In the world of billiards, where every shot is a combination of technique, strategy and psychology, few people can make the audience gasp in amazement and burst out laughing like Efren "Bata" Reyes - the man known as "The Magician". The special match that made the whole world talk was the clearest proof of the controversial question: "Is it luck or magic?" Because during the 2 hours of intense competition, Reyes performed a series of seemingly 'crazy' shots, but all ended with incredibly perfect results. And when the match ended, no one could deny that: either Reyes was extremely lucky... or he really was a magician with a cue in his hand.
The match took place at an international tournament, where Reyes faced a top European player – a young, confident opponent who had declared before the match that he had “studied Reyes’ entire style of play” and knew how to “beat him”. But what he didn’t know was that, for Reyes, experience and flexibility were unpredictable. And the match proved it.
Right from the first minutes, Reyes drove the audience crazy when he made a two-cushion shot that seemed to be going into the pocket but suddenly bounced out and pushed the cue ball to the ideal position to win again. The commentator at that time only had time to exclaim: “Unbelievable! Did he really mean to do that?” And then everyone started to talk – was it luck or was it a super reading of the table?
On the next turn, Reyes continued to show off his “divine luck”. A shot missed the target, but the cue ball hit the side of the table and bounced right into another ball – and surprisingly, that shot opened up a new ball position that allowed Reyes to clear the table!
The young opponent couldn’t believe his eyes. He sat there, looking at his coach with a confused look. But for those who had followed Reyes since the 90s, they knew: this was not the first time Reyes had done such “impossible” things.
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The match continued with a series of moments where the audience could not distinguish between skill and luck. Once, Reyes missed a jump shot, but the ball bounced back and accidentally pocketed another ball. Shouts of “Woooo!” rang out throughout the stands. The opponent laughed bitterly, not knowing whether to be angry or… bow his head in admiration. Reyes kept his face calm, smiling slightly as if “everything was according to plan.”
Some began to wonder: “Does he really know how every single shot will turn out?” – Because the constant occurrences are almost impossible to rely on luck alone. Another complicated 3-cushion shot ended with the 9 ball landing neatly in the corner pocket, while no one – including Reyes – thought it would win immediately. People began to ask each other: “Does he have a sixth sense? Or is it simply the universe that is always on his side?”
The post-match media exploded. The headlines were colorful: “The Reyes miracle continues”, “Luck or genius?”, “A match that defies all physical logic”. The veteran ESPN commentator even joked: “If anyone can control physics with cues and balls, it’s Reyes. Or maybe he’s signed a contract with luck.”
Reyes himself, in the post-match interview, made everyone laugh when he said: “I just hit and hope something good happens. Sometimes it goes right, sometimes it doesn’t. Today must have been a good day.” That simple statement made the fans love him even more. No exaggeration, no arrogance, just a man with an artistic heart and gifted hands.
However, many experts believe that it is the absolute understanding of mathematics, angles, ball trajectories and the ability to control the cue ball that creates those seemingly “heaven-sent” moments. Reyes not only plays with his eyes but also with his intuition – an intuition formed from thousands of hours of practice, from decades of fighting in every big and small arena in the world. And when his technique reaches its peak, every “lucky” shot is also the result of careful preparation.
A famous commentator concluded: “Reyes is the perfect example of the saying – when you are so good, others will think you are simply lucky.” That match has become a hot topic of debate on social networks and billiards forums around the world. Some people call it unbelievable luck, others say it is a superhuman level.
Regardless of the point of view, no one can deny that that match is one of the most memorable matches in Reyes' career. A performance that makes people surprised, laugh, and then think silently. Perhaps, for Efren Reyes, billiards is not just a sport – it is a stage, where he turns each cue into a work of art, between the fragile boundary of luck and magic.
And if we have to answer the question "Luck or Magic?" – perhaps the most reasonable answer is: "Both, and only Reyes can make those two things come together."
