An Efren forum?

fan-tum said:
Mixed messages...are you slamming my thread by including your positive post?
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That's a mystery huh?? Just curious why you'd think there needs to be a separate forum dealing with the minutia of his life. I'm assuming the purpose is a book. Why else? I like the guy too, have actually seen him play in person a few times. Also know how he plays chess because a friend who is a master level player smoked ER's ass at a tournament once. His favorite color is aqua and he hates peanut-butter. Just jackin' with ya man. Need to relax there sparky.;)
 
garczar said:
That's a mystery huh?? Just curious why you'd think there needs to be a separate forum dealing with the minutia of his life. I'm assuming the purpose is a book. Why else? I like the guy too, have actually seen him play in person a few times. Also know how he plays chess because a friend who is a master level player smoked ER's ass at a tournament once. His favorite color is aqua and he hates peanut-butter. Just jackin' with ya man. Need to relax there sparky.;)
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I gotcha, but a book, lol. My mother had to write my themes and term papers in high school (which she loved to do], and me researching all over the place for Efren stuff? Man, me lazy bro.
 
It was at the Derby in 1999, and Efern is hitting balls by himself in the chapel. This seemed to be an unwritten invitation for people to walk up and hand him their cue for approval. Gratuitously, he bunts the balls around with each one. But right before returning it he shoots some incredible stroke shot and the crowd goes wild. He then hands each cue back with a slight grin and says, "good cue". What a proverbial alligator on the shirt for Efern to give your cue a nod.
 
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fan-tum said:
Any interest in an Efren forum. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to know about him.
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Challenge is that when people who know start writing on how often Efren lost, new fans never believe it. We had a recent thread where someone asked if Efren was the GOAT of 9-ball. New fans couldn’t believe how many old schoolers who actually watched professional pool back then didn’t put him in the Top 5.


But I’ll add links here, so keep coming back because I’ll keep editing.

Anito Kid’s blog: Anito Kid on Efren - History

AZB post from Anito Kid: Efren's Cues

A few articles in my Drive: Efren Articles
 
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In the mid to late 1980s I met Frank van den Bosch who opened the Billiard Cafe in Chicago after a dispute with the owner of Chris's Billiards.

Frank said while Efren was practicing he over heard a bunch of Filipino kids talking about the money they lost. Efren asked who did they lose the money to, they said to Rocket Man.

Efren asked, "Where does he play?"

The kids answered, "Marie's Golden Cue".

Efren then asked, "Can you take me there?".

Rocket man knew who Efren was but Efren offered a game that Rocket Man couldn't refuse.

After Efren won he went down the line and asked each kid, "How much did you lose?".

How did Rocket Man get his nickname? Because he goes off like a .................

I will write more stories from Frank in a different post.
 
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evergruven said:
fun story- thanks for sharing! did anything stand out to you about playing efren?
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Yes, he had perfect speed control, I will have to find a program or app to diagram a shot where he turned a normal safety into a great safety.

Basically he kept leaving the cue ball where I had no way to play safe.
 
I just remembered a shot that Efren did not shoot on a YouTube video, I will try to find it and post a link.

The commentators were surprised that Efren did not bury the cue ball in the stack.

Instead Efren chose to leave his opponent an easy up table safety.

After his opponent played the up table safety Efren pocketed a ball that was dead in the stack.

The beauty of what Efren did and what allowed the shot to work is Efren NEVER looked at the stack.

If Efren had looked at the stack his opponent probably would have also looked and would have done something to break up the dead ball.

Efren decided to NOT do something that allowed him to win the game.
 
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Island Drive said:
I somewhat remember when he First Arrived and played in Houston at the Reds Tournament.
I think they named him Cesear Morales?
Was a long time ago, early 80's.
No one knew who he was at the time, Scott Smith might of.
Anywho he proceeds to beat all challengers, and after the herd thinned, Medina was all puffed up ready to beat em, I think a $1000 set (a good bet back then) Dino got drilled.
After Cesear had gone thru all the top player$ Buddy Hall like a big Bull frog, waiting for the physical wear down of this man, took down the dough, not sure how much or what, as I was also matched up during that game and was doin' my own thing.
That's when it began.

bm
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Island Drive said:
I somewhat remember when he First Arrived and played in Houston at the Reds Tournament.
I think they named him Cesear Morales?
Was a long time ago, early 80's.
No one knew who he was at the time, Scott Smith might of.
Anywho he proceeds to beat all challengers, and after the herd thinned, Medina was all puffed up ready to beat em, I think a $1000 set (a good bet back then) Dino got drilled.
After Cesear had gone thru all the top player$ Buddy Hall like a big Bull frog, waiting for the physical wear down of this man, took down the dough, not sure how much or what, as I was also matched up during that game and was doin' my own thing.
That's when it began.

bm
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Cesar Morales was Efren’s traveling partner at that time. Cesar is active on Facebooks. Efren just used Cesar’s name because the name “Efren Reyes” was already known due to John Grissim’s book.


This is Cesar next to Efren.
 

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Island Drive said:
I somewhat remember when he First Arrived and played in Houston at the Reds Tournament.
I think they named him Cesear Morales?
Was a long time ago, early 80's.
No one knew who he was at the time, Scott Smith might of.
Anywho he proceeds to beat all challengers, and after the herd thinned, Medina was all puffed up ready to beat em, I think a $1000 set (a good bet back then) Dino got drilled.
After Cesear had gone thru all the top player$ Buddy Hall like a big Bull frog, waiting for the physical wear down of this man, took down the dough, not sure how much or what, as I was also matched up during that game and was doin' my own thing.
That's when it began.

bm
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Whenever I visit a city I try to find out which pool room has the most action. I was in New Orleans in the late 1980s or early 1990s at a pool room where I was told I might see some good pool players. I do not remember the name of the room but it wasn't the Sportsman.

I was reading a newspaper while I was waiting to see if something would happen when a gentleman came up to me and said, "I do not ever remember anyone reading the Wall Street Journal in a pool room". A great opening line and we hit it off right away so we started telling each other stories.

Again I apologize but I do not remember the gentleman’s name but he said he was in Houston when Efren as Cesear Morales won the tournament and beat everyone he played except Buddy for the cash.

As Efren was beating everyone the talk in the room was we're going to have to get "Slow" to play Efren. “Slow” was the affectionate nickname for Buddy because he played sooo slowly.

Buddy was the only person that beat Efren at Red's and the gentleman said the guys in the room put in with Buddy to bet the $10,000 they played for.
 
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There was a rumor then that Reyes used a $20 dollar cue stick during his Cesar Morales time. But he clarified this that it's not $20 but $10. And that cue stick was owned by the real Cesar Morales, it was loaned to Efren. He cannot used any other cue stick however expensive they are because that $10 cue is the only magic cue he can use to win.
 
parvus1202 said:
There was a rumor then that Reyes used a $20 dollar cue stick during his Cesar Morales time. But he clarified this that it's not $20 but $10. And that cue stick was owned by the real Cesar Morales, it was loaned to Efren. He cannot used any other cue stick however expensive they are because that $10 cue is the only magic cue he can use to win.
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Please just read the links that I provided.
 
garczar said:
That's a mystery huh?? Just curious why you'd think there needs to be a separate forum dealing with the minutia of his life. I'm assuming the purpose is a book. Why else? I like the guy too, have actually seen him play in person a few times. Also know how he plays chess because a friend who is a master level player smoked ER's ass at a tournament once. His favorite color is aqua and he hates peanut-butter. Just jackin' with ya man. Need to relax there sparky.;)
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Just look at the responses so far. Everyone wants to share their Efren stories. I don’t think anyone needs their own forum, even the Mizerak one has pretty much dried up, but nothing too weird about asking.
 
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