How do the following earn a living - today?

CrownCityCorey

CrownCityCorey

Sock it to 'em!
Silver Member
All of the following are the living Hall-of-famers. How exactly do they cover their nut?

Most no longer play competitively, and if they do, they no longer win.

So, just how do the greatest get along when they don't win/play anymore? Not that doing that was ever a living anyway, but there certainly is no retirement!

Buddy Hall - ?

Jim Rempe - ?

Ray Martin - ?

Jean Balukas - Runs family poolroom in Brooklyn, NY

Lou Butera - owned several pool rooms, most recently Pool Sharks in Vegas. I believe he is retired.

Mike Sigel - cue business and IPT hustle.

Dallas West - ?

Nick Varner - Wholesale distribution billiards businessman with his own name brand products.

Raymond Ceulemans - I imagine retired as he's 80+, but how did he cover his nut, since 3-Cushion is worse than pool $$$-wise.

Earl Strickland - Pool School Tour

Allen Hopkins - Event promoter and professional TV commentary.

Robin Dodson - Has her own retail sales billiards operation.

Mike Massey - Exhibitions, competitive trick shots, and his signature line of products/books.

Ewa Mataya - TV commentary, spokemodel, and here and there TV stuff.

Ed Kelly - Dealing cards in Vegas.

Loree Jon Jones - IPT hustle.

Efren Reyes - Still playing competitively, though with a declining tour schedule.
 
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I am thinking lessons and exhibitions,being a house pro,plus they could go in any bar and probably clean up,now that would be interesting to see,Earl in a redneck bar pissed off about the equipment or his opponents luck,lol. :grin-square:
 
I think Efren is set for life with his relationship with the Puyats and his sponsorship from San Miguel....
 
Interesting topic.

Wonder how many of them have saved money for their pension... Read on Niels Feijen's website after his 3rd place in World Ten Ball Championship, and he wrote "that's another 25 000 $ in my pensionfund". If he do save for his pension I admire his discipline.

I know that Efren Reyes has invested some of his winnings in property/land in the Philippines, but how much will we probably never know. He is however still winning lots of money games against the top 10 Filipinos, so guess he is still making money. He is also involved in commercials, and if he enters tournaments that are not majors the promotor's will normally have to cover flight, hotel + apperance fee.

I tried to do a challengematch between Efren Reyes - Earl Strickland in Norway, and the cost was 5 000 $ for Efren Reyes and 1 500 $ for Earl Strickland + hotel and flights. I had sponsors willing to pay the expenses, but somehow we ran out of time and couldn't put the show on... :(
 
Roy Steffensen said:
Read on Niels Feijen's website after his 3rd place in World Ten Ball Championship, and he wrote "that's another 25 000 $ in my pensionfund". If he do save for his pension I admire his discipline.
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I think this highlights the huge difference between the gambling-oriented pool culture prevalent in the Philipines and (to a lesser extent) the USA and the sport-oriented culture prevalent in Europe. There is much lamenting when a European wins a major tournament in Asia (Like the recent 10-Ball "World Championship") as is usually means the prize purse is going to be leaving on the next flight to Heathrow.

Roy Steffensen said:
I know that Efren Reyes has invested some of his winnings in property/land in the Philippines, but how much will we probably never know. He is however still winning lots of money games against the top 10 Filipinos, so guess he is still making money. :(
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Heh, if you ever read the original book of "The Hustler" Bert has this discussion with Eddie about how Fats makes money away from the table. However I always wondered if by "properties" Bert actually meant other Pool players who he could make money from.

Of course the big problem is it is very hard when one is a full-time gambler to take any money won and put it aside, as you are constantly thinking about what scores you might be able to get with that bankroll.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
All of the following are the living Hall-of-famers. How exactly do they cover their nut?

Most no longer play competatively, and if they do, they no longer win.

So, just how do the greatest get along when they don't win/play anymore? Not that doing that was ever a living anyway, but there certainly is no retirement!

Buddy Hall - ?

Jim Rempe - ?

Ray Martin - ?

Jean Balukas - Runs family poolroom in Nj (?)

Lou Butera - owned several pool rooms, most recently Pool Sharks in Vegas. I believe he is retired.

Mike Sigel - cue business and IPT hustle.

Dallas West - ?

Nick Varner - Wholsale distribution billiards businessman with his own name brand products.

Raymond Ceulemans - I imagine retired as he's 80+, but how did he cover his nut, since 3-Cushion is worse than pool $$$-wise.

Earl Strickland - ?

Allen Hopkins - Event promoter and professional TV commentary.

Robin Dodson - Has her own retail sales billiards operation.

Mike Massey - Exhibitions, competative trick shots, and his signature line of products/books.

Ewa Mataya - TV commentary, spokemodel, and here and there TV stuff.

Ed Kelly - Dealing cards in Vegas.

Loree Jon Jones - IPT hustle.

Efren Reyes - Still playing competatively, though with a declining tour schedule.
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Believe Jean Balukus runs a rm in Brooklyn NY unless they moved to NJ.

Yrs ago I read that Raymond Ceulemans owned a bar/restaurant - and I imagine he made money in European endorsements, exibitions.

Also ex-world snooker champ Steve Davis made good money at snooker and endorsements in England. (Snooker pays well in England and you get endorsements).
 
CrownCityCorey said:
All of the following are the living Hall-of-famers. How exactly do they cover their nut?

Most no longer play competatively, and if they do, they no longer win.

So, just how do the greatest get along when they don't win/play anymore? Not that doing that was ever a living anyway, but there certainly is no retirement!

Buddy Hall - ?

Jim Rempe - ?

Ray Martin - ?

Jean Balukas - Runs family poolroom in Nj (?)

Lou Butera - owned several pool rooms, most recently Pool Sharks in Vegas. I believe he is retired.

Mike Sigel - cue business and IPT hustle.

Dallas West - ?

Nick Varner - Wholsale distribution billiards businessman with his own name brand products.

Raymond Ceulemans - I imagine retired as he's 80+, but how did he cover his nut, since 3-Cushion is worse than pool $$$-wise.

Earl Strickland - ?

Allen Hopkins - Event promoter and professional TV commentary.

Robin Dodson - Has her own retail sales billiards operation.

Mike Massey - Exhibitions, competative trick shots, and his signature line of products/books.

Ewa Mataya - TV commentary, spokemodel, and here and there TV stuff.

Ed Kelly - Dealing cards in Vegas.

Loree Jon Jones - IPT hustle.

Efren Reyes - Still playing competatively, though with a declining tour schedule.
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Which begs the question Cory, what do you do for a living/
 
Earl is making money with Johnny doing the pool school. It's awesome. I kept waiting for Earl to be real and drop the act. I realized that there is no act and he was being real. Just awesome.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
All of the following are the living Hall-of-famers. How exactly do they cover their nut?

Most no longer play competatively, and if they do, they no longer win.

So, just how do the greatest get along when they don't win/play anymore? Not that doing that was ever a living anyway, but there certainly is no retirement!

Buddy Hall - ?

Jim Rempe - ?

Ray Martin - ?

Jean Balukas - Runs family poolroom in Nj (?)

Lou Butera - owned several pool rooms, most recently Pool Sharks in Vegas. I believe he is retired.

Mike Sigel - cue business and IPT hustle.

Dallas West - ?

Nick Varner - Wholsale distribution billiards businessman with his own name brand products.

Raymond Ceulemans - I imagine retired as he's 80+, but how did he cover his nut, since 3-Cushion is worse than pool $$$-wise.

Earl Strickland - ?

Allen Hopkins - Event promoter and professional TV commentary.

Robin Dodson - Has her own retail sales billiards operation.

Mike Massey - Exhibitions, competative trick shots, and his signature line of products/books.

Ewa Mataya - TV commentary, spokemodel, and here and there TV stuff.

Ed Kelly - Dealing cards in Vegas.

Loree Jon Jones - IPT hustle.

Efren Reyes - Still playing competatively, though with a declining tour schedule.
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I wish I was as broke as Jean. She owns the room the building and has for as long as I can remember. Still packs them in and nobody can make a ball just the way she likes it. The building itself on the low is worth a few million and her room has 50 tables. She also has a ping pong table room and rents the top floor to a karate school for some nice coin. Don't worry about Jean. She could probably take care of everyone on the list.
 
Most of these guys were smart enough to realize that pool is a young mans game (in the pro world anyway) and why the money was good they invested in business or opened rooms.
 
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Crown City Corey works at the illustrious Tiger Products Empire. He should be able to retire a millionaire by the time he's 40............

:smile:
 
poolhustler said:
Crown City Corey works at the illustrious Tiger Products Empire. He should be able to retire a millionaire by the time he's 40............

:smile:
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That is funny.
lmaorof.gif
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Luxury said:
Earl is making money with Johnny doing the pool school. It's awesome. I kept waiting for Earl to be real and drop the act. I realized that there is no act and he was being real. Just awesome.
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I think Johnny is supporting Earl.
 
Most of the stories about the high stakes games that this one won or that one won can be at least cut in half, and then cut that in half again. Most everyone of them that gambled big had a backer. A $1000 set= 60/40 with the 60 going to the backer, netting the player $400. A small percentage of backers that went on the road with the player paid most everything else.

Most road trips were about two months with a few tournaments along the way. These tournament winnings were 60/40 also. If the player stayed pretty much in one area for awhile he used local backers, but then he had to pay for his own housing and food & drink.

Most of the $10,000 sets of the 1950's and 1960's you hear about were really $2000 sets with the backer covering the rail for the other $8000. The player would get some jelly from the rail money if he was lucky. So you see most players didn't make the kind of money most think they did.

The ones that came out alright by the end of their playing days were the ones that bet their own and knew how to match up and the ones that made a big score and went out and bought a poolroom, bar, or some other business or real estate that just about ran it self. Johnnyt
 
14.1player said:
I think Efren is set for life with his relationship with the Puyats and his sponsorship from San Miguel....
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Unfortunately, I don't believe this.

When a person's productivity and usefulness are reduced, so are the benefactor's generosity.

Many people give their youth to companies that reward them after a life time of service with a thank you and a good by as new people stand at the helm of the company, with new agendas, goals and responsibilities to fulfill.

JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Unfortunately, I don't believe this.

When a person's productivity and usefulness are reduced, so are the benefactor's generosity.

Many people give their youth to companies that reward them after a life time of service with a thank you and a good by as new people stand at the helm of the company, with new agendas, goals and responsibilities to fulfill.

JoeyA
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Exactly right!

Just as Earl, and Cuetec parted ways.

If you aren't making them money...you're out the door.
 
Not sure what Johnny Archer has done with his cash and it's none of my buisness but he has done very well from what people have said..
I know he and Davenport have opened a room in Georgia...and it is to be said that Archer is a millionare also...
Johnny has done well=)
 
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