Parica versus Reyes?

it's all relative

I wouldn't say Jose was arrogant, you have to understand that he was first and he has always felt slighted that Efren always got so much fanfare and Jose seemed to go into the background. Efren kind of stole his thunder in certain terms.

It's funny 'cause people who have talked to them both asking about the other each one says that he has the better winning record over the other.

Bad memory? Somone in denial?

Only both of them will know, or anyone who was constantly by either one's side since the beginning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JAM
kano said:
I wouldn't say Jose was arrogant, you have to understand that he was first and he has always felt slighted that Efren always got so much fanfare and Jose seemed to go into the background. Efren kind of stole his thunder in certain terms.

It's funny 'cause people who have talked to them both asking about the other each one says that he has the better winning record over the other.

Bad memory? Somone in denial?

Only both of them will know, or anyone who was constantly by either one's side since the beginning.
Click to expand...

Odd that we hear that a lot in pool isn't it? That "I've beaten so and so for all the marbles this many times" then you go check with the other guy and he repeats it almost line for line.
 
Jose has a good record against Reyes. Remember he beat Reyes in the semi's in the US Open recently. And though his game may not be respected as well as Efren's, he is still "The Leader of the Invasion"

As far as Efren being arrogant I have a short story. I shared an elevator ride with him once. With nobody else to hear, I asked Efren who was the best ever, reminding him that it would not be arrogant to name himself in that setting. Efren needed no time to say that Mike Sigel was the best he ever saw play 9-Ball. Arrogant...Efren?...I think not.
 
haminh said:
I found this great article about Parica where he seems to talk down about Reyes a little bit and being a little arrogant as well. I wonder if what he told in the article is true at all.

Here is the link of the article:
http://www.billiardsdigest.com/current_issue/jan_04/index.php
Click to expand...
That was the best article I have ever read on a Pinoy Great!

Thanks so much for posting.

Now if we could only get Efren to say something more than "I got lucky" that would make for a great article too!

Jose is to Efren Reyes what Jan Ulrich is to Lance Armstrong. They both were unfortunate to be living in the same era...:)

But you really have to ask yourself why Efren is exalted so much more than the other Pinoys. Not denying his many accomplishments, why is he the magician? I guess it is because he consistently gets out of traps and makes clutch shots when needed. That, combined with his humility and unwillingness to say "Boo" in an interview adds to the overall mystique.

I would like for Jose to get his due and be voted into the HOF, and maybe win the US Open too.

He IS always a threat, that's for sure!
 
Makes me wish...

...I had the money to setup a TAR match between the two.

I think it might be the most-viewed TAR match to date!
 
If 100 of us put up $100 each...

...we would have $10,000 for a TAR match between the two.

Travel, food expenses would be other issues, but this could be done, no?

I am sure we can get 100 AZ'ers to post $100 to see these two lock horns in a 10-ball race to 100?
 
I was at that US Open when he finished 2nd to Jeremy. Coincidentally, someone in the practice room asked him about Efren and Jose went off on the exact same rant - nearly word for word (as he was quoted later in NY).

So, since I stood about 3 feet away from Jose when he went off - I can personally validate the content of that article. He truly feels people overlook him as the best-ever Filipino player and it drives him crazy.

In regards to the "I beat all world champions - I run out every time" -- he told me the same thing when we were playing poker in Reno back at the '06 IPT event.

I honestly don't think he's bragging....he's just "saying" so people get up to speed on what he's done. He told me he went from coast to coast to coast playing any living human and giving up weight most of the time and beating everyone. Although it's before my time, he says it with such conviction - I'm sure he has.

Fortunately for me, he didn't beat this living human in poker :)
 
I saw Jose try to give a young Johnny Archer the 8 ball once. In a two or three hours Jose had lost two sets of 8 ahead and $6000. I think a little earlier Buddy Hall beat him even. I heard he walked into the green room at a pro event and said anyone in the room besides Johnny Archer and Buddy Hall can have the 8 and there were no takers.
Efren may not have been as good of a money player. But on the other hand Efren had a coolness under the pressure of big dollar tournament matches with crowds watching that made him the favorite for any big dollar event. Efren also had a mental disadvantage by having been beaten by Jose so many times in his youth. Efren's record in tournament events is not as good as say Johnny Archer's, but if you took all the biggest dollar events from the late 80's and 90's and even this decade that both entered I think Efren's record would be better than Johnny's.
 
Last edited:
paksat said:
Odd that we hear that a lot in pool isn't it? That "I've beaten so and so for all the marbles this many times" then you go check with the other guy and he repeats it almost line for line.
Click to expand...

However, it is true, but Parica lost when it mattered most. He got beat on national TV during their long awaited showdown.
 
Last edited:
kano said:
I wouldn't say Jose was arrogant, you have to understand that he was first and he has always felt slighted that Efren always got so much fanfare and Jose seemed to go into the background. Efren kind of stole his thunder in certain terms.

It's funny 'cause people who have talked to them both asking about the other each one says that he has the better winning record over the other.

Bad memory? Somone in denial?

Only both of them will know, or anyone who was constantly by either one's side since the beginning.
Click to expand...

Very well said, Kano, and you're exactly right.

The article is an old one, and this topic has been thoroughly debated on this forum before.

Kano, I have read your writings before on another forum, I think. :smile:
 
chickentony said:
I think its Efren's personality that makes him more popular.

Parica always comes of as bitter and grumpy.
Click to expand...

Something I've noticed is that other great Filipino's like Luat and Bustamonte hang out with Efren at tournaments and Jose seems to be by himself more of the time. Even the next generation like Alcano, Lining and VanCorteza pal around more with Efren than they do with Jose.

The other Filipinos seem to honor Reyes more than they do Parica. And not just the players, I mean the Filipino people. Some of this extra limelight that Reyes gets may also be due to the fact that he had an arch rival in Earl Strickland. Those two regularly did battle in or near the finals.
Jose's arch rival in most cases seems to have been Johny Archer. Both great players but neither has the charisma that Reyes & Strickland have.

Also, it seems that in almost each discipline, whatever Parica can do, Reyes can do just a wee little bit better.
9 Ball- Even
8 ball- Reyes
1P- Reyes
14.1- Reyes
Banks-Parica
Gambing-Parica

Parica is 4 and 1/2 years older than Reyes. He's also been in America for many years now, having owned a pool room in California. Reyes, I think, is perceived as "more of a Filipino" by his peers because Jose has been here for so long now. Most of the great Filipinos are here on travel visa's and regularly return back to the Philippines. Jose and I'm pretty certain Santos Sambajon are the two exceptions.
 
jose-1 efren-1.2

It's a big bro/kid bro thing.In the 70's when Jose was dominating the Japan open Efren was just tagging along.I feel Efren became the better alrounder.He is the consummate professional and deserves the success and adoration.
However,Jose may be the more feared money player.He has remarked that when Efren is playing a set for $500 someone else is putting it up.
Efren chose this route,he's not afraid of the money[he's been known to tip a maid $100].But my heart favors Parica,i love his guts.He is the consummate road player.
I feel the Lion may have some of the best of both these players.He can shove his chips like Parica and appreciate the subtlety of of Reyes' wizardry.He's a good poker player and this may interfere with his accendacy but may make him a millionaire quicker.

ps - 2 more thoughts
Sigel may get Efren's nod as best US alrounder but my favorite 9 ball player Buddy Hall gave him his biggest loss on American soil.
It would have been nice to see Efren and Harold Worst play an alround on their best day.I suspect Efren would have got the WORST of it...just my opinion
 
Last edited:
You can find a great video of Parica here at http://go4pool.net/, thanks JimM for your hard work.

There are many interesting things in this video such as the part where Parica mentioned that he went 10 hours straight without missing a ball or when he won the one of the biggest touney in pool with the total prize of $1mm.
 
Last edited:
I've always liked Jose's game better. He describes it very well "I do what's necessary to run out".

I know its blasphemy to say, but where as Efren might shoot crowd pleasing shots, but I think some of the amazement comes from "yes it was a great shot, but who would attempt it".

Not bagging on Efren, but I think Jose doesn't get his due. Its like the famous "Z" shot Efren made everybody seems to forget he hooked himself at least two different times before having to go for something or else he would lose.

As far as being called standoffish he (Jose) and I are far from knowing each other well enough to be called friends, but he says hello every time even though years might pass.
 
Bottom line for me - Jose was the best money player at 9-Ball and Ten Ball. He was the most feared money player on the planet for over 15 years. Efren won many more high profile events and dominated the toughest pool game of them all, One Pocket.

I loved watching Jose play for the cash. He was fearless and amazing! Jose's game was a lot like Earl the way he controlled the cue ball. No one ever had more heart than this little guy. I also loved watching Efren play One Pocket. The best cue ball control ever, with pin point run outs. He was the first guy I ever saw consistently run out with all the balls down table. Once he got behind the balls, it was all over.

In the Philippines, they know all about the history of both players. Jose was the best player of the two when they were very young, but by the time Efren got into his 20's he was the best player. Most filipinos say Efren played better before coming to the states. He is considered one of the three best all time filipino players. I met the old guy who everyone says was the best ever. His name is Ramon. Now they call him "Coach." All the younger players show him lots of respect.
 
Last edited:
jay helfert said:
Bottom line for me - Jose was the best money player at 9-Ball and Ten Ball. He was the most feared money player on the planet for over 15 years. Efren won many more high profile events and dominated the toughest pool game of them all, One Pocket.

I loved watching Jose play for the cash. He was fearless and amazing! Jose's game was a lot like Earl the way he controlled the cue ball. No one ever had more heart than this little guy. I also loved watching Efren play One Pocket. The best cue ball control ever, with pin point run outs. He was the first guy I ever saw consistently run out with all the balls down table. Once he got behind the balls, it was all over.

In the Philippines, they know all about the history of both players. Jose was the best player of the two when they were very young, but by the time Efren got into his 20's he was the best player. Most filipinos say Efren played better before coming to the states. He is considered one of the three best all time filipino players. I met the old guy who everyone says was the best ever. I'll try to remember his name. Sorry I should remember, but I don't right now. All the younger players show him lots of respect.
Click to expand...

Jay,

Thanks so much for your info. If you ever recall his name, please share with us. So the top 3 would be him, Efren, and Jose? What happened to him when Jose and Efren came out? Why does his names never spread out of the Philippines? Why did everyone say he the best ever?

In one of the interviews Efren did when he visited my country, Efren said that he played his best games when he was 19, and 9 balls is always his worst games because of the break. But I could not understand why his games was falling a little bit after that. He was young back then and in theory he should continue to improve his games.

About Jose vs Reyes, it seems to me that the history between these two is a little unclear. According to the interview, Jose said that Efren never beat him when he was ready no matter where they played, the Philippines or the States. By "ready" he meant that he was not drunk or too tired. I am really doubt the part where he said that one day he was too drunk to play but he still accepted to play Efren in rotation and that made Efren became super star after one night. When he was ready, he gave Efren a lot of weight in rotation and gave Efren like 50/70 or something like that. To be honest, I found this was hard to believe. He was perhaps better than Efren a little when they were young but I don't think by that much.

I think Efren could be considered the best all around of all time. Darryl Peach once said that Efren played snooker brilliantly. If I remembered right, Peach said that he watched Efren beat Ronnie and Jimmy White with his pool cues when they played 5 frames total and he made something like 3 century break.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top