Throughout the history of billiards, it is rare for the world to witness a legend who is both talented and humble, and possesses a unique playing style like Efren “Bata” Reyes. Although he is in his sixties, the Filipino “Wizard” still makes the whole world bow in admiration for his amazing shots, unimaginable defenses, and especially his ability to read the table - a skill that only geniuses possess. In the latest tournament in Asia, Reyes once again proved why he is considered the greatest legend of all time - not only because of his titles, but also because of his perseverance, class and magic in every touch of the cue.
The highlight match between Reyes and a young rising player from the US has become an earthquake in the billiards world. The young man, with his strong physique, precise shots and high confidence, thought he could easily defeat Reyes. However, after just a few shots, all that complacency was gone before Reyes’ composure and classic “kick shots”.
One of the moments that made the audience stand up and applaud was when Reyes faced an extremely difficult situation: the cue ball was near the edge of the table, the remaining balls completely blocked, with no straight path. Anyone else would have chosen the safe defensive option.
But no – Reyes looked at the table for a moment, measured the angle with his naked eye, then performed a three-cushion kick, sending the cue ball on an almost impossible trajectory, hitting the target ball precisely and scoring. The whole audience exploded in amazement. The commentator could only exclaim: “That’s not a shot – that’s magic!”
For Reyes, kick shots are not just a skill – they are an art. He once shared that each kick is a geometry problem that he “solved” with his intuition that has been honed for decades.
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During the match, Reyes continuously used kicks to save the table, from two-cushion, three-cushion, to kicks with complex spins that only he could perform. More importantly, not only saving the table, Reyes also used kicks as an offensive weapon - making it impossible for his opponents to counterattack.
In addition to his magical kicks, Reyes' defensive ability is also something that the whole world admires. When there are no more reasonable attacking options, he immediately switches to a defensive position by sending the cue ball to a position that is almost impossible to reach. Once, Reyes hit the cue ball close to the cushion, forcing the target ball behind two blocking balls, creating an unsolvable situation. The opponent had to accept the foul, giving the turn back to Reyes - and of course, he did not miss the opportunity to end the game.
Even though he is past his physical peak, Reyes still makes young players dizzy with the way he controls the pace of the match. He is not in a hurry, not hasty. Every shot is carefully calculated, and the amazing thing is – almost never wrong. There are even times when he hits the object ball in what seems like a “mistake”, but in fact it is intentional to bring the cue ball back to the right position for the next shot. This is a level that very few people can reach.
It is impossible not to mention Reyes’ calmness and simplicity. While his opponents are tense, worried and sometimes frustrated by his excellent defense, Reyes just smiles, wipes his hands on a towel and continues playing as if it were just a normal practice session. That top-notch competitive spirit combined with humility is the reason why he is always loved by the whole world.
Not only the audience, but also other legendary players do not hesitate to praise Reyes. Shane Van Boening, one of the world's top players, once admitted: "Every time I play against Efren, I feel like I'm playing against a supercomputer that knows my every move. It's hard to describe that feeling of helplessness." Even legends like Earl Strickland once acknowledged that Reyes was the most intelligent and creative person he had ever known.
After that eye-catching match, social media was flooded with slow-motion clips of Reyes's kick shots and top defense, along with admiring comments: "A legend never dies", "Efren is a professor on the billiards table", or simply: "The magic still exists, and Reyes is the one who controls it."
At the end of the tournament, although he did not win the overall championship, what Reyes showed far surpassed any title. He doesn’t just play to win – he plays to inspire, to show the world that the art of billiards is still alive, beautiful and profound through every shot he makes. At an age when many have hung up their cues, Reyes is still standing, still performing moves that make the audience stand up and applaud endlessly.
