In the harsh world of billiards, where shots require absolute precision and superior tactical thinking, not everyone can hold their heads high in front of legends. And Efren "Bata" Reyes - known as "The Magician" - is the living definition of ingenuity, intelligence and the art of playing billiards at the highest level. But not everyone realizes it at first, especially young players full of confidence, thinking that youth and boldness can defeat decades of experience. A recent story became a memorable lesson for a young player, when he entered a match with Efren Reyes with a complacent mindset, only to realize the real difference between a budding talent and a legendary level.
Right from the first minutes of the match, the young man - who has won many regional titles and is hailed by the press as the "new generation" of billiards - showed great confidence. The arrogant look, the powerful stride, and the ambitious pre-match declaration that he would “outshine Reyes” were eagerly awaited by the audience to see whether that arrogance was truly backed by talent, or just a temporary illusion.
As the match began, the young player quickly revealed his powerful strokes and energetic play. He won the first few balls, occasionally glancing at Reyes as if to prove his superiority. But then, when the game began to get complicated – situations that required deep calculations, the ability to control the speed of the ball, and difficult shots – the difference really became clear.
Efren Reyes, with his calm demeanor and gentle smile, was unaffected by such impulsive displays. Instead, he waited patiently for his opportunity, calmly placing the ball in a favorable position for the next shot, like a game of chess where every move was calculated several steps ahead.
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And then, a miraculous shot from Reyes took the audience's breath away: a shot that seemed impossible, but Reyes made it happen with ease, sending the cue ball through a maze of opponent balls to pave the way for consecutive points.
The young player's face began to change color. From confident eyes to confusion, from decisive steps to bewildered head shakes. He seemed unable to believe what was happening before his eyes: that although he could hit hard, could score quickly, in the world of the masters, power and daring alone were not enough. He was up against a man who had spent his entire life learning how to "dance" with the marbles on the table, who could see dozens of different options in a matter of seconds, and choose the only one that was both beautiful and effective.
As the match continued, Efren Reyes began to show his magic in every shot. The extremely smooth backhands, the "bank shots" were precise to the millimeter, the skillful strokes made the marbles run around the table as if they had a will of their own. The audience then seemed to explode after each performance. As for the young man, the more he played, the weaker he became, like a warrior who had lost both his weapons and his spirit.
In one memorable situation, the young player found himself in an extremely difficult ball position: the cue ball was stuck between two opponent's marbles, with no direct path to hit. He hesitated for quite a while, clearly confused by the complexity of the situation. Meanwhile, Reyes only needed a brief look, a slight smile, and then executed a beautiful "massé" shot - the cue ball drew a magical curve, slipped through the narrow gap like a dream and scored perfectly. The whole audience stood up and applauded endlessly. The young player's face at that time was the most realistic picture of amazement, disappointment and admiration mixed together.
The result of the match was no longer so important, because the lesson the young player received was the most valuable thing. After the match, when interviewed, he honestly admitted: "I thought I was ready to beat anyone. But today, I realized that I still have a long way to go to understand what it means to play billiards at the highest level. Efren Reyes is not just a legend - he is a living art on the billiard table."
As for Reyes, he did not have any arrogant or disparaging words. On the contrary, he smiled kindly, advising young people to patiently learn, that talent is just the starting point, while humility and the will to practice are what make a true champion. That story quickly spread throughout the global billiards community, as a testament to the fact that no matter how much time passes, no matter how talented the younger generation is, the courage, experience, and wisdom of legends like Efren Reyes are still the guiding light, which cannot be easily replaced.
It is an expensive but worthy lesson: in billiards - as in life - sometimes overconfidence is the door to failure, and only those who know how to bow their heads and learn can truly reach the top.
