The Best Pool Player in the World: Who Should Get This Label ?

Pool, commonly referred to as billiards, is arguably one of the sports closest to being the most popular and complex cue games around the world. Not only does it demand physical dexterity and coordination but also a strategic mind and incredible precision, facilitated by the capacity to play under pressure. Throughout the years, hundreds of players have risen with unmatched prowess, but who is the greatest pool player in the world?

In this post, we will explore the professional pool world, examine the favorites to win the title, and closely look at the characteristics that make these players special.

What Defines Greatness in Pool?

In order to get into the names, let's define what a good pool player is. The pool is one of the few sports with several disciplines: 8-ball, 9-ball, straight pool, and snooker, though in most circles, snooker is considered its own game. Players are ranked on their skills in one or more of these disciplines.

What defines a truly great pool player:

Consistency

The greatest pool players are always consistent; no matter which tournament or kind of game in which they are participating, they always bring it home at the highest level.

Precision and Control

Every shot in the pool is a combination of physics with finesse. The most masterful players can place the cue ball exactly where needed.

Strategic Play

This is not a pool game where a person just makes the shot. Setting up for the next shot is meant to be done; a superior player thinks two, three, or even four steps ahead.

Mental Fortitude

The mental toughness of performing when really important, especially at a tournament level, is what separates a world-class pool player from the rest.

Top 3 Pool Players In The World

1. Efren Reyes: The Magician of Pool

When greats are mentioned, one of the discussion topics for the greatest pool players of all time includes the inevitable Efren "Bata" Reyes from the Philippines. Not a surprise, actually, since every basketball player would know how magical and thrilling his games are - literally and physically. He has won the double European tournament.

Versatility: Reyes has done exceptionally well in most disciplines of the pool, including 9-ball, 8-ball, and one-pocket. Practically few players can do so well in a couple of different disciplines of the pool.
Inventive Play: Locked up for hundreds of creative daring shots, where shots look impossible. His imagination, along with his ability to see angles that no other person can see, brought him into the limelight as a legendary pool player.
Championship Titles: In his career, Reyes accumulated over 70 international titles. They include the World Pool Championship, and some of the prestigious titles in the game: the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship. As a scholar, he entered the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.

While fans and other players generally differ in their assessment, Reyes is undoubtedly the best player who has ever handled a cue stick. His style, amalgamated with knowledge of the game that no one's mind can recall, makes him an even hotter contender for the title of the best pool player in the world.

2. Shane Van Boening: The American Powerhouse

Another name that comes up regularly in the discussion of the greatest pool player is Shane Van Boening. Out of South Dakota comes a man of several years of dominance over the American pool.

Why Shane Van Boening is Superb

Pure Skill: This is Van Boening. He is of the purest type of skill player, very precise with close to flawless technique, which makes his break shot one of the strongest and thus early control in matches.
Hard Work and Dedication: Born hearing impaired, still he was never a hindrance to major success in life and profession. Rather, through iron determination and dedicated training, Van Boening honed himself to arrive at his conclusions, but in a very competitive game such as pool, it makes him considerably above others.
Dominant Tournament Player: Van Boening has won a treasure trove of titles, including many U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships and World Pool Masters titles. No one on this side of the planet appears to be so unflappable over an extended period under pressure as he does.

Although he's been the giant of the United States' top ranking for a very long time, international success puts him on the list of the best in the world. Focus, determination, and unmatched skills have made him a great one to stand in the books of history.

3. Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Snooker Genius

Even if snooker, of course, is a different sport from the more popular table sport around the globe, traditional pool, no review of cue sports could be achieved without mention of Ronnie O'Sullivan. Nicknamed "The Rocket," O'Sullivan is widely regarded as the best snooker player of all time. Let's take a look at some facts about Ronnie O'Sullivan that make him one of the best pool players in the world:

Blistering Speed: O'Sullivan is nicknamed "The Rocket." He clears tables at breakneck speed. He set the record for the fastest maximum break in competition (147 points) within just over five minutes.
Unduplicated Brilliance: O'Sullivan has led the pack seemingly effortlessly, at any rate. In snooker, he won seven World Championship titles.
Snooker vs. Pool: Snooker, as a discipline, is quite different from pool, but it would be unfair to say that the traits O'Sullivan displays-precision, shot-making, and mental toughness-are not transferable in any way across all cue sports. Mastery of snooker now shows how well-suited he could have been to the sport had he elected to concentrate on it.

Even though O'Sullivan contests primarily in snooker, his influence spreads far and wide into the general world of cue sports to take a good place on the list to title the greatest.

Conclusion: Is There a Best?

In principle, who is the greatest? Who's your best all-time pool player? Who is the best in the world? Depending on whom you ask, different legends will come out. Efren Reyes generally stands out because of his versatility and creativity on the table. Among American pool players, Shane Van Boening stands as considered one of only a few best players in the game today. Snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan's mastery puts him in a league of his own within the family that is cue sports.

The best pool player is a term left to interpretation. If one is enthralled by the magic making of shots by Reyes, or in awe of the sheer power and precision of Van Boening, or enamored of O'Sullivan for his snooker dominance, one thing is certain: they will forever leave an indelible mark on the world of pool and cue sports.

They have all deservedly earned places in the roll of legendary cue sports players and perhaps that is what defines the great ones: marking with a legacy that inspires generations of players coming afterward.