In the world of billiards, where every stroke is a declaration of skill, spirit and intelligence, everyone knows the name Efren "Bata" Reyes - a living legend, a magician on the billiard table. At the age of 68, while many have retired or played for fun, Reyes is still competing, still creating moments that make the audience gasp. But the strange thing is, there are still people - especially young players - who think they can easily defeat him. And that is the story of a "very confident" player who thought he could outsmart this old legend. But he did not expect that he was about to learn a costly lesson.
The young player, only 25 years old, comes from a country where billiards is growing strongly. He possesses a dashing appearance, a fiery playing style and especially a confidence that is almost... arrogant. Before the exhibition match with Reyes at a charity event in Manila, he answered the interviewer with a half-smile: "I have a lot of respect for Mr. Reyes, but it's time for the new generation to take over.
I think I can embarrass him with a few tricks." Those words quickly spread on social media, making the Reyes fan community feel not very satisfied. But Efren himself only smiled gently when asked about that statement, he only said one sentence: "Let him play with confidence and give his all."
The match started in a bustling atmosphere. The young man entered the table with high confidence, a cold expression, each shot as if he was completely in control of the match. In the first few games, the truth is that he played quite well, taking advantage of Reyes' small mistakes to score points and take the lead. The audience began to stir: Is this the day Reyes is defeated by a young player?
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But people forget one thing – Reyes was never a fast starter. He didn’t play to show off, he played to feel, to read his opponent like an open book. After observing enough, the 68-year-old legend began to “counterattack”. Shots from impossible positions, balls that hit the target with magical precision, and above all – incredible calmness. Reyes was in no hurry, every move was carefully calculated, as if he were playing chess, not billiards.
In the fifth game, Reyes made a nearly impossible bank shot – the cue ball hit three cushions and then perfectly put the 3 ball into the corner pocket. The audience exploded, and the young player stood still, unable to believe his eyes. And that was just the beginning. In the sixth game, Reyes made a masse to dodge the two blocks and score – something that young people can only learn from textbooks. From then on, everything began to fall apart for the young player. His strokes became tense and inaccurate, while Reyes remained calm as a monk.
At 68, Reyes was not just playing – he was performing art. He controlled the ball like a painter controls a brushstroke. The crowd fell silent after each shot, only to explode in amazement. The young player could no longer look Reyes in the eye. He understood that he was losing not only in points, but also in spirit, experience, and creativity.
After the match, the score was 11-4 in Reyes' favor. But that number did not tell the whole story. The young player, at the press conference, was no longer arrogant. He bowed his head and said: "I was too confident. I thought age would slow him down, but I was wrong. Efren Reyes is not a human – he is a living legend."
This isn’t the first time a young player has tried to “teach” Reyes a lesson, and it probably won’t be the last. But those who have faced him know that Reyes doesn’t just play pool—he lives it. To him, every shot is a part of his soul. And so, those who think they can “hustle” Reyes just because of his age are seriously underestimating what it means to be a “genius.”
