Teach a Man to Play Pool

TEACH A MAN TO PLAY POOL PHOTO BY JERRY FORSYTH oorcollo2.inddrcollo2.indd 6262 111/6/061/6/06 44:59:29:59:29 PMPM … AND HE’LL NEVER FISH AGAIN. ASK DDENNISENNIS OORCOLLO,RCOLLO WHO USED THE GAME TO RISE FROM A FISHERMAN’S SON IN A POVERTY-STRICKEN COASTAL VILLAGE TO “MONEY-GAME KING” OF THE PHILIPPINES. BBYY TEDTED LERNERLERNER ENNIS ORCOLLO is clearly win the event are Efren Reyes and Francis- Bar Table 8-Ball Championships, the Hard keyed up. He’s in high spirits. co Bustamante. Times Summer Jamboree, placing third in And he wants to tell everyone “I was really nervous at fi rst. I have noth- the IPT North American Open and sixth in about what he just accomplished. ing to show them. Most of them were cham- the IPT World Open. As he looks forward to DNot to worry, because now everyone within pions already. But to calm my nerves I tell the 2006 World Pool Championship, taking earshot is paying rapt attention. myself, ‘Hey, this is 9-ball. I grew up play- place Nov. 4-12 in Manila, Orcollo is one It is well past the lunch hour, but the table ing 15-ball rotation.’ I tell myself, ‘This is of the clear favorites. And should he win, inside Annabelle’s res- TED LERNER it would come as no taurant is still crowded surprise to those who with plates of fi sh, know him. meats, salad and other “He’s cool,” said Yen Filipino delicacies. Or- Makabenta, the Chair- collo, who for the last man of the Billiard and year and a half has been Snooker Congress of considered the Philip- the Philippines, and the pines’ “Money-Game man behind bringing King,” has only the the World Pool Cham- day before arrived back pionship to the Philip- home in Manila after pines for the fi rst time. winning his fi rst big in- “He doesn’t mind if he ternational tournament, falls behind. He’s real- Matchroom Sport’s six- ly very gritty. Over the man invitational World last two years there’s Pool League event, been nobody better [in held in late Septem- the Philippines].” ber in Warsaw, Poland. Although laid back, The handful of folks on friendly and rather hand, including his man- short of stature, anyone ager, Perry Mariano, who’s played against listen intently to tales Orcollo, or watched of his travels, including him compete, under- how the small Filipino stands that a word like community in Warsaw “gritty,” is quite the turned out to support The closest that Orcollo needs to come to sea life now is at the local market. apt description. Throw him, even bringing him in “tough,” “focused” cooked Filipino food. easy.’ Also, I tell myself that I played in the and “tenacious,” and you’d have a good “I can’t believe how many Filipinos are IPT [International Pool Tour] and I realize, all-around picture of the Philippines’ latest there,” Orcollo said. After taking down Ralf hey, I can do it. This is my chance. I tell pool superstar. Souquet in the semifi nals and Niels Feijen myself that I’m a good player.” These aren’t just platitudes freely tossed in the fi nal, he said, “I’m very excited, very Orcollo may have to remind himself, about to describe a player on a roll. One happy. It’s big for me to win the World Pool but other people around the planet have only has to delve back into the early days League.” Although small in terms of the already gotten the word. His win in War- of Orcollo’s life and see the struggles, the number of players, the World Pool League saw comes on the heels of a phenomenal pains, and the roadblocks that he has had to has been a popular event on television in run throughout 2006, including winning endure and overcome to fully comprehend Asia for years. The only other Filipinos to a major IPT tour-card qualifi er, the U.S. this special talent — a man who has lived it, BD • DECEMBER 2006 63 oorcollo2.inddrcollo2.indd 6363 111/7/061/7/06 22:10:30:10:30 PMPM DENNIS ORCOLLO TED LERNER Orcollo gave up life in his native fishing village for the bustle of Manila. “EVERYONE KNOWS DENNIS IS THE MONEY-GAME KING. I CAN BEAT HIM IN TOURNAMENTS, BUT NOT IN MONEY GAMES.” — EFREN REYES done it, and is clearly primed for big-time he says with a smile, as if he was thankful was 9 years old, that Dennis came to the success. Indeed, in a land where hard luck for at least that. realization that his father was indeed dead. stories are a dime a dozen, Orcollo’s tale The other memory from his early years is “I was sleeping and I was dreaming that would break some hearts. a haunting one, of an incident that devas- my father was standing there,” he said. “He The second of four boys, Orcollo grew up tated the entire family. It happened when he was wearing white, and there were a lot of in the Pacifi c coastal village of Mangagoy, was 3, maybe 4 years old, he’s not sure. He lit candles everywhere. All my brothers and Bislig, Surigao del Sur, on the large south- remembers it was a bright sunny morning. I were there and we embraced my father. ern Philippine island of Mindanao. Remote, His father, like he did each time he went When I woke up, I ran and told my grand- rural and perpetually dirt poor, the commu- out to sea, hugged his four children good- parents. They were crying.” nity is inhabited mostly by several hundred bye and, along with an uncle, boarded their With the breadwinner taken by a storm, fi shermen and their families, all of whom simple wooden boat and headed toward the Dennis’ mother left the children with the have lived in the same manner as their an- far horizon to fi nd some fi sh. But soon af- grandparents and headed to a nearby town cestors since time immemorial. ter the boat was gone from sight, the seas where she found work in the public market Like many of the other men in the vil- kicked up, the sky turned dark, the wind selling fi sh. She would return home once a lage, Orcollo’s father owned a small banca howled, and the rain started coming down week to bring small amounts of money and boat (a motorized canoe with outriggers). in sheets. A signal number four typhoon check up on the children. He fi shed the deep seas, catching mostly rolled through, the strongest possible cat- Dennis’ fi rst exposure to the game of pool tuna and swordfi sh. He used crude equip- egory, and unleashed the awesome and ter- came when he was 8 years old, when his ment, only a line and hook and his bare rible force of nature. grandfather, giving in to a lifelong passion, hands to haul in a catch. Although the sea The father and uncle, along with over 100 bought a second-hand pool table and put it was always plentiful, fi shing brought a other men from the village, never returned. outside the house. subsistence living. Everyone was poor, but His father’s body was never found, which “My grandfather would invite his friends it was enough for a simple and relatively led the grandparents to continually hold out over, and they’d all play pool for hours,” happy life. hope that their son was still alive. Dennis recalls. “But my grandmother, she’s When asked about his childhood, Orcollo, “Many years passed, and still my grand- unhappy, because there is gambling.” The like people everywhere who grew up utterly mother and grandfather still don’t believe men played 15-ball rotation and poker pool, destitute, describes his early years in terms he’s dead. They’re still hoping he comes a combination of pool and poker where the of life’s basic essentials. back. I was still hoping he comes back too.” players are dealt cards and have to shoot “Sometimes I eat once a day, twice a day,” It wasn’t until several years later, when he the numbered ball which corresponds to 64 BD • DECEMBER 2006 oorcollo2.inddrcollo2.indd 6464 111/6/061/6/06 55:03:04:03:04 PMPM the number on the cards they held. Dennis him and his family, and his new passion: wasn’t allowed to play then, so he racked playing pool. Since he was not allowed to the balls, held the cash and kept score, tasks play on his grandfather’s table, he would for which he would receive tips, and some- go to small poolhalls around town and play times a small percentage of the bets. money games for hours on end. “I loved the game, and all I wanted to “When I wasn’t fi shing, from 9 a.m. to do was play,” he said. “But my mom and 7 p.m., I played pool,” Dennis said. “I be- grandmother don’t want me to play pool. came a good money-game player.” Sometimes if they catch me, they would He left home when he was 16 years old, bring out the belt.” To satisfy his newfound going to stay with a cousin several hours interest, he would wake up at 3 a.m. and, away in Campostella, a lawless gold min- so as not to wake anybody, quietly crawl ing town infamous for being a haven for ne- across the fl oor.

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