Billiards Digest — Pooldawg Stroke of Genius, Pool Videos

Player: Mika Immonen
Event: U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships
Date: Sept. 20, 1998

WHEN MIKA Immonen approached this tricky bank shot, he didn’t have much to lose. The 25-year-old trailed Jim Rempe throughout the match (which was to advance to the final four of the 1998 U.S. Open). Facing a 10-7 deficit, Immonen took three straight to force a case game, but Rempe then won a safety battle and appeared on his way out for the win.

But “King James” rolled into the 9 ball and was forced to play safe. He thinned the 9 and sent the cue ball back up table. Immonen came to the table knowing that he had to go for it. With two lonely balls on the table, there was no place to hide the 9.

“There was no choice on the last ball,” Immonen said. “I couldn’t play safe.” And that “I have to” mentality might have taken a little pressure off Immonen. It was a very difficult bank, but what else could he do? It was a sort of free pass to try for the highlight-reel clincher.

Using a bit of right English, Immonen sent the cue ball down table with medium speed. The 9 jumped off the end rail and headed straight back toward him. The ball bounced off both sides of the pocket before dropping.

While Immonen circled the arena, jumping up pumping his cue in the air, Rempe was left to wonder why his opponents always seem to pull off the unlikely.

“He had to shoot it,” agreed Rempe. “But did it have to go in? I mean, if Mike Sigel’s his opponent, I guarantee you that the 9 hangs in the corner. This game will just break you down.”

(Video clip provided by Accu-Stats Video Productions.)

See January's shot: Reyes' "Greatest Shot Ever"
See February's shot: Varner's "Astonishing" five-rail draw
See March's shot: Strickland’s two-rail kick-combo on the 9
See April's shot: Van Boening’s jump-kick safety at the U.S. Open
See May's shot: Souquet’s force-follow in Derby title match
See June's shot: Davenport Doubles the Points
See July's shot: Reyes’ Cross-Side Bank Break
See August's shot: Deuel’s Electric Draw at U.S. Open
See September's shot: Frank’s Killer Kick at Derby City
See October's shot: Reyes Thinks Thin, Kills Shot
See November's shot: Ulrich Says, “Might as Well Jump”
See December's shot: Parica’s Crazy Combo
See January's shot: Mika’s Mighty Combo
See February's shot: The Rocket’s Aerial Carom
See March's shot: One-Pocket Wonder
See April's shot: Three-Cushion’s First
See May's shot: Archer’s Cut
See June's shot: For the Match...
See July's shot: Earl’s Pearl...
See August's shot: Buddy’s Escape...
See September's shot: Miz Goes Four Rails...

(Check out Accu-Stats’ full library of great shots and amazing matches at www.accu-stats.com)