[Editor’s Note]
Hello fellow Filipiniana fans,
Yesterday was Efren Reyes’ 71st birthday. I’ve been a fan of the 🐐 since I can remember. As a kid, I spent a lot of time on my paternal grandparents’ home where they had a pool table which was mostly used to generate a small income from neighbors who wanted to play. Given that environment, it was impossible not to learn about Efren — people used his name whenever someone hit a trick shot and the TV was often tuned to broadcasts of his matches.
Interestingly, yesterday was also my 29th. It was unfortunate that I didn’t play much pool and didn’t become a good player — it’s a missed opportunity for an epic coincidence. Maybe in an alternate universe, I’m Efren 2.0. Instead, I’m just a regular dude with a day job, writing newsletters for fun.
In any case, I may not be as great as him but it’s cool we share a birthday. I wish him (and me) many more birthdays to come. Although I’m just jealous that even in his 70s, he’s still Bata.
Halina!
-Roi
[History] Efren “Bata” Reyes, indisputably the best pool player in the world, celebrated his 71st birthday
Yesterday, August 26, Efren Reyes celebrated his 71st birthday. He was born in Pampanga. He is known by many as “Bata” (kid in Filipino) – a nickname used to distinguish him from an older pool player also named Efren. Or “the Magician” for his uncanny ability to execute seemingly impossible pool shots.
When he was five, he moved to Manila to live with an uncle who owned a small pool hall. He helped clean the hall and had to sleep on the pool tables at night. Exposed to the game early on, he started playing at a young age – not even tall enough to reach the pool table and having to rely on Coca-Cola cases as height boosters.
Today, he has the distinction of being the first player to win world championships in 2 different pool disciplines. He has also won over 100 international pool titles.
As a superstitious man, he’s known to do things he thought increased his chances of winning. Like rubbing ointment on his knees to avoid getting tired, wearing the same clothes he used for prior high-stakes games, and not taking a bath “because it might wash off his luck.”
Many pool players, analysts, and fans regard him as the greatest player of all time. Pool veteran Billy Incardona once said that Efren is “indisputably the best player in the world – especially when you consider all games – he can play any game as well as anyone, maybe better than anyone. In my opinion, we’re watching probably the greatest player in my lifetime and I’ve been watching pool for the better part of forty years.”
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