Consensus "Greatest of All Time" (GOAT) List

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
It is the "Greatest Pool Player of All Time" list. I would think most people today would interpret that to imply excellence at mostly 9/10-ball, but also being well-rounded in all pool games (e.g., one-pocket, banks, straight pool).


Sorry, but Lassiter and Worst are not on the current Top 25 list. Please submit your vote with a total score of 5, choosing players on the list on the first post.

Thanks,
Dave

Edited. You don't have the right players on the initial list.

All the best,
WW
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
It is the "Greatest Pool Player of All Time" list. I would think most people today would interpret that to imply excellence at mostly 9/10-ball, but also being well-rounded in all pool games (e.g., one-pocket, banks, straight pool).


Sorry, but Lassiter and Worst are not on the current Top 25 list. Please submit your vote with a total score of 5, choosing only players on the list in the first post.
Edited. You don't have the right players on the initial list.

All the best,
WW
If you want to participate anyway, please choose from the well-researched Top 25 players (excluding the honorable-mention players from the distant past) in the first post.

Thanks,
Dave
 

JohnnyOzone

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What's the point of voting for "all time" when you exclude a huge part of "time"?
I thought you were scientific in your methods, but this way of listing "all time" players is a joke.
 

Mich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sigel 5
There is no substitute. Greatest Player in the finals period. In Dead Stroke unbeatable by anyone. Buddy Hall said it best, "No one shoots straighter than Mike Sigel."
 

Dimeball

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Efren 1
SVB 2
Strickland 3
Busty 4
Siegel 5
5 years from now, SVB will be the Goat! Money talks fellas!
 

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
If you want to participate anyway, please choose from the well-researched Top 25 players (excluding the honorable-mention players from the distant past)

Thanks,
Dave

What makes this a valid survey if you've initially excluded some of the best? Just wondering.

All the best,
WW
 

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
There are already 10k who is the greatest threads, and this one doesn't resolve anything more than the others did.
 

Grilled Cheese

p.i.i.t.h.
Silver Member
Depends on criteria. On tournament wins...as well as talent, dominance and such...


Earl Strickland is the GOAT.

But there will be bias against him due to people's opinion of him, as opposed to his game and his record. That won't change until a few decades down the road when his record will remain, not the drama.


A very close second is Efren. Efren has more diversity and success across more games, but does not have the number of big time titles that Earl does, nor was Efren ever as dominant in getting the titles he did. Earl was just a ball pocketing, perfect position play machine. What a freak. When he was in his prime, he steamrolled opponents.


After that, I'd say Sigel and Van Boening with Shane ahead. Shane can catch or pass Earl, he just needs a world championship at least, preferably two and another US Open. Earl has 3x world, 5x US Open.


Too much value is placed on Efren playing a variety of games. Is Mosconi's greatness diminished because someone else back then was stronger in 9-ball, one-pocket or 3-cushion? Nonsense.

The measure that matters is who was king and who dominated the main-game of the era.


9-ball was the game, and Earl owned it.


It's easy to understand why....Efren is likeable, a good sport, and not a man of much words and when he does speak, it isn't in a language most understand anyway. On the table, he is so absurdly creative, such immense knowledge. He is very, very fun to watch.


However, all those dazzling shots....while entertaining, most of them were recovery shots or because he was in a bad place that he shouldn't have been.


This is why in other sports, or even the arts ...there's fan opinions and expert opinion.


People get wowed by Efren's shots, but many of these come as result of a breakdown in consistency. He's human, everyone makes mistakes. But the greatest play is the most technically sound, and consistent play - which looks very routine and boring in a sense. Efren in his career rarely showed super consistent play, that also led to dominant tournaments. He wasn't the kind of machine Earl was.


Earl on the other hand has mild mental illness, and was heckled, trolled and triggered by vicious fans, leading to explosions and Earl being a sort of villain.
 
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