Who's the best cueist..?

Currently, who's the best cueist:

  • Earl Strickland

    Votes: 9 6.9%

  • Efren Reyes

    Votes: 47 35.9%

  • Jay Helfert

    Votes: 10 7.6%

  • Niels Feijen

    Votes: 1 0.8%

  • Ralf Souquet

    Votes: 5 3.8%

  • Ronnie O'Sullivan

    Votes: 24 18.3%

  • Shane Van Boening

    Votes: 19 14.5%

  • Tony Drago

    Votes: 2 1.5%

  • Torbjorn Blomdahl

    Votes: 10 7.6%

  • I like to watch 'American Idol'

    Votes: 4 3.1%
  • Total voters
    131
Peer said:
You are right, it doesn't "prove" anything, but I hope it will introduce some ideas of what's a good "cueist". For instance, almost no one at our poolhall have even heard of Torbjorn Blomdahl who I happen to think (and I hate to admit it since he's a Swede) is hands down the best of the best.

-- peer
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Usually I would be willing to go along with such pronouncements on the basis that it just MIGHT be correct but your comment above has no chance whatsoever.

(-:
 
jay helfert said:
All time best cueist I ever saw was Raymond Ceulemans. Nowadays from that list I would have to say Shane.
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very surprised to hear you mention Ceulemans, can you elaborate?

I only ask because you've seen all the American pool greats for the last several decades
 
My only question is if Efren's considered the best ever, why doesn't he have all the US Opens and World 9-Ball championships that Earl has? There's a big difference between best tourney player and best gambler. I know that has nothing to do with best "now" - but I just thought I'd ask.
 
smashmouth said:
very surprised to hear you mention Ceulemans, can you elaborate?

I only ask because you've seen all the American pool greats for the last several decades
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Simply put, with a cue in his hands, he was a genius. Spelled GENIUS! He handled that cue and those balls like they belonged only to him. No wonder he was the world champ at the most difficult of cue games for decades. Ceulemans run (I'm talking years, not balls) in Three Cushion was much longer than Efren's in One Pocket.

Next to him, I really liked Harold Worst and the way he handled the cue. It seemed like he could do anything with that little cue in his hands. Efren is right there with Worst.

My name is on there for comic relief only. Thanks anyway :)
 
I can't say that Allison is the best seeing as how she would lose to the top men, but multiple titles in multiple disciplines is the standard imo for judging overall cueing

no men have reached that standard
 
av84fun said:
Usually I would be willing to go along with such pronouncements on the basis that it just MIGHT be correct but your comment above has no chance whatsoever.

(-:
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i agree, the "and i hate to admit" comment is ludicrous. other than that, blomdahl is up and above the mighty ceulemans even.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
My only question is if Efren's considered the best ever, why doesn't he have all the US Opens and World 9-Ball championships that Earl has? There's a big difference between best tourney player and best gambler. I know that has nothing to do with best "now" - but I just thought I'd ask.
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It's a fair question, Efren never ever dominated the way Sigel and Earl did, I also think he has a losing lifetime record against both of them

Efren has been able to sustain his excellence for a longer period of time, but I don't know if he was ever as dominant or as feared
 
I think

that Thorsten and Mika should be included. Granted, their styles are not the long flowing stroke that someone like Earl has, but they have nice strokes none the less.

Earl, Efren, and Allison would be 3 of my choices though.
 
here's my personal litmus test,

If your life was on the line, and you had to pick one player to shoot a life or death match in a discipline other than his own, who would it be?
 
smashmouth said:
It's a fair question, Efren never ever dominated the way Sigel and Earl did, I also think he has a losing lifetime record against both of them

Efren has been able to sustain his excellence for a longer period of time, but I don't know if he was ever as dominant or as feared
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In their prime, would Earl and Sigel have offered Johnny Archer the 8-ball during Johnny's hot years for the cash?
Also, didn't Efren beat Sigel for the cash ( rotation in Reds and 10-ball at Hard Times ?).
 
the reasons I have mixed feelings when it comes to Allison is that the talent pool in the UK for women's snooker is miniscule, same thing in pool when she first started her run

regardless, she has my utmost respect,

on a non related note, she does charity work and travels to poorer nations for exhibitions, pure class imo, the men could learn from her
 
smashmouth said:
here's my personal litmus test,

If your life was on the line, and you had to pick one player to shoot a life or death match in a discipline other than his own, who would it be?
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Put 15 balls on the table and someone has to run it out for your life, who'd you pick?
I'll take Efren.
 
Ronnie O'Sullivan is withdelivers the cue beter than anyone I have ever seen, Earl is close when he is in gear, consistanltly the best is Efren.

But Ronnie O'Sullivan is like earl he runs hot and cold, but when he is hot I have never seen anything like it, I didnt realize it until last year when I first saw him play, now that snooker is kinda avaliable here in America take a look and you'll see what I'm taliking about. He fires in balls on the 12' box like its a bar box, and opens the stack with a live white, the power is amazing.

Efren on the otherhand has a beatiful delivery and creates shots and makes them like no other,

Earl like Ronnie O'Sullivan has the power and the fast tempo,


there is really no right or wrong or who's best answere here its all about style and the game they play, that billiard player from Turkey(?) that sets the wine glasses on the table for some shots and artistic billiards is amazing. Different games different strokes,


I'm glad to see that Jay Helfert made the list, I feel better about myself now. :D
 
there most certainly is a "best", there is always a "best", the problem is ascertaining such a person from the data we have, which right now is minimul

you put all your top guys in a continuous round robin for a year or two and not only will you get a winner, but historically and statistically speaking, he will be a decisive one at that

there is also the possibility that the world's best over multiple disciplines may not even be a champion in his own, i.e. the decathalete of cue sports
 
Buddy Hall. As long as he is still competitive he's current. No one strokes a cue like Buddy.
MULLY
 
smashmouth said:
here's my personal litmus test,

If your life was on the line, and you had to pick one player to shoot a life or death match in a discipline other than his own, who would it be?
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Hopkins in his prime :)
 
Eric Wynne said:
Everybody knows the best player is the person who wins the most money ... no brainer
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That's not necessarily true. Sigel won over 100 professional pool tournaments. Back then, they didn't pay a lot of jing. Now, if Sigel won 100 IPT events (assuming they paid), he'd have $50M in the bank and could buy/sell Efren many times over.
 
I agree... but, something to consider

jay helfert said:
All time best cueist I ever saw was Raymond Ceulemans. Nowadays from that list I would have to say Shane.
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Ceulemans himself has said that Torbjorn is the best HE has ever seen. his game is something to behold:eek: He also plays runout 9ball. I have seen a video somewhere maybe youtube where he plays efren 3cushion and 9ball. IIRC he defeats Efren in both games. Not that 1 match settles anything.


found it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3r1_DIyTg
 
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