Efren 'Bata' Reyes practices with Roberto Gomez as they prepare for competitions starting Thursday. (Photo by ALBERT GARCIA)

VIENTIANE, Laos — Filipino billiard players are not what you expect from ordinary athletes.

They don’t need coaches nor adhere to some form of exercise or workout.

Training means playing for money till the wee hours of the morning with a bottle of beer to help them relax.

Yet, they are on top of their game, known worldwide for their extraordinary skills and mental toughness.

On Thursday, the Philippines will field its Dream Team at the start of the billiard competition in the 25th Southeast Asian Games at the five-star Don Chan Hotel located in the heart of the city.

The list reads like Who’s Who: Efren “Bata” Reyes, Django Bustamante, Ronnie Alcano, and Dennis Orcollo, to name a few.

Add Warren Kiamco, Ramil Gallego, Gandy Valle, Rodolfo Luat, Reynaldo Grandea, Carlo Biado, and Roberto Gomez Jr. and one has a team that can face any force in the world, including the Justice League of America.

The only missing name is Alex Pagulayan who withdrew at the last minute due to a left wrist injury.

On Monday, Reyes and Gomez were going at it in a game of snooker, unfamiliar to most Filipinos, but popular elsewhere.

With Bustamante watching at the sidelines, both warriors played two games with a bet of 100,000 kips (about P500) for each game.

Needless to say, Reyes, wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jogging pants, won with some help from Gomez himself.

Flashing his toothless smile, Reyes pounced on every mistake Gomez made to collect 200,000 kips, half of which ended in the pocket of Bustamante, a relaxed figure in one corner, both legs crossed and resting on the chair.