Reason#109 The Magician - Efren Bata Reyes

I wonder why everyone's smiling

Hala, nakakunot na ang noo...

Nice to know:

Bata means "kid" or "young". He certainly isn't a kid anymore, but why is he called Bata anyway? Legend has it that there was an older (with all due respect) Efren who also played pool. To eliminate confusion when both Efrens are in the same area, people refer to him as "Efren Bata". I'm not sure if the other Efren was called "Efren Tanda". Probably not.

Foreign pro pool players call him "The Magician" because of his mystical powers and his magic wand.

What they say:

Other than Bata's knack for nailing unbelievable shots, what really impresses me is his incredible humility.

Reason#93 Django Bustamante

All eyes on the flying cue ball - well-timed photo by Cescil Castaneda

Nice to know:

Francisco "Django" Bustamante started playing billiards when he was 10. He owns one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) break shots in the world.

“Sa wakas nakumpleto na din ang pagiging bilyarista natin. Lahat kasi, ito ang pangarap, maging WPA World 9-ball champion,” the Tarlac City native said after winning the 2010 World 9-Ball Pool championship. - from mb.com.ph

What others are saying:

I've been trying to mimic Django's signature behind-the-back shot but I only end up embarrassing myself. He makes it look so easy,  so I'll just leave it to the pro. - Alvin