The Greatest Male Player Today

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I disagree. I think it's the other way around.

9-ball determines who the best 9-ball player is, but one pocket goes a much longer way in determining who the best all-around pool player is. Look at the best 9-ball players who specialize only in 9-ball: Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet -- very few people would call these guys the best all-around pool players.

Look at the best one pocket players: Efren Reyes, Jose Parica, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Alex Pagulayan, Shannon Daulton -- these guys are most often mentioned as the best all-around players. Even Cliff, who people associate mostly with One Pocket was 2nd in the Reno Open this year (one of the country's biggest 9-ball tournaments).

It's pretty hard to find a top one pocket player who can't play jam-up 9-ball, straight pool, and banks as well. It's very, very easy to find a top 9-ball player who can't even spell one pocket or banks.
 
theirlaw said:
Well I'd say one pocket determines who the best one pocket player is!

Different games, different skillsets.

You can find a one pocket players than cant play 8 or 9 ball for toffee!
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Theirlaw, one-hole is the cadillac of pool. The only top one-hole player who is not a top nine ball player is Cliff, and that's looks like it's b/c he chooses not to be. Yes, they are different games, but one-hole requires more skill sets. Any of the top one-hole players can snap off the 9 ball, but the reverse can not be said.
 
senor said:
I know Mika used to put it on the line, I don't know why he doesn't anymore. I'm not sure if Ralf ever mixed it up, but I know Earl used to get down a lot. The only reason he doesn't anymore is b/c cuetec won't let him. Earl is the only one that is on Efren's level, and I think Earl is the favorite b/c of the break shot. 9-ball isn't rocket science after the break. That's why I'd pick Bustamante over Efren, also. All around, the only one who could challenge him is Parica. That's my suggestion, Rick. I'd take a small money line to make it fair.
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Earl lost to Efren on a race to 120 in the now legendary Color of Money match. Earl was ahead 104-87 one time. Efren came back and won it.
Efren gave Jimmy Wetch the 7-ball back in '96. Gave CJ Wiley a huge spot too in his own pool hall back then.
 
I think to be a top player - considered the best player - you HAVE to be an all-around player. Playing one game well doesn't cut it. So let's take a couple dozen players and have them play a round robin in many different cue games. 9 ball, one pocket, straight pool, banks, snooker, and, of course, 3 cushion billiards. IMO you can't consider yourself the best w/ a cue if you don't play billiards at least a little. Forget the straight rail or balkline games which Efren plays well, just the three cusion. If we did this who would win? Efren.

It is great DCC has games other than the standard short race 9 ball, which doesn't really separate the top players. I would love to see all-around championships played like world tournaments back in the day. Small fied, double round robins. It would test different games, staying power, endurance. I will be betting on Efren if one ever comes off. But it won't. We'll be stuck with the latest ESPN version of women's alternate break 3 ball followed by trick shots or whatever.
 
JPB said:
I think to be a top player - considered the best player - you HAVE to be an all-around player. Playing one game well doesn't cut it. So let's take a couple dozen players and have them play a round robin in many different cue games. 9 ball, one pocket, straight pool, banks, snooker, and, of course, 3 cushion billiards. IMO you can't consider yourself the best w/ a cue if you don't play billiards at least a little. Forget the straight rail or balkline games which Efren plays well, just the three cusion. If we did this who would win? Efren.

It is great DCC has games other than the standard short race 9 ball, which doesn't really separate the top players. I would love to see all-around championships played like world tournaments back in the day. Small fied, double round robins. It would test different games, staying power, endurance. I will be betting on Efren if one ever comes off. But it won't. We'll be stuck with the latest ESPN version of women's alternate break 3 ball followed by trick shots or whatever.
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It will never happen but let's examine what Efren has done so far.
He's won 3 World 8-ball and was a finalist on another one.
He won the first straight-pool tourney he entered and was a finalist in his second and last one.
If they ONLY played straight-pool these days, who knows how good he can get after running 130+ and 140+ in his only s.p. tourney appearances.
One-pocket? Must be good when Daulton wants a 9-7 spot.
9-ball shouldn't even be considered. Pool has FIFTEEN balls and a cueball. Anything less is miniature golf.:D
 
I can tell you one thing . I railed Mika across the board once and that guy got out of every single safty while making a shot .I have gotten slammed by Pros before but could always delay this till I got a couple good marks up on the board to keep the little respect I could get . I would have to go with Mika all the way as I know what I have seen .That guy when "on" shows no fear and can make just about anything from anywhere .His game is like a Chess Game . Efrin would blow me away like I was candy but Mika would do the same and I would be takeing asprin for a week to get over the headache.I go with Mika that guys breaks you down hard .
 
Jimmy M. said:
All of the pros out there play great, but Efren is the toughest of the bunch, as far as I'm concerned. I like him against anyone playing a long session of 9 ball...even more so if he had a better break. Playing one pocket, I don't think anyone wants any part of that (not playing even, anyway).
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I haven't had the chance to watch Efren play in person but there is no doubt he is an amazing player and maybe the greatest all around player of all time. In your opinion is Efren that much better of a one-pocket player than Parica. I only ask because I have seen Jose play and he was the best I had ever seen in person. He was spotting everyone and no one could touch him.

Thanks,
Koop
 
DDKoop said:
I haven't had the chance to watch Efren play in person but there is no doubt he is an amazing player and maybe the greatest all around player of all time. In your opinion is Efren that much better of a one-pocket player than Parica. I only ask because I have seen Jose play and he was the best I had ever seen in person. He was spotting everyone and no one could touch him.

Thanks,
Koop
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I agree with Jimmy Koop. Efren is the best all around player I have ever seen. Remember, Mosconi rarely played 9 ball or one pocket, so I can't rate his game there. Parica is great but I've seen Efren move as well as anyone, except Ronnie. Plus, he shoots straighter than Parica, most of the time.
 
DDKoop said:
I haven't had the chance to watch Efren play in person but there is no doubt he is an amazing player and maybe the greatest all around player of all time. In your opinion is Efren that much better of a one-pocket player than Parica. I only ask because I have seen Jose play and he was the best I had ever seen in person. He was spotting everyone and no one could touch him.

Thanks,
Koop
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I don't know about past players because I wasn't there to see them in their prime, but I dont think there is anyone today that wants any part of playing Efren even one pocket. Granted, I'm not the best person in the world to rate one pocket players since I play mostly 9 ball (nobody is accusing me of being the best all-around player :D), but from what I've seen, Efren is in a league of his own against today's players when it comes to one pocket.
 
billfishhead said:
fast larry,,,,,,,,,if ya dont think so, just ask him,,,,,,,,,,,,lol
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Ok, you asked him, here's his answer, Efren....He da man, not me.

May God bless and peace be with you. May the wind be always on your back and all 9 balls fall. VENI VIDI VICI, OMNIA VINCIT AMOR. Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered, love conquerors all and Efren is da amigo.
“Fast Larry” Guninger
 
Re: All in good fun...

ajcu612 said:
If I'm not mistaken, I thought the best pool player in the world was "Fast Larry.":confused: :p
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Sorry, FL can't even carry Efrens jock strap into a pool room. On my last far east tour I did exhibitions in several top rooms where Efren had did same before me and they asked me to sign this mirror or wall or poster right below his name with mine. It was like being asked to authograph a bat below Babe Ruths name, it was humbling. All I am is the worlds greatest ball banger, that is all I have ever really claimed to be. :D :p :cool: :rolleyes:
 
About Efrin

I watched this man play in the USOpen-1999. He was playing the then recent Asian 9-Ball champion from Tiwan
(a nice young man, an obvously tallented player).

Efrin sat quietly watching this young man stroke through 6 racks in succession. Efrins only time at the table, was after a safe, several of them but to no avail.

The crowd became quite and noone said a word.

On the sixth rack, the young man from Tiwan broke, nothing fell. The 1-ball was in the right corner pocket of the foot rail. Balls were scattered at random around the table but ugly. The 9-ball was against the right-side long rail, touching. Several balls were at the side pocket on the same side.

After some usual Efrin deliberation, Efrin places the cue ball deep in the pocket, adjacent and aft of the 1-ball, nicks it outbound, goes two rails and softly lands the cue dead-stopped behind the 9-ball. His opponent fouled in his attempt to hit the 1-ball in revrse. Second Ball-in-hand,, Efrin repeat the first shot. Again his opponent fouls for the same reason, Efrin gets ball-in-hand, his opponent is on 2 foul. Efrin now has the 1-ball where he wanted it, which no one realized and rather than make the safty shot again for the 3rd foul, he makes the one-four combination, and runs the table. Efrin won the match 9 to 5.

Enough said
 
In another long set like the Color of Money set between Earl and Efren but with some other opponent like Busta, Mika, Souquet, or Yang I think I would take any one of the other 4 at this time in 9-ball. Only in winner breaks would I take the other players but I see them putting more racks together with more consistensy then Efren due to better breaks. Strickland was leading the Color of Money huge going into the last day. I have not watched the match but someone please tell what happend, cause I always figured Strickalnd did one of his occasional brain freezes and made some poor shots and poor breaks to let Reyes back in on the last day. Or did Reyes run a ton of racks giving Strickland little chance? I always assumed that Reyes did not win that match as much as Strickland lost it due to the score going into the last day.
 
Celtic said:
In another long set like the Color of Money set between Earl and Efren but with some other opponent like Busta, Mika, Souquet, or Yang I think I would take any one of the other 4 at this time in 9-ball. Only in winner breaks would I take the other players but I see them putting more racks together with more consistensy then Efren due to better breaks. Strickland was leading the Color of Money huge going into the last day. I have not watched the match but someone please tell what happend, cause I always figured Strickalnd did one of his occasional brain freezes and made some poor shots and poor breaks to let Reyes back in on the last day. Or did Reyes run a ton of racks giving Strickland little chance? I always assumed that Reyes did not win that match as much as Strickland lost it due to the score going into the last day.
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Efren finally found success with his break in the final night.
When he found out the way to make the 1-ball to the side pocket, he strung up a lot of wins from it. Either by running out or safe.
When the score was 117-117 ( Efren caught him at 111-111) Earl scratched on the break. Efren won that rack then Earl gave up.
Efren just would not give up even down by 17 racks one time late in the match at 87-104. In the end the better overall player won imo b/c Efren handcuffed Earl so many times with safeties late in the match.
 
BackPocket9Ball said:
Look at the best 9-ball players who specialize only in 9-ball: Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet -- very few people would call these guys the best all-around pool players.
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Just to let you know, there are many people throughout the world who think Ralf Souquet might be the best all around player. He has proved his skills are very wide indeed, by winning titles throughout the world in 8-ball, 14.1 continous, and 9-ball...and I am talking World Pool Championships, European Championships, Asian Championships, major tournaments in the US including the US Open 9-ball and the BCA US Open 14.1 Championships, and many national titles as well. No one has ever dominated Europe the way he has, and as of late is winning more and more here. There is no player in the game that has more international titles than Ralf. I personally cannot wait to see Ralf take an interest in one-satchel! IMHO, Ralf, Efren, and Mike Sigel are the three greatest players of our time. With a handful coming in just behind them; Johnny Archer, Jose Parica, Nick Varner, Francisco Bustamente, Shannon Daulton, and Cliff Joyner...and a bunch more coming in behind them! And I am sure there are more players that could be in that category who just have not had an interest in games other than 9-ball. I think the Derby City is going to thrust these other games into the spotlight, and create a buzz that brings many players to play other games.
 
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