Dream Straight Pool Matchup

[StraightPoolIU]

Thorsten vs. Reyes is an interesting concept because you have a technician against a guy who is an all around great and probably the most creative. I'd just like to see all of the things Efren would do at the table and all the situations that would come up in a 1,000 point match.

 

[Bob Jewett]

now that I think of it, thorsten vs reyes is interesting. I don't think I've seen that, not in straight pool. ...

Efren is said not to like 14.1. He didn't enter either of the DCC 14.1 challenges (2006 and 2007), and I'm pretty sure he was there.

 

[Reaper114]

Even if Reyes doesnt like 14-1, I think we'd all still like to seem him play against a top quality player in the disipline, Its the curiousity of what he's capable of doing at 14-1 that makes it appealing !!!!!!

 

[nick serdula]

Reyes

One of my friends that knew him in the Philipines before he came here. He said Efrin found nothing hard about it. First time he tried he ran to about 150 and just walked away from the table. He was told Efrin said it was too easy!
Nick

 

[Blackjack]

One of my friends that knew him in the Philipines before he came here. He said Efrin found nothing hard about it. First time he tried he ran to about 150 and just walked away from the table. He was told Efrin said it was too easy!
Nick

Straight pool is too easy? Okay.

No offense to Efren Reyes, but I have heard many players tell this same exact story. These stories all have one thing in common ... I don't believe any of them.

This is why:

When I was about 14 years old I asked Steve Mizerak why players were gravitating towards 9 ball and away from straight pool. Steve said that it was because a lot of players lacked the discipline necessary to properly learn how to play straight pool. Games such as 9 ball were faster, easier to gamble with, etc. Straight pool took too long, and little by little it was eased out. When it was "eased out" it wasn't because the game was so easy. That is like saying that one pocket is too easy ( on second thought, maybe 1 pocket is too easy for Reyes).

If running 150 was so easy, why is it that not everybody is out there doing it every day? Admittedly, Efren is a special player, quite possibly the greatest player to ever play the game of pool. I find it kind of silly to hear this story, primarily because I have watched Efren get in a groove playing 14.1 and I have also seen him struggle just like everybody else. That's the nature of the beast known as 14.1 - and that is what makes it such a great measuring stick.

 

[Steve Lipsky]

I agree with David completely. Also, anytime you hear a story about someone running a lot of balls and just walking away, you might as well disregard it as untrue, and also make a mental note to not believe much coming from that source ever again.

- Steve

 

[nick serdula]

You read too much into my post. It was too easy for Efrin. The reason poeple gamble more to 9 ball and one hole is you can make it look close and still win. And they are faster games.
Straight is the opposite. You know right away if your opponent runs 100 or more and out the action is usually over.
If you ever watched Efrin play 15 ball rotation you might understand how much harder it is to run out but after making a few moves Efrin does it all the time.
Straight pool is no easy disiplin but for gambling it has disadvantages save one it is the one game that can bust a poolroom! Everyone bets on the lock. Then they usually find out there is no lock.

I would however love to see any of the younger players match up on a backed cloth table. I think there would be very few runs over 100 only because you have to break the balls at different angles to explode the pack and shoot so much harder and still strok the rock for the action you want to put on it. Many break shots on todays cloth go nowhere on backed cloth and alot of players with 19 oz and lighter cues might find out they are almost helpless on the slow stuff.
This is why women can compete with men today. The cloth allows it. The power needed to play on the older stuff is not needed today. I really think it takes away alot from a skill point of view.
This is not a put down but a fact. The same players would dominate. They just would have a way harder time with it.
JMO
Nick