Billiards Digest — Pooldawg Stroke of Genius, Pool Videos

Player: Efren Reyes
Event: 2006 Derby City Classic
Date: Jan. 13, 2006

In the midst of perhaps the greatest single performance in the history of one-pocket finals — which, not coincidentally, would lead to perhaps the shortest one-pocket final in history — Efren Reyes briefly found himself in a bit of trouble that would require some of the Filipino’s patented magic.

Barely 15 minutes into the final of the 2006 Derby City Classic’s one-pocket division, Reyes already had a 2-0 lead over upstart opponent Jason Miller in the race-to-3 set, and was halfway home in the third game. He had run 19 consecutive balls (not including a ball that Miller had pocketed for him in a defensive maneuver) shooting both right-handed and left-handed, and weaving the cue ball in and around the pack like he was knitting a phenolic afghan.

Then he hit a snag as his cue ball glanced off the 4 ball and landed a bit short for his next shot. He faced an ultra-thin cut on the 10 that would send the cue ball screaming uptable and the back down to who-knows-where.

Not in the mood to play safe, Reyes stroked the cue ball with extreme-right English, splitting the corner pocket with the 10, and then watched as his spin effectively killed the cue ball on the rails and allowed it to float gently down to an unobstructed look at the 7 ball.

Reyes eventually polished off the match, 3-0, after just 20 minutes and 40 seconds of play. Accu-Stats commentator Billy Incardona heaped on the praise after the match — Reyes’ fourth one-pocket title in the tournament’s eight-year history. But “The Magician” begged to differ.

“I think I played better in the 1970s,” he said with a grin.

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