Top 10 Amazing Facts about Efren Reyes

Filipino superstar Efren Reyes competes in the World 9-Ball Pool Championship in Doha. Picture by Vinod Divakaran on Wikimedia

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Efren Reyes

Efren Manalang Reyes who is popularly known by his nickname ‘Bata’ (meaning Kid) is a Filipino professional pool player. Reyes was born in Pampanga, Philippines on the 26th of August 1954.

His family was not that well-off as he moved to Manila at the age of five to live with his uncle who owned a pool hall. His journey to becoming a professional pool player began.

He used to clean the pool hall while living with his uncle in Manila. Reyes used to sleep on the pool tables and practised playing the game at a very tender age.

His height was a major backlash, but he never gave up as he stood on Coca-Cola cases to play well. Reyes has gone ahead to win over one hundred international titles after debuting in the game officially.

He became the first person to win the WPA World Championships in two different disciplines. Reyes has participated in several international competitions which he won.

He holds the record sum of money won by a pool player in a single tournament. Reyes is regarded as the world’s greatest pool player of all time.

Here are the top 10 Amazing Facts about Efren Reyes:

1. Reyes Relocated to Manila to Live with an Uncle who Owned a Pool Table

Reyes was born in Pampanga where he grew up to the age of five. Not much is known about his family but it is believed that they were not that well-off.

At the age of five, Efren Reyes relocated from Pampanga to Manila where he stayed with his uncle. His uncle owned a huge pool hall which was popular and attracted several players.

2. He used to Clean the Pool Hall and Sleep on the Pool Tables

Pool table. Photo by Kurt Kaiser on Wikimedia

After relocating to his uncle’s place in Manila, Reyes had to keep up with the demands of his new environment. His uncle wanted more labour at his pool hall which he got cheaply from him.

Reyes was given the duties of cleaning the pool hall at a tender age. While at his uncle’s place, he never had a decent place to sleep. Reyes was forced by the situation to sleep on the pool tables in the hall.

3. Efren Played and Won his First Money Match at the Age of Nine

Living at his uncle’s pool hall, Efren Reyes developed more interest in the game. He was not that tall to reach out on top of the pool tables to play.

Reyes used to stand on top of the Coca-Cola cases which he moved around in the hall. He became more skilled in playing the pool game at a very tender age. He started gambling at a young age due to his frequent presence at the hall.

At the age of nine, Reyes played his first money match at his uncle’s pool hall. This was the first money game for Reyes which he won easily giving him more recognition. Reyes continued to compete at 3-cushion billiards in the 1960s and 1970s.

4. Several Promoters gave him Opportunities after his Winning Reputation

Filipino superstar Efren Reyes competes in the World 9-Ball Pool Championship in Doha. Picture by Vinod Divakaran on Wikimedia

Reyes was never restricted from playing at his uncle’s place. The tendency of playing well and winning paved the way for a bright future.

Reyes established himself as a winner who attracted several promoters. These promoters gave Reyes a very huge chance of exposure.

The young and skilful pool player, Efren Reyes was given more opportunities to play and compete in larger tournaments. He was never disappointed as he kept winning.

5. Reyes made $80,000 in A Few Weeks after moving to the United States

During the start of his career, Reyes had been competing in the Philippines only and had no exposure internationally. In the 1980s, Efren Reyes decided to explore a new opportunity of playing away from his homeland.

He relocated to the United States to hustle in 1984. It was not that easy for Reyes while in the United States where he did not know several people.

In a few weeks, Reyes had made a huge sum of money by winning several tournaments. He made eighty thousand US dollars in a few weeks in the United States. This made him a folk hero when he returned to the Philippines.

6. He used Aliases in the US, Europe and Asia to be Allowed to Play

Filipino superstar Efren Reyes competes in the World 9-Ball Pool Championship in Doha. Picture by Vinod Divakaran on Wikimedia

As Reyes continued venturing more in his career, his reputation was well known worldwide. He competed in the United States, Europe and some parts of Asia.

His winning reputation made some promoters not allow him in some competitions. This made Efren Reyes start using aliases to hide his identity and get to play. One of the aliases he used was ‘Cesar Morales’.

7. Efren Reyes Won All-Time Largest Purse in any Professional Pool Event

Two years after Efren Reyes became the first non-American to win the US Open 9-ball Championship, he participated in another event. This event was known as The Colour of Money.

Efren Reyes teamed up with Earl Strickland in this event. It was a three-day race-to-120 challenge match of nine-ball.

This major event was held in Hong Kong and the prize money was $100,000. Efren Reyes managed to win the match at 120-117 despite being 17 racks behind. He became the first person to win this large purse in any professional pool event.

8. Reyes Won Another Big Money Pool Competition in Tokyo

Efren Reyes with a fan. Photo by RailbirdJAM on Wikimedia

In the early 2000s, Efren Reyes was more active and participated in several events and competitions. In 2001, he participated in the Tokyo Open.

This was a huge competition where over seven hundred participants took part. The total purse for this competition was $850,000.

Reyes managed to reach the finals and beat Niels Feijen 15-7. He pocketed $163,000 which was also the biggest prize money in the 2000s.

9. His Nickname was Derived from his Play Style

Efren Manalang Reyes has always been a great and successful pool player in the world. His playing style is unique and gives him domination over his opponents.

His ability to play kick shots gave him a better nickname. He gained the nickname ‘Magician’ which he is still being referred to.

10. Reyes Featured in Three Top Movies

His amazing career made him interact with some great people. Reyes featured in three movies which focused on his pool-playing skills.

Reyes was first featured in a movie in 2003. The movie was known as Pakners which he featured alongside Fernando Poe Junior.

In 2007, Reyes appeared in the short movie Nineball. He also appeared in one episode of the TV series Magpakailanman.