Why does pool need big money?

let's get real

john schmidt said:
you know it annoys me whan people talk like its pathetic to play pool for a living .but you know what they arent going to bury us with the money ,you only live once and you need to have some fun and believe me what i do now is more fun than all the jobs ive had in my life.not to mention when im older i can remember all the countries ive seen.also ive been lucky enough on several occasions ,to know what its like to play perfect in the finals ,then just as they give me the winners check a beautiful woman comes up and asks for my autogragh and wants to know if i would come back to her room for a nightcap.i would have to say its been more fun doing that then fighting traffic to work for a boss i hate in hopes that i dont get fired.well anyway think about that the next time you feel like talking how being a poolplayer is so bad lol. john playingpoolisfun schmidt
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nobody can judge someone else's values. i managed the mac environment at morgan stanley (all offices) before 9/11...became a consultant afterwards. you have some good points. it sucks being an employee. if you're good at what you do, it makes perfect sense to make your living at it...unless you suck at basic math. that being said, how much did you make last year in tournament winnings?

http://www.azbilliards.com/thepros/2000showplayer2005.cfm?playernum=836

did you report these winnings to the internal revenue service? what kind of response do you expect when you walk into a bank and ask for a house loan? there's a huge difference between having pasion for a game (which should enhance your life...not define it) and expecting to make a living at it.

i ran a 126 when i was 17 (i'm 44 now). when i had the run, my best friend remarked "god, i hope you don't expect more from this game than enjoyment". i valued that advice and never hedged my bets on playing pool. do i care if i ever break 100 again...heck no. i care that i have fun.

anyone who fancies themselves a professional pool player should step back and look at what they've gained from playing pool. in your case, you're having fun and probably paying (some of) your bills. in the vast majority of cases, players spend more than they make playing the game.

you know what annoys me? people trying to pass pool off as a legitimate profession. get real...it's wreckless and irresponsible to try to convince others that it's worth persuing the game as a profession (let's not disillusion your fans).

poolmouse
 
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john schmidt said:
you know it annoys me whan people talk like its pathetic to play pool for a living .but you know what they arent going to bury us with the money ,you only live once and you need to have some fun and believe me what i do now is more fun than all the jobs ive had in my life.not to mention when im older i can remember all the countries ive seen.also ive been lucky enough on several occasions ,to know what its like to play perfect in the finals ,then just as they give me the winners check a beautiful woman comes up and asks for my autogragh and wants to know if i would come back to her room for a nightcap.i would have to say its been more fun doing that then fighting traffic to work for a boss i hate in hopes that i dont get fired.well anyway think about that the next time you feel like talking how being a poolplayer is so bad lol. john playingpoolisfun schmidt
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John's point is a good one. Chasing a dream is a good thing, but do it for the dream and the love of the pursuit, and not for the money that might go with it.

And, of course, chasing a dream is a lot more fun when you achieve it!
 
gromulan said:
John's point is a good one. Chasing a dream is a good thing, but do it for the dream and the love of the pursuit, and not for the money that might go with it.

And, of course, chasing a dream is a lot more fun when you achieve it!
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well said

poolmouse
 
Raising the money, raises everything! The caliber of play, the interest of the spectators and the overall profile of the sport. Who would sit and watch a Poker match on TV if the winner only got a couple of grand. Part of the excitment comes from what is at stake.
And look at what it has already brought out of these players. I think some of the guys are playing the best pool of their lives. Corey Duel is a great example. Here is a great natural talent, won a few majors and then looked like he might just quit. He had to dig deep, as did they all to reach the final 6.

It also brings in media attention and for the first time in maybe forever interest from non industry sponsors....

Pool may always been interesting to those who love it, the big payout makes it more compelling to everyone. Even my Mom said, "Wow, half a million!"
 
poolmouse said:
nobody can judge someone else's values. i managed the mac environment at morgan stanley (all offices) before 9/11...became a consultant afterwards. you have some good points. it sucks being an employee. if you're good at what you do, it makes perfect sense to make your living at it...unless you suck at basic math. that being said, how much did you make last year in tournament winnings?

http://www.azbilliards.com/thepros/2000showplayer2005.cfm?playernum=836

did you report these winnings to the internal revenue service? what kind of response do you expect when you walk into a bank and ask for a house loan? there's a huge difference between having pasion for a game (which should enhance your life...not define it) and expecting to make a living at it.

i ran a 126 when i was 17 (i'm 44 now). when i had the run, my best friend remarked "god, i hope you don't expect more from this game than enjoyment". i valued that advice and never hedged my bets on playing pool. do i care if i ever break 100 again...heck no. i care that i have fun.

anyone who fancies themselves a professional pool player should step back and look at what they've gained from playing pool. in your case, you're having fun and probably paying (some of) your bills. in the vast majority of cases, players spend more than they make playing the game.

you know what annoys me? people trying to pass pool off as a legitimate profession. get real...it's wreckless and irresponsible to try to convince others that it's worth persuing the game as a profession (let's not disillusion your fans).

poolmouse
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You sound angry and upset that your time was wasted on a pool table, so I guess you never got one friend out of your time spent there eh. If there was a million dollar tour at the time you ran 126 at age 17 I am sure because of your maturity you would of not EVEN considered it. I found your post kinda like my X wife, "she" ALWAYS knew what was best for everyone else.
 
john schmidt said:
you know it annoys me whan people talk like its pathetic to play pool for a living .but you know what they arent going to bury us with the money ,you only live once and you need to have some fun and believe me what i do now is more fun than all the jobs ive had in my life.not to mention when im older i can remember all the countries ive seen.also ive been lucky enough on several occasions ,to know what its like to play perfect in the finals ,then just as they give me the winners check a beautiful woman comes up and asks for my autogragh and wants to know if i would come back to her room for a nightcap.i would have to say its been more fun doing that then fighting traffic to work for a boss i hate in hopes that i dont get fired.well anyway think about that the next time you feel like talking how being a poolplayer is so bad lol. john playingpoolisfun schmidt
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lol, so you get a check, and then a beautiful woman comes and up and wants to go home with you. Happens all the time in Vegas. Just flash a roll, you don't have to be a pool player to experience this all the time. All you need is a job and lots of money and anything is easy.
 
Ronnie Vs. Efren

gromulan said:
Is 'knowing a pro' something that warrants respect? I didn't know that. I know about 200 of them, should people respect me more than someone who knows none? Wierd.

The theory that larger purses would attract more TV hours is valid, but do you really care whether players that you might not know can feed their family each year? Do you care that way about all sports/athletes, or just pool?

BTW, I'm still waiting to hear if you want me to try and set up a match between Efren and Ronnie O'Sullivan. You can PM me or put it on the forum.
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Yeah, didn't you make a comment that Ronnie can get the 7 out or something like that?

If you are serious and want to put some serious money on the table - that is put it in escrow somewhere then I'll be more than happy to get your request relayed to Ronnie and do what I can to arrange a match.

IIRC you made some kind of ridiculous comment like Ronnie can get the six out or the seven out from Efren and that Efren would barbeque him. So if you can find the stake for that game and want to play for at least $20,000 I am pretty confident that Ronnie will play. Although he might not. Ronnie is quirky like that and 20gs might not be enough money for him to get off the couch.

But, I am sure that you could win a ton of money because there are dozens if not hundreds of British backers who would love to see anyone in the world try and spot Ronnie that much weight.

John
 
No, "knowing" the pros is not something the warrants respect. There is however a certain amount of pleasure in watching your friends compete for life changing money. Especially when you "know" what they have been through to get their game to that level and not give up.

I don't anyone who knows Pete Sampras or Tiger Woods. I know many of the pros and it gives me a thrill to be a fan and able to watch my friends succeed. I get to live vicariously through them. So it's better when the pros have more opportunity to succeed which is what more money in the sport gives them and us.

John
 
onepocketchump said:
IIRC you made some kind of ridiculous comment like Ronnie can get the six out or the seven out from Efren and that Efren would barbeque him. So if you can find the stake for that game and want to play for at least $20,000 I am pretty confident that Ronnie will play. Although he might not. Ronnie is quirky like that and 20gs might not be enough money for him to get off the couch.

But, I am sure that you could win a ton of money because there are dozens if not hundreds of British backers who would love to see anyone in the world try and spot Ronnie that much weight.

John
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You gotta love the way hustlers operate. :eek: If an "easy" 20 grand isn't enough to get Ronnie's attention, then he should go back to sleep on his couch. ;)
 
PoolBum said:
Deserve? As Clint Eastwood once said in Unforgiven, "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it kid."
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Thanks. You took the quote right out of my mouth! :D

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World Series Tickets for 7 games, 2006: $525 cheapest, $1,750 box seats

Who's willing to pay World Series prices to attend the DCC? Raise your hand, please.
 
The game of pool (professional players) has never gotten the respect the game deserves, for a number of reasons. It has had bad rep. for years, hustlers and low lifes hang out at pool rooms. Well it has taken years to attempt to change all the negitive . MONEY, look around and see any old pool player, I mean champions of their day. Do they have any money, heck no! Professional pool players have never gotten the type of respect, or money they should have received for there contribution to the game. I'm not going to mention any names but there are many pro players (former world champions) from the 60's, 70's, 80s, 90's who are broke. I do not know if the IPT is smoke, and mirrors or the real thing (I pray it is the real thing). Because these professional player's both men and women deserve to have a chance to make a living playing this great game. So they will not have to gamble their way through their pool playing days to try and make a living. A quote from Lee Trevino about gambling-"Pressure hell you don't know pressure, until you need to make a 10 footer for a $10.00 naussau-and you don't have $10.00".
To answer the original question why big money, this is the moment every pool player has been waiting-praying to happen for 50+ years or longer. To play professional pool and have a chance at making a decent living. That is not asking for much, in my opnion, every american wants that chance. My 2 cents worth!
 
dacue said:
The game of pool (professional players) has never gotten the respect the game deserves, for a number of reasons. It has had bad rep. for years, hustlers and low lifes hang out at pool rooms. Well it has taken years to attempt to change all the negitive . MONEY, look around and see any old pool player, I mean champions of their day. Do they have any money, heck no! Professional pool players have never gotten the type of respect, or money they should have received for there contribution to the game. I'm not going to mention any names but there are many pro players (former world champions) from the 60's, 70's, 80s, 90's who are broke. I do not know if the IPT is smoke, and mirrors or the real thing (I pray it is the real thing). Because these professional player's both men and women deserve to have a chance to make a living playing this great game. So they will not have to gamble their way through their pool playing days to try and make a living. A quote from Lee Trevino about gambling-"Pressure hell you don't know pressure, until you need to make a 10 footer for a $10.00 naussau-and you don't have $10.00".
To answer the original question why big money, this is the moment every pool player has been waiting-praying to happen for 50+ years or longer. To play professional pool and have a chance at making a decent living. That is not asking for much, in my opnion, every american wants that chance. My 2 cents worth!
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Actually they did back in the early days there were 5,000 pool rooms in NY alone and Mosconi was the highest paid professional sports figure at that time, whats more amazing, you ask anyone that is real old and they all know the name Willie Hoppe.
 
OK sir, I'm sure you are correct. But that is 1 player, out of hundres if not thousands. What do you think of the condition the sport is in today? What about the sport as whole. Not so good-I think!
 
poolmouse said:
you know what annoys me? people trying to pass pool off as a legitimate profession. get real...it's wreckless and irresponsible to try to convince others that it's worth persuing the game as a profession (let's not disillusion your fans).

poolmouse
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Just curious, but are you grouping teachers and entertainers in with your "reckless and irresponsible" comment? There are a few of us out there making six figure incomes, EVERY YEAR! There is a fan base of 'hard core' players (defined as those that play at least once a week) of four million, just in this country. IMO there could be hundreds of players doing what I do, and doing it successfully...given that they could develop the attitude, patience and skill necessary to pull it off consistently. Most of them choose not to, for any of a number of reasons.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
I was a top college player who trained with one of the top pros. He told me that I had the talent to break into the top 40 if I wanted to work at it. When I looked at the lifestyle of a #40 player vs. the lifestyle I could have in the business world, I chose the business world.

There are many talented players like myself who have chosen a different life because of the lack of money in pool. Now younger talented players will have more motivation to pursue the sport as a career instead of a hobby.

PS: Another player took my teacher's advice, and is now guaranteed a 2007 IPT card. Could I have done it?.......I'll never know?
 
onepocketchump said:
No, "knowing" the pros is not something the warrants respect. There is however a certain amount of pleasure in watching your friends compete for life changing money. Especially when you "know" what they have been through to get their game to that level and not give up.

I don't anyone who knows Pete Sampras or Tiger Woods. I know many of the pros and it gives me a thrill to be a fan and able to watch my friends succeed. I get to live vicariously through them. So it's better when the pros have more opportunity to succeed which is what more money in the sport gives them and us.

John
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Fair enough.
 
onepocketchump said:
Yeah, didn't you make a comment that Ronnie can get the 7 out or something like that?

If you are serious and want to put some serious money on the table - that is put it in escrow somewhere then I'll be more than happy to get your request relayed to Ronnie and do what I can to arrange a match.

IIRC you made some kind of ridiculous comment like Ronnie can get the six out or the seven out from Efren and that Efren would barbeque him. So if you can find the stake for that game and want to play for at least $20,000 I am pretty confident that Ronnie will play. Although he might not. Ronnie is quirky like that and 20gs might not be enough money for him to get off the couch.

But, I am sure that you could win a ton of money because there are dozens if not hundreds of British backers who would love to see anyone in the world try and spot Ronnie that much weight.

John
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Let's set it up. I think you should get in touch with Ronnie and see if he's interested. If he is, I'll see what I can do about contacting Efren - though I make no promises on that, I don't know him very well.
 
gromulan said:
It's a mystery to me is why so many people on this board think that pool players deserve to make a lot of money. It's as though just because there is big money in other sports like golf and tennis there should be big money for every sport. I mean, who cares whether pro pool players are making a lot of money or not? Does the amount they play for increase your enjoyment or what?

Flame away...
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Seems to me you answered your own question. "so many people on this board think that pool players deserve to make a lot of money". And yes the amout of money adds to the excitement. Poker has become a BIG attraction on TV only because they are playing for millions. Watching two people play pool for nothing is not exciting to me. Why is it you think it's not important? Are you jealous of the big money they are making now? The big money will entice more talented players to stick to the game and become great pool players instead of ending up working in boring jobs for the rest of their life. For every great player out there now there is probably a hundred that gave up the game because there was no money or future in the game. This will change.:D
 
ceebee said:
You just judged John schmidt for his way of life.
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no...not at all. i simply stated it's wreckless and irresponsible to misrepresent pool as a legitimate profession.

poolmouse
 
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