Career Advice for being a Pro Pool Player

justnum

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
A guide for being a pro pool player.

Never ask to see prize money up front.

The lifeblood of the sport is in doing promotions, exhibitions and playing events with the honor of knowing that your performance in matches are self-rewarding and asking for cash reimbursement looks cheesy and that your matches will be recorded forever in history and historians will look back at the players of today saying how much they did for the sport by participating in events.

People work overtime for free often, so pool players need to do the same. There isn't a lot of money in the industry so the few people that are hoping to keep the sport going shouldn't be targets for change.

If you do have an idea on what can be done differently, then see if it works without any help from the existing institutions. The ways things are are the way things work. So if you want to do something different, do it on your own. Don't expect someone else to do something different when the way things have been going work.

But don't do something different that takes away from the business of other people.
 
Mama, don't let you babies grow up to be pool players, unless they live in the Philippines!
 
Don't volunteer your time to unknown entities that will only kick you in the teeth down the road after they get funded by somebody with deep pockets.

Some pool peeps have selective memories that only benefits themselves financially and forget those who helped them along the way with hours of your time, providing contact information to help them find resources, sending personal photographs for free, speakingon numerous phone calls providing strategies, and the list goes on and on.

Yep, don't waste your time with unknown entities. Shoot for the industry members who will appreciate your efforts from the past *and* in the future. :smile:
 
NewStroke...Now there's some constructive advice...as opposed to the sarcastic drivel that justnum spouts.

PJ...your advice fits, although some young players won't listen anyway. Hopefully they would get a good education and take NewStroke's advice.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

NewStroke said:
Most of all, have a great day job to support your pool playing.
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Outside of a select few at the top...yep, don't quit your day job.

Also, those at the top need to understand financial management, how to do their own investing for retirement, all of that. No retirement plans, health insurance, or 401K's for the pool pro.

Money management isn't as difficult as it sounds. It takes study and discipline, but anybody who can read can do the above for themselves.

The world is full of people who were taken to the cleaners by "financial advisors". There are more "sharks" in the financial world than there are in pool halls.
 
pwd72s said:
Outside of a select few at the top...yep, don't quit your day job.

Also, those at the top need to understand financial management, how to do their own investing for retirement, all of that. No retirement plans, health insurance, or 401K's for the pool pro.

Money management isn't as difficult as it sounds. It takes study and discipline, but anybody who can read can do the above for themselves.

The world is full of people who were taken to the cleaners by "financial advisors". There are more "sharks" in the financial world than there are in pool halls.
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I gotta back you up on this. Y'all could investigate the link in my signature line for starters. Cheers...:smile:
 

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How are you going to find the future if you don't give someone a chance?
If you keep doing what you have always done you are going to keep getting what you have always got.
JAM said:
Yep, don't waste your time with unknown entities. Shoot for the industry members who will appreciate your efforts from the past *and* in the future. :smile:
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pool101 said:
How are you going to find the future if you don't give someone a chance?
If you keep doing what you have always done you are going to keep getting what you have always got.
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I used to believe that, too, until I had an experience that made me think differently.

I have no problem helping any entity or any person who genuinely is appreciative. I will go out of my way to help them again and again and again. :smile:

Pool players usually are very giving to fans, though they are not often appreciated for this trait.
 
JAM said:
OMG, I really enjoyed that song. I've never heard of J.T. Hodges before. The uncanny thing about that video is that dog. We have a dog that looks exactly like him. This is our Sammy Boy! :p
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I don't know who JT Hodges either. I thought I posted the link to Toby Keith's "Good as I once was"
 
Wear a glove...
on yer pekker, if ya got one...I mean if ya got a pekker, but it is also logical that you would need to have both a glove and a pecker to wear a glove on yer pekker.
 
JAM said:
Don't volunteer your time to unknown entities that will only kick you in the teeth down the road after they get funded by somebody with deep pockets.

Some pool peeps have selective memories that only benefits themselves financially and forget those who helped them along the way with hours of your time, providing contact information to help them find resources, sending personal photographs for free, speakingon numerous phone calls providing strategies, and the list goes on and on.

Yep, don't waste your time with unknown entities. Shoot for the industry members who will appreciate your efforts from the past *and* in the future. :smile:
Click to expand...

JAM I'm sick and tired of these veiled shots at TAR. You need to grow the hell up.

Keith did a 40 minute podcast four years ago. (which I pulled down after your first uncalled for shot at us a couple years ago) I think you sent one photo because I didnt have one to put up with it. We got him staked to play a match at Derby complete with free entries to all the events and a free hotel room. You didnt come because staying at the Executive West was beneath you. I offered you a no risk money up front deal to do a tshirt with Keith and you told me no. After we worked on two deals that you refused we stopped trying. It was obvious we would never be able to make something work. As for strategies I can assure you 100% that I never heard any of them. I can remember speaking to you maybe twice in my life on the phone and I think Keith once. Four years ago.

Just exactly what the hell am I supposed to do? You continue to take shots at me and for the last couple years I have tried my best to take the high road but I'm done with it. Just exactly what great crime did TAR commit ? I really want to know. Do you feel like you are owed some money for free podcast ? Did you give Chad a phone number and want to be compensated for it ? What exactly did we do that was so terrible ?
 
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JCIN said:
JAM I'm sick and tired of these veiled shots at TAR. You need to grow the hell up.

Keith did a 40 minute podcast four years ago. (which I pulled down after your first uncalled for shot at us a couple years ago) I think you sent one photo because I didnt have one to put up with it. We got him staked to play a match at Derby complete with free entries to all the events and a free hotel room. You didnt come because staying at the Executive West was beneath you. I offered you a no risk money up front deal to do a tshirt with Keith and you told me no. After we worked on two deals that you refused we stopped trying. It was obvious we would never be able to make something work. As for strategies I can assure you 100% that I never heard any of them. I can remember speaking to you maybe twice in my life on the phone and I think Keith once. Four years ago.

Just exactly what the hell am I supposed to do? You continue to take shots at me and for the last couple years I have tried my best to take the high road but I'm done with it. Just exactly what great crime did TAR commit ? I really want to know. Do you feel like you are owed some money for free podcast ? Did you give Chad a phone number and want to be compensated for it ? What exactly did we do that was so terrible ?
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JCIN, I wouldn't discuss what transpired in the early days of TAR on the open forum, mainly because I have a little integrity about interactions between parties when it comes to business. There's a little more to it than what you have written, and some of what you have written is not quite right. Of course, as most know, there's the ol' three sides to the story, and that may apply here.

FWIW, not that it matters to you, but I never spoke to you but once, I believe.

If I ever run into you on the road, I'll be happy to chat with you in person, but I ain't doing it on this open forum. Forum culture by its very nature dictates why this may not be a good thing. I'm sure you realize this.

Keith tried to communicate with you offline several times, but you never gave him a reply.
 
Pay your dues to your professional pool association so that it can establish a tournament schedule devoid of conflicts, maintain the statistical database, negotiate TV contracts, hold qualifying tournaments to get on to the pro tour, and extract top dollars from tournament promoters and sponsors.
 
JAM said:
JCIN, I wouldn't discuss what transpired in the early days of TAR on the open forum, mainly because I have a little integrity about interactions between parties when it comes to business. There's a little more to it than what you have written, and some of what you have written is not quite right. Of course, as most know, there's the ol' three sides to the story, and that may apply here.

FWIW, not that it matters to you, but I never spoke to you but once, I believe.

If I ever run into you on the road, I'll be happy to chat with you in person, but I ain't doing it on this open forum. Forum culture by its very nature dictates why this may not be a good thing. I'm sure you realize this.

Keith tried to communicate with you offline several times, but you never gave him a reply.
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So you will take endless shots at me on the forum for a period of years with no problem but you won't tell me why because it might not be a good thing? I'm guessing you know who it wouldnt be a good thing for. Here's a news flash for you JAM....we never did any business.

You got a problem with me personally because of something here that's fine, air it out. Saying that TAR screws people over is bullsh!t. I have worked my ass off to build a good reputation and taken the shitty end of a lot of deals in order to make sure no one could say I did them wrong. I dont always get it right and I screw up my fair share but I have never cheated anyone out of anything or intentionally screwed someone over even when I had damn good reason to. You got a problem state it or just leave us alone.

There isnt much that I take very seriously but my reputation is one and if you or anyone else is going to try and smear it then you better be ready to stand behind what you say and to come with something better than double talk and innuendo. If screw something up I'll own up to it and do my best to make it right but having to fade endless snide comments and veiled accusations about something I have absolutely no clue about is something I'm done doing.
 
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