<P> Efren Manalang Reyes , OLD , PLH ( born August 26 , 1954 ) , nicknamed the Magician and Bata , is a Filipino professional pool player . A winner of over 70 international titles , Reyes was the first player to win world championships in two different disciplines in pool . Among his numerous titles Reyes is a four - time World Eight - ball Champion , the 1999 WPA World Nine - ball Champion , a three - time US Open winner , a two - time World Pool League winner and a 14 - time Derby City Classic winner -- including an unprecedented five Master of the Table crowns . By defeating Earl Strickland in the inaugural Color of Money event in 1996 , Reyes took home the largest single event purse in pool history . Many analysts , fans , and current and former players consider Reyes to be the greatest pool player of all time . </P>
who was the greatest pool player of all time
Efren Manalang Reyes