#efrenreyes

Considered by many as the greatest pool player of all time, Efren “Bata” Manalang Reyes, came into existence in Pampanga, Philippines on August 26, 1954. Life wasn’t so great for the Reyes family during those times. Electricity, running water and other basic needs didn’t exist in their home. Unfortunately, his father, Pedro Reyes and his mother, Romana Manalang had no way of providing the needs of all their children so they decided to send Efren to Manila to live with his uncle when he was only five years old. 

There, Reyes cleaned pool tables for his uncle, who operated a billiards hall. He became enamored with billiards and spent countless hours watching players make errors. He was particularly interested in these blunders. He was particularly ecstatic to watch how players were able to maneuver balls past obstructions and into pockets. Reyes began playing billiards at the age of eight. To get to the table, he had to stand on Coca-Cola crates, and at the age of nine, he had played his first-ever match with a money stake. At the age of 12, he was already one of the greatest pool players in Manila. Because of his obsession with billiards, he dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional pool player. His parents sending him to Manila was a blessing in disguise. Because there, he found his destiny. 

At the age of 15, Efren already established a name for himself. He was already one of the most notorious pool players in the country. As it turns out, dropping out of high school was the right decision.

Even though Efren “Bata” Reyes was already good even at a young age, he got his nickname “Bata” because there was also another pool player named Efren. On the other hand, he got his moniker, “The Magician” simply because whenever he plays pool, it looks like he’s doing magic. He always manages to do the seemingly impossible shots. Efren never fails to impress the audience and annoy his opponents. 

After winning countless local and national competitions, Efren “Bata” Reyes decided that it was time for him to try competing overseas. He did not disappoint. In 1978, he was a significant part of the team Philippines who competed in the Philippines-Japan Pocket Billiards Tournament. Many challenged their skills but end up losing from time to time. For two years straight, they won and remained undefeated until the event concluded. However, that was not the end for Efren. In fact, he was only starting. 

The next year, 1979, Efren “Bata” Reyes became the All Japan Championship in nine-ball after dominating the Japanese champion Takeshi Okumura. The following years, he competed in different tournaments nationally. One of which was the Philippine Professional Pocket Billiards Championships in 1983 where he crushed his opponent Pepito Dacer in the finals. At last, he was known not only in Manila but all over the Philippines. But Efren had his hopes up. He wanted to compete with top-class players like him internationally. He did just that. 

In 1984, Efren traveled to the United States to compete. A few months after his first stay in the United States, Reyes began upsetting top-class players. Finally, he was beginning to gain some recognition throughout the world of pool. According to one account, Reyes kept a notebook where he listed down the names of the world's best pool players. When Reyes beat them, he crossed their names out. Like a hitman crossing the names of his victims. However, because of his fame due to his unearthly pool skills, he was feared. So, at the Red's Open 9-Ball Tournament in Houston, Texas in 1985, Reyes used the name of his friend Cesar Morales instead of going by his real name. Reyes was unbeatable for 21 days. No challenger could defeat “Cesar Morales”. He ended up getting 81,000 USD back home to the Philippines. Eventually, his opponents soon realized that Cesar Morales and Efren Reyes were the same person. 

Efren “Bata'' Reyes was in his prime in the succeeding years. Reyes won over 100 international tournaments and events defeating big names like Rodney Morris, Marlon Manalo, Mika Imonem, Mike "the Mouth" Sigel, Earl Strickland and a lot more. 

Reyes boasts an astonishing resume. He is a four-time World Eight-ball champion, a WPA World Nine-ball champion, a three-time U.S. Open winner, a two-time World Pool League winner, and a 14-time Derby City Classic winner. In 2006, Efren Reyes paired with Francisco Bustamante to be a representative of the Philippines at the World Cup of Pool, where they reached the finals and competed against two of the well established pool players in the world, Earl Strickland and Rodney Morris. But Efren Reyes, being a very talented player with the help of Francisco Bustamante, outscored their opponents and won the event. And in 2009, they won it again. In addition to his wonderful accolades, he holds the record for the largest single match prize in pool history, 100,000 USD. Reyes did this by defeating Earl Strickland in a Winner-Take-All challenge. 

As of the time of writing, Efren “Bata” Reyes is 67 years old. He is now happily retired, enjoying most of his time with his wife, Susan Reyes and their children, Frennie Reyes, Rose Reyes, and Chelo Reyes. Although he’s already retired, he often gets invited to pool tournaments as a special guest. Reyes’ most recent professional event was the SEA Games in 2019 in which he got the bronze medal to represent the Philippines. Efren “Bata” Reyes is considered as a legend by many. He’s one of the most notable persons in the Philippines. He proved that even the Philippines can compete even at the highest level. 

One day, I was surfing the internet when a video of Efren Reyes popped up, I was astonished by the way he played. I’ve always adored him ever since. His achievements not only represent his name but also his country. He’s recognizable throughout the entire world of pool, but he still refuses to live like a celebrity. He’s a humble and a sportsman guy. Most of all, he has a gorgeous smile that represents an entire country, the Philippines.