In the world of billiards, everyone knows the legendary name – Efren “Bata” Reyes. A genius from the Philippines, who rewrote the history of this sport with unbelievable shots, “alien” level moves, and a super tactical mind that no one can imitate. However, in a recent match within the framework of the prestigious international 9-ball tournament, Reyes once again made the world stir – this time not just because he won, but because of a “monstrous” shot that many people thought… was a foul!
The incident happened in the 5th game of a dramatic competition between Reyes and a young opponent from Europe, who had confidently declared that he could “decode the magic” of Reyes. No one expected that Reyes’ answer would come in the form of a shot unlike anything before.
The situation was extremely awkward: the 5 ball was near the edge of the table, the cue ball was completely blocked by the 2 and 7 balls, there was no normal way to hit the target. Everyone expected Reyes to ask for a pass or to make a defensive shot – but no. With his usual calm expression, Reyes leaned over the table, brought the cue ball to the cue ball in an unusual position, and… hit the shot.
As soon as the shot happened, the crowd was silent for a second – then immediately exploded with excitement and surprise. The cue ball flew up gently, touched the table once, then spun around in a calculated manner, slipped through the impossibly narrow gap between the two blocking balls, lightly touched the 5 ball and pocketed it with an unbelievable sweep.
The commentator exclaimed: “Impossible! What was that shot?” While many spectators stood up and applauded, on the other side, the referee and the young opponent began to suspect that this shot might be… illegal.
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The question was raised: was Reyes' shot an illegal "jump shot"? The opponent asked the referee to review the slow-motion replay. And so the entire stadium held its breath, watching each frame of that "strange" shot with suspense. Some people even thought Reyes had used a cue to flip the cue ball up - something that is prohibited in some tournaments.
But surprisingly, when watching closely, everyone - including the referee - had to admit: it was a completely legal shot. Reyes did not use the traditional "jump" technique, but instead he used a special cue line, cutting the ball with a perfect angle down to the millimeter, making the cue ball bounce as if jumping, without violating any rules.
Experts immediately called this a "masterstroke" - a stroke of genius. Those who had initially criticized him turned to admiration, and social media exploded with the video of this historic moment. Headlines like “I can’t believe that shot was real!”, “Efren Reyes once again redefines the concept of ‘genius’” or “Billiards is no longer a game – it’s Reyes’ magic stage!” flooded all platforms.
Some veteran coaches also had to bow their heads and admit: “Even though I have played billiards for more than 30 years, I have never seen a shot like that. Only Reyes could think of it.”
Reyes himself also appeared quite calm before this shocking event. When asked by reporters about the situation, he just smiled and said: “I don’t think too much. I just do what needs to be done. If you don’t try, how will you know?” – a simple sentence but reflects the true nature of a genius: not bound by the framework, always creating beyond limits.
After that shot, Reyes’ opponent’s mentality was clearly heavily affected. He kept making mistakes in the following games, as if he was “haunted” by Reyes’ extraordinary ability. The match quickly ended with an overwhelming score in favor of “The Magician”. But the biggest echo was not the victory, but that magical shot – something that the entire billiards world would talk about for many years to come.
This event also reopened the eternal question in billiards: “Is there any limit to creativity in this sport?” For Reyes, it seemed that limit did not exist. From the unimaginable curved “masse” shots, to the seemingly illogical angled “bank shots”, now a “half jump” shot – a shot that made the entire referee world review the rules. And that is what makes him not just a great player, but a symbol of freedom in the sport – where skill, intelligence and creativity perfectly intersect.
That day, the billiards stage witnessed not just a victory, but a historic moment. A moment that showed that in his twilight years, Efren “Bata” Reyes was still full of surprises, still had “magic” in his body, and was still the obsession of anyone who dared to challenge him. A controversial shot – but then hailed as “the shot of the decade”.
And perhaps, that is what made Reyes a legend: he did not just play to win – he played to create magic.
