How many Pro level players would you say there are residing in the US?

I may regret it, but I am going to answer your questions. I'll go in order.

1) Between 0 and 10,000
2) California, New York, Florida
3) Perhaps
4) Unsure
5) No

justinb386 said:

This may be a very stupid question, but how many Pro level players would you say there are residing in the US?

These could be lesser known players that work full time jobs, but you would still consider them to be at the pro level, and have been known to beat known pro's from time to time.

These would be guys that if they played pool full time (and could make a living at it) would be right up there with any of the known pro's (like Skyler Woodward to name one example).

One other question is, what States would you say have the most pro level players residing in them?

I am also curious if there are very many Junior players who have high hopes of getting to a solid pro level in pool (and have the skill and desire to do so, just like Skyler Woodward, for example, did)?

Has the level of Junior competition stayed about the same in the last 20 years (for example), or do you think the Junior fields have dwindled and gotten weaker (in competition) over the years? Just curious.

Do you see many kids (with natural talent for the game) falling in love with the sport of pool (and just wanting to play the game all of the time) these days? I am guessing not, but I do not know.

Thanks.

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Can you define "Pro" a little better please.

justinb386 said:

For example, Chip Compton speed (or very close to his speed), playing 9 or 10 ball.

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Speed? Does he run the mile in under 5 minutes? With 3 starts, can he run 150+ in 14.1? Playing the 10 ball ghost, with no racking aid and no BIH to start, can he beat the ghost in a race to 10?

justinb386 said:

Why are you giving me a hard time? I am sure you understood what I meant.

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Because I get a kick out of the question every time someone asks it, especially when someone asks what does it take to become a pro, and how long does it take to become a pro. If a player makes money gambling, does that make the player a pro? If so, what if the player winning the money playing one pocket, is getting spotted 10-4 and wins, is he still considered a pro? Is there a test to determine a pro?

justinb386 said:

Why are you giving me a hard time? I am sure you understood what I meant.

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If you win all the weeknight tournaments in your area, does that mean you're a pro?

Give it a rest RKC. You live in your own world and nobody wants to live there with you.

The rest of us understood the question.

justinb386 said:

This may be a very stupid question, but how many Pro level players would you say there are residing in the US?

These could be lesser known players that work full time jobs, but you would still consider them to be at the pro level, and have been known to beat known pro's from time to time.

These would be guys that if they played pool full time (and could make a living at it) would be right up there with any of the known pro's (like Skyler Woodward to name one example).

One other question is, what States would you say have the most pro level players residing in them?

I am also curious if there are very many Junior players who have high hopes of getting to a solid pro level in pool (and have the skill and desire to do so, just like Skyler Woodward, for example, did)?

Has the level of Junior competition stayed about the same in the last 20 years (for example), or do you think the Junior fields have dwindled and gotten weaker (in competition) over the years? Just curious.

Do you see many kids (with natural talent for the game) falling in love with the sport of pool (and just wanting to play the game all of the time) these days? I am guessing not, but I do not know.

Thanks.

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I'd say fifty to a hundred, probably closer to the higher number. Just about every city has one or two guys that can play even with the top players. You may not hear as much about them but they are out there laying in wait.
Even on the various regional tours, there are always eight to ten pro level players competing. It's not easy for even a top player to win one of these events. Take for example last weeks Swanee tourney with Bustamante and Gallego both competing. You would think one of them would win, but Brian Parks demolished Francisco and left him in fourth place. In the Texas Open the same weekend Manny Chau took it down and poor little Dennis Orcullo also finished fourth.

On second thought, my estimate is probably still to low. Taking the entire country into consideration, there may be a few hundred capable of winning matches against top ranked pros. There's a lot of good pool players in the US, more than in any other country by far. Problem is that most of them are not interested in traveling the world to make a living. They either have jobs, families or other reasons for staying close to home. Maybe they just like that home cooking! Beating the roads playing pool is a hard way to make an easy living.

justinb386 said:

Yeah, I understand, and that is why I tried to ask my question in a different way. I asked how many "pro level" players there are in the US, not how many pro's there are in the US . I would consider Pro level to be AAA (or triple A) level, in handicapped tournaments that use the C,B,A,AA,AAA handicap system (so for example a AAA player would have to give the B player something like the 6 out playing 9 ball). That example may not even be quite at the pro level, but very close I think. I am just talking about rotation (9 or 10 ball) level play (not other games).

So, for anyone that recognizes what AAA speed is (playing 9 or 10 ball, not other games), then how many players do you think there are in the US that play at least at that level?

Just curious how many players that strong reside in the US, and where most of them reside, and play most of the time. Thanks.

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In that case I would venture to guess 500-1000...? I can think of more than 20 off the top of my head here in Texas.

justinb386 said:

I asked about "pro level" players, not players who play pool (or at least try to) for a living. Understand the difference? Thanks.

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Do you understand a triple A player in AZ wouldn't even be considered a B+ player in NY, or Chicago, new jersey....or in many other areas in the US

justinb386 said:

Thanks for your reply Jay. I was thinking maybe 50 to 100 (at the most too). I seen that the Swanee annual event (that Brian Parks recently won) only had like 28 players in it, and I was wondering why it had such a weak turn out. That is a very well known annual event, right? And it is Open to all players, right? I understand that it might just be for mostly players who live on the west coast, but I still wonder why only 28 players entered. Was the entry fee that high? I do not know, but I am guessing not more then a $100 to enter. Are there really that few competitive players on the west coast that would love the opportunity to compete with some good pro level players?

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Try 128 players!

realkingcobra said:

Speed? Does he run the mile in under 5 minutes? With 3 starts, can he run 150+ in 14.1? Playing the 10 ball ghost, with no racking aid and no BIH to start, can he beat the ghost in a race to 10?

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I can name a bunch of pros who haven't run 150 in 14.1 in three tries during the BIH starts at some of the tournaments.

And if you are playing the 10-ball ghost with no BIH on the break and beating the ghost, you have to have a greater than 50% BNR average. There are lots of pros who aren't averaging that.