Efren Reyes 11 v 9 The One - I'm in heaven!

I was able to witness TheOne's game against Efren last Saturday at Coronado Lanes.

At first, I thought Efren was playing against a professional pool player from another country. So the first few minutes of my time went on determining "who the hell is this player from another country". I happen to be just a couple of tables away, playing a lot of 9-ball for the upcoming company tournament I will participate in. Sadly enough, I sucked at 9-ball after not having played for almost a year :mad: So in between games (times when I get beaten black and blue by my officemate) I always went to their table and I must admit, TheOne has the game :D though I must admit that from the looks of it he must be a little nervous :D I wasn't able to finish their set however coz we opted to just stay and drink beer on the adjacent Paeng's poolroom.

I also had my share of Efren-mania, I happen to bump into him on my way back from the restroom :) he gave me a nod which I responded with a smile (damn I forgot my metallic neon pen for him to sign my cuecase) :D I went back telling my friends how great Efren -- on and off the pool table :D
 
sjm said:
This, to me, seems an inappropriate attempt to make light of our hero's wonderful achievement. TheOne missed two balls in twenty racks, as few as Efren. You've got a chance against anyone if you do that. Rather than suggesting that TheOne may not have gotten Efren's best game, why not just revel in what TheOne accomplshed like the rest of us?
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I didn't really understand cuejoey's post. Was he saying that Efren would go off for bigger money and TheOne would win, or was he trying to say that he didn't show his full speed, but would if the money were bigger and that Efren would win by a bigger margin?
 
GeraldG said:
I didn't really understand cuejoey's post. Was he saying that Efren would go off for bigger money and TheOne would win, or was he trying to say that he didn't show his full speed, but would if the money were bigger and that Efren would win by a bigger margin?
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The second one I guess :rolleyes:
 
GeraldG said:
I didn't really understand cuejoey's post. Was he saying that Efren would go off for bigger money and TheOne would win, or was he trying to say that he didn't show his full speed, but would if the money were bigger and that Efren would win by a bigger margin?
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Unless one has been living under a rock it is well known that Efren is not going to play worse when the money goes up. If you beat Efren, you may win all the cash in the Phillipines.

The One- what an awesome opportunity and congrats on playing well!
 
Before he left L.A. for the Derby, he stopped by Gardena Bowl and played 9 Ball with a few of those that wanted for $10.00 a game and pictures - cheap/fun.

One fella won and had Efren autograph the bill which Efren did graciously.

I understand that he supports more folks than his just immediate family.
 
sjm said:
This, to me, seems an inappropriate attempt to make light of our hero's wonderful achievement. TheOne missed two balls in twenty racks, as few as Efren. You've got a chance against anyone if you do that. Rather than suggesting that TheOne may not have gotten Efren's best game, why not just revel in what TheOne accomplshed like the rest of us?
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Tap! Tap! Nice post sjm.. I agree, it would be great to get the chance that theONE did. Enough said!

Peace,

Joe
 
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cuejoey said:
TheOne::next time you see Reyes up the bet to $5,000.00 or even $1,000.00..then see who wins ?
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OK, maybe you could have worded it a little better but getting Efrens best game was what I was worried about also. I wanted to play him to get some kind of measure of how good "The Best" really is, no point in making a donation otherwise. I wanted to play him off scatch and but I was mindful of what SJM had said about handicaps and I wanted to get his best game. Looking back at the match I would prob say that there was only 1 or 2 occasions when he might have "stalled".

1) Once when he hooked himself on his last ball and the other
2) when he rolled his last ball dead weight to the pocket and it hung on the lip.

In the first instance his last ball was just a few inches from the pocket with the 8 over the opposite corner. He swerved around my ball and almost sunk it with it with the ball hanging on the lip - I ran out to win that frame. In the second instance the ball was as close as you can get to dropping and I doubt even Efren would have played it so close if he was trying to stall, he had to play it slowly for a tricky 8 in the center. Again with his last ball over the pocket and several of my balls around it I ran out to take the frame.

I scratched on one break and Efren jumped the table once, but overall he def got the better of the breaks. A few things that convinced my that he didn't stall:

a) I told him at the start that I only had 10,000 pesos and would like to play either two short races to 7 for 5,000 each or a longer race for the lot. Efren and his backer chose the long race to 11. (Damn I would have won the first set if they chose race to 7! :-)

b) He didn't offer any handicap.

c) He was very serious during the game, and was giving the guy who was racking the ball a hard time over the rack.

d) Around the time I was 7:5 up he suggested to move tables and got somebody to get the next table ready. I thought this was a shark and asked to stay on the same table (which I was just getting used to) which we did.

e) He was playing in front of his fans in his home club and for what I could tell somebody else's money.

I think the crucial thing to remember here is that is was ALTERNATE break 8ball. I would venture to say that it is very difficult for ANY player, even Efren to run away with it if their opponent is capable of breaking and running out most racks. I asked Efren for the breaks but he's no fool and he refused saying "I won't get a shot" (obviously overestimating my ability somewhat!)

Would Efren play better if the bet was 100k, probably. But to be fair, and I hope this doesn't sound out of place, Efren didn't get my best game. I have only been playing 9 ball seriously for a month and there is a lot to learn. I have been playing with a snooker cue for 20 years and now I have to learn how to play with a predator. I played him in his own club on his own table at his own game(the only one he is currently world champ at?), with my own money. From what I hear many Pro players (much better than me) have come to Manila and few, if any of them have matched up with Efren. At the end of the day I liked the bet, even more if it was on a better table and he gave me the breaks. I play the table, not the other guy holding the cue. He gave me the first break and I knew if I broke and ran all my games there was nothing Efren could do about it, as great as he is. I am careful with my money too but give me a few months and I'll play him again, especially if he gives me the breaks :D
 
sonnynav said:
I happened to meet TheOne when I chanced upon him at Rack 'n' Roll Billiard Cafe one evening here in Manila. He's a warm and friendly guy that almost makes you feel you've known him for a long time. He plays with a pred and has that classic snooker stance, and yes, he plays a really good, solid game of 8ball. He told me that Efren is his favorite player and that he's trying trying to track him down and be able to play him. I said Efren used to come and play at the very table we were playing on. He smiled and said that that makes him happy already. :p

I'm glad that he has finally realized his dream of playing the Magician. When he told me he lost 11-9 to the world 8ball champion a few days ago, I almost didn't believe the scoreline but when he mentioned that he was not given any handicap at all, I almost fell down my chair! Craig, that was quite an accomplishment. Only a few in the world would dare play him even on money games. :D

Text me when you can. Maybe we can play some more 8ball before you leave the country and show me how you almost kicked Efren's ass.
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Thanks Sonny (and everyone else) for the kind words, you don't play to shabby yourself! I guess its in the blood now as I'm back in Manila for one last night before I fly back to Bangkok on Friday. I went upto Batad for a couple of day to see the glorious rice terraces - the 8th wonder of the world indeed (and prob the 2nd best thing I did in the Philipines :-)

I will be in Rack and Roll tonight to hit a few balls if you want a hit.
 
glad you enjoyed your encounter with efren

Hello there theOne. I hope you remember me but im the guy who arranged the game for you with the Magician when I met you at rack n roll billiards here in the Phils. Its nice to know you enjoyed your encounter with Efren. True enough, its difficult to find Efren there being 1000+ seperate islands in the Phils. To your question whether he gave you his best game, Im sure you know the answer to that one yourself. With the both of you missing only two shots apiece in a race to 11, and Efren playing an anonymous foreign player, you tell me. He usually gets a lot of challenges that way here what with a lot of the local young guns seeking a name for themselves by shooting down Billy the Kid. It follows that a well known legend wont go down history falling to a newbie. So you can rest assured that he played you as he would Strickland, mainly because its was the first time he ever played you. My suggestion however, is next time, you try playing him several sets. At the end of that session, he would automatically have rated you in his mind against himself. You would know by the kind of handicaps he is prepared to give. It may prove to be a more expensive experience. But the 'tuition fee' is really worth it, its like watching a ballet executed to perfection by the dancer. You're far lucky though, in one different encounter, he told the young gun challenger who wanted to play him, to play first against his driver. In that event, Efren's driver won. But thats because, Efren's driver is also a good pro player from his native Pampanga province who drove for Efren for free in exchange for tutelage. Anyway, should you ever get back, do give me a ring or email (i asked Dennis to provide it to you). And if you, or anyone else here, would like an encounter with the Magician, just let me know, I usually know where hes at. By the way, we never got to shoot some pool, so maybe you missed out on half your stay here. Im just kidding of course. Till the next time Im sure.
 
Thanks Ricky, of course I remember you, you halped me get the game after all. It was a pleasure to meet you and I will for sure play him again next time. Maybe next time I can get to play him a longer session and maybe on a nicer table. Still enjoyed every second, I hope I made some kind of impression on him. Atleast he might remember me if we meet again.

Thanks again
 
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