if you had to pick one person to win a game for you who would it be

D

delta boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ive played pool for over 40 years and this question will come up from time to time and my answer is only based on the players that i know and have seen play. my choice would be efren in his prime.regaurdless of the shot bank,cut shot,kick shot or position efren is the best ive ever seen.it doesnt matter what game is being played he plays them all jam up.i know there are so people who may or may not agree with me but look at his track record for the last 30 plus years.anyway looking forward to hear some the responses
 
Mosconi in his prime, he was the most dominant pressure pool player in the world for 20 straight years.

I mean with this question you are not looking for just talent, you want nerves of steel, guys who no matter what the bet or what the pressure they could make the shot.

Wu is a guy who at this stage of the game seems to have no nerves, that kid ran multiple racks in a row to win the world championships of 9-ball, his first major title, with his opponent the whole time on the hill. Most of the Taiwanese players seem to have a fairly business like approach to the game and have few nerves that get in the way of their performance. Yang is another guy who is gonna get out.

Bustamente at his peak was a dangerous threat to run out from anywhere and rarely missed a table he was supposed to run. Ralf is another rock.

Mostly I am going to pick people with few emotions and a simple pure determination at the table. The types of guys who don't blink when they make a great shot, dont get pumped up, they just continue doing what they do.
 
Picking a single person for the win.

I think Mosconi tops this list no question for me.I think Buddy and Earl in their highest gear tie for second on my list if the game is 9-ball.


Keith
 
Ahhh, for a time machine. But if I had that, I'd forget pool...I'd invest 10,000 with Bill Gates at the right moment in time.
 
not knowing which game?

If I pick 1 player for 1 game not knowing in advance which game it might be - I pick Ronnie Allen

If I gotta pick 1 player of today same circumstances Mika is my choice

If its 9ball and i can pick him at his prime Earl

I saw Willie at jack and jill when he had to be close to 80 and he still was unbelivable - I can only guess at how good he was

same place same time frame I saw Eddie Taylor and he would be close to Ronnie if you factor all games he was unbeatable at banks but could play great at every game

opinions are like aholes everyones got 1 and thats mine - no one can say for sure - I'm just gesan
 
Wow that's a tough, tough question.

There are so many choices..

It also depends on the game. BTW, when you said game did you mean one single game, straight to ?, or a race?

If the game is straight, and if we can get around the death thing, then I'd go with DeOro, or Mosconi. If it has to be a current living player I'd have to go with Mika or Thorsten.

9 Ball: I'd go with Earl at his best. The Earl that put, and still can put, fear in his opponents.

Johnny Archer at his best would be my second pick.

Banks: Eddie "The Knoxville Bear" Taylor.

Great thread! :smile:
 
I think I would pick Alex P. 'cause even if he didn't win the game for me, at least I got a few goods laughs out of it :grin-square:!!!

Maniac
 
Bet it all

delta boy said:
ive played pool for over 40 years and this question will come up from time to time and my answer is only based on the players that i know and have seen play. my choice would be efren in his prime.regaurdless of the shot bank,cut shot,kick shot or position efren is the best ive ever seen.it doesnt matter what game is being played he plays them all jam up.i know there are so people who may or may not agree with me but look at his track record for the last 30 plus years.anyway looking forward to hear some the responses
Click to expand...

Efren's choice is Nick Varner.
Many oldtimers would pick Marcel Campe.
My choice? I've probably seen 100 players who could play that 1 game.
Courage and the will to win are not confined to champions.I watched an
APA 4 run the last 5 balls to win an 8-ball match....he showed as much
character as Earl winning the $million.

Speaking of Earl....he or the Lion are 2 of that 100
 
i agree with you with mosconi in straight pool but when it came to 9ball or one pocket he reallt didnt play much of either and there were many player that could beat him at either.i feel when it came down to one game of any game efren in his prime was the best ive ever seen. i know shane is a talented player of today but i dont feel he good get there with efren
 
A lot of good choices here. I don't think what game or what the stakes are is the important thing here but more who the opponent is.

If it's my wire I think I can choose myself in a 20 ahead match of any pool game. She is an APA level 3.
 
i would have to say i would like Jim Rempe to run a 150 & out for me, hense winning the game and me getting to see a great player run a 150 !!!
 
A lot of great players have been mentioned here. But i would want a guy with nerves of steel and i don't think anyone was better under pressure then Luther Lassiter. And he could play a bit. Also Don Willis would be a fine choice. Maybe a better one.
 
If it's gambling for $10k, James Walden. Smart and smoooove, baby.


Back in the day, Buddy Hall. Johnny has to be thrown in there for tournament play.
 
It's efren for sure. Even at his 'weakest' game (?) straight pool he can still run hundreds. And he just finds a way to win and his unreal kicking means that there's no situation that's hopeless for him as long as he gets to shoot.
 
Earl Strickland would be my choice.

When I first heard the question I thought of Mosconi but I don't think he would play as hard if he wasn't winning something, with Willie it was all about winning.
 
efren??

I think Efren is a great pool player and a nice guy, however I wonder why he has only won the us open 9 ball championship 1 time. Not that thats not great but for a guy a lotta folks pick as the best ever (the guy you pick to win 1 game) to win it only once and that was more then 15 years ago.

Maybe he only entered a few times but I have seen him there at least 5 times.

Again for the record I like Efren and think he correctly is considered 1 of the best. Maybe just not "the" best when it comes to 9ball.

Just my opinion!
 
ive listened to people wonder what the game is or what the bet is and none of that doesnt matter at all.regaurdless of the game or the amopunt of the bet efren in his prime was the most dominant player that i ever saw.your best player doesnt and will not always win the tournaments but if the best players played day in and day out the betterplayer will always get the cash,when efren and the rest of hiscountry me would gamble they didnt have pockets full of cash they brought in breif cases full,right now the only american we have thats not afraid to gamble with any of them is shane van boening but ive seen and heard alex tell him they he would follow shane all over the world andmake him play cause he coulnt win.i dont know if he couldnt orcant but shane will one day be one of the most dominate players of all time if thats what he want but efren in his prime would eat him up playing anything but there again thats my opionion
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top