Your first post covered much of what I thought and I too was thinking that Busty might not have chased Efren quite as hard as he could have sometimes. Too much friendship and respect. Seemed like if Efren was looking likely to win an event he was content with second. Not to say that he deliberately laid down, just didn't have quite the same fire playing Efren.
(I could have beaten all three in my prime though, Busty was in diapers and the rest weren't born yet! )
That was good...:grin:
Saw Parica around town some, weren't many looking to play with him. The stout local players sat down like puppy dogs for the most part. He mostly had to play small to medium stakes waiting for the traveling salesmen to pass through. Parica showed the way for the Filipino invasion. We might have never seen Efren or the other great Fillipino players without Jose.
I still remember a skinny longhaired kid when I think of Busty. He could shoot behind his back more comfortably than perhaps anybody male, or female that wasn't a dancer!
Speaking directly to the comparison that started the thread. Ronnie went up like a bottle rocket and back down just about as fast. He had his moment when he could beat anyone in the world, but it was a short period. Whatever the reasons he settled into stout second tier. Dennis can still have a ways to go and few if any are tossing big bundles of their own money on the light to play him. Dennis over Ronnie, on present record, Busty over Dennis. Based on a long track record, and based on my suspicion that his record could have been a little bit better if he hadn't been Efren's pal all these years.
I used to play the ponies a bit, made money at it. With cheap races it was just a matter of betting class. I loved to watch graded stakes races but with the horse with a 98 speed rating being the dog of the field I left my money in my pocket! I'd do the same with these guys. Over a long course I might bet, given day, I'll keep my money in my pocket!
Hu
