Gods of Pool (Profiles)

Hailing from Chinese Taipei, the prodigy has never failed to amazed the international pool arena with his talents and achievements. World Champion, Earl Strickland acknowledged him as arguably the best player in the world for his break during the 2003 World Pool Championship. One of his most famous wins includes beating Francisco Bustamante to win the All Japan Open in 1996 when he was only sixteen years old. He has also defeated other world champions like Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet and Efren Reyes but one thing is for sure, he will not be stopped.

"Boy Samson" is a moniker he has carried on since the 70's because of his "Samson" break. He is packaged in a Champion's box, and indeed, he should be. This often regarded to as a quiet Pro is not at all quiet after a few minutes of casual conversation. Boy Samson is a very candid person, usually expressing himself in his witty sense of humor. Winner of the 1996 Camel World Open, Luat always is regarded as a dark horse in any World Open tournament.

Personal Information

Name : Ramon Mistica
Residence : Quezon City, Philippines
DOB : December 17, 1959
Birthplace : Quezon City, Philippines
Cue Used : Viattorre Custom Cue

The left handed Antonio "Nicoy" Lining is underrated as a master of the game. In 9-ball money games, nobody gives Nicoy even the slightest handicap, Efren included. The reason why Lining does not have the same fame as the other Filipino masters is because he chose his turf to be in Asia. American tournaments expose players to the public far more than Asian and European tournaments. As his pool game is, Nicoy lives in a practical world. Playing in the USA costs more, especially because tournaments are at least one week apart, not to mention the plane fare. In Japan, both exhibition match invitations and money games come easily. Nicoy operates independently, if he can help it. His decision to take a different approach in his profession does not make him less of a force to recon with. He believes that he can fight toe to toe with the best in the business from anywhere in the world.

Personal Information

Name : Dennis Orcullo
Residence : Quezon City, Philippines
DOB : January 19, 1979
Birthplace : Mangagoy, Bislig, Surigao del Sur, Philippines

This Philippine Hall of famer has one of the most devastating offensive weapons in billiards. He pioneered the Filipino invasion in the United States and brought the game of 9-ball to a higher level.

Although this pool warrior roams on the green pastures in Germany, he is undoubtedly Filipino when he mercilessly operates in the pool table. And when he sits down with Reyes and Luat, he goes even closer to his home Pampanga as they seem to lock the bond among themselves in the very unique Kapampangan dialect that they speak in. Django feels that he is a Champion, but he knows that he is not an Efren. Nevertheless, come tournament time, the heart of this World Champion will not be intimidated by anybody, including his Compadreng Efren.

This section profiles the game's most feared player. Dubbed "The Magician", Efren Reyes has re-invented the game of nineball by introducing the importance of kicks and safeties. Efren Reyes is without a doubt the the master of pocket billiards.