone knows he's one of the top 3 of all time on that list amongst Buddy and Keith

I know its a long shot but i think he has a shot since he plays basically every game on any table of any size regardless if it has pockets or not.

Hey you never know David beat goliath before....how you think he got the nickname :)

call me crazy,
Grey Ghost
 

iba7467

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ronnie O'Sullivan. Whether he plays anything else or not, if you include snooker I feel he has as good a chance as anyone to win one of the other two in a best of 3.
 

HomeBrewer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
3cushion (smoked the national champ some years back)

David Matlock....The Giant Killer

3cushion....only player mentioned that could win is probably effren, and i still like dave

I never heard that story. Who did he beat and how badly, that you might take him over Efren in 3 cushion?
 

TheMadScientist

Justin Richardson
Silver Member
Efren is the master of all. If you had a challenge like this, I'm sure he would still manage to rise to the top. (don't forget all of his 14.1 titles)
 

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
I never heard that story. Who did he beat and how badly, that you might take him over Efren in 3 cushion?

can't remember the name right off, supposed to be a former 3cush national champ and won.

I'm glad you asked, no answer for now but will find out for sure at the least when i get up to tulsa in feb...push come to shove if you want to know anything about any player in the midwest from I'd say the 70's-present all you gotta do is ask John Lepartice. He managed the Tulsa billiards palace for years and could do like jay and tell you stories till you said stop. One unique skill he had was being able to watch a player for just a min or two and tell you his exact speed....guess it comes with the territory when watching so many people play over the years.

spoke with Joel Weinstock just now, said the fellow was the Canadian snooker national champ. The match happened in the mid 80's and he believed it went down at the Old Tulsa Billiards Palace.....he could not quite remember the name of the guy and said Thornburg, or thorn something lol. He watched most of the match and said that David did not demolish him, that it was a very long match and that the Canadien fellow was one of the best in that area around that time.

Also he mentioned that David made quite a few total clearances on the snooker table also and that basicly is near world class level on any table any game with balls and a stick. Also mentioned Daves high run in 3cush he believed to be in the upper teens very close to 20....

I do agree tho that Effren is the logical choice tho, I just like David as the underdog to bet on if they would have some kind of every game they have all around matches. With a nickname like that you gotta know he's capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

Tell you what tho, for his age he's got be the best dam pool player in america all around...not to mention he had a much longer career as a top player than both Keith and Buddy Hall respectively....effren is the only other player that old that i know of to play that strong after 50yrs of age(anyone know of anyone else that age? still that solid?). You don't miss the all around title at the derby by 1 placing by not being a monster.
 
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sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
My guess is that it's still Efren Reyes, the best one pocket player ever, the best eight ball player ever, one of the best ever at 9-ball and rotation, and a highly competent player of three cushion billiards. He's not at his highest peak performance anymore, but I'd still never bet against him in an all-disciplines competition.

Obviously, John Schmidt, Ralf Souquet, Alex Pagulayan, Danny Harriman, Wu Chia Ching, and Shannon Daulton are all firmly in the conversation.

Somewhat less obviously, Thorsten Hohmann belongs in the conversation, too. After all, Hohmann finished seventh in the 2009 Derby City banks event and ninth in the 2008 Derby City one pocket event. When you add these recent results to the fact that a) he is, arguably, the World's best 14.1 player, b) he has won the World 9-ball Championship, and c) he won an 8-ball event with a first prize of $350,000, and it adds up to one hell of an all-around player.

Another player meriting some attention is Marlon Manalo, who has proven his pedigree many times over in nine ball, eight ball and snooker.
 

Bobby

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Efren is the master of all. If you had a challenge like this, I'm sure he would still manage to rise to the top. (don't forget all of his 14.1 titles)

All of his 14.1 titles? He's won one - 1995 Main Event. That being said, he still might be a threat in 14.1 against top players.
 

Salamander

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know Souquet doesn't play one-pocket (at least that I know of), but he is right near the top in 9-ball and 14.1, and I can't imagine that if he put his mind to it he wouldn't be an excellent one-pocket pocket player as well.

Ralph is a superb one pocket player.
 
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