With the payouts in pool today being the same as they were in the '70s and '80s, yet the cost of living has quadrupled, it is why playing pool professionally is not a lifestyle that affords a "decent kind of living." :frown:
I mean, sure, you can eat at McDonald's, share hotel rooms and sleep on the floor, and do other things to make it work economically, but who wants to live like that? Well, some pool players who are passionate about playing pool are willing to give up a roof over their head, the possibility of a loving family, medical/retirement benefits, et cetera, to do what they love most. God bless 'em. :smile:
I'm sure most know this, but I need to emphasize the fact that when you read about pool winnings on the Internet, how much a player cashed, it may be misterpreted to look like they pocketed a big chunk of change. When you add in expenses, entry fees, split purses with backers, savers, and let's not forget taxes, $100,000 could be pared down to about $35,000.
$35,000 is not a "decent kind of living" when you have to depend on coming in first, second, or third place to break even for expenses at most pool events.
The pool player who is high on the todem pole today is everybody's hero. Twenty years from now, if they can't win as they once did, they are discarded as yesterday's trash in the American pool culture. There is no respect for pro pool players or pool champions in this country.