How?

[Zigen]

Hey everybody, im just wondering how you join some of these tours and become a pro. I absolutely love the game of pool and i have many ppl tell me that if i stick with it i have the oppurtunity of going pro someday. I am only 19 at the moment and dont have much time to search this stuff on my own because of work and school. Any help/info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Hey everybody, im just wondering how you join some of these tours and become a pro. I absolutely love the game of pool and i have many ppl tell me that if i stick with it i have the oppurtunity of going pro someday. I am only 19 at the moment and dont have much time to search this stuff on my own because of work and school. Any help/info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Stay in school. Seriously, there really is no living to be made as a professional pool player. With the exception of only a handful of individuals in the entire world, most players are amateur and a lot of them play jam up. I would suggest checking out www.bca-pool.com for information regarding tournaments & leagues. Keep your grades up (I ain't kiddin'). Once you get proper perspective on how difficult pool can be and the money involved, the concept of "going pro" will just seem ridiculous. It is a great hobby and you'll have a ton of fun competing but only if you do so as a competitor with a day job.


Jude M. Rosenstock

 

[vapoolplayer]

Stay in school. Seriously, there really is no living to be made as a professional pool player. With the exception of only a handful of individuals in the entire world, most players are amateur and a lot of them play jam up. I would suggest checking out www.bca-pool.com for information regarding tournaments & leagues. Keep your grades up (I ain't kiddin'). Once you get proper perspective on how difficult pool can be and the money involved, the concept of "going pro" will just seem ridiculous. It is a great hobby and you'll have a ton of fun competing but only if you do so as a competitor with a day job.


Jude M. Rosenstock

great advice. (this makes me a little bit of a hipocrite, since i should be going back to school. instead i spend 30-50 hours a week playing pool) especially since right now there is no men's "pro tour". you have the upa just basically getting started so they only have a handful of stops each year. and you only get paid if you WIN. which with todays 9 ball rules.........just look at how many people make a decent earnings just by playing.

if you want a career in pool, then i would suggest adding something else besides just playing. open a pool room, give lessons, stuff like that. most players that are "pro" don't make their living off the "pro tour" its off the other things (gambling, lessons, marketing, house pro). but since you say you're 19 and that people tell you that "you could go pro" i'm assuming you're like alot of us and still have a ways to go. so make yourself worth as much as possible outside the pool world (college, or some kind of education that will give you a good job) and continue to practice. if you do get good enough, maybe by that time there will be money to be made by being a pro. if not, you'll still be able to take care of yourself and still be able to play the game for fun and additional income.

(and if you're anything like me, you're not going to listen anything anyone else has to say: so i'll just say this.........don't go buying ANYTHING.
buy a cheap pos car that will get you from point a to point b. car insurance and a cell phone would be the only payments i would accumulate if i were you. live at home as long as you can. find a job that has weekends off, as you want to be able to play in the regional tours that are on the weekends.

and finally, find someone to teach you. you'll want to gamble, but you also need to spend some of your money on instruction.

the saying "time is money" holds true. the instruction will save you time and money(by not having to get your ass handed to you for years before you learn anything)


thanks

 

[drivermaker]

Stay in school. Seriously, there really is no living to be made as a professional pool player. With the exception of only a handful of individuals in the entire world, most players are amateur and a lot of them play jam up. I would suggest checking out www.bca-pool.com for information regarding tournaments & leagues. Keep your grades up (I ain't kiddin'). Once you get proper perspective on how difficult pool can be and the money involved, the concept of "going pro" will just seem ridiculous. It is a great hobby and you'll have a ton of fun competing but only if you do so as a competitor with a day job.


Jude M. Rosenstock

You gave the best advice that could possibly be given and you beat me to the punch. But what I want to know is...how can you get away with telling that to a 19 year old and be applauded, and I get my nuts cut off by the same whacko's reading this when I tell a 12 YEAR OLD to do likewise and not to come on this forum because of age restrictions that are set in the written rules?

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

not sure here, but its my understanding if you have the entry fee and a cue you can play in professional tournaments.

Barry Behrman (U.S. Open promoter) told me on the phone a couple of years ago that "if i had the $500 entry fee, he would find me a cue."

if your this good (now or in the future) save up some $$$ and give it a try. but i recommend what the other posters have said, absolutely. but playing in a pro tournament once should give you a good idea of how difficult it is.

best of luck!
DCP

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

You gave the best advice that could possibly be given and you beat me to the punch. But what I want to know is...how can you get away with telling that to a 19 year old and be applauded, and I get my nuts cut off by the same whacko's reading this when I tell a 12 YEAR OLD to do likewise and not to come on this forum because of age restrictions that are set in the written rules?

LOL, a 12-year-old was on this site? Dude, I don't know what to tell you! No children should be on this site whatsoever.

Even if this kid were a baseball player, I'd tell him to keep his grades up and the lowest paid major leaguer gets more than the highest paid pool player. The game is beautiful and I would never tell anyone to not play. Just to keep it in proper perspective.


Jude M. Rosenstock

 

[vapoolplayer]

You gave the best advice that could possibly be given and you beat me to the punch. But what I want to know is...how can you get away with telling that to a 19 year old and be applauded, and I get my nuts cut off by the same whacko's reading this when I tell a 12 YEAR OLD to do likewise and not to come on this forum because of age restrictions that are set in the written rules?

well duuuuuuuh, its ok to let a 12 year old screw up his life.......i'm surprised you didn't know that...........

 

[Zigen]

Thanks for the info. I do plan on staying in school. I graduate in a few months with a certificate then i plan on going back for assoc. and then bach. degrees. I still live at home and i have my truck already paid off (student loan) all i have to pay is 170 a month for cell and insurance (parents pay most of my ins) I was looking at the florida mens tour because i could still work a day job through the week. I also already gamble but nobody at the local bars will play me anymore i have been playing since i could see over the table and my dad has taught me everything he nows (20+ years). Now i am teaching him some stuff lol

well thanks again for the info

 

[drivermaker]

LOL, a 12-year-old was on this site? No children should be on this site whatsoever.
Jude M. Rosenstock

In answer to your question....YEP and YEP!! What's even worse is you can't even imagine what a flame war THAT produced. Maybe the next time it comes up I'll at least have one more person on my side.

 

[vapoolplayer]

LOL, a 12-year-old was on this site? Dude, I don't know what to tell you! No children should be on this site whatsoever.

Even if this kid were a baseball player, I'd tell him to keep his grades up and the lowest paid major leaguer gets more than the highest paid pool player. The game is beautiful and I would never tell anyone to not play. Just to keep it in proper perspective.


Jude M. Rosenstock

if i remember correctly he was using the school computer to access the site

 

[chefjeff]

You gave the best advice that could possibly be given and you beat me to the punch. But what I want to know is...how can you get away with telling that to a 19 year old and be applauded, and I get my nuts cut off by the same whacko's reading this when I tell a 12 YEAR OLD to do likewise and not to come on this forum because of age restrictions that are set in the written rules?

Cuz we love pickin' on you, Driver.

Jeff Livingston

 

[chefjeff]

This thread ask: "How?"

That's all well and good, but the first question any player had better ask of himself is, "Why?" Why shoot this shot at all. Why not go to college and study, for example. Or why not start a business in the pool field? Or why not just get marrried (goodbye pool career) and play in leagues? Or why...?

When the "why" comes first, the "how" will magically appear. That's just the way it works.

Jeff Livingston

 

[drivermaker]

Cuz we love pickin' on you, Driver.

Jeff Livingston

Lucky me.....

 

[DawgAndy]

Hey if you're "just 19"and not knocking off champions you might as well forget about hitting the big time. For every minute you're doing the "right thing " by staying in school some 14 year old is putting racks together at the local room. How old are Gabe and Corey? Pool doesn't have late bloomers. There are plenty of tough regional tours and local tournaments around to keep you busy try these before you spend 125 bucks on a UPA tourney.

Andy

 

[vapoolplayer]

Pool doesn't have late bloomers.
Andy

i beg to differ. one example would be jenn barretta. been playing only five years and i believe she's older than corey or gabe. she's now getting into the t.v. rounds and sooner or later she'll be winning tourneys.

thanks

 

[vapoolplayer]

Hey if you're "just 19"and not knocking off champions you might as well forget about hitting the big time. Andy

and i don't believe gabe was knocking off champions at 19 either.........

 

[breakup]

You gave the best advice that could possibly be given and you beat me to the punch. But what I want to know is...how can you get away with telling that to a 19 year old and be applauded, and I get my nuts cut off by the same whacko's reading this when I tell a 12 YEAR OLD to do likewise and not to come on this forum because of age restrictions that are set in the written rules?

I for one think you deserve to get your nuts back

 

[sideshotscott]

go for it

Thanks for the info. I do plan on staying in school. I graduate in a few months with a certificate then i plan on going back for assoc. and then bach. degrees. I still live at home and i have my truck already paid off (student loan) all i have to pay is 170 a month for cell and insurance (parents pay most of my ins) I was looking at the florida mens tour because i could still work a day job through the week. I also already gamble but nobody at the local bars will play me anymore i have been playing since i could see over the table and my dad has taught me everything he nows (20+ years). Now i am teaching him some stuff lol

well thanks again for the info

take a chance, your young, if you dont you will always wonder.what if?? but do it right, wait till summer vacation, save some money, go on the road and when the moneys gone, go home.do you plan on having a family?? my dad was a road player when I was a kid I spent a many a night wondering were he was and was he ever comming home, when I got older all I wanted to do was to be like him, and play on the road, I left when I was 17 to play and made a living. motels when I could afford them mostly slept in my car, $10,000.00 in your pocket one day, broke the next,15 years later and a 3 yr. old kid I had only seen 6 or 8 times, I came home to stay. people tell you your good enough to turn pro? who are these people? I can still break and run out 7 out of 10 games of 9 ball, avg. 65 ball runs in straight pool, and Ill play any local player 100.00 a rack in 8 ball,. and I keep my butt at home because I know whats out there. I think you should try it, just dont stay too long, the longer you stay the harder it is to go home. Pool is a great game play it, love it, and respect it.. good luck my friend.......Scott