Be the Best: The Pro’s who have tried to master both Snooker & Pool
Aug 22, 2018
The comparisons between snooker and Pool are undeniable but arguments have waged throughout the years as to which requires more skill, which is the more complete game, and quite frankly which is better.
The latter point surely comes down to personal opinion, however, there are some professionals from both pools (excuse the pun) of sports who attempt to bridge the gap and prove they can master both the arts of Snooker and Pool.
We take a look at some well-known faces and chart their exploits across both codes of sport.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Let’s start at the top shall we, Ronnie ‘the Rocket’ O’Sullivan is an enigma in the modern-day world of snooker.
Arguably the most gifted player of his generation (and has a case for all time), O’Sullivan’s temperament, honesty, and attitude have cost him dearly over the years.
Despite this, the 42-year-old has still amassed nearly £10 million in winnings over his career and claimed the World Snooker Championship five times.
Every time the Rocket turns up at a tournament, excitement reins supreme and even though he has not won the World title since 2013, the Rocket is already instilled as favourite for the 2019 Snooker World Championship at 7/2 with Betway as of the 21st August 2018.
That is testament to O’Sullivan’s impact, unpredictability, and remarkable talent that he is such a draw in the snooker betting markets, however, it seems that talent extends to Pool also.
In 2017, Ronnie was the centre of a documentary where he headed Stateside to test his pool skills against some of the very best players such as six-time World Pool Champions Earl ‘The Pearl’ Strickland.
The Pearl claimed the win in a light-hearted contest but as a self-proclaimed lover of pool, could we be about to see O’Sullivan regular fixture on the Pool Scene?
Jimmy White
The Whirlwind is widely regarded as the finest player to never have won a snooker World Championship.
Every sport has a supremely talented individual who never quite claimed the top prize, F1 has Stirling Moss, golf has Colin Montgomerie, Tennis has Todd Martin and snooker has Jimmy White.
However, take nothing away from the 56-year-old Englishman who has won everything else on the Snooker calendar including UK Championships, World Cup’s, and Masters events. It also turns out the White has some talent on the Pool table as well.
Back in 1995, White competed in the Mosconi Cup and showed off some serious skills impressing fans with his skill, speed, and agility around the table..
Remarkably, White was part of the winning European team that year in a narrow 16-15 defeat of the USA.
Corey Deuel
American Corey ‘Cash Money’ Deuel is a seasoned professional on the Pool Scene boasting a raft of titles including the 2001 Nine-ball Championship.
At 40-years of age, Deuel is still very much an active player and has made a successful transition to snooker.
In 2013, the regular Team USA Mosconi Cup representative swapped nine-ball for snooker and duly won the United States Amateur Championship defeating compatriot Sargon Isaac 5-1 in the final.
However, in 2018, Deuel’s snooker career is not going so well having played three matches in qualifying school (in an attempt to qualify for the professional tour) but has unfortunately lost all three matches with a 1-12 record in frames.
Efren Reyes
Efren Reyes is deemed the World’s greatest Billiard player by many inside the game. That is quite an accolade but it is not hard to see why with over 70 titles to his name. Reyes is clearly an immensely talented individual when it comes to nine-ball.
Although undoubtedly beyond talent with a cue, it seems that Snooker has somewhat eluded the Filipino, that is except for rumour that has been doing the rounds for years across both Snooker and Pool.
Yet unconfirmed, the rumour is that Reyes beat both Jimmy White and Ronnie O’Sullivan in best of three matches. Whether it is true or not we do not know, but it is something we would like to see.