Best One-Pocket Player in the History of The World?

Who's the Best One-Pocket Player in the History of the World??

  • Efren Reyes

    Votes: 185 73.7%

  • Rich Ford

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Jersey Red

    Votes: 8 3.2%

  • Grady Mathews

    Votes: 5 2.0%

  • Weenie Beanie

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Eddie Taylor

    Votes: 10 4.0%

  • Cliff Joyner

    Votes: 3 1.2%

  • Shannon Daulton

    Votes: 1 0.4%

  • Ronnie Allen

    Votes: 19 7.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 14 5.6%
  • Total voters
    251
lewdo26 said:
Gotta love the 1hole shoptalk threads...I was hoping Jay and Freddy chimed in. Even though I already knew from other threads what Freddy was going to say. Too bad I'll never get to see these guys play.

Freddy, how about Harold Worst? I know he died before reaching his peak at 1P, but Grady's said he was learning the game a little too quick.
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I watched Harold Worst beat a gaff game in Johnston City, where he had to run 18 to 20 balls in one pocket without missing. There were 21 balls on the table to start, so you can imagine how crowded it was. It was one amazing exhibition of One Pocket skill, equal to anything Efren ever did.

In my opinion Harold Worst would have been the best at any game he chose to play. I include Snooker, Three Cushion (World Champ at age 24) and 14.1 in this assessment. He was simply better with a pool cue in his hand than anyone else back then. And improving rapidly. He wanted to play Lassiter some serious 9-Ball, and I'm sure Ronnie was on his hit list in One Pocket.

You might compare his skills to Efren or maybe Ronnie O'Sullivan. Somehow Worst has always stood out in my mind. He somehow seemed to be above the rest, maybe because he was so unflappable and relentless in his pursuits. And a very intelligent gentleman, not a hustler by any means.

I know all the top players gave him a wide berth in the 60's. No one was talking up a game with him. NO ONE!
 
Nobody would play him even!

lewdo26 said:
Gotta love the 1hole shoptalk threads...I was hoping Jay and Freddy chimed in. Even though I already knew from other threads what Freddy was going to say. Too bad I'll never get to see these guys play.

Freddy, how about Harold Worst? I know he died before reaching his peak at 1P, but Grady's said he was learning the game a little too quick.
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I overheard this conversation at Johnston City:
Cornbread Red talking to Eddie Taylor, "Hey "Bear" (Taylor, the Knoxville Bear) when you gonna play this Dutchman (Harold Worst) some One Pocket and git him to shut up his loud mouth? He's always talking 'bout playing anybody, anything!" Quote Eddie Taylor, "I'm gonna git to him, Red. I'm gonna git to him." But he never did, and neither did anybody else.

the Beard
 
Over the last three years of talking to many pros, old-timers and young-guns, 90% agree that Cliff Joyner is the best that has ever played one pocket in the USA.
 
William2 said:
Over the last three years of talking to many pros, old-timers and young-guns, 90% agree that Cliff Joyner is the best that has ever played one pocket in the USA.
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You only talked to 3 people in 3 years? Just kidding my friend but the ones you talked to are wrong. Probably 10 or more better.
 
William2 said:
Over the last three years of talking to many pros, old-timers and young-guns, 90% agree that Cliff Joyner is the best that has ever played one pocket in the USA.
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So you mean 90% doesnt believe that efren is the best one pocket player that has played in the USA??

because that what you meant in your statement
 
William2 said:
Over the last three years of talking to many pros, old-timers and young-guns, 90% agree that Cliff Joyner is the best that has ever played one pocket in the USA.
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I can't believe any old timer told you Cliff was better than Ronnie. No question Cliff is a great player, but I would rate Ed Kelly and Jersey Red above him in One Pocket ability. And Cornbread and Shorty about even with him. These guys all knew the game, and all executed very well. Ervolino would have given him fits as well. Don't think for a minute these guys weren't serious players, the equal of anyone playing today (with one exception of course). Cliff would have had trouble getting a look at his pocket with the above crew. And forget about what Ronnie would have doine to him. After about six Eight And Outs in a row (from outrageous positions), Cliff would have been ready to hang it up.

Cliff's game is most like Eddie Taylor, who banked BETTER than Cliff. And could run out just as well. In the modern era, Sigel, Mizerak, Varner and Hopkins played as good or better in their primes. Grady is close too. So whoever said there were about ten players who may have been better, I agree with. Cliff remains a little too errror prone and inconsistent to be in the all time top echelon. You must be mentally strong with a strong desire to win to be a top One Pocket player. All the guys I mentioned above, gave no air to anyone and had the killer instinct as well.
 
Greatest of all time

I would have to say Efren, but squirrel keeps telling me that how Hayden Lingo used to play so well. He said it would be close. Hayden used to give up 9-7 to Squirrel while Marshal was challenging the world. He said the guy used to kick balls in like a shot that would be a foot off the rail. It would be a dangerous and a sellout shot to a normal person, but to Haden it was just a shot.

Smackmac
 
Eddie Taylor Sixth in poll?

Is it because this poll is filled out by a younger generation? How does Taylor come in fifth. Bugs Rucker isnt mentioned, and a few other important players.
 
Jack Cooney

Always heard Jack Cooney was one of the great below the radar players.

Frank Tullos told me in his hospital bed the guy that taught him went by the name "Glasses" he said Glasses taught him and in all of his life he
never read a book that was a good as the lessons Glasses taught him. Now who glasses is I can't remember.
 
RSC said:
Is it because this poll is filled out by a younger generation? How does Taylor come in fifth.
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Simple answer. It is because the poll is made of individual's OPINIONS of who the greatest 1-Pocket player of all time is.

Opinions can be neither right nor wrong. They are merely opinions.

FWIW, I voted for Efren because I have not seen a lot of the players on the poll ever play a rack of 1-Pocket. Maybe a couple of them on video. I actually witnessed Efren take down a very strong field of 1-Pocket players (including Cliff Joyner and Shannon Daulton) at a large tournament and he was brilliant.

You must also take into account all that Efren has done in 1-Pocket in the thirteen years since the poll came out.

But once again.....that's just my opinion. ;)

Maniac
 
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336Robin said:
Always heard Jack Cooney was one of the great below the radar players.

Frank Tullos told me in his hospital bed the guy that taught him went by the name "Glasses" he said Glasses taught him and in all of his life he
never read a book that was a good as the lessons Glasses taught him. Now who glasses is I can't remember.
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Jack was great, but nowhere near the speed of these guys listed, IMO. Jack was the best game maker and got the cash better than anyone.
 
Chuck Norris was the best one pocket player of all time
He ran 15 full racks in 1 pocket on a billiards table.
Oh and he didn't have a pool cue,he used his index finger.
 
measureman said:
Chuck Norris was the best one pocket player of all time
He ran 15 full racks in 1 pocket on a billiards table.
Oh and he didn't have a pool cue,he used his index finger.
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Surely he used his middle finger to find the proper balance point on his hand.

And....what kind of tip did he use.....a Fingertip??? :thumbup:

Maniac (can't run three balls using all eight fingers and both thumbs)
 
Since I couldn't see all of those old time players, I cannot be a great judge.

Efren is so much better than anyone I have seen play by such a wide margin, I cannot even think who might be second.

I did see Ronnie Allen play on video, and he was so dominating over Danny Deliberto it might have been similar to Efren dominance over the last 20 years.

I have to laugh at folks voting for folks that haven't seen to play in person or on video just goes to show fairy tales begin.

Ken
 
I think that without question, Efren must be considered the GOAT.

He ushered in a new standard of 1pocket play that no one prior had dreamed of, bringing with him expertise in rotation, 3C, and straight rail. His level of play was legendary and I doubt his record of wins at the DCC One Pocket, with it’s huge fields and short race format, will ever be equalled.

Which brings me to this: for all their talent, I don’t believe that the majority of older era 1pocket players can be considered to be in the same class as present day champions. I say that because back-in-the-day, 1pocket was something of a "dark art." The shots, the moves, and the strategies (hmmm, good title for a book, lol) were known to few. Ronnie Allen once told me, “Shots it took me years to learn, I see 17 year old kids shooting nowadays.” Danny DiLiberto used to say, “You don’t shoot a kick at one pocket unless you’re mad at your backer.” And of course nowadays 1pocket players are kicking at all kinds of shots for offense, defense, sometimes both.

It’s like when Efren introduced kicking with purpose at 9ball -- before most guys where just kicking to make contact. The same is true for bank shots. Now the players are such good ball strikers they can shoot at banks old school players (with the obvious exceptions of Eddie Taylor and Bugs) would never have dreamed of shooting. Of course there are exceptions and some players would be champions in any era but perhaps not as many as some old schoolers would have you believe.

Think of all the tapes, DVDs, and streams with knowledgable commentary that have been out there the last 20 years. The knowledge is all out there now and the starting point has been moved way forward. I started playing 1pocket in the late 90’s and I can personally attest to this: if you didn’t up your game, today you have no chance against even average players.

It’s not your grandma’s 1pocket anymore.

Lou Figueroa
 
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efren made me appreciate one-pocket, along with cliff, ike, bustie and shannon. in a very interesting era of the game where the game had changed but the commentators suggestions hadn't. then came frost, chohan and brought the game to another level imo. but then orcullo, alex came and adapted to that new level. and bustie 2.0, how about his achievements in the era of alex, DO, tony, frost, shane? a true one-pocket legend in the shadow of the goat
 
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