BEFORE the rise of the overly sanitized, family-oriented, bar room sports establishment (aka the “sports bar,”) there was the pool hall.
No neon lights, no club music; no influencers faking how to properly hold a pool cue while posing for an IG snap in an effort to look cute. No liquor license in some cases but, hey, beer was cheap and ice cold.
My generation was the last to experience and enjoy the quintessential pool hall. Standing ashtrays filled to the brim were standard at these joints. Still-alive embers continued to burn discarded butts while white, sour-smelling smoke emanated from the aluminum cylinders.
Tables inundated with liquor spilt a thousand times over gave off a sickly sweet aroma. Middle aged dudes and their lithe companions peppered the premises, a shiver of sharks, waiting for newcomers to pop in so they could work their hustle.
To a certain extent, the unsavory element at these places was the draw; the smoke and unpolished floors, the greasy pulutan and alcohol (albeit being too young to legally enjoy the latter) brought the whole “bad boy” thing to life. We felt cool walking in, pool cues in hand, a bunch of scoundrels just tall enough to see over the cushions for a good shot.
And none of that branded, competition-level Brunswick or Aramith stuff either. Lord, how we would’ve loved to play on perfectly balanced tables that didn't have stained, pock-marked felt lining that undoubtedly affected the trajectory of our shots.
Yet, none of that mattered. We still saved our lunch money so we could pop in, feel cool, and spend endless afternoons practicing backspins, understanding the speed of the table, and trying our darndest to make the cue ball stop on command.
Just like our idol, Efren “Bata” Reyes.
Finally, a Tournament Named After the GOAT
Reminiscing about the good ol’ days came as a result of catching the recently concluded Reyes Cup—a tournament that pitted billiards studs from Europe and Asia in team match play at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila from October 15-18.
Young guns such as Johann Chua—the current face of Filipino pool—Scottish phenom Jayson Shaw, and Vietnamese star Duong Quoc Hoang lit up the inaugural four-day, Matchroom Sport-promoted event.
READ: Team Asia keeps inaugural Reyes Cup trophy home in Manila
If anything, the Reyes Cup demonstrated a yearning among Filipino fans for locally-hosted, world-class pool events. The crowd was electric, to say the least.
The play was actually really good. Team Asia came out on top, to the delight of the local fans. But one could make the argument that folks were really there to be in the midst of a living legend: Efren Reyes.
The man didn’t take a shot the entire tournament and, yet, the crowd went wild for him when he’d step on the floor to do a bit of coaching, or to give a little wave or nod.
So that’s the other bit: “Reyes Cup.” Not only does it have a nice ring to it, but it’s something that we can totally get behind as Pinoys. Nationalism and whatnot. Forget politics. For elevating the country and for everything Reyes has done for the sport, it’s about damn time a tournament featured his namesake.
For The Children
The Reyes Cup—in terms of look, feel, and spectacle—has no commonality with the pool halls of yesteryear. It’s clean, not seedy, and generally falls under GP-level entertainment that’s enjoyable for all ages.
Pool is a proper sport now, and we have Efren Reyes to thank for that. Being more accessible and acceptable, and without the stigma of pool halls from generations past, what follows is the potential to inspire a new crop of young local talent eager to compete in the GOAT’s tournament.
“Bata.” You all know the legend: too short and slight of frame, he perched himself up on beer crates in order to hustle men thrice his age. At night, he made his bed on top of the smooth, cool slate. The kid grew up to be the greatest ever to do it.
“Bata.” To all the kids who are still to discover their greatness, whether it happens at a swanky sports bar or at a more modest location: the GOAT has paved the way and he’s got a cup you might one day play in.
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