Help me with something.

7

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First let me just say, you have two options. You can (a) move on and forget the past, or (b) stick in the past and not comment.

(Disclaimer: I understand that this could also be subject to opinion)

Question:
Going by your experience and naming a player that most might know if possible, who would you say is or what is the difference between a semi-pro and an actually pro?

Why:
Friend and I were talking and he mentioned that an A player that we know (I know him as an A player, he just knows him as a strong player) is semi-pro and I said NO, he's an amateur, just a high level one.

What do you think?
 
cuesblues said:
Sure there is.
A semi professional pool player is a player who's primary focus is pool, but has a day
job at the dry cleaners, and no time to practice his break.
Click to expand...

That's why his break is often "dry." Har har har har. :p

-Sean
 
I know a few people who are truly outstanding players in the amateur pool world. Great talents and of course have earned every title they own. They will and should get to their states amateur pool hall of fame if one exists. Of course, they have teamed up with the other possible four to eight players with the same talent to dominate state and national and international tournaments, usually rotating the few other top players in a four to five state area to help them continue their legacy. Usually rotating the few worthy teammates as after a couple of years someone can't stand that someone else is better on said teams. Could these talented players make a run at a professional level, yes !! accept they would get their butts handed to them and I don't think their ego's could handle that as they are so busy in trying to stay on top of the amateur divisions. I myself, take great pride in shooting with teammates in my home town area or league area and once in a while we can send one of these super teams home from a tournament. I'm never going to be considered a hall of famer in any form of pool organization, but, to know that I've been asked to shoot with a couple of their former teams is good enough for me and honestly, a thrill to turn them down. Sure, an extra trophy here and there would be great, but, the ones I have are well earned !!!. My opinion is that in no way these folks will give up their amateur status for a run at a professional player as one, they are money ahead at the amateur level and of course, can't handle defeat like a sportsman should. Female players included. Just my opinion, but, it's all about the money once I've seen a player get to super excellent amateur status.
 
worktheknight said:
I know a few people who are truly outstanding players in the amateur pool world. Great talents and of course have earned every title they own. They will and should get to their states amateur pool hall of fame if one exists. Of course, they have teamed up with the other possible four to eight players with the same talent to dominate state and national and international tournaments, usually rotating the few other top players in a four to five state area to help them continue their legacy. Usually rotating the few worthy teammates as after a couple of years someone can't stand that someone else is better on said teams. Could these talented players make a run at a professional level, yes !! accept they would get their butts handed to them and I don't think their ego's could handle that as they are so busy in trying to stay on top of the amateur divisions. I myself, take great pride in shooting with teammates in my home town area or league area and once in a while we can send one of these super teams home from a tournament. I'm never going to be considered a hall of famer in any form of pool organization, but, to know that I've been asked to shoot with a couple of their former teams is good enough for me and honestly, a thrill to turn them down. Sure, an extra trophy here and there would be great, but, the ones I have are well earned !!!. My opinion is that in no way these folks will give up their amateur status for a run at a professional player as one, they are money ahead at the amateur level and of course, can't handle defeat like a sportsman should. Female players included. Just my opinion, but, it's all about the money once I've seen a player get to super excellent amateur status.
Click to expand...

That's my goal.
 
I don't think semi-pro is a term used in the pool world. Amateur, A, AA, AAA, and down but I don't think it applies. You could say there are a lot of part time professionals, I suppose. I've just never heard the term applied to pool.
 
7forlife said:
First let me just say, you have two options. You can (a) move on and forget the past, or (b) stick in the past and not comment.

(Disclaimer: I understand that this could also be subject to opinion)

Question:
Going by your experience and naming a player that most might know if possible, who would you say is or what is the difference between a semi-pro and an actually pro?

Why:
Friend and I were talking and he mentioned that an A player that we know (I know him as an A player, he just knows him as a strong player) is semi-pro and I said NO, he's an amateur, just a high level one.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
A few days ago, I played what I call an "elite" A player. He is not a pro, but he does everything on the table perfect. EVERYONE knows him by name. He is also a notch above the regular A-rated players. Ultimately, he is my Litmus as I measure myself/my performance against him.

These "elite" A players are the ones that play the PRO's when they come around in tournaments. Always fun to play them, and always fun to watch them match-up with the PRO's. :)
 
I agree with you Pushout, 100%, but, larger amateur events usually have a singles event in either 8 ball or 9 ball or mixed doubles and then a team event. Losing the amateur status does indeed lose extra events including possible team events if they exist in your area, state or otherwise. I agree that a team event does not record to your status, but, would exist on extra events that amateurs have that the pros don't.
 
:yes:



Lots of good amateurs play as good as the not so good pro players.

Kevin Clark who is an amateur advertises that he'll play straight pool for $300 against anyone that walks through his door.

He's a good amateur!:thumbup:

Dave Daya is another good amateur!:wink::thumbup:


And once in a while, these guys might be called a Pro or Semi-Pro.:clapping:


So in reality,..you can call 'em anything you want.:poke:



Heck, some people even call me a Pro.:sorry:
 
That for the most part was my point to this guy. A room owner for 20+ years but has never been exposed to actual pool or pool players, so anyone he sees play at what we would call a A (or up) player is just one notch under pro to him. Hell he might see a strong B or B+ play and feel the same way.

So let me as you guys this then

What (now a days IMO) classifies someone as being an actual Pro?
 
Amateur: Has a job that pays for life necessities, plays pool for fun
Semi-pro: has a job that pays for life necessities, plays pool for money
Pro: plays pool as a job.
 
So as long as you play pool for a living you're a pro?
I'm sorry, but it just seems like a very vague description for that.
 
An "open" player is not known as a pro, but is better than an "A." He is capable of beating a pro at any given time, and never gets a spot..

Pro
Open/Semi pro
A
B
C
 
7forlife said:
So as long as you play pool for a living you're a pro?
I'm sorry, but it just seems like a very vague description for that.
Click to expand...

To be known as a pro it wouldn't take long. Beat some other pros in a well known tournament, and you would be rated pro along with them.
 
Thanks Bambu.

That for the most part is my thinking "but only about the semi_pro/Open player thing. I think/feel that there should be some kind of test or something other than beating a "Pro" even up for getting into the club.

i.e. Brandon Shuff
At the time he was being called a Pro I felt like "What?" how/when did he become a Pro (my thinking)
 
I would think that if you placed in the top three places in two big tournaments in one year most people would think you are a Pro no matter how you earn your living.

A "big" tournament would be a tournament that attracted at lest 3- 5 known Pros.

I think that most people would consider Irving Crane (the car salesman) a Pro.

I suspect that most people know that if you want to hide your status, don't play in the big tournaments and that is what they do.

If you want to be a Pro you gotta play against the big boys (and win). Everybody else falls into the alphabetical rankings, "A", "AA" etc.
 
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