One Pool Shot for ONE MILLION - How Would You Handle the Pressure???

I heard he never got paid? Any truth to that?

If it were on my table in the comfort of my pool room without all the spectators watching....I would hit the nine. I would not make it but it would rattle on the edge. The ball would defy gravity. :embarrassed2: It happens all the time.

In my opinion there is only one person besides Earl that knows for sure the money ball will drop and that's the guy wearing the tie just to the right of the blond with the big hair.

Wow, Amazing photo of pool history and one of the greatest accomplishments in sports history.

Cornerman said:

I'd be surprised if I'd have been able to hit the cueball!

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Agreed.

Can't wait to see the documentary

Shakin' is right.

Might be the right time for a 'one stroke' delivery.

How far out of the pocket was that 9ball? Doesn't look centered in the picture. Looks missable.

Looking forward to 'the rest of the story'

I'd have slow rolled the ball into the nine. So it just trickled down, and barely made the ball... This would give you time to get up and pose for the crowd while the shot goes down.

CJ -

But that was when Earl was Earl, he acted like a champion, talked like a champion, and played like a champion. While I don't want to take anything away from it, I have seen play and frankly it doesn't surprise me that he did it.

Frankly for a short period of time when you on top, it wouldn't have surprised me to see YOU do it either. Others in that time period, IMO, Johnny Archer or Nick Varner.

I don't know who Earl is now....probably the saddest thing in pool now. Watching Earl and Efren in those epic battles may be the greatest pool for that entire era in pool.

How would I handled the pressure? I know I would have choked and "hung" the nine.

Ken

Earl The Pearl, Man of the Game !

Probably after the challenge, he went back home and ran another 11 racks in th row... using Left hand

Honestly, I would have folded on the 3rd shot of the first rack after hooking myself from the second shot. The only reason I made it that far was I got a really lucky spread on the break, made the seven in the side and left the one and two balls sitting ducks.
Yupp, I would have fold like a cheap suit, like a lawn chair, like a napkin.... I think you see where I'm going with this. Interestingly enough, this is one area I am focusing on most right now, but only for local leagues/tournament purposes which will net a $50-$250 payout at best.
Earls accomplishment at this event is an epic & historic point in the sports history without a doubt. Ranks right up there with the discovery of penicillin and man stepping on the lunar surface in my opinion, of course many may disagree with me outside of this sport. (obviously a little sarcasm there, but not much)
The real shame is how this somewhat next to impossible feat, was over shadowed by bull$hit, lying, thieving, snake in the grass underwriters & Insurance companies pi$$ poor code of ethics. A business model that should be both immoral and illegal (well after all it was, they settled), and yet we are required by law to be consumers to these schmucks at outrageous premiums, or else not function in todays society. Funny how they had no problems collecting the premiums before the event took place, hmmm yeah, that's how that works. Insurance should by law follow the "open source/co-op" model, whereas all proceeds benefit its paying members (yeah I'm a dreaming Utopian hippie/yuppie/hillbilly hybrid).
I look forward to the documentary about this event and the battle that followed. What forms of distribution are you considering for this venture? I'm pretty familiar with the story as a whole, but that won't deter me from viewing your final production. Keep us posted, as I'm sure you will.

Dopc.

I would have just stepped up and gripped it and ripped it. Whether the shot went in would be another story. I find whether shooting pool or in general life. You trust your instincts and make a choice. If you over think things it never works out well in the end

Btw. Is it possible to watch the all of the 11 racks somewhere ?

I would have made the combo.

Then I would go to the local IRS office and give Uncle Sam his cut.

Then I would go to my bank and deposit the remaining change. Double

about 5 years ago, i was playing in a league team out of a pub in Sydney.

One of the better players in the team was a gentleman from Macedonia. He is in his 60's id imagine and done alright for himself with property and investments. Everyone knew he was loaded but to what extent no one knew.

He had recently won a poker tournament in Melbourne for a few hundred grand and we were up at the club celebrating while playing our league match.

After the league night we were playing eachother for fun with rack cues and talking over some layouts when i came across a shot where i was hooked on my last solid, the 7 ball, which was blocked by the 8 in the path to the pocket.

I studied the shot for a minute or so, then called the 7 in the top right pocket, which was to be the cue ball off the rail, onto the 7, which would hit the rail, off the 8 then into the pocket, kicking the 8 over to the top left pocket.
The kick shot wasnt on due to traffic.

He came over and looked at the shot, and said "you make that shot ill give you a million dollars". I laughed and said yeah im sure. He had a straight face, looked me in the eyes and said "Dave, im serious, you make that shot and ill give you a million"
I didnt know what to say. It was a terrible spot to be in. If i was to make it, how very awkward it would be.

Well of course i didnt make it. The 7 didnt hit the 8 on the right spot. im kinda glad i didnt make it. He'd be down a million and it would only cost about 20 grand to have me knocked.

We had a beer about a week later and i asked him if he was serious. He said he never jokes about gambling with money.

Im going to ask him to be my coach soon, so maybe another shot will come up....

Old pool school

C.j. This is sparky........havent seen u since your pool room in east dallas. Me and jeff ko0ontz and dick lane are buddies..... Me and u played a long time ago in tulsa at tulsa billiard palace 1978? Same year i won the tourney at fort smith. Ark and the tourney in hutchinson, kansas. I can make the ball for a million dollars.......i could play a little broke even with st louie louie at walnut hill micky fins in dallas 1970....... Had buddy 7-4 in your tourney in dallas... He beat me 9 to 7........sparky

That is a great pic. What the picture doesn't show being almost at eye level with Earl, is that the table was completely surrounded by spectators, 10-20 deep on all sides, and just about everyone in the stands was on their toes. He rifled the ball in....and what followed was complete and utter pandemonium. I wrote a story about this on AZ years ago, but can't work the search thing very well.

Anyways, it is now a legendary tale, and I was glad to be part of the event.