Quite true indeed. I've been following this thread and I've found it both interesting and amusing.
Many wonder what's behind about the dominance of the Filipinos in the pool world, be it playing for big (or small) money games or playing a major tourney. Take aside the basic requisites of skill, talent and imagination required to play the table game, the Filipinos excel because of other factors not all present with non-Filipino players - character, determination, social background, environment and when in international competetion, pride.
Just like what was said in the quote above, pool academy in the Philippines is the local street corner or a small family operated joint where you pay per game played. Pool at this joints is considered by local players to be a full-time occupation or a part-time job to augment an income. Lose and you'll have to skip a meal. Worse, if you have others depending on you, they will also have to skip a meal or meals. Gov't assistance is hardly existent and help is primarily sought from close friends and relatives. In other words, loosing is almost always never and option. Now, take this mentality and plant it to a young mind, perhaps an 8 year old kid who's trying to help a parent or two that is struggling to raise a family. Over time, you will hone a fierce fighting machine ready, willing and able to fight to the last dying breath.
As for pride, regrettably the country had been screwed by colonial rulers for many centuries - mainly the Spanish conquistadores, the Japanese in WWII and economically by the Chinese and the Arabs. History has dealt the people a lot of hardship, grief and misfortune thus teaching them the 'NEVER AGAIN' attitude. In schools, children are taught the harsh and abusive realities that were comitted by the intruders and they are taught to vow to fight any type of oppression. Now, take this content to pool and you'll also find a pissed player who doesn't like to be dominated in any way possible.
As for the game of 9-ball, 9-ball is like appetizer to a Filipino player. The reason being is that, rotation is the game of choice in the Philippines. The concept is almost the same where a shooter has to shoot the balls in numerical order except that every ball matters in rotation because each ball carries it's own point. If no ball is sunk after the break, there are at least 11 balls needed to win a game without a turnover. Moreover, with the generally diminutive Filipino body frame and the searing tropical heat and humidity, the knowledge of cue ball spins, cue ball control and a vivid imagination is a basic requirement in order to navigate your way around 14 obstacles. These skills when mastered, along with God-given talent and luck creates a very formidable and solid player.
The quote above is one of many. My uncle (a good pool player himself) once told me a story of the greatest Filipino player he has ever seen play the game. The name was 'Bicol Bata', and he was in the same generation of Efren and Jose Parica. Unc told me that if you think Efren's game is great, Bicol's game takes it 2 to 3 notches further. He said that watching the guy play looks like the cue ball has a mind of its own. At that time (70's), Efren and Parica would steer clear when this guy was around. Unfortunately though such talent wasn't meant to be around. It was told that one day, Bicol and his possey took upon the challenge of a local town hustler who has been mouthing of mixing it up with him. Word has it that they beat the guy and his backers (the whole town) to the last penny and then some. Upset and angered, the local thugs gave the group a different kind of mixing. Bicol and his gang disappeared after the match and after a couple of weeksl were found in shallow graves near a rice paddy, stabbed to death. To add insult to injury, Bicol's arms were cut off from the elbows - a warning for the others not come to town if you have plans on taking everybody's money. What a waste of talent. Had this guy lived today, we could have seen much more world class pool.
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i am from China and currently now in SIngapore studying.
