Is Mika Currently The Best Rotation Pool Player On The Planet?

watchez

watchez

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Silver Member
During the finals of the US Open, the announcers stated that Mika has come in 1st or 2nd in the past 8 tournaments he has entered - make that 9 as he won the US Open.

Would this make him the current #1 rotation pool playeron the planet? Honestly, I wouldn't have stopped to consider him as such until this was stated. Now, I would find it that it could be argued as such.

2009 Winnings: 102,820

2009 Tournament Results:


Payout Place Event
$1,400 1st place Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Stop
$900 7th place Derby City Classic Banks Division
$275 30th place Derby City Classic One Pocket Division
$900 15th place Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division
$2,500 3rd place Derby City Classic 10-Ball Challenge
$3,600 3rd place Turning Stone Classic XII
$1,400 1st place Predator Tour Stop
$850 1st place Tri State Tour Stop
$1,500 13th place Pro Player Championship
$1,350 1st place Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Stop
$7,395 1st place Blackpool Open
$5,000 3rd place World Pool Masters
$1,050 17th place Predator International 10-Ball Championship
$500 33rd place China Open Men's Division
$1,150 1st place Predator Tour Stop
$40,000 1st place Qatar International Open
$1,050 2nd place Mezz Classic 14.1 Event
$2,000 2nd place Seminole Pro Tour Stop
$4,000 1st place Mezz Classic 10-Ball Event
$25,000 1st place World Classic 10-Ball Event
$1,000 1st place Predator Tour Stop

2008 Winnings: 149,582

2008 Tournament Results:


Payout Place Event
$250 71st place Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division
$2,000 5th place Derby City Classic Straight Pool Event
$1,100 2nd place Predator Tour Stop
$1,150 2nd place Predator Tour Stop
$700 3rd place Blaze 9-Ball Tour Stop
$2,600 4th place Turning Stone Classic X
$1,000 1st place Blaze 9-Ball Tour Stop
$4,000 4th place UPA Pro Players Championship
$7,500 2nd place UPA Desert Shoot Out
$10,000 2nd place World Pool Masters
$1,000 17th place Predator International 10-Ball Championship
$700 2nd place Predator Tour Stop
$2,661 2nd place Blackpool Open
$1,100 1st place Predator Tour Stop
$3,000 5th place Generationpool.com Open Mens Championship
$700 2nd place Predator Tour Stop
$1,200 17th place Qatar World Open 9-Ball Tournament
$300 4th place Predator Tour Stop
$1,250 2nd place Lucasi Hybrid Invitational Classic 14.1 Event
$800 5th place Lucasi Hybrid Invitational Classic 10-Ball Event
$1,625 1st place Blaze 9-Ball Tour Stop
$1,150 3rd place Blaze 9-Ball Tour Stop
$1,600 9th place Predator World Straight Pool Championship
$275 5th place Predator Tour Stop
$10,000 5th place World Ten Ball Championship
$1,500 17th place 2008 World Cup of Pool
$40,000 1st place US Open 9-Ball Championship
$20,000 1st place Mosconi Cup
$21,421 1st place 2008 All Japan Championship
$4,000 2nd place Asian 10-Ball Championship
$5,000 1st place Quezon City Invasion
 
I don't think so, but he does look an awful lot like the bad guy in Terminator 2. Could it be that Mika is a product of a ripple in time?
 
Don't forget Galveston. He won another $40k or so there.

As for him being the best, it's arguable. It think it's more realistic to say that he's the #1 rotation player that competes regularely in sanctioned events, rather than saying he's the best there is.
 
I would have to agree with Nathans rationale here.

In my mind he'd have to beat the likes of Alcano, Corteza, Pagulayan for the money a few times in a LONG session before I'd be willing to put that crown on his head. That isn't to say that what Mika is doing in tournaments isn't impressive cuz we all know it is far beyond impressive!!! The man is on fire!

I'd also like to say that it's odvious Mika has no real interest in gambling at pool. I mean he may not be a billionaire but Mika is not your typical degenerate/broke pool player. He def doesn't need to gamble at pool and I respect that.
 
"THE" best, I dunno. Is he playing good enough, right now, to be considered on the short list of the current best? Absolutely.


Eric
 
I would have to guess there are better rotation players in the PI if were talking about 15 ball rotation.


If were talking "Rotation games" then as of now yeah I'd say he(Mika), Dennis, and Ralf are the top 3 players currently.



Thats my take on it, Dennis is playing real real good, so has Ralf-so its hard to say who is best. Alex told me at dinner in May they Dennis is the strongest PI player by alot, but that was in May.
 
I'd have to say for the money that Yang is the man to beat. He has put the beatdown on Dennis 2 times now in long races of 9 and 10 ball.

Mika is certainly on the short list of the best. Ralf is also on the short list but his is on the "tourney" list since he doesnt gamble. I'd really like to see Mika in a TAR match format.

Then you have numerous Pinoys that would have to be considered, Dennis, Lee Van, Alex, Ronnie, and maybe a couple that the states don't even know about.
 
NewStroke said:
I don't think so, but he does look an awful lot like the bad guy in Terminator 2. Could it be that Mika is a product of a ripple in time?
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Really? I always thought he resembled Mulder's replacement on the X-Files...
 
Speaking of great players, what has happened to Fong Pang Chao? I haven't heard any news about this great player for a couple of years now. I did a search for him using AzBilliards search function and the latest news results are two years old.

--Michael
 
If someone can think of a better player in the past 2 years, please post their resumes and we can discuss it. In my opinion, Mika is the hottest player of the decade. His achievements will be the mark of greatness for players to come for a very long time. I've played and watched a lot of great players, none had the pocketing prowess of Mika Immonen. In my opinion, he's the most talented pocketer in the world and has an incredible stroke to boot. It's so difficult to criticize or justify his thought process because he's simply playing with entirely different shot-making percentages than anyone is used to seeing.

We're simply going to have to wait until he cools off to really get a sense of how he stacks up historically but there is no doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the ten best players in the history of pool.
 
Fatboy said:
Thats my take on it, Dennis is playing real real good, so has Ralf-so its hard to say who is best. Alex told me at dinner in May they Dennis is the strongest PI player by alot, but that was in May.
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I've heard this so many times, yet every time I've actually seen Dennis play in a tournament he faltered. Then I heard that he's not a great tournament player, but he's killer at money matches. But every time I've actually seen his money matches (such as against Yang) he lost.

Is it possible that Dennis is their sucker bet and they've discovered they can keep reeling him in just by telling him he is the best? :grin-square:

But seriously I'm sure he's an incredible player, just by coincidence I may have only ever seen his bad days.
 
Jude brings up a really good point. His ball pocketing is outstanding. I get the sense that he relies on that ability more than most, and you would expect that to jump up and bite now and then under the pressure, but it just hasn't. Time will tell, I suppose, but it's hard to fault a guy with the list of accomplishments he's put together.

He seems to be the best 9-ball and 10-ball tournament player out there. He's certainly the hottest right now. But, like someone else already said...I'm not sure how he'd stack up in full rack rotation.

In those 14 straight wins this weekend, he was down for at least a portion of every match. Everyone talks about the mental toughness of Ralph Souquet, and for good reason. The guy's insides have GOT to be made out of circuit boards. Even still, I'm not sure I've seen a more impressive display of the mental game than what Mika put together this weekend.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
If someone can think of a better player in the past 2 years, please post their resumes and we can discuss it. In my opinion, Mika is the hottest player of the decade. His achievements will be the mark of greatness for players to come for a very long time. I've played and watched a lot of great players, none had the pocketing prowess of Mika Immonen. In my opinion, he's the most talented pocketer in the world and has an incredible stroke to boot. It's so difficult to criticize or justify his thought process because he's simply playing with entirely different shot-making percentages than anyone is used to seeing.

We're simply going to have to wait until he cools off to really get a sense of how he stacks up historically but there is no doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the ten best players in the history of pool.
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I would think that Ralf Souquet is a better player overall in this decade, based on how often he finish in the quarterfinals or better in big events, but during the last 2 years there is NONE that has been better than Mika Immonen.

And I believe you are spot on saying that Mika will be remembered as one of the ten best players in the history of pool...

During the last 12 months Mika has won

US Open 2008
All Japan Championship
Qatar International Open
Mosconi Cup (Team)
Mosconi Cup MVP
Quezon City Invasion (Team)
2 Joss NE 9-ball Tour Stops
3 Predator Tour Stops
Tri State Tour Stop
Blackpool Open
Mezz Classic 10-ball
World Classic 10-ball
US Open 2009

And finished 2nd in these events:
Asian 10-Ball Championship
Mezz Classic 14-1 Event
Seminole Pro Tour Stop

3rd place in these:
Derby City Classic 10-Ball Challenge
Turning Stone Classic XI
World Pool Masters 2009 (2nd in 2008)
 
corvette1340 said:
would Mika play Yang or Dennis 9-ball or 10-ball for $10,000 or more?
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What does gambling have to do with anything? It pales in comparison to winning a big event (which requires defeating numerous opponents over the course of several days). If you lose a set at gambling, you just post and play another. The better player for that day wins, rather than the most consistent.

(not saying money sets arent good either...im just saying that a single set for 10k proves nothing)
 
corvette1340 said:
would Mika play Yang or Dennis 9-ball or 10-ball for $10,000 or more?
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He has not been afraid to play anyone when he has been in the Philippines so far, and I know that he was working on a race to 100 in 10-ball against Shane Van Boening, but that fell apart for some reason.

It was first scheduled to be played in May I believe, then in November, but as of now, it is not going to happen. Don't know why.
 
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