2008 US Open and Efren Reyes

Kurida said:
Efren has a same chance to win like any player in a tournament. He might not be as dominating and fearsome like before. His game has indeed gone down. Why? 1. Yes he's got health issues. It is being treated now but it is the kind that will really sabotage anybody's game. Can't tell you folks here for respect to Efren's privacy. 2. He doesn't practice anymore. 3. He is not a hungry player. 4. He is rich. 5. Efren has nothing to prove to others and to himself. SO the question lies....Where will he get the motivation to play best pool?
Efren is still and will always be pleasurable to watch.
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He won the overall at Derby City last year. If his game is off it's because of health issues. He isn't any richer or less hungry now than he was last year.
 
EL'nino said:
His game has fallen considerably in the last few Years..... now He can only give the best Players in the World the 7!!! :grin:
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He did offer any pro at Hard Times one time ( the top pros were there ) the 7-ball if Bustamante broke for him.
Nobody took it.
 
Buddy Hall won the open in his late forties or early 50s. Mike Lebron won it in his 50s. Mosconi and Lassiter both won tournaments against tough fields in their senior years.

The only things stopping an older player from winning are physical issues and desire.

Eftren has never amassed the 9-ball titles that people think he should have. One foul nine ball is not his best game. He doesn't have a power break, until a few years ago he never jumped balls, he kicks with the best of them but even at that you are still at a disadvantage when kicking in 9-ball. I bet on average even Efren sells out on kicks in nine ball over 50% of the time he shoots a kick shot. By selling out I mean he either leaves a makeable shot or leaves a full ball so that the incoming player can play Efren safe again.

So one-foul nine ball is the type of contest that Efren can lose to weaker players by virtue of the break and quite frankly luck.

Strickland on the other hand, with his big break, fearless shotmaking, and command of the jump shot is a nine ball machine.

In regards to who is the best: I will leave you with two stories,

In a big tournament way back before the table had felt, the promoter ran around and handed out bio sheets and asked everyone to fill them out. When Don Willis handed his in there were no titles on it and the announcer asked him what he had done. So Don reached over to the stack and picked out the bio with the most titles on it and wrote, "I beat him".

Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland played a three day race to 120 (back in ancient times when there was no Action Report) for the amount of $100,000 in 1990's money. At one point Efren was down more than 17 games while Strickland needed 6 to win it. Sound familiar SVB/Alex fans?

Reyes came back and won it. Even if Strickland played horrible from that point he should have stumbled over the finish line ahead of Reyes.

Efren, like, Buddy Hall, has a knack for winning the big ones. His performances in big money tournaments are unsurpassed.

If Efren is physically able to play then he has as good or better chance to win the US Open than any other player who enters it.

Ask the top ten finishers at the open if they would like to play Efren one single race to 13 for the money they received for playing the Open. I personally don't think any of them would like to do that unless it's small money.
 
That's a funny one

JoeyInCali said:
He did offer any pro at Hard Times one time ( the top pros were there ) the 7-ball if Bustamante broke for him.
Nobody took it.
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Having someone else to break for you? I have never heard of that one before. LOL!
 
Dragon Cue said:
Having someone else to break for you? I have never heard of that one before. LOL!
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The top players make all kinds of strange games between themselves.

By the way did you know that the cue in your avatar was designed by Amy Nichols? She is an accomplished artist who does incredible work.

Here is a link to the full image as it's on the cue - Amy Nichols' Dragon
 
JusticeNJ said:
he may be the greatest all around player, but 9-ball, I dunno. listen to the runout radio episode with buddy hall.

mike and jerry ask buddy (excluding himself) who he thought the best players he ever played were. Buddy named Sigel, Earl, and Efren. With emphasis on Sigel and Earl. (I know many people name Lassiter the best 9-ball player ever, including Buddy himself in some interviews, but I'm just sticking to the interview). It is a great interview. And its free to download! So throw it on your iPod and your morning commute to work won't be as miserable.

justin.
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I recall talking to Earl at one of Starchers 9-ball tournaments in Akron OH many years ago. He had won that tournament a number of times with many good players in it. We were outside getting some fresh air and I commented to him on how good he played. He said that here comes the "mayor" and it was Buddy Hall driving his car past us. Earl had great respect for Buddy's game and Buddy the same for Earl. They are all great players including Efren, Sigel, Willis, Lassiter and Rempe. How talented they ALL are! I think old man time isn't in Efren's corner now but he surely is capable to play great!
Curly
 
Oh wow!

JB Cases said:
By the way did you know that the cue in your avatar was designed by Amy Nichols? She is an accomplished artist who does incredible work.

Here is a link to the full image as it's on the cue - Amy Nichols' Dragon
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Thanks. I didn't know that. I'd picked that userID as it actually was a name of the poolhall in Chinatown in Chicago I used to frequent.

I will check out the website. Thanks.
 
JXMIKE said:
yeah i hope im wrong too, hes one of the greatest players ever and did tons for the game...but the fact of the matter is his time is over and its someone elses turn now ( i believe it will be SVB ).
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Hate to break it to you but the torch Efren once carried has already been passed and SVB does not have it atm. Orcollo had the top spot in most peoples eyes for a short while, Wu Chia-Ching is probably the most consistently dominant player in the world atm when it comes to world class events.

There are quite afew players in the world today that are better bets then Efren to win a major event. Feijen, Wu, Souquet, Alcano, Yang, SVB, Kou, Orcollo, and more.

Now that does not mean Efren cannot win, the guy has a flashback and anything is possible, but he much like Strickland is now a serious underdog in fields he once would have been at the top of. Both of those guys have either lost the ability to win, or forgot how.

Pool might not be as isolated to age as many sports, but the peak of a players billiards ability is usually going to come in the 20's and 30's. Once you hit the big 4-0 alot of things start to change. The best can maybe fight it out another 10 years.

That said, there is going to be well over 200 people in the US Open this year. I and many other people would likely gladly take action on Efren with 200/1 odds, which is pretty fair odds for a guy with no chance in an event with way more then 200 players. What do ya say origonal poster? I will put up $5, want to put up $1000 on your sure thing bet?
 
That's a novel way of stating facts!
And I kid you not!

:)
JB Cases said:
In a big tournament way back before the table had felt, the promoter ran around and handed out bio sheets and asked everyone to fill them out. When Don Willis handed his in there were no titles on it and the announcer asked him what he had done. So Don reached over to the stack and picked out the bio with the most titles on it and wrote, "I beat him".
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I believe this was The Color of Money Event held in Hong Kong?

JB Cases said:
Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland played a three day race to 120 (back in ancient times when there was no Action Report) for the amount of $100,000 in 1990's money. At one point Efren was down more than 17 games while Strickland needed 6 to win it. Sound familiar SVB/Alex fans?

Reyes came back and won it. Even if Strickland played horrible from that point he should have stumbled over the finish line ahead of Reyes.

Efren, like, Buddy Hall, has a knack for winning the big ones. His performances in big money tournaments are unsurpassed.

If Efren is physically able to play then he has as good or better chance to win the US Open than any other player who enters it.

Ask the top ten finishers at the open if they would like to play Efren one single race to 13 for the money they received for playing the Open. I personally don't think any of them would like to do that unless it's small money.
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*Truth be told, I'm rooting for Efren to win the U.S. Open!

Go Efren!
 
inside_english said:
And yes, I think Earl Strickland is a better 9-ball player, and probably is THE best 9-ball player that ever lived. Why do I say that? Let's start and end with 5 (FIVE) US Open titles...a feat that will probably never be duplicated. Efren won it once. Earl's run out patterns are objects of beauty, efficiency and tenacity, all rolled up in one.

Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like watching Efren play, well, anything?
But...their respective personalities aside...I think Earl has the overall advantage in 9-ball. He is a pure 9-ball machine.

Just my opinion of course.
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I agree. I think Earl has a better chance of winning this year than Efren. No disrespect intended, as I like Efren alot as well. I would certainly like to see an American win this year :grin: .
 
justin.powell said:
I agree. I think Earl has a better chance of winning this year than Efren. No disrespect intended, as I like Efren alot as well. I would certainly like to see an American win this year :grin: .
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The best bet would be SVB, and not Earl...
 
How many would have picked - BET ON - Gabe Owen, John Shmidt, or Shane Van Boening to win the US Open when they did? None of these players would like to go head to head with Efren for their own money for any length of time. Or how about Tommy Kennedy? Reed Pierce?

The point is that all of these players are not Efren's speed (not far off either) and they have won the US Open, and I'd be willing to bet that you could have gotten much better odds on them than you would on Efren any time he has played.

Efren has as much chance as any other player to win the US Open. I'll take a hundred dollars on him if anyone is giving up 100:1 odds against him winning though. :-)
 
If 9-ball is efren's weakest game. I wonder what would happen if Earl played him in rotation or even carom. How about 1 pocket? Being a Filly myself I'm of course biased but I'd like to hear other's opinions.
 
efren's greatness

there is no doubt about efren's greatness.... that is indeed his and his alone

1. like jb cues stated.. between earl and reyes on 9 ball.. that was setteld long time ago at the color of money in hongkong race to 120.. reyes won

2. efren and most pool experts agrees that 9 ball is efrens weakest game

3. the way he lifted pool to a different level...his magic.. is something that will never be matched by any player... ( no disrespect- all great pool palyers- when you watched them - you see things that you see on a regular basis amongst top players... when you see efren plays..you see magic).. his magical games indeed sts him apart

4. how easily can we forget that not too long ago he won the biggest prize money ever.. at age when most are retiring..he's still on the very top.. (biggets purse- ipt and japan world)

5. reyes now as mentioned by somebody here, has nothing to prove anymore

6. his own peers..about 85% voted for him as the greatest pool player of all time...never mind what very few says

....anybody here would bet at least 10k on earl or any supposedly greatest nineball player of all time against reyes in a one day race to 50..PM me

peace... :smile:

reyes.. the greatest pool player of all time. period
 
I don't think Efren is playing the Open this year. One of my friends was supposed to pick him up this past weekend in LA and I think he cancelled. Otherwise, the Filipino in me would have to root for him too! :smile:
 
I also heard last night that Efren is sick and will not travel to the USA this week.

hilla_hilla said:
I don't think Efren is playing the Open this year. One of my friends was supposed to pick him up this past weekend in LA and I think he cancelled. Otherwise, the Filipino in me would have to root for him too! :smile:
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