The 5 Greatest Pool Players of All Time

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1. Efren “Bata” Reyes 🇵🇭

  • Nickname: “The Magician”

  • Known for: Mastery in both nine-ball and one-pocket

  • Achievements:

    • Over 100 international titles

    • 1999 WPA World Nine-ball Champion

    • Inducted into the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Hall of Fame (2003)

  • Why he’s great: Considered by many as the most creative and intelligent pool player ever. His incredible shot-making and positional play made him a fan favorite.

This may contain: two men are playing pool with their cues

2. Earl “The Pearl” Strickland 🇺🇸

  • Known for: Explosive personality and fierce competitiveness

  • Achievements:

    • 3× WPA World Nine-ball Champion (1990, 1991, 2002)

    • 5× U.S. Open Nine-ball Champion

    • BCA Hall of Fame inductee (2006)

  • Why he’s great: Known for his powerful break and fearless play under pressure.

This may contain: a man in a suit and tie holding a pool cue next to a pool table

3. Willie Mosconi 🇺🇸

  • Known for: Dominance in straight pool (14.1)

  • Achievements:

    • 15× World Straight Pool Champion

    • Set a world record with a run of 526 balls in 1954 (stood for decades)

    • BCA Hall of Fame inductee (1966)

  • Why he’s great: Considered the father of modern American pool. He helped bring pool into the mainstream in the mid-20th century.

This may contain: a man in blue shirt playing pool with other people watching from the stands behind him

4. Shane Van Boening 🇺🇸

  • Known for: Exceptional consistency and sportsmanship

  • Achievements:

    • 5× U.S. Open Nine-ball Champion

    • Multiple Mosconi Cup appearances

    • 2022 WPA World Nine-ball Champion

  • Why he’s great: Arguably the most dominant American player of the 21st century, with a near-perfect stroke and unmatched focus.

5. Ralph Greenleaf 🇺🇸

  • Known for: One of the early legends of American billiards

  • Achievements:

    • 20× World Pocket Billiards Champion (1919–1937)

    • BCA Hall of Fame inductee (1966)

  • Why he’s great: A showman and genius of his era, Greenleaf helped popularize pool in its early days.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Mike Sigel – Multiple world championships and a BCA Hall of Famer

  • Johnny Archer – One of the top players of the 1990s and early 2000s

  • Allison Fisher – Dominated the women’s game and brought class and skill to every match

  • Jean Balukas – A prodigy who changed the women’s game in the ’70s and ’80s

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