Reyes was born in Pampanga in the Philippines on August 26, 1954. He moved to Manila aged five to live with his uncle who owned a pool hall. He cleaned the hall and would sleep on the tables. Because he was not tall enough to reach the pool table, he played while standing on Coca-Cola cases that he moved around.
Gambling from a young age, he won his first match for money aged nine and continued to compete at 3-cushion billiards in the 1960s and 1970s. After establishing himself as a winner, he was discovered by promoters. This gave him the opportunity to compete in larger tournaments.