Best pool player in the world???

ARM9BALLER · Jul 5, 2005

I just wanted to know who is the best pool player in the world? If there is already a thread similar to this one, I would like to know what the outcome was. If not please reply. Give me your honest and unbiased opinion. Celtic seems to think that Earl or Sigel should have top honors over Efren. I know you are gonna say that I am playing favorites just cause I'm filipino, but I just so happen to think that Efren is the best pool player in the world.

vapoolplayer · Jul 5, 2005

i don't think there is a "best pool player" in the world.

there are many many many world class players. each can win when they are playing good.

VAP

Shorty · Jul 5, 2005

ARM9BALLER said:
I just wanted to know who is the best pool player in the world? If there is already a thread similar to this one, I would like to know what the outcome was. If not please reply. Give me your honest and unbiased opinion. Celtic seems to think that Earl or Sigel should have top honors over Efren. I know you are gonna say that I am playing favorites just cause I'm filipino, but I just so happen to think that Efren is the best pool player in the world.

Depends on the game...right now all around I would have to say Efren is a strong candidate. Back in the late 80s to mid 90s, Earl was the man. Johnny was strong as well during that time. In the 70's nobody hit em better than Buddy at times...so its just an open ended debate. Then if you wanna talk road warriors, I would say Ronnie Allen is the man.

Shorty

vapoolplayer · Jul 5, 2005

Shorty said:
Depends on the game...right now all around I would have to say Efren is a strong candidate. Back in the late 80s to mid 90s, Earl was the man. Johnny was strong as well during that time. In the 70's nobody hit em better than Buddy at times...so its just an open ended debate. Then if you wanna talk road warriors, I would say Ronnie Allen is the man.

Shorty

ronnie over keith, grady, danny basavich? i think i'd put those above ronnie, even though he's very high on the list.

i think personally danny is one of the best in recent years. there's others out there that are great right now though.

VAP

SkippyFL · Jul 5, 2005

Efren has my vote as the best all around pool player. Probobly Earl is the best nineball player though. But I think Efren would beat Earl at other games like rotation, one hole and 14.1. It would be really interesting to watch them play 14.1.

skippy

Koop · Jul 5, 2005

Thorsten Hohmann in my opinion is the rising number one in pool. He plays all games well and I love to watch him shoot.

JMO,
Koop

storke · Jul 5, 2005

best pool player

ok lets first start off by saying the game does make a difference. secound whose break is working that day. doesnt matter how well you play if your not breaking well. then i read a thread sayin danny basivich are you kidding me. hes a good player but no where near great. even in gambling games. lets put it this way ronnie allen in his day was able to give champions weight in one pocket. i havent heard of any body doing that but him. so ill lay it out one pocet ronnie allen. straight pool either mike seigal or willie mosconi. 9 ball earl strickland. eight ball efren reyes. remembering that being there break was on

henho · Jul 5, 2005

Earl and Efren are fantastic, but I think they are past their prime. Their current level of play just shows how strong their prime really was.

Many of the top players are capable of playing at the same level, it just depends on who is having the best day. That said, I believe that Deuel, Ching-Shun Yang, and Hohmann have the potential to become players of a caliber not seen before. Deuel has unbelievable raw talent, Yang has talent and discipine, and Hohmann has an attitude and capacity for growth that could make him frighteningly good.

JPB · Jul 5, 2005

DDKoop said:
Thorsten Hohmann in my opinion is the rising number one in pool. He plays all games well and I love to watch him shoot.

JMO,
Koop

Didn't I read in Billiards Digest this month that he has run 400 in 14.1 and has gone out of his way to play straight pool? I think this is important because in my mind to be considered the world's best you have to play several games really well. Just being a 9-ball specialist doesn't do it.

Koop · Jul 5, 2005

JPB said:
Didn't I read in Billiards Digest this month that he has run 400 in 14.1 and has gone out of his way to play straight pool? I think this is important because in my mind to be considered the world's best you have to play several games really well. Just being a 9-ball specialist doesn't do it.

He's also won a couple 14.1 tournaments where the entrants were no slouches. It's always tough and very subjective to say who is the best, but in my opinion, Hohmann comes closest to the best of the younger players.
Efren still has to be considered with his skill at so many games but I think Hohmann can surpass Efren if he sticks with it long enough.

sjm · Jul 5, 2005

DDKoop said:
Thorsten Hohmann in my opinion is the rising number one in pool. He plays all games well and I love to watch him shoot.

JMO,
Koop

Yes, the thread doesn't ask who was the best, it asks who is the best. About a month ago, I posted the following about Thorsten Hohmann:

Hohmann, still very young, in the last two years alone:

...won the 2003 world championship
...has a second place in the 2004 US Open
...has won the 2005 BCA Open title
...dominated a very elite field at the 2003 NJ Straight Pool Campionships
...dominated the straight pool event at the 2005 European Championships

I haven't said this about any player in twenty years, but this guy is bringing back memories of Mike Sigel.

Alex is great, but Hohmann is better. Efren is better yet, beng the world's best eight ball player, the world's best one-pocket player, and one of the world's best nineball players.

But the Efren Reyes era is surely gradually drawing to a close and, to me, Hohmann may soon be known as the world's best pool player.

I suspect he's not the best yet, but if Hohmann prevails over the likes of Archer, Chao, Pagualyan, Immonen and several other worldbeaters remaining in the 2005 WPC draw, then maybe I need to reconsider.

JoeyInCali · Jul 5, 2005

One hole, Efren.
8-ball, Efren.
9-ball, Deuel.
Banks, Piggy.
Straight-pool, John Schmidt.

bgb · Jul 5, 2005

There's little doubt that Efren is the best pool player in the world.

- He's one major titles in nine ball, one pocket and straight pool.
- He'll give every other one pocket player in the world at least 2 balls, and most can get 3.
- He'll give every other nine ball player in the world at least the 8 ball, and most can get the 7.
- He won the Derby City all around twice
- He beat Earl in a race to 120 for $100K

Others are on his heels, most notably Pagulayan, who plays all games well, and guys like Archer, Deuel, Hohlmann, Immonen and so forth but no one even comes close to Efren's all around skills.

StoneCold · Jul 5, 2005

Bassavich........I don't think so

Why does everyone think this guy is the shit? About a year ago he wanted the last 2 from David G., are you kidding me or what?

senor · Jul 5, 2005

vapoolplayer said:
ronnie over keith, grady, danny basavich? i think i'd put those above ronnie, even though he's very high on the list.

i think personally danny is one of the best in recent years. there's others out there that are great right now though.

VAP

I think there may be some confusion over which Ronnie, because Ronnie Allen was the man back in the day, and none of the three you mentioned could fade him even.

hemicudas · Jul 5, 2005

To Iterate

To iterate, forgive me Mr. Mosconi but Efren is the greatest pool player who ever lived.

OldHasBeen · Jul 5, 2005

(IMHO) Efren, Maybe

If someone put a gun to my head and I had to choose - I'd pick Efren - BUT - I think it comes down to any one of 20 to 30 players could be "The Best" on any given Match, Day, Week or Month.

TY & GL

sniper · Jul 5, 2005

JoeyInCali said:
Straight-pool, John Schmidt.

John Schmidt the best straight pool player in the world. I'm sorry I have to diasagree, Hohmann has ran 404 and Engert has ran 492. I would take either of the Germans over Schmidt. No disrespect to Schmidt but IMO he isn't quite at the level of these players.

T411 · Jul 5, 2005

OldHasBeen said:
If someone put a gun to my head and I had to choose - I'd pick Efren - BUT - I think it comes down to any one of 20 to 30 players could be "The Best" on any given Match, Day, Week or Month.

TY & GL

I have to agree and if I may add I think that there is more talent out there right now than there has ever been. Not taking any thing away from any of the old-school players from the past because I think they all would match-up from whatever era. But at any one time there are more “players” than ever.

bgb · Jul 5, 2005

sniper said:
John Schmidt the best straight pool player in the world. I'm sorry I have to diasagree, Hohmann has ran 404 and Engert has ran 492. I would take either of the Germans over Schmidt. No disrespect to Schmidt but IMO he isn't quite at the level of these players.

And Schmidt lost to Alex P gambling playing even straight pool twice ...

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