Best Player/Business Successes

Matt_24

Matt_24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lets share a post about legendary players of the past and present who found business success beyond the green felt.

Steve Mizerak (nuff' said)

Larry Hubbard and Terry Bell (also nuff' said)

Nick Varner - Cues and Billiard Supply business.

SVB - I've heard he also invested wisely and done well.

Who else?
 
Matt_24 said:
Lets share a post about legendary players of the past and present who found business success beyond the green felt.
Click to expand...

How many have found "business success" on the green felt ??
Willie
Caras
Hoppe
???

Where "business success" means people pay you to wow them on the table in a non gambling fashion as they watch from the audience.
 
I just wanted to add that I'm super impressed by Nick Varner who is now 70+ years old. He was always a business man, even as a pro player. He would order cues made to his specs from JOSS early on, and then sell them himself to pool rooms around the country building relationships/networks along with other products. Nick's Edge, etc, etc. He was also involved in his father's pool room which he later turned into the headquarters of his billiard supply business which has been a huge success. That is a full-time business, plus his own cue line which he wholesales to retailers. Then, he's also on the road almost full time teaching, and giving exhibitions, clinics, etc. You can just see the kind of dedication and work ethic that made him a stone cold champion for so many years.
 
A lot of you won't know this guy but Jim McDermott(not the cue guy) in Tulsa Ok. is one i'd name. He was a roadie when he was younger then owned bars and became a state parole officer. He bought the Tulsa Billiard Palace in '87 and basically saved/resurrected pool in this area. The Palace was one of THE hot hot action joints til he shut it down in '07. He started Magoo's my home spot, in '94 and is still going under new owners. Players that played at these spots are a pretty stout line-up: Matlock, John Gabriel, Chip and Joey from OkC, Walden, Shane McMinn, Gabe O., Gerry Watson, CJ, B. Stroud, Gabby, D. Lane and too many others to count.
 
Earl had allot of cash/property at one time.
But Frank McGowan one of the great 14.1 players from the Mosconi era.
He got with a businessman and designed and laid out all the Corner Pockets of America Pool Rooms.
Wheelchair accessible.
Burger/grille at the bar, and all non table seating raised above playing area and behind Plexiglas skirting.
 
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