By Patrick Sampey
Sunday, February 25th, 2024 – When the dust settles on the worldwide stage of billiards and pool, one player stands above the din, SVB: Shane Van Boening.
This, being an OP-ED article (Opinion Piece) – I assert here and now, SVB, the acronym to define a player that has dominated the world pool scene for nearly the last 20 years – consistently winning the lion's share of the money to be made as a professional pool player – his accomplishments in the game speak for themselves. Sure, this may be one writer’s “opinion,” however, it is a fact: SVB is the all-time leader when you count the cash, as it relates to the pool scene.
While professionals in the billiards gambit don't make nearly the money as professional players in Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, and Tennis – the major syndicated sports leaders here in the USA – SVB has cashed in to the tune of 2,398,332.00 whopping dollar bills, according to the data from AZbilliards.com, which has been tracking, and compiling the stats and status of players for many years now, providing insightful pool articles, player rankings, and/or any plethora of other information concerning the worldwide pool progression.
Currently, in fact, worldwide, SVB ranks 3rd in the monetary winners this year alone, garnering $32.7K, this being just February at the writing of this testimony!
While many other pool players so often reach a plateau, then rapidly drop off the top 5 rankings, SVB has steadily maintained a level of play that commands worldwide notoriety, and in a game that celebrates a type of 1-on-1 prowess, technical perfection, and mental acuity; quite frankly what any and all amateur players look to as the golden standard of excellence they would like to emulate is what SVB exudes; when that individual journey concludes, it’s not nearly any kind of close contest for who would match what SVB has done – setting an eternal, unbreakable standard this world may never again bare witness to.
While some fans of other players may balk and/or dissent against this assessment, claiming some other current, top world professional pool player is “better” and/or holds more world titles and/or accolades in pool prowess than that of SVB, I would ask the question: who among them has maintained that level of game for the majority of their respective careers? Who among them has consistently placed in the top 5 world players year after year for a span of nearly 20 solid years? Who among them has won so many major world events in pocket billiards? Who among them has played side-by-side with the world's best – and in a day and age where 9-ball, once a game played primarily in the USA, with European players primarily focusing on billiard games like snooker and 3 cushion in prior eras – with 9-ball pool now as the leading worldwide pool game? Who? Can anyone think of any other players? I certainly can't.
Back in 2014, it was this writer’s opinion – and many other fans of pool and/or pool-playing professionals' opinions – that Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes was the all-time greatest player this Earth has ever witnessed. And it's still certainly debatable, which is why this is an opinion piece. However, SVB isn't done yet. Reyes is in the twilight of his pool career, with nothing left to achieve. Van Boening maintains to this day and hasn't stopped grinding all these years, as consistent as the light from Polaris, the “North Star.” Amazing tenacity and true grit!
In light of all SVB has achieved and still may have yet to achieve, I believe SVB will far surpass anything any other players have or ever will ultimately achieve. Again, who else besides perhaps Earl Strickland and/or Efren Reyes is even in the same ballpark? Anyone?
SVB has leveled Earl Strickland's US-Open, world bragging rights – each viewing one another in that mirror image, at 5 total US Open titles each – and let's face the facts, the US Open is, and has been, a world 9 ball title since the early 1990’s. World contenders have vied for the honor of hoisting that trophy above their heads, reaching for pool immortality for quite a while at this point – so for anyone to discount the validity of how SVB has matched Strickland’s world-record, 5 US Open wins – that alone is amazing in this day and age where the level of competition in world 9-ball events has arguably far surpassed the level of competition in prior ages of pool.
Pool players, assessed by their “Fargo Rate,” help determine their rankings on the world scale, from professional, down to amateur players; currently, SVB, age 41, is rated a 837, still maintaining within the top 5 rankings worldwide, behind Joshua Filler (849) of Germany (#1), Fedor Gorst (844) of USA (#2), Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (842) of ESP (#3), and Anton Raga (838) of the Philippines (#4) – which shows that upon the worldwide stage of pocket billiards, SVB is still killing it, and that's to show that even though the level of play has exponentially improved, the equipment changing through the years, SVB still stands tall as one of the best – which is all to say, it's not about just being the best at any given point in time; it's about longevity as tantamount to what defines any kind of would-be GOAT distinction. Between SVB at #5, and Filler at #1, a paltry 12 points on the Fargo Rate divide them, which means they are virtually evenly ranked, as are all the other players within that range, listed here.
From my perspective, a 700+ on the Fargo Rate is considered low-level professional level; 800+ is beast mode, balling-upper-echelon-superstar status. I would imagine the pool world agrees with me to that end.
SVB has maintained an 800+ Fargo Rate since 2007, when he began his worldwide billiards dominance, vanquishing every top world player in his ascent to the top-spot-GOAT designation.
Anyone that disagrees with this assessment, all that's required, is to highlight any other player in the history of the game that has such accomplishments and/or accolades. The fact is, they don't exist, other than perhaps Reyes or Strickland. So Reyes and/or Strickland could still be argued to be the best to ever do it, however, SVB may still be going 5 to 10 years after the time of this article, which is nearly unbelievable. Outstanding; Incredible.
SVB has also tested his merit in 1v1, heads-up, money matches, and bested the best of the best. Just recently, he went to the Philippines and beat several of their premier players, sending a ripple throughout eternal pool glory, showing his gamesmanship and Moxy.
As of 2024, SVB’s estimated net worth is approximately 5 million dollars, which he has amassed through billiards alone, primarily. No other pool players can attest to this standard; it isn't even close in most cases, no contest.
Furthermore, Fedor Gorst, Joshua Filler, and/or Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, or perhaps other younger players, could possibly overtake the accomplishments of SVB. However, that is just speculation at this juncture in time, nothing more. They represent a younger generation of cue artisans, but again, SVB is still level with each and every one of them presently.
Perhaps one may argue that SVB has struggled in the Mosconi Cup through the years. However, that's a team exhibition match and not really worthy of consideration from an individual player's perspective. Why? Because pool isn't really a team sport other than that kind of promotional event. Additionally, SVB hasn't had the level of any kind of “supporting cast,” such as the caliber of players team Europe has produced in recent years.
In the USA, professional pool isn't really any kind of draw for so many youths, who are far more interested in pursuing football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, and/or any other number of games and/or sports. That's why I would argue that the European counterparts have risen above their USA competitors in recent times. In other countries, lacking in the diverse plethora of options and opportunities afforded in this country, it makes perfect sense that professional pool players in other areas have risen above US players in recent times; the USA has any number of alternatives in that regard, which are not afforded to people living elsewhere.
Meanwhile, arguably and demonstrably, the greatest pool player of all time – namely SVB – was born, bred, and raised right here in the USA.
From Rapid City, South Dakota – SVB, in this writer's opinion, when he retires, will stand alone – beyond Reyes, Strickland, Archer, Filler, Gorst, Ruiz, and/or any other players that have, or will ever have, played pocket billiards.
And still going, SVB continues to dominate the field of players in New York and worldwide!
Respect! 😁