Efren's Mentor, Who can shed light on this story?

[SCCues]

Efren

I don't know who Efren learned to play pool from, but i'd rather watch a match he's playing in than any other pool player I can think of. I've collected quite a few Accu-stats videos over the years and my favorites are the matches that Efren is playing in. The best 9 ball i've ever seen played is the match between Efren and Earl Strickland in Hong Kong, race to 120 for 100K winner take all. That match is 9 ball at it's finest.

James

 

[poolfoole]

There may be a little truth to this story. In one of the 2005 US Open Accu-stats videos that I have, Danny Diliberto does commentary and tells a somewhat similar story to this. He points out that almost all of the Filipino players have a very distinct stroke. He said that he did some research and discovered that there was an old Filipino man with this very distinct stroke, and almost all of the other top Filipino players have basically copied this same player, hence the distinct stroke.

Well anyway, the discussion switched to 9 ball with the topic being that most of the top 9ballers are young with the exception of Reyes and Parica and company. This is where it got interesting for me... I asked the guy if seeing guys like Parica and Reyes who are well into their mid fifties and still able to compete with the young guns made him proud being in the same age range albeit mainly a 9ballers as opposed to him, who is predominately a straight pool shooter. He then tells me that as well as Efren plays now and did, there is a guy over in the Philippines who not only plays as good (I know) but plays better than Efren ever did (even in his twenties) and could never get his visa to come to the US therefore is unknown over here. He said that he was the guy that taught Efren everything about the game as a young adult.

I found this almost hard to believe as I have not read anything about this anywhere on the internet or here. I normally wouldn't post something like this on here but it's been eating at me for the longest time, mainly because the guy is as intelligent and knowledgeable about the game as anyone I've met and can play as well (I've watched him run a hundred on a triple shimmed gold crown 1 with 3-3/4" pockets). If you're from the midwest you probably already know who I'm talking about anyway.

In conclusion, is there anyone on here that can shed light on this for me? I'd like to hear anything about this.


Regards

 

[tigerseye]

I heard that Boy's stakehorses thought he dumped them (who the hell knows, that was forever ago) so they bobbed his arms off. I'm not sure where I read it, maybe somebody can confirm

I heard the same thing....I also heard that this is one of the main reasons Efren came here.

 

[stormshadow1]

Real story

I asked Edwin about Boy Bicol's story when I spent some time with him.
Edwin said Boy Bicol's stakehorse was being taken by some goons.
Boy Bicol insisted he go with them.
Next thing you know, they both end up hacked.
Efren was a youngster when Boy Bicol were getting hot. Totoy Dacer was the other guy. Totoy Dacer never made it in the US. He's the Pete Best of Philippine pool.
Parica somehow got a US visa and came here.
Efren could not so he used Caesar Morales's passport and visa.
Efren has told some friends though Boy Bicol was the first player to have awed him b/c of his cueball control.
Almost everyone in the Philippines who saw the action there swear when Efren was around 19 yrs old, he was at his best. A former stakehorse who lived around here in the mid 90's told me, when Efren made the first ball, he was out ( in rotation ).
I asked Edwin about Boy Bicol's speed, he said he was very good but Efren's game skyrocketed in two or three years when he was hanging out at Lucky 13.

It is good to hear reliable info like this to lend some clarity to the real stories of the some of the best players of the Phillipnes.Very cool.

 

[LAlouie]

Almost everyone in the Philippines who saw the action there swear when Efren was around 19 yrs old, he was at his best. A former stakehorse who lived around here in the mid 90's told me, when Efren made the first ball, he was out ( in rotation ).
I asked Edwin about Boy Bicol's speed, he said he was very good but Efren's game skyrocketed in two or three years when he was hanging out at Lucky 13.

Obviously I never saw Efren at that age, but common sense tells me that's all poolroom baloney. I can't think of a sport outside women's gymnastics where a player actually gets worse past the age of 19. In fact, if that is so, I find it pretty sad. I would say "Man, Efren,,,what happened?"

 

[Bobby]

Obviously I never saw Efren at that age, but common sense tells me that's all poolroom baloney. I can't think of a sport outside women's gymnastics where a player actually gets worse past the age of 19. In fact, if that is so, I find it pretty sad. I would say "Man, Efren,,,what happened?"

I was thinking the same thing. Parica once said he was playing his best at 17 years of age. I think these players were just at the peak of their "raw talent" so to speak as teenagers meaning they pocketed everything they could see and were completely fearless as many youths are, and people witnessed this and were totally blown away. But the finesse and knowledge came later and gradually over years.

 

[JB Cases]

There may be a little truth to this story. In one of the 2005 US Open Accu-stats videos that I have, Danny Diliberto does commentary and tells a somewhat similar story to this. He points out that almost all of the Filipino players have a very distinct stroke. He said that he did some research and discovered that there was an old Filipino man with this very distinct stroke, and almost all of the other top Filipino players have basically copied this same player, hence the distinct stroke.

It's also interesting to note that players like Manalo, who grew up playing snooker, don't have the loopy stroke. Also players who are growing up on better equipment in better conditions don't seem to have such a stroke these days.

The old Filipino man story is probably an urban legend mixed in with some truth. I bet it comes more from the fact that on wet, ratty tables they have to load up the cueball a lot with power or spin and this seems to be a good way to do it. If you go into some of the neighborhood pool rooms there you will find dirty balls and dirty cloth and wet conditions that make it very difficult to make the cueball travel. You'll be winding up like a baseball pitcher in no time.

Been there done that.

 

[JoeyInCali]

It's also interesting to note that players like Manalo, who grew up playing snooker, don't have the loopy stroke. Also players who are growing up on better equipment in better conditions don't seem to have such a stroke these days.
Efren and Andam played snooker. Efren played some English billiards as well.

I think that Simonis cloth eventually fixed all their loopy stroke except Busta.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Obviously I never saw Efren at that age, but common sense tells me that's all poolroom baloney. I can't think of a sport outside women's gymnastics where a player actually gets worse past the age of 19. In fact, if that is so, I find it pretty sad. I would say "Man, Efren,,,what happened?"

Around that age Efren did quit playing pool, because no one wanted to gamble with him. He started with 3-cushion instead, for several years. This could make his pocketing skills fall a bit.

Imagine if you are the best soccer-player in the world at age 19, then switch to american football for 4 years, then go back again. You think it would have affected your game a little?



Efren always says that he slept and worked in the poolhall, learnt all his shots by watching poor and great players gamble, then he practiced the shots he had seen.

What I find more interesting is the fact that even though Efren is still competing (and often winning) against the top Filipino players, in tournaments and money games, he has been teaching them everything for years now. Same with Django. They try to teach them everything they have learnt in pool, to make the younger talents like Alcano, Orcullo, Gomez, Van Corteza etc. better players.

Once he told Alcano "I have thought you all of my shots, but I can't teach you how to win".

I think this is part of being a Filipino, taking care of each other like it's family, and make sure that there are more people that can make good paydays. It might hurt them once in a while, when beaten in moneymatches etc., but in the long run it will be good for the Filipino pool-family.

Does this happen in other countries aswell? I know several top-players that refuse to learn other players a thing, because they are their "rivals" or possible future rivals.

 

[gopi-1]

The old man could have been Jr. Quiapo, one of old school players that Efren holds in high esteem. I was one of the lucky ones who witnessed the young Efren shooting lights out. I saw him once broke and ran out 8 games in a row playing Rotation at Lucky 13, the place was 5-7 minutes away from where I used to live depending on traffic.

There was also this Eric Lagui, who was believed to be Efren's successor back in the late 70s/early 80s. He was found dead on the side of the road covered in newspaper, he dumped a few games the previous night...