Top 7 professional pool players

They are our idols, we dream of facing them one day and achieve some of their greatest achievements. While that dream is not met we can only watch them them play on video or live, trying to learn from their fantastic talent on the table. Everyone has their favorite billiard players, so today I share with you mine: there goes my top 7 pool players, all of them still active.

1- Efren Reyes

The Philippine is one of the best Pool players of all time for his smiley mood, his unique style and his success (he has more than 70 international titles). Idol in his country, Efren 'Bata' Reyes is a reference for many billiard players. In August he will become  61, but still competing, though in fewer tournaments.

2- Niels Feijen

A Dutch "Terminator" rampaging inside and outside Europe. His coldness and safety are their greatest virtues. Thanks to them he has been several times European champion, World Pool Masters champion in 2013 and champion of the World 9 ball championship in 2014.

3- Shane Van Boening

"The South Dakota Kid" is probably the best player in the United States and one of the world's best players breaking. There are at least two aspects that differentiate him from most professional players: he plays with glove and always uses a closed bridge. Seven times US Open champion in several forms (9 ball, 10 ball, One Pocket), in 2014 he won his first major title outside the United States, the World Pool Masters.

4- Darren Appleton

"Dynamite" I love the security transmitted on every shot and his incredible ability by moving the white ball where he wants. He started playing Blackball and then moved to American Pool, modality in which he has achieved individual titles like the World Pool Masters (2009) or the US Open 9 Ball Championship (2010), and groups such as the Mosconi Cup and the World Cup of Pool 2014. In 2015 he was champion of the World Pool Championship Chinesse.

5- Alex Pagulayan

"The Lion" was born in the Philippines but grew up in Canada. This is another charismatic and good-natured player always smiling and joking, inside and outside the table. The fact that he takes games "less seriously" has not stopped him winning major tournaments like the WPA World 9 Ball Championship, the Derby City Classic or the US Open 9 Ball Championship. Last year was about to enter the professional circuit of Snooker but lost in the final round of Q School 2014 that gave the pass for two years.

6- Ralf Souquet

A professional of billiard. "The Kaiser" is hard to peel methodical player and one of the players that play best under pressure. No wonder then that his career is full of successes: leads the ranking of medals won in the Eurotours (21), has won six World Pool Masters, two US Open and three Derby City Classic, besides being champion WPA World Nine- ball Championship in 1996.

7- Jasmin Ouschan

Although we always talk about men players, there are also great billiard women players that deserve recognition. In this top 7 I wanted to highlight at least one of them. Although I could have added other great players like Jennifer Barretta or the two Fisher, I preferred to highlight Jasmin Ouschan, sister of another great player like Albin Ouschan, for her playing style and professionalism. The Austrian has been several times European champion and won the Masters in 2011 WPBA.

In the next articles we will publish the Top 7 players Snooker and Top 7 carom players.

Now it's your turn: What are your favorite pool players? Write it in the comments.