‘Bata’ nails US Open one-pocket pool title
MANILA—Efren “Bata”Reyes conjured up some old fashioned magic to win the US Open One Pocket Championships at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Reyes’ smashing 5-2 win over American Christopher Gentile in the single-set finals earned him $8,000.
Filipino-Canadian Alex Pagulayan finished fourth.
The 56-year-old Reyes went undefeated in the 64-player tournament to become the 12th US Open One Pocket champ.
Article continues after this advertisementGentile earlier beat Mike Davis, 4-1, Rafael Martinez, 4-3, and Earl Strickland, 4-3.
The One Pocket event, which has the player making the break choosing a foot corner pocket for the rest of the game, featured, according to AZ Billiards, some of the best of the old school and the strongest of the new aficionados.