Mika has owned and been partners in several small businesses both here and abroad, including in the Philippines. He's no dummy, I'll say that.
Are House Pro's usually employed by the pool room?
- Thread starter animatedvmaker
- Start date
Mika has owned and been partners in several small businesses both here and abroad, including in the Philippines. He's no dummy, I'll say that.
I have known several “house pros” over the years and a couple now....they TYPICALLY get around 250 cash a week,and free time of course,lesson money is 100 percent theirs and they USUALLY play anyone cheap races(to 5 in 9/10 ball and maybe 3 in 1 pocket) for 25-50 a set,and these sets are usually for the benefit of the regular learning while donating the 25-50 bucks....of course IF they win they get the 25-50,but i don,t even think i,ve seen one win once...but lets just say,hmmm tony chohanfor example, is a house pro and you can play him for 25 bucks in a race to 3ne pocket,is it not worth that AND then some to watch and learn from a player like tony for 25-50 dollars....usually these house pros don,t run out on you,they play 2 or 3 and stop and talk you through what they would do in situations....they are good for business as they bring in peolple who like to watch the very best at their trade craft. Again these numbers are pretty accurate but maybe not the EXACT agreement between owner/house pro...sometimes they don,t get the”salary” just free time and fountain drinks,always get 100 percent lesson money,and i,ve never seen one who didn,t have a standard offer of playing cheap 20-50 dollar sets so you can LEARN....alot of people prefer saying they PLAYED a champion cheap than to say they payed for a lesson,which is exactly what they are doing...and its. A good investment for both people...
In many cases the "house pro" is there to give lessons (typically at $50-100 an hour), sell billiard merchandise (for a commission), and do repairs (100% theirs). They also are expected to be present each day to meet and greet customers and offer general billiard advice. They get free table time and food. Rarely are they paid a salary, unless they are a top name player. On some occasions the poolroom owner will provide them some form of lodging, usually along the lines of a single/bachelor apartment.
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Jay,? I would question as to how many pro pool players do their own pool cue/tip work? I was under the assumption that most of them use someone very experienced and reputable to do their cue work, even just their re-tips. You need the right equipment - lathe, etc. to do a professional quality job.
No way jayburger! That would amount to the "house pro" making $50K CASH every year. There are ZERO house pros getting paid a salary like that. No room owner could afford that. Heck there aren't that many pros (especially in the USA) that even can make $50,000 doing anything they can...tournament play, gambling, lessons etc.
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
I have known several “house pros” over the years and a couple now....they TYPICALLY get around 250 cash a week,and free time of course,lesson money is 100 percent theirs and they USUALLY play anyone cheap races(to 5 in 9/10 ball and maybe 3 in 1 pocket) for 25-50 a set,and these sets are usually for the benefit of the regular learning while donating the 25-50 bucks....of course IF they win they get the 25-50,but i don,t even think i,ve seen one win once...but lets just say,hmmm tony chohanfor example, is a house pro and you can play him for 25 bucks in a race to 3
You are entirely delusional animatedvmaker! The average league player cannot even name ONE pro player. They don't know them, and couldn't care less who they are.
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
Makes no difference-Whatever he made is gone and he is living off what he can hustle up now. An ex wife didn't help.
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I'm sorry Mr. Lee - but please do that math for me - how do you get to $50K a year from Jay's example?
Jay said House Pros make $250 cash per week & $250 x 52 (52 weeks in a year) = $13K.
Please tell me what I'm missing and how you get to $50K...
Jay said House Pros make $250 cash per week & $250 x 52 (52 weeks in a year) = $13K.
Please tell me what I'm missing and how you get to $50K...
Oh yes they can -Minnesota Fats and that Chinese Girl!!
Okay, okay...so my math is entirely faulty. It would be $12,000, and I suppose some room owners might cough that up for someone like Earl...but even he didn't get that in his last few stints as a house pro in MD, PA and NY. Sorry for the blatant math error! LMAO :thud:
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
I am curious what Earl did get for his house pro title / status at his most recent gigs in NY and PA at well known pool rooms, if anyone knows? He has bounced around to playing out of more pool rooms in the last 15 years than most of us have set foot in. You can add our pool room to the list of those that would be glad to have him. With all his baggage, he is legendary and would be good for our pool business!Okay, okay...so my math is entirely faulty. It would be $12,000, and I suppose some room owners might cough that up for someone like Earl...but even he didn't get that in his last few stints as a house pro in MD, PA and NY. Sorry for the blatant math error! LMAO :thud:
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour
I play with about 120 players in 3 leagues. Zero would pay $150 for a lesson. Every so often one of our better players Does an evening of free Pool lessons for a few players. I do this for Snooker.
If Earl Strickland was in our pool hall he would politely asked to leave the first time he acted like an ass. We don’t tolerate bad behaviour and definitely not anyone bad mouthing another player.
Scott where is your math coming from? 250 per week is 12k a year lol...and whatever they make in lessons etc...i,m not GUESSING at this people,I KNOW 2 house pros that are given 250 a week in cash,free time and lessons are a given with any house pro...I don,t want to name names because they may not want it known,but i assure you that my numbers are accurate. I,m like chrisinnc,i don,t know many players that do cue work(guylassey and maybe a douple more) and that is in response to jay. Also ,i agree with steve lol,no pool player is ever looking for a job lol...none that i know anyway. The sweetest deal for a house pro that i ever heard of was one that the house pro got 10 percent of the poker machines....talk about a sweet deal!, of course there are a few(very few) where the machines were loser for a week or two,but rarely did that happen,and only because a jackpot of some kind was hit that week and the rest of the money coming in didn,t make up the entire loss......what i have seen happen in EVERY SINGLE HOUSE PRO situation is that the house pros” action” dries up in the area and they move on,or the house pro wants to still play the tournaments AND draw their little salary while not even being in town for the week . Either way it always looks good to a poolroom owner and it does bring in a few people initially that MIGHT not have came in otherwise,but this quickly fades away and the house pro is usually “out of work” in less than a year and they mutually part ways...its a way for a pro player to have free practice area and,as jay said earlier,i have seen players be given apartments or be put up in hotels while they were the house pro. Tony watson while under jerry banks wing at the lucky break in Greenville s.c. comes to mind immediately...and one thing is for sure,tony didn,t give too many lessons,but he probably brought in more action in the early to mid nineties than anybody in the usa...outside of THE RACK in detroit,the lucky break in Greenville probably saw more action than any room in the US during that time...just ask ANY player who gambled what it was like.
animatedvmaker
Banned
I have known several “house pros” over the years and a couple now....they TYPICALLY get around 250 cash a week,and free time of course,lesson money is 100 percent theirs and they USUALLY play anyone cheap races(to 5 in 9/10 ball and maybe 3 in 1 pocket) for 25-50 a set,and these sets are usually for the benefit of the regular learning while donating the 25-50 bucks....of course IF they win they get the 25-50,but i don,t even think i,ve seen one win once...but lets just say,hmmm tony chohanfor example, is a house pro and you can play him for 25 bucks in a race to 3
Wow, you really think guys like Tony Chohan would play me a really cheap set of One Pocket? That would be such an honor, and a great experience.
Jut hard to believe it would be worth their time, playing 3 games of One Pocket for $50. Maybe $50 a game, but not race to 3 for $50.
I do think I could learn a lot more in maybe a 1 hour lesson though.
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animatedvmaker
Banned
That was pretty rude. Do you walk up to someone in the pool room, and make fun of the way they talk? I think not. You are just an internet forum troll.
animatedvmaker
Banned
But in this day and age, even some of the best pool players in the country need a job. Pool is not popular enough to make a living off of giving lessons, and making enough money off of gambling. So, I do not know how they survive. I just can't imagine how they are able to survive, without a regular paying salary or some type of regular weekly or monthly income.
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animatedvmaker
Banned
Yeah, I am pretty sure that there are 2 types of House Pro's. There are the House Pro Player's, who might give lessons, and then there are the type of House Pro's who are there to do cue repairs, and who might also sell pool cues on the side. I have never seen both do the same though, and that would be very surprising.
I have never lived anywhere with a pool hall that has a House Pro (Pro Player, that is), until I moved to New Orleans.
Danny Smith was the House Pro at Buffalo's, but now Tony Chohan is their House Pro. Neither of them do cue repairs. They have a different type of House Pro (Pro Shop) that does cue repairs.
animatedvmaker
Banned
$250 cash per week is only $12,000 a year, not $50,000.