Efren's luck

gulfportdoc

gulfportdoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjinfla
But, at the end of the match he is always just a bit better than his opponent. And of course he always says he was lucky. Could it be true? Luck plays a big part of his game?
Jake

Jake, you bring up an interesting point. There is no question that Efren is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest of all time. However, after watching Rodney hand the final match to Reyes --by scratching on 3 breaks, giving Efren ball in hand-- in effect spotting him 3 games on the wire, I'm reminded of something Grady brought up awhile back. He stated something to the effect that Efren's luck is beyond the pale; almost supernatural. Now, I'm the first one to agree that the "rolls" will even out for any given player. And the better someone plays, the "luckier" they get. However I'm beginning to wonder if Efren is not divinely favored. I didn't see the match, but from various reports it sounds as though Efren's play was mediocre to poor, but that he still won! I've seen this happen with Reyes on other occasions as well. I realize that some of you out there believe that Efren IS God, so perhaps y'all have something there.

Doc
 
gulfportdoc said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjinfla
But, at the end of the match he is always just a bit better than his opponent. And of course he always says he was lucky. Could it be true? Luck plays a big part of his game?
Jake

Jake, you bring up an interesting point. There is no question that Efren is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest of all time. However, after watching Rodney hand the final match to Reyes --by scratching on 3 breaks, giving Efren ball in hand-- in effect spotting him 3 games on the wire, I'm reminded of something Grady brought up awhile back. He stated something to the effect that Efren's luck is beyond the pale; almost supernatural. Now, I'm the first one to agree that the "rolls" will even out for any given player. And the better someone plays, the "luckier" they get. However I'm beginning to wonder if Efren is not divinely favored. I didn't see the match, but from various reports it sounds as though Efren's play was mediocre to poor, but that he still won! I've seen this happen with Reyes on other occasions as well. I realize that some of you out there believe that Efren IS God, so perhaps y'all have something there.

Doc
Click to expand...

It certainly wasn't poor, mediocre for Efren maybe, but def not poor.
 
well he always says he's lucky and he has had some luck... but people neglect the fact that he has lost a lot too and his luck didn't rescue him there...
 
I don't think

that it is his 'good luck' so much, as his being able to captilize off of opponents' errors they make. Seeing how Pool is neither lucky or unlucky when viewed from a Scientific viewpoint, but a reaction to every action.

I am sure many players get a little nervous playing Efren or perhaps just try too hard, which causes them to make mistakes. Rodney's scratching was a combination of hit (and english or lack of it), where he hit the head ball, and speed, and reaction of the object balls, but some people just refer to that as 'Bad Luck'.

Efren's break is okay, not a power break, more of a finesse' break, and I would classify it as 'weak' for a player of his caliber. But, then, why is he still at the top? Because his ability to see shots and EXECUTE them with good precision while playing shape on the next ball. Plus, he has absolutely outstanding 'kicking' abilities which gets him 'out of holes' and puts him back on the advantage in the game. He has a great understanding of the reactions in Pool, with a superior knowledge of what actions is needed to get the desired outcome.

When you combine the two, his opponents little or critical errors, his ability to capitalize on them with his knowledge and excellent ability, it is just usually too much for his opponents.
 
gulfportdoc said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjinfla
But, at the end of the match he is always just a bit better than his opponent. And of course he always says he was lucky. Could it be true? Luck plays a big part of his game?
Jake

Jake, you bring up an interesting point. There is no question that Efren is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest of all time. However, after watching Rodney hand the final match to Reyes --by scratching on 3 breaks, giving Efren ball in hand-- in effect spotting him 3 games on the wire, I'm reminded of something Grady brought up awhile back. He stated something to the effect that Efren's luck is beyond the pale; almost supernatural. Now, I'm the first one to agree that the "rolls" will even out for any given player. And the better someone plays, the "luckier" they get. However I'm beginning to wonder if Efren is not divinely favored. I didn't see the match, but from various reports it sounds as though Efren's play was mediocre to poor, but that he still won! I've seen this happen with Reyes on other occasions as well. I realize that some of you out there believe that Efren IS God, so perhaps y'all have something there.

Doc
Click to expand...
In many sports, the two best players playing in the finals don't always play their best game.

However, this Round Robin tournament was grueling as Efren had to play many of the best players in the game. While Efren may have had a few lucky rolls, in the end Efren was the last player standing. That's a testament to Efren's skill, experience and determination. Rodney had his chances, however, the best player won on this day.

Also, considering that Efren is 52-years old, that makes his victory even more remarkable.
 
Last edited:
Efren’s success can be attributed to good luck the same way DCPs frustrations can be attributed to bad luck.
 
Sure he is lucky. Have you ever noticed that the other players are always playing poorly, and getting bad rolls when he plays them. :rolleyes:
 
I never forget to state how lucky I was every time I beat an opponent. I especialy make a point of it if the games weren't even close, or I scored a lot of money, and definately if someone I have been trying to get on the table was watching the match.
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
In many sports, the two best players playing in the finals don't always play their best game.

However, this Round Robin tournament was grueling as Efren had to play many of the best players in the game. While Efren may have had a few lucky rolls, in the end Efren was the last player standing. That's a testament to Efren's skill, experience and determination. Rodney had his chances, however, the best player won on this day.

Also, considering that Efren is 52-years old, that makes his victory even more remarkable.
Click to expand...

I'll agree with you that at 52 and considering the grueling format, it is incredible.
However, I felt that on Sunday it was Rodneys to win or to give away. It appears the latter. Physical fatigue plays a big part, but mental fatigue is tough to overcome. The break failed him and that was his big chance.
Is Efren just lucky? Yes, anytime you miss two 8 balls in one set and still win the set, you are extremely lucky.
Efren is great, but, I'm sorry, Rodney gave this one away.
Devinely lucky as Doc stated, sorry, that makes me just a bit nervous.
 
I have never seen a losing player get lucky...or at least lucky enough to win....But I have often seen a weaker player get lucky enough to win...


Once you put the heat on a player by winning and setting the tone....the losing player generally can't recover....Once there is a perception you can't win things never seem to go your way....

A better player takes the breaks and uses them to his advantage, a player like Reyes always creates fear and that is too his advantage as well..Maybe that blends into his luck???
 
efren dogged the 8s

don't forget that efren missed 2 8-balls... if he had made them in (which he should have)..... that would have been 2 less games for rodney and 2 more for efren...

so rodney gave efren 3 games by scratching on the breaks, efren gave rodney 2 on the missed money balls......
 
This time, Efren is lucky or he has divine power to win. Next time, people will say he might be hipnotising his opponent or he is using black magic to block his opponent's vision, hence committing unthinkable mistakes. I will settle for divine luck, vast experience and extremely good play. Nothing more.
 
gulfportdoc said:
I didn't see the match, but from various reports it sounds as though Efren's play was mediocre to poor, but that he still won! I've seen this happen with Reyes on other occasions as well.
Doc
Click to expand...

In my opinion this is how I determin if someone is a true world champion...to not play your best and still figure out a way to "get there"

Nobody will always play thier best....it is the mediocre game that determins how good someone really is...(JMO)

In Efren's case...his "best" is so much better than the rest of us, that when he plays mediocre, he still has a chance....

For most of us...(me included)...we have to play our best to have a chance...When our mediocre game shows up....well......No chance...

Here is a short list of names that fall into that catagory....Efren, Earl, Wayne, Mario, Mike, Magic, Bo, Joe, Tiger, Jack, etc. etc.
 
ironman said:
I'll agree with you that at 52 and considering the grueling format, it is incredible.
However, I felt that on Sunday it was Rodneys to win or to give away. It appears the latter. Physical fatigue plays a big part, but mental fatigue is tough to overcome. The break failed him and that was his big chance.
Is Efren just lucky? Yes, anytime you miss two 8 balls in one set and still win the set, you are extremely lucky.
Efren is great, but, I'm sorry, Rodney gave this one away.
Devinely lucky as Doc stated, sorry, that makes me just a bit nervous.
Click to expand...
It's not Efren's fault if "Rodney gave this one away." Rodney was the one who scratched three times on the break so he has no one to blame but himself for his misfortune.

In many sports, on any given day the "better player" does not always win for any number of reasons. However, given the round robin format and the high caliber of players Efren had to beat, Efren's victory was convincing enough. The better all-around player won. :)
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
It's not Efren's fault if "Rodney gave this one away." Rodney was the one who scratched three times on the break so he has no one to blame but himself for his misfortune.

In many sports, on any given day the "better player" does not always win for any number of reasons. However, given the round robin format and the high caliber of players Efren had to beat, Efren's victory was convincing enough. The better all-around player won. :)
Click to expand...

Exactly!!!!!
 
Efren's luch wun't too good against Pierce and Morris at the US Open finals.
Against Pierce, his teeth were killing him. He had them extracted after the tourney.
Against Morris, he was shooting with Meucci. LOL
 
everyone needs luck in a tournament!

everybody needs some luck to win any pool tournament. but it wasnt luck at all how he got to the finals. he started out like everybody 200 people and he made it to the final table beleive me that was his skill and not luck that did that! with all the champions coming out of the wood work for this big payout. as some luck sure carried him alittle but luck could not carry you through that crowd! perhaps they where both nervous reyes and morris
because of 500,000 dollar prize and i speculate for morris the added pressure of being up against reyes the man who is maybe the best player in history should have been intimidating experience!
 
Luck?

Have you ever noticed that a player is "lucky" at the end of a match...but no one remembers about the "lucky" breaks that happen in the beginning of the match.
Remember the last seconds of a football game when the player catching the ball runs into the ref, 14 yards from the end zone, and drops the ball with only 20 seconds to play. But back in the first quarter, the same receiver wasn't flagged for a push off in the end zone!
 
Someone always said, Luck is part of the game. But the more you practice, the better you get.... the better you get, fuuny as it seems, the luckier you are... Maybe this hold true for Efren.
 
Good players are always lucky, some people say. I think that the reason we feel Efren are more lucky than others, is largely due to the intimidation factor. Players who are up against Efrem, tend to take more chances, perhaps they are thinking " I have to get out, if I try to safe, and dont do it perfectly, he will just kick the ball in"

Did you see the IPT match between Efren and Dimitri Jungo - round 5? At one point, Efren had only one striped ball left and Jungo had all his balls left, with ball in hand. One of his solids was tied up with Efrens striped ball. Jungo tried to break out the cluster, and was very unlucky to freeze himself behind Efrens only ball, with no shot. Ended up missing completely, giving the frame to Efren.

On this level, in eight-ball, it should be impossible to loose when your opponent has one ball left, you have seven and ball in hand. Yes, he was unlucky, but that is also about percentages. Jungo could have started to safe Efren, letting him opening the cluster, or better - ending up with three faults. But he had probably a lot of respect for Efrens kicking abilities, and went for the offensive soulution. Did he get unlucky? Yes, but he could have eliminated the chances of this happening.

The intimidation factor made Efren "lucky".
 
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