My man
Everything about him intrigues me. His smooth stroke, the way he moves, his laugh, how he scratches his head when he loses position, the characteristic cough, his creative solutions, all of it. I must have been 12 years old when I saw him on video the first time. It not only changed my perspective on pool, but also the way I experience the game myself.
He’s a humble master of moving, banking, and kicking and therefore a great one pocket player. Those who know me, know I’m a one pocket advocate. It was him who made me fall in love with the game. During the years I’ve learned more about him and he turned out to be a great person off the table as well. He shares his wealth with friends and family, providing them with business opportunities and sends kids to school to get a proper education. I admire him even more for that than for the magician he is on the table. In 2007, I’ve had the honor to shoot some racks, backstage at the World Pool Masters, with the man himself. I couldn’t get the smile of my face. It was probably the best day of my (pool) life, although it was just a friendly game. Funny how that goes. I’m a very competitive player. It’s mostly the result that counts for me. Not that day. It wasn’t the achievement of winning a few games, but the experience of playing with my idol that made my day. Efren Reyes is my man.
About the Author:
An adventurous pool player from the Netherlands who’s a curious cultural anthropologist in need of knowledge to understand the world around him, goes by the name Pepijn de Wit. He values experiences more than anything and wants to see, and learn as much of the world as possible before leaving it. Hustling, the most charming and dark element of pool, would therefore not be his trade, although it would make it easier for him to stop mind-traveling while surfing the internet due to a lack of money. He applauds cultural diversity, the ambitious, the graceful, and the open-minded. His ambitions are big, his dreams even bigger. He’s a one pocket lover and tournament director of the One Pocket Series, a Dutch one pocket tour.
The Dutch voice column will be about the greats who’ve inspired him, what the game means to him, and what he wants it to become. Not only will he tell about himself, but also about the culture around pool and pool rooms in the Netherlands and other places where he has been playing, profiling of European players, and historic perspectives will definitely be part of his quest ‘to understand’.
Nice to see the passion for one pocket is fanning the flames the world over.