My take on last night's match

As great a player as Efren is and has been, he has NEVER played the score correctly and his shot selection is sometimes very suspect. When he ran seven balls last night and Scott had none, if Artie, Jack, Freddie or I had been coaching him, do you think he'd have sold out and lost the game? That shot cost him any chance to win the match.
I like modern, aggressive playing but you MUST always play the score. Efren finally got taxed by playing a really bad shot. I've seen him get away with that type of thing before but he wasn't playing a Scott Frost, who would punish him for every misplay.
For you numbers freaks, if two players are of equal ability and one player needs one ball while the other needs eight: If the player who needs eight can be forced to make his balls one at a time and there are no scratches, it is 255 to 1 against the player who needs eight winning the game.
If it had been Artie or Jack they might still be playing that game. That's my opinion on this.

Post Match Pictures!

Post Match Pictures!



Here are some post-match pics from the One Pocket Challenge Match
between Efren Reyes and Scott Frost.

Hope you like 'em!
Much thanks for looking, everyone!


Link is here, friends!

Times DO change !

Times DO change !

It has been said that Efren's skill in all facets of his game, have slipped a little as he ages and faces some minor health issues. That may be true as I watch him pay the price for questionable shot selection. In the past, poor shot choices were overcome by his uncanny shotmaking and cue ball control. He's lost several big matches lately, by playing like he was way ahead on balls, when he was actually behind, and vice versa.

He is still one of the greatest IMO, but, as Grady said, he's going to have to
work on his shot selection to compensate for losing maybe half a step in his overall game. In other words, he's going to have to pick the shot that a mere mortal would shoot, as he ages. Tough pill for him to swallow. I know we all wish him the best, he's surely has been, (and still is) great for the game.

Dick

PS Congrats to Scott on a well played match.

Finally, confirmation!

Finally, confirmation!

Grady said:

As great a player as Efren is and has been, he has NEVER played the score correctly and his shot selection is sometimes very suspect. When he ran seven balls last night and Scott had none, if Artie, Jack, Freddie or I had been coaching him, do you think he'd have sold out and lost the game? That shot cost him any chance to win the match.
I like modern, aggressive playing but you MUST always play the score. Efren finally got taxed by playing a really bad shot. I've seen him get away with that type of thing before but he wasn't playing a Scott Frost, who would punish him for every misplay.
For you numbers freaks, if two players are of equal ability and one player needs one ball while the other needs eight: If the player who needs eight can be forced to make his balls one at a time and there are no scratches, it is 255 to 1 against the player who needs eight winning the game.
If it had been Artie or Jack they might still be playing that game. That's my opinion on this.

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Grady, I have been screaming that same tune to deaf ears for years. When I say that Efren doesnt play the game right, people laugh at me. The same poor score play cost him the 1pkt tourn. at Derby City this year, and I pointed such out when I broadcast his match with Alex. He needed 1 game to win the match and he had Alex 7 to 0. Rather than clean up the balls he chose a move and left Alex a difficult off-angle bank, but if Alex makes it he can get behind the balls. To the uninformed, because it was a severe cut cross-corner, it looked like an ok shot to leave, but to a good player that's trailing 7 to zip, the shot looks like a giant pork-chop sandwich! Naturally, Alex made it, got behind the balls. ran 8 and out and won the match and advanced to the semi-finals. I didnt see the match, but I heard the same thing occurred when he played Gabe Owen and got knocked out of the tourn, (he needed 1 and Gabe ran 8 and out).

the Beard
I just put Dorothy Wise and Lou Butera's video's up on one of my many LARGE blogs and website, vintagehalloffamevideos.blogspot.com/ Other approx. 15 min videos include Fats, Mosconi, Caras, Balsis, Crane, Cochrane, etc. etc.

Panache?

Panache?

I don't know either why Efren didn't start driving balls up table when he lead in that game 7-0. The only thing I can think of is that he was just trying to show bravura-- that he's tough, and he wasn't scared to go against conventional wisdom. Of course it cost him that particular game, but I don't think Scott was to be denied that evening.

Doc

Now it can be told

Now it can be told

gulfportdoc said:

I don't know either why Efren didn't start driving balls up table when he lead in that game 7-0. The only thing I can think of is that he was just trying to show bravura-- that he's tough, and he wasn't scared to go against conventional wisdom. Of course it cost him that particular game, but I don't think Scott was to be denied that evening.

Doc

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That's probably the best description of the "why" Doc. When I was playing Efren on an almost daily basis in Chicago back in the late 80's, it was obvious that he was soaking up 1pkt info at an alarming rate. Not wanting to be the pariah responsible for his greatness, I tried to inject as much bad info into his absorbing brain. One important thing I did, and this is where the "bravura" comes in, was when I had a lead and would go about cleaning up balls and shipping them up table rather than shoot a shot or move. I would make sure that I would do so in a most cowardly looking, self-demeaning, and abhorent way, even tho in reality I felt no such compunctions. The reason was, I wanted him to look at shooting passive, clean-up shots with distaste, so he would continue to be aggressive when he had the lead, which would give me a better chance to win. He learned that infected lesson well. The downside of this was that he executed so well, and shot so much better than anybody else, this flaw wasnt exploited enough. As Grady pointed out, if he is playing against someone with an equal speed to his, that disdain for playing the score would be fatal.

the Beard

If you want to learn more about how to be a pool scoundrel, go to my website and blog, www.secretsofapoolhustler.blogspot.com/

EXCELLENT post guys!

here's my question. Assuming i"m playing a guy maybe a ball or 2 better than I am, at what spread should I start marching them up table?

To this point I have been keeping balls in play down table to try to offset the % on his moving, but I shoot better. He gets tight, I fire, and we basically break even. I know I need to pull it in a little, I just don't know exactly when?

thanx, Gerry

100andout said:

Assuming i"m playing a guy maybe a ball or 2 better than I am, at what spread should I start marching them up table?

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Gerry, I doubt that anyone could give you a one-size-fits-all for that situation (although some of us will try ); but it seems to me that if you ever get ahead 4-0, it's time to start shipping the balls north, especially if you're playing even. If you're playing with weight, I might even start clearing the south end of the table earlier.

Fred, Dick, or 1pocketghost might be able to give you a better answer.

Doc

100andout said:

EXCELLENT post guys!

here's my question. Assuming i"m playing a guy maybe a ball or 2 better than I am, at what spread should I start marching them up table?

To this point I have been keeping balls in play down table to try to offset the % on his moving, but I shoot better. He gets tight, I fire, and we basically break even. I know I need to pull it in a little, I just don't know exactly when?

thanx, Gerry

Click to expand...

If you're up 4-0 that means you need 4 he needs 8 start pushing balls up table and leave at least 4 in play that will give you control of the game.

100andout said:

EXCELLENT post guys!

here's my question. at what spread should I start marching them up table?


thanx, Gerry

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Gerry.........Like Doc said, it's not all black and white situations - there's variables.....But I'll say this much anyway....

With a 5,6, or 7 ball lead, you should send them up-table almost always.

With a 3 or 4 ball lead, as a general rule (there can be exceptions), if the ball layout strongly favors my pocket, I'm most likely gonna keep them in play and attack............But with a 3 or 4 ball lead, and the ball layout strongly favoring my opponents pocket, I'm gonna be sendin' them balls north to Alaska.

- Ghost

In Efren's match with Alex at DCC, in the game in question where he needed one and Alex needed eight, on his last shot Efren did knock balls up table to a degree. What he failed to do was force Alex to do the same -- he left Alex an alternative "go for it all" bank. Carelessly knocking the balls up table is only half the "right shot". The other half is to do it with extreme care and precision to avoid leaving such a shot and ideally force your opponent to knock up table too.

There are very few situations in one pocket where you do not invite getting penalized if you are the slightest bit careless...

Comment

Comment

One Pocket Ghost said:

Gerry.........Like Doc said, it's not all black and white situations - there's variables.....But I'll say this much anyway....

With a 5,6, or 7 ball lead, you should send them up-table almost always.

With a 3 or 4 ball lead, as a general rule (there can be exceptions), if the ball layout strongly favors my pocket, I'm most likely gonna keep them in play and attack............But with a 3 or 4 ball lead, and the ball layout strongly favoring my opponents pocket, I'm gonna be sendin' them balls north to Alaska.

- Ghost

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THANK YOU , SIR.

AND THANK YOU GRADY AND FREDRICK .... U TOO DOC.... AND STEVE

SITUATION IS ALSO AN ART

I spent 3 nites watching Efren play flawless one pocket. Giving up 13 to 6 and all kinds of spots. But he never played someone equal or near his abilities. He was virtually toying with them. No one fired back at him. Yeah he was running balls from everywhere. But as soon as he faces someone like a Frost or Alex he seems to tighten up and seems to loose his composure. This is what I saw in Louisville. Amazingly he shot such an amateur shot against Gabe when he needed one and Gabe needed 5 or 6 balls. A simple safe that the janitor in our pool hall could have executed. He sold out and Gabe managed to run out.
I dont know. People were saying Efren was aging, his arthritis, his brother just passed, jet lag, etc. But I just think when faced with adversity he shows a human nature. And I dont know if anyone has talked to him about this. If he has analyzed this situation, being on a full tilt. He is such an instinctual type of player.
I dont think there is a physical problem here. Ive just seen him play brilliantly. Its a mental problem. And as the great Billy Martin said "there are no excuses for mental errors".

Pretty good stuff on this thread, from some good One Pocket minds. Personally, I think the plan and simple truth is that Efren misses more balls now. Just the fact that he misses once in a while, means that his game has slipped a notch. He used to make EVERYTHING, especially all the important/hard shots. Nowadays, I see him miss shots he never would have missed before.

jay helfert said:

Pretty good stuff on this thread, from some good One Pocket minds. Personally, I think the plan and simple truth is that Efren misses more balls now. Just the fact that he misses once in a while, means that his game has slipped a notch. He used to make EVERYTHING, especially all the important/hard shots. Nowadays, I see him miss shots he never would have missed before.

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Jay,

Don't we all miss more these days? Nice seeing you at the Derby.

DeeMan