Las Vegas – the bright lights, the tense arena, the best players in the world gathered for a prestigious tournament. But when Efren “Bata” Reyes stepped onto the court, all eyes were on him. Not because of his first shot. Not because of his streak of points. But because of the deadly silence he brought – a stillness where opponents trembled just by standing there.
It happened in the most anticipated match of the Las Vegas 9-Ball Showdown. His opponent was a young, fiery American who had just eliminated two European champions in a row and was being hailed as “the future of America.” But as soon as Reyes emerged from the waiting room with an enigmatic smile, holding his cue like a sword, all the crowd’s expectations froze. The air suddenly turned cold – not because of the air conditioning, but because the legend had appeared.
The match began. Surprisingly, Reyes did not score immediately. He hit the ball open, gently like a musician prefacing a sonata. The number 1 ball rolled slowly… without going through the hole. A few whispers arose in the stands. “Is he getting old?” “Is there still magic?”
But immediately, the atmosphere was extinguished. The young opponent approached the pool table, but… Jayson Shaw did not dare to hit. His hands trembled, his eyes looked at Reyes sitting at the corner of the table with a calm expression as if he had anticipated everything. A strange feeling spread – Reyes did not need to touch the ball, just being present was enough to freeze the whole table.
For the first 5 minutes, Jayson Shaw just walked back and forth, wiping his stick, wiping his forehead, then looking back at Reyes. Jayson Shaw tried to hide his anxiety, but every gesture betrayed it. This was no longer a technical match, but a mental battle – and Reyes won before his opponent even touched the ball.
VIDEO :
As if it were some kind of mind game, Reyes didn’t need to say anything. His eyes, his fingers tapping the table, and his relaxed posture as if he were at home – all of it made the audience hold their breath. The tournament commentator even exclaimed: “We are witnessing a legend controlling the game without hitting the ball! Whoever said snooker or pool was all about technique, has never met Efren Reyes!”
Then, it was Reyes’ turn to return to the table. He crouched down, looked closely at the layout – but still didn’t hit. He stood up, returned to his seat, surprising everyone. Still no points scored. Still no “pocket”. But somehow, the entire audience fell completely silent. A feeling of dread pervaded. Not because Reyes was scary, but because of the invisible power he radiated. A kind of “mental pressure” that had never been seen before.
Other players in the stands, even those who had beaten Reyes, had to admit: “No one makes his opponents afraid to hit like him. Reyes doesn’t need a goal to control the match.”
As the match continued, the audience didn’t wait for the score. They waited for the moment Reyes decided to attack. And when that moment came, his first shot made the whole stadium explode. With a delicate touch, the 3 ball bounced off two cushions and went into the hole as if controlled by an invisible hand. The young player could only watch, unable to do anything.
After that shot, no one remembered that Reyes had “not scored” during the first 10 minutes of the match. They only remembered the feeling of fear, admiration, and deadly calmness he created. Like a lion that doesn’t need to roar to silence all creatures on the grassland.
The scariest thing is not the shots that hit the target. It’s the waiting for them. And Reyes – with decades of experience – knew that better than anyone. He had mastered the art of creating silent obsession.
The entire match was a clear demonstration that the legend had nothing to prove. He was the proof. He himself – with his charisma, his presence – paralyzed his opponent. A victory not just of skill, but of psychological superiority.
When the match ended with Reyes winning easily, the audience stood up and applauded not because he had won – but because they had just witnessed one of the most terrifying psychological performances in modern billiards history.
A female fan exclaimed in tears: “He didn’t need to score. His presence alone was enough to make Las Vegas stop breathing.”
There were no highlight shots. There were no consecutive scoring streaks. But this was a match that no one would forget. Because people remember not just what Reyes did – but also how no one dared to do anything when he was around.
