Another pool story "The Magician"

[middleofnowhere]

The Magician

Appreciating Efren "Bata" Reyes, the greatest pool player to ever live

sportsstories.substack.com

 

[PoolBum]

I had always thought that Efren's first trip to the U.S. was for the 1985 Red's 9-Ball Open. This article seems to imply that he came to the U.S. before that. Is that true?

 

[jay helfert]

I had always thought that Efren's first trip to the U.S. was for the 1985 Red's 9-Ball Open. This article seems to imply that he came to the U.S. before that. Is that true?

I think that was his first trip here. He arrived in California a few weeks before Reds and hustled his way to Texas. He played Keith in Orange County and Keith beat him playing 9-Ball. They thought he was from Mexico. The author may be confusing Efren with Parica who had been coming to the U.S. since 1979.