I love this answer, my friend. I think you summed up my feeling exactly. There are so many things he does differently, finds it, goes for it. I think he’s the greatest all-around from 2000-2015 or so. But the power break was lacking, which new players today don’t really see the need. So they don’t see the disadvantage he had versus the big breakers when he it was needed.This is a great question, been asked many times. And has had as many opinions and answers. However I never really went in-depth on MY opinion of what I’ve seen on this question.
Clearly Efren is in the conversation of the greatest ever within my lifetime. I’m 55 fwiw.
The first time I ever saw him was in Reno at the Sands tourney. I believe it was in 86. He was getting 3/2 or $75/$50 to break and run out a rack of rotation. The pockets were huge, super easy equipment. He got BIH after the break. He mopped up all the money. I had never seen anyone run out 15 balls in rotation so frequently. Hmmmm
Then I saw him around the pool rooms in LA and NorCal in the late 80’s here and there. And at some tourneys. His break was pretty weak, everything else was amazing. I knew I was watching someone very gifted and special.
One night in Hardtimes Bellflower in around 89-90 he was giving a guy who was a solid 1P player 11-5 which was a TON considering who he was playing(I can’t recall who anymore). They were playing $300/rack paying after each game. There was loads of action that day and this was off to the side-not on one of the main action table. Nobody but me sweating it. One rack Efren got his shot ran 11, the guy went to go get $ to keep in action. Efren ran the last 4 balls-15 & out when nobody was looking but me. They weren’t throw in’s he had his work cut out. Few minutes later guy came paid him and they continued to play until 3-4am. I left the pool room when they did. Efren got into a old POS Mustang with some guy and a girl I’d never seen. I always wondered about that.
Nobody was really paying much mind to him, I knew there was something special going on and it was clear as day to me.
Fast forward 10 years. I get back into the pool world. My absence wasn’t 100% as I had a table and played at home and watched pool on TV etc. But I wasn’t around the tourneys much or often just a little. No internet yet. So if you weren’t at the pool room what you could hear about was limited. I always read the magazines/ anyways when I jumped back into pool. Efren had a cult following. Tee shirts WWED? All sorts of stuff. Droves of people following him at the derby to watch him play.
While I was away from pool, Efren was doing his thing and the world woke up and realized there’s something else happening there.
His ability to find shots in any game especially 1P is possibly the greatest ever, same for 9B anything creative IMO there’s nobody else like him.
About 9-10 years ago in LA at the pool room he’s playing 1P he shot a shot, I said to a guy on the rail “looks like he shit it in”. He heard me. Million to 1 fluke the same shot came up again-he shot it and just looked over and winked at me and smiled. I can’t remember the shot, but it was beyond amazing to even see it let alone execute it. I wish I had that on video. Wow!
He’s the best ever at finding things where there is nothing and executing it. I’ve been lucky enough to watch him more hours live in the pool room and tourneys.
Is he the greatest?
“The balls roll funny for everyone”
Best
Fatboy
For me, to this day, Sigel was the best I’ve seen. Strickland’s highest gear was the best 9-ball I’ve seen. Varner’s dominance in 9-ball over two years was the most dominant I’ve seen. And Efren’s One Pocket game was unworldly for many years. The most creative player in the game.
