Is Alex the Best Player Alive?

sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Pool excellence is surely judged by one's performance on pool's biggest stages, and, in the last few years, two players have credentials on the biggest stages that suggest to me that they have a right to be called the two best players in the world today. That would be Alex Pagulayan and Thorsten Hohmann.

Pagulayan's competitive resume is sure looking impressive right now:

...second place in the 2002 US Open
...second place in the 2003 world pool championship
...third place at the 2004 BCA Open
...won the 2004 world pool championship
...won the 2005 US Open

Hohmann, still very young, has already accomplished this:

...won the 2003 world pool championship
...second place in the 2004 US Open
...won the 2005 BCA Open title
...dominated the straight pool event at the 2005 European Championships
...fifth place in the 2005 world pool championship

Though we will continue to enjoy their play, it may be time to recognize that the old guard has passed the baton. Alex and Thorsten seem to be the two greatest symbols of pool excellence right now.

Alex's credentials look just a little stronger than those of Hohmann right now, but, to me, they are the torchbearers for our sport, and we should delight in the opportunity to enjoy their excellence.

Today, Alex earned the right to be called the best.
 
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lets also not forget that alex has been known to play 100 no count straight pool.......and from what i hear, he plays jam up 1hole.

not to shabby for someone still in their 20's.

VAP
 
sjm said:
Pool excellence is surely judged by one's performance on pool's biggest stages, and, in the last few years, two players have credentials on the biggest stages that suggest to me that they have a right to be called the two best players in the world today. That would be Alex Pagulayan and Thorsten Hohmann.

Today, Alex earned the right to be called the best.
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I'd like to see Efren, Earl, Alex, Johnny, Corey, Francisco, Jose, Thorsten, Ralph, & FongPang Chao play a round-robin to 100 games and then we might know. Anyway, Pagulayan definitely is a strong candidate and deserves a hearty congratulations. It was an amazing accomplishment with a very impressive field.
 
Earl and Alex

Earl and Alex are the only players so far who have won both the world and U.S. Open titles in the new millennium.
 
I can pretty much agree with this. I think that there are afew strong young players in Asia that would have very strong showings were they to actually play the same events that Alex does. Kuo being one of those, Wu definately has some bright years ahead. Problem is we get to see those Asians only rarely go up against Alex and Hohmann to really decide if they deserve to be in that same level. When we do see them match up they seem to be right there. Kuo with a 3rd and 2nd in consecutive WPC definately has me impressed and it took a 5pack to stop him from winning 2005. Yang I would have to think would be right there in the mix as well were he to actually play the same circut Alex does. It is a shame we dont get those guys doing battle with the American and European players more often.

I would say the torch has probably been passed. Efren, Earl, Chao, Souquet and even Archer seem to have faded and dont seem to be able to win like they once did. Still great players, but they are not getting it done like the two mentioned these days.
 
sjm said:
Pool excellence is surely judged by one's performance on pool's biggest stages, and, in the last few years, two players have credentials on the biggest stages that suggest to me that they have a right to be called the two best players in the world today. That would be Alex Pagulayan and Thorsten Hohmann.

Pagulayan's competitive resume is sure looking impressive right now:

...second place in the 2002 US Open
...second place in the 2003 world pool championship
...third place at the 2004 BCA Open
...won the 2004 world pool championship
...won the 2005 US Open

Hohmann, still very young, has already accomplished this:

...won the 2003 world pool championship
...second place in the 2004 US Open
...won the 2005 BCA Open title
...dominated the straight pool event at the 2005 European Championships
...fifth place in the 2005 world pool championship

Though we will continue to enjoy their play, it may be time to recognize that the old guard has passed the baton. Alex and Thorsten seem to be the two greatest symbols of pool excellence right now.

Alex's credentials look just a little stronger than those of Hohmann right now, but, to me, they are the torchbearers for our sport, and we should delight in the opportunity to enjoy their excellence.

Today, Alex earned the right to be called the best.
Click to expand...


In sports greatness is measured in winning MAJOR events.If there was to be a grand slam in pool(like there is in tennis and golf) the WPC and the US Open would be considered MAJORS.These are two tournaments that every player on the planet would love to win

I think the Derby City Classic and perhaps the BCA open would have to be other major considerations.

Alex has once again proved that he is a big time, big pressure type player.
When you call him the best, some may disagree, however, nobodys laughing at you for suggesting it.
RJ
 
8 ball

Don't forget that Alex won 3rd/4th places in last year's WPA World 8 Ball Championship along with Bustamante (Efren won 1st and Manalo got 2nd). Alex also plays a very good game of one pocket. So you definitely can't say that Alex is only a 9-baller. He's still very young...so we might still see his best in the years to come (same with Hohmann). Kinda scary, huh.
 
jsp said:
Don't forget that Alex won 3rd/4th places in last year's WPA World 8 Ball Championship along with Bustamante (Efren won 1st and Manalo got 2nd). Alex also plays a very good game of one pocket. So you definitely can't say that Alex is only a 9-baller. He's still very young...so we might still see his best in the years to come (same with Hohmann). Kinda scary, huh.
Click to expand...

I think that Cory Duel is as good, but seems to have lost heart. Am I wrong about this?
 
sjm said:
Pool excellence is surely judged by one's performance on pool's biggest stages, and, in the last few years, two players have credentials on the biggest stages that suggest to me that they have a right to be called the two best players in the world today. That would be Alex Pagulayan and Thorsten Hohmann.

Pagulayan's competitive resume is sure looking impressive right now:

...second place in the 2002 US Open
...second place in the 2003 world pool championship
...third place at the 2004 BCA Open
...won the 2004 world pool championship
...won the 2005 US Open

Hohmann, still very young, has already accomplished this:

...won the 2003 world pool championship
...second place in the 2004 US Open
...won the 2005 BCA Open title
...dominated the straight pool event at the 2005 European Championships
...fifth place in the 2005 world pool championship

Though we will continue to enjoy their play, it may be time to recognize that the old guard has passed the baton. Alex and Thorsten seem to be the two greatest symbols of pool excellence right now.

Alex's credentials look just a little stronger than those of Hohmann right now, but, to me, they are the torchbearers for our sport, and we should delight in the opportunity to enjoy their excellence.

Today, Alex earned the right to be called the best.
Click to expand...
I have a great deal of respect for Alex, but to call him the best player in the world, I don't know. There are alot of factors that need to be discussed before anyone can make that claim. First, you could never make that claim in a tournament that the WPC champion was not allowed to play in. Age should have no bearing! I also think that type of table, playing conditions, type of felt used, location of the tournament ......All would have to be major factors in making that statement. Will anyone ever be able to make the statement that they are "the best"? I don't know.
 
Hard to say who is the best. But alex is definitly one of them, especially for the last couple of years.
 
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Alex ...

is kind of one of the quiet ones that sneak up on you fast
if you aren't watching. Playing brillantly at times, and a
tough competitor.

Does anyone know for sure just how tall Alex is?
I have heard anywhere from 5'3" to 5'5".

I am 5'7", and I end up shooting with a crutch so much
on a big table, that I just find it amazing that someone
shorter can get along so well on the big table, knowing
that they also have difficulty reaching shots.
 
All i can see is that Alex is One of the best player in the world but i don't think i will categorize him as the Best Player in the world today...he still young and is scary to see him in 5-10 years from now...i can see him right now as the next Efren...Reyes won his first major which is the U.S. OPEN in 1994 and WPC in 1999...alex won his WPC in 2003 and U.S OPEN recently...and his only 26 or 27...if alex stop gambling and concentrate on playing pool he will be the one to bit
 
From what I've heard he's 5'5" but I don't think that's too short. I'm only 5'7" and I almost never use the crutch. Once you learn to shoot proficiently opposite-handed, it takes away a lot of reliances on the crutch. I wonder if this is the reason Efren and Parica both shoot so well opposite handed - since they're not as tall as some of the American players.

Snapshot9 said:
is kind of one of the quiet ones that sneak up on you fast
if you aren't watching. Playing brillantly at times, and a
tough competitor.

Does anyone know for sure just how tall Alex is?
I have heard anywhere from 5'3" to 5'5".

I am 5'7", and I end up shooting with a crutch so much
on a big table, that I just find it amazing that someone
shorter can get along so well on the big table, knowing
that they also have difficulty reaching shots.
Click to expand...
 
Tons'O'fun said:
Alex is also one of the most charismatic personalities in todays' pro pool circuit. He gives a lot of energy back to the audience and is a fine spokesperson for the game. :cool:
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I had never been to a tournament that Alex was in until the Open. I was in the front row of the tv table area when he played Parica and was both surprised & pleased at his character. There were quite a few times he had the crowd laughing. He's a pleasure to watch.
 
alex the best?

beetle said:
I'd like to see Efren, Earl, Alex, Johnny, Corey, Francisco, Jose, Thorsten, Ralph, & FongPang Chao play a round-robin to 100 games and then we might know. Anyway, Pagulayan definitely is a strong candidate and deserves a hearty congratulations. It was an amazing accomplishment with a very impressive field.
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On august 25,2005, he is.If he wins 5 us opens and 6 world titles like earl has then he might be the best alive. I know earl is crazy but for 24 hour late friday to late sat he was unbelieveble. No matter what anyone says,his titles speak for themselves. Earl is not a kid any more so playing 7 matches in 24 hours took its toll on sunday. It all depends on which earl shows up on any given day imo.
 
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Earl has no class and shouldn't be allowed to play.......doesn't matter how great he is or isn't.... :cool:
 
Timberly said:
I had never been to a tournament that Alex was in until the Open. I was in the front row of the tv table area when he played Parica and was both surprised & pleased at his character. There were quite a few times he had the crowd laughing. He's a pleasure to watch.
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Alex is fun to hang out with...he can talk whole day...and he's a good joker too...lolz
 
Great responses. Have to admit, how to factor in Wu, Kuo, Yang and Chao, is no easy matter. I tend to take the view that they are, to a point, non-participants in the international pool scene, like students getting a grade of "incomplete" because they missed too many tests.

As many point out, maybe all we can be sure of is that Alex and Thorsten are both among the top few. Picking the best is a nearly impossible task, but none of us will ever be surpised when either one of them shines brightest on one of pool's greatest stages.

Johnny, Earl, Ralf and Efren, have all immortalized themselves with their ability to find their best game when the biggest titles are up for grabs. The two players that may be daring to follow in their footsteps seem to be Alex and Thorsten. Will they do it? Who knows, but let's sit back and enjoy watching them try.

The new guard has arrived, and the banner is being carried by Alex and Thorsten!
 
I once saw Efren practice rotation at a tourny, he threw the balls out and ran them off, then did it again LEFT handed:)........Paleeez!.....so strong!
 
Alex the Lion

Timberly said:
I had never been to a tournament that Alex was in until the Open. I was in the front row of the tv table area when he played Parica and was both surprised & pleased at his character. There were quite a few times he had the crowd laughing. He's a pleasure to watch.
Click to expand...


Yes, he is a great player. Plays a lot of different games extremely strong. I've had the pleasure of watching him play a lot and he is always fun to watch. I don't think I've ever seen him get out of line as far as being rude to another person. He has tremendous heart and you're right Timberly, it is a pleasure to watch him in tournaments or action. Sam
 
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