This month's Pro Vision column features Sylver Ochoa from McAllen, Texas. If you live in Texas, you probably know him from his Texas Open title and numerous Fast Eddie's wins. If you've been to the Derby City Classic, then you might remember him from his second place finish in the banks division in 2008 or most recently, his second place finish in the one-pocket division at this year's event. If you've never been to Texas or Derby, don't worry. You'll know of him soon enough.

Many top players have a best game. They might be a strong 9-ball player but maybe they don't have enough patience for one-pocket. Maybe they're a strong straight pool player but can't out move you at bar table 8-ball. It's pretty rare to find a player that has excelled in so many different games against the best in each of those disciplines. 24-year-old Sylver Ochoa has become quite the all-around player, adapting to any game under any circumstance against any player.

How did such a young player become such a well-rounded, seasoned player? That's what I wanted to find out.

Sylver's Start

Ochoa, an active bowler since age four, got his start with pool at 11 when a knee injury halted his bowling career. Fortunately, it did not hinder his pool game. In fact, he immediately excelled. Even from the beginning, Ochoa would wager his spare change and leave the bowling alley with a few extra dollars in his pocket. By age 14, Ochoa had won his first big tournament. Now a junior at UTPA of Edinburgh, Ochoa took the last year off in order to participate in more events.

At age 14, Ochoa's mom surprised him with the purchase of an 8-foot pool table that they would later have shimmed and recovered to his liking. He believes that having that table to practice on has helped him succeed on the Fast Eddie's tour, which is also played on 8-foot tables. As a teenager, he had a natural discipline for practice. He was never pressured to practice at home, but always had the drive to play hard nearly every day. Prior to getting the table at his house, Ochoa would walk a mile each way to/from the bowling alley to play pool, sometimes for 12 hours a day.

Q: Which games did you learn first?

A: It was 8-ball, then 9-ball, then 3-cushion, and then one-pocket.

Q: What is your favorite game?

A: One-pocket.

Q: Is one-pocket your best game?

A: Yes.

Like most of us, Ochoa started with 8-ball and 9-ball. As he rapidly advanced, his peers would suggest different games to challenge him. Tired of getting beat at 8-ball and 9-ball, they would propose 3-cushion. Once he got the hang of 3-cushion, then they suggested trying some one-pocket. Unknowingly, learning all these different games would ultimately turn Ochoa into a complete, well-balanced player.

Q: You're always such a cool cucumber, is there anything in particular that you attribute that to?

A: Even though I'm young, I've had a lot of experience because I've been around for a long time. Even though I'm young, I've played one-pocket for a long time and gambled and played tournaments. Now, instead of nerves, it's more that I'm anxious to play. People that before would run over me, now I'm running over them or it's even or something. I guess my confidence is there so I really don't have anything to be scared of.

Starting at such a young age has been a huge advantage for Ochoa. Because he was so talented at such a young age, he has always had spectators around him. Ochoa learned to perform in front of a live audience very early on. This key element has been beneficial when it comes to his nerves.

Q: What is the biggest, most memorable match you've ever played?

A: The biggest that I've ever played and won was in '07 when I got 9th in the US Open. No, I was 20, it was in '05. In my second match, I beat Fabio Petroni. In my fourth match, I beat Keith McCready. Then I beat Ralf Souquet. In my match with Ralf, he had me 6-2. I come back and I'm up 7-6, then it's 7-7, then I'm up 10-7, then it gets to hill-hill and I end up winning.

The biggest thing that stuck in my head was when after the match, everybody's cheering and then a lady went up to him and asked him for his autograph. She was like, 'I know this is a bad time, but can I have your autograph?' and he was like, 'yeah, sure.'

Players could learn a lot from players with class like that.

[In that moment, Ochoa learned a valuable lesson in humility and being a class-act.]

But yeah, that was my biggest win, I guess, in a tournament. But, other than that I guess, of course in the finals I beat Rafael Martinez to win the Texas Open.

Ochoa believes that the confidence that he's developed comes from his years of heads-up tournament experience versus players like Jeremy Jones, Hillbilly, and Davie G on the Fast Eddie's and Lone Star tours.

Q: What is the best tip you can give a player that is trying a new game?

A: Don't go into it thinking you know everything. There are a lot of people who play 9-ball and when they switch over to play one-pocket, the people that they would give the 7 out to are beating them even playing one-pocket. That's what's so good about the game. A lot of people rate how people play on the way they play one-pocket, not really 9-ball or 10-ball anymore.

Say someone's trying to transition from 9-ball to one-pocket, don't think you know everything, don't get frustrated, try to pick up as much as you can. I was lucky that a friend of mine had 50 or 60 Derby City Classic Accu-stats tapes. I would get five at a time, give those back to him and get another five. I was just watching one-pocket matches and you pick up a lot of things playing one-pocket, not really with 9-ball or 10-ball, but if you watch one-pocket you learn so much, just learning that a shot is available. Just by watching you can learn.

Sylver on R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Though Ochoa appreciates the value of gambling pressure, he prides himself in keeping a good attitude. He has never sharked anyone and believes it's just as important to be a respectful opponent.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you could give a player?

A: Keep the right attitude and a good head on your shoulders.

He adds, "Jeremy Jones' attitude and the class of Ralf Souquet. I don't really want to be anybody, but I want to have an attitude like that."

Sylver on Tenacity

Q: Which was the toughest game for you to transition to?

A: I would have to say one-pocket because I was so hard headed. I would just go off all the time, but that's how I learned. I would play this one guy for $20 a game, even, and I would just lose and lose and lose and go home pissed and crying and want to quit and by the time I got home I was hitting balls on my table at the house. And then the next day I'd just go back again. And then, after a while, I'd start kinda' breaking even, and after a while I'd start beating him a little bit, and then he wouldn't want to play anymore.

But that's how I am. If I get beat, I want to go back and play again. Like right now, even though I have all kinds of respect for him, the guy that I really want to keep playing is Jeremy. I'm almost there every time when I play him one-pocket and I keep losing. I have so much respect for the guy but I just want to win. I think if I just get that over with, then I can set my sites on someone else.

Ochoa recalls being star struck the first time he saw Jones playing at a Fast Eddie's stop. In those days, his name in the pool magazine for a 7th place finish was something he would get excited for. These days, Ochoa's expectations for himself are much higher. He expects to finish in the top three and expects to deliver a top performance at every tournament.

"You have to gamble to be a good player. You have to. You have to gamble, you have to play tournaments, you can't do either or. You have to do both to be a really good player. Or, you have to have done it at least before. All of that builds your character." ~ Sylver Ochoa

With such a wise grasp on all the games, along with the value of character and attitude, who knows where Sylver Ochoa will pop up next.