Jose Parica


Jose Parica is a Filipino professional pool player from Manila, nicknamed "Amang" and "the Giant Killer." As a Philippine Hall of Famer, he was a part of the "Filipino invasion" in the United States, especially in the game of nine-ball.

Professional career

At age 25, Parica won fourth place in the Tokyo International Open.
In 1976, Parica organized the Philippine Pocket Billiards Association and he became its first president.
In 1978, he tied for 9th to 12th place in his first tournament in the United States, the World Open Straight Pool Championship which was won by Ray Martin. He was the only Filipino in the tournament.
In 1979, Parica was the Philippine's National 3-Cushion Champion, Rotation Champion, and Snooker Champion.
Parica competed under the Men’s Professional Billiards Association for years, but did not win a U.S. title until 1986, when he won the World Open 9 Ball Child Cypress in Lexington. He followed it up with a victory in the World Classic Cup title in Aurora, Illinois.
Filipino players Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante joined Parica in lording over the American circuit in the early 1990s.
Parica had won close to one hundred tournaments in the U.S., thirteen in Japan, and three in the Philippines. In 1988, Parica participated in the Japanese circuit, winning eight of the nine tournaments he competed in, and placing 2nd in the other. That same year, he won the World Pro Tournament, the largest tournament of the time, beating arch-rival Reyes 9–3 in the finals. The tournament was played in Tokyo and had 900 players. Parica earned the first prize of ¥5M. That year, Parica had total winnings of $289K.
Parica was the only player to win a perfect match of nine-ball under race-to-11 format without misses or fouls.
He won three more tournaments in 1989.
In 1994, Parica married Aurora and retired from active competition.
In late 1996, Parica resumed playing in the U.S. circuit. He lost twice to Reyes that year, and also lost to American Johnny Archer, who won Billiards Digest's Player of the Year in 1996. Parica won four tournaments that year, against Reyes’ three.
In 1997, Parica beat Reyes six in a row, and Archer seven times. Parica won five tournaments that year and was ranked 1st in world ratings. Parica won the Camel Overall Bonus of $50K. He was chosen Player of the Year in 1997 by three award-giving bodies — Billiards magazine, Billiards Digest magazine, and the Camel Pro Billiards Series.
After three tournaments in the Camel Circuit, Parica ranked 9th place with 130 points, with Bustamante at 6th and 170 points. Reyes, who missed one tournament when he represented the Philippines in Brunei, was behind with 80 points. Reyes won the World Nine-ball Open in London in early August.
Parica finished in a tie for 7th and 8th in the first leg of the tour, in Kansas; 13th in Atlanta; and 32nd in Las Vegas, in which Reyes did not compete.
With his victory in the Compton event, where six of the seven Filipinos who competed finished in the money list, Parica advanced to the next leg, at Nashville, Tennessee starting 14 September, and later at the U.S. Open in Houston, Texas on September 25–26.
Jose Parica was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame in October 2014.

Career history

Winnings

In the early 1990s, Parica attacked a man who he said was troubling his wife. The battered man had a different story, stating that Parica robbed him of his belongings. Parica was imprisoned for one day. After paying fines and testifying in court, Parica won the case and was released.