Fifteen players met at Strokers Billiards in Palm Harbor, Florida for the KBP Fury 8-ball tournament held on December 10th, 2005. Richey Orem and Mike Caron headed toward a hot seat showdown. Orem took two 5-1 wins before defeating Jeff Miller 5-4 to get into the hot seat match. Caron took two 5-3 wins and one 5-1 win before meeting up with Orem. In the hot seat Caron missed out on two runs allowing Orem to the table to take the first two games in the race to 5. Orem missed a masse shot in the next game allowing Caron to finish his run and get on the board at 2-1. Orem showed his resilience in the next game making a tough out to lead 3-1 and followed that up with another run to get on the hill at 4-1. Caron put together a run out in the next game to trail 4-2 but it was too late as Orem got the final shot in the next game to run out and take the hot seat with a 5-2 win.
Caron met with Miller on the left side in a race to 4 to see who would advance to the finals. The players traded the first two games, each scoring one game each. Miller broke and ran the next rack to lead 2-1 but Caron fought back and tied it up at 2-2. Caron was stringing together another rack but fell short of position and hooked himself for the out, letting Miller back to a clear table which he ran out to go ahead 3-2. The final game was a battle of will as the players traded safes with Miller having one solid on the table and Caron shooting for the 8-ball. After several innings, Caron left a tough backwards cut on Miller's last ball and Miller sliced it in followed with a winning shot on the 8-ball to close the match at 4-2.
Miller found a formidable opponent in Orem in the finals. Orem took the first run out, but hooked himself on his last stripe but jumped it in and then made the 8-ball to take the first game. Miller had his shot at the run in the next game but missed his last ball and Orem took advantage of the open table and ran out to lead 2-0. A missed 8-ball courtesy of Orem in the next game led to Miller running out to get on the board at 2-1 but Orem recovered with another run out to lead 3-1. Orem bolstered his lead in the race to 7 with a break and run to go up 4-1, but Miller stayed on his heels with an out in the next rack, making the score 4-2. Orem ran his set the next game but jarred the 8-ball and Miller slowed him down by playing safe, causing Orem to foul twice. Miller then ran his remaining balls to trail at 4-3 but a scratch on the 8-ball in the next game cost him as Orem lengthened his lead to 5-3. Orem ran out the next table, putting him on the hill leading 6 games to Miller's 3. Miller found a stroke of luck when he made the 8-ball on the break to hold off Orem and trail 6-4. A missed bank shot by Orem in the next game gave Miller the shot to run the table and inch closer and trail by only one game at 6-5. Orem was running down to the win in the next game but missed the last ball in the run and Miller capitalized with a run out to tie the match at 6-6. Orem recomposed and ran the next rack and landed with shape on the 8-ball in the side for the win but a miscue cost him the shot and Miller ran out the remaining six balls to win the match 7-6.
Results:
1st Jeff Miller $300
2nd Richey Orem $160
3rd Mike Caron $100
4th Charles Stan $40
