How do the pro's support themselves

Terry Ardeno

Terry Ardeno

I still love my wife
Silver Member
Since 90%-95% of the men pro's don't have sponsorships and since there's not enough money in tournament earnings to support very many players, I was wondering where the rest of these guys work or better yet, what they actually do for a living besides play pool. Not counting the full time gamblers.
The ones I know about are George Breedlove-construction, Truman Hogue-concrete worker, Troy Frank-welder, Tony Robles-pool instructor, Howard Vickery-electrician, Ed Kelly-casino dealer, Mike Davis-cook.
I wonder what guys like John Brumback, Ike Runnels, Reed Pierce, Louis DeMarco, Larry Price, Brian Gregg, etc do for a living. Anybody know of these or others?
Thanks.
 
Well I am a service technician for Engineering printers and plotters.....; wait I am not a pro. Sorry!
 
Sad commentary

I would HOPE that most of these guys could at least give lessons or do part time work as managers of pool rooms to support their income. Unfortunately Ive heard too many horror stories about pool players as employees. Sad that too many of todays players don't really look at it as a business here in the USA. I think guys like Souquet, Immonen and Charlie Williams....(all foreign born...huh!) have enough irons in the fire to support themselves. I think it is more an "American" income issue than a "billiard sport" issue. I fully admit I don't know where most players get their income. I just seem to hear more stories of players overseas making enough income not to work a construction job to pay the bills. Good topic. I would love to hear feedback from players that HAVE to work a second job and players that DON'T. Also how gambling affects the whole issue also.
 
How do the pro's support themselves


I didn't know that the game was that physical. Do they really need to wear a jock strap?:D
 
They're all fishermen on the side. They look for a big fish to fry and then eat well for a week off of their catch.
 
I know of one pro that gets a $5000/month stipend from a backer to play pool full time. That is a pretty good living as long as it's not gambled away.
 
ABall said:
I know of one pro that gets a $5000/month stipend from a backer to play pool full time. That is a pretty good living as long as it's not gambled away.
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that's no "living"
 
Johnnyt said:
I know the Miz was a school teacher until 1998. Johnnyt
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Mizerak began playing pool under the guidance of his father, who for many years had been the New Jersey State Champion. At the age of 13, he won the Perth Amboy City Championship and turned professional. The next year, he was refused entry into that event. They said he was too good.

The 1960s saw the demise of the so-called "world pool tournaments," and as they diminished, the era of the Johnston City Hustlers tournaments were growing. By this point in his life, Mizerak decided it would not be possible to earn a living playing and went on to attend college.

And the rest, as they say, is history! :p

JAM
 
ABall said:
I'm not sure why you say this????:confused:
He get's it tax free, which is the equivalent of $85,000 a year. That's a pretty good salary to live on.
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right!, and it also depends on where you live...

Gerry
 
JimS said:
They play online poker! I thought everybody knew.
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That is so true. I have seen quite a few pool players online when Keith is playing poker. They chat with each other on the live chat windows during the games/tournaments. :D

Keith was chatting with "The Russian" and Nick van den Berg while playing poker recently, while they were in their home countries.

The online poker is a comfortable fit for pool players who enjoy games of stake. You don't have to travel hundreds of miles to get to a tournament or pay for hotel/travel expenses. And best of all, if you get knocked out, you don't have to incur the expenses to compete in another event. There's a plethora of tournaments right there at your fingertips.

JAM
 
bruin70 said:
that's no "living"
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Listen to what Steve Mizerak had to say in May 1981 about how he got selected for the Miller commercial for which he is fondly remembered:

When I was picked, they said we're all going to go over one morning and read the script at McCann-Erickson and shoot pool. I never got a script until I got there. Everyone else got a script beforehand, but me.

Now I got there, and I was the last. I don't know whether I was last on purpose or what, but the other three guys already had done their takes...one guy had 15, one had 21, and the other had 31...I took over 50 takes...I was in there 3-1/2 hours. Because I had so many takes, I figured I would never make it, but I got it!

The four pool players who read for the parts that Mizerak is referring to were, of course, Mizerak, and Ray Martin, Peter Margo, and Allen Hopkins. Just another interesting little American pool factoid! :p

JAM
 
Here's what "Machine Gun Lou" Butera said about the state of pool in America: You've got five companies doing over $10 million a year in this game. Yet, the amount they spend on the promotion of the game is peanuts, ridiculous. Now, if those companies can't put a quarter of a million of that into the promotion of the game, something is very wrong. There should be a Brunswick Open, an Ebonite Open, a Fisher Open, a National Open, just to name a few...all the big manufacturers should be promoting the game through tournaments.

This statement was made over 25 years ago. Players were struggling then, too. Those who were successful took their show on the road like Lou, Steve Mizerak, Willie Mosconi, and Minnesota Fats. I don't think any of them got rich from competing in pool tournaments.

JAM
 
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