Efren "Bata" Reyes

One of world's famous pool player whom I really admire the most is this noble and notable man known in the International World as Efren "The Magician" Reyes. Here in the Philippines, he was nicknamed Efren "Bata" Reyes. He is called "Bata", which is Filipino for "Kid" since there was another pool player with the name of Efren.

Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954 and moved to Manila with his family, at the age of 5. In Manila, he worked as a billiards attendant at his uncle's billiards hall, where he started learning the various cue sports.

At a young age, he played for money, and in the sixties and seventies, played carambola billiards (also known as three cushion billiards). After establishing himself as a winner, he was discovered by promoters. This gave him the opportunity to compete in big time tournaments.

The fame of Efren Reyes began when he won the US Open Nine Ball Championship in 1994 by defeating Nick Varner in the finals. He was the first non-American ever to win the event.

Becoming a man of great prestige did not make him boastful of his achievements. I like his down to earth and humbleness. Maybe this is the reason why he was always blessed.