Pool is becoming a rich man's sport

[maha]

pool is one of the cheapest hobbies that require equipment and some travel.
all middle class people can easily afford it and most poorer than that.

250 dollars cue and case.
one dollar for sandpaper for tip care
3 dollars for a glove
free chalk.
a job to pay for pool time or hotels.
economy car to travel.
254 dollars pool equipment. 3000 dollars for a car.
off you go.

oh, if you are capable to make a winning game you can always find people to play for table time. so that then is free.

 

[shooter_Hans]

pool is one of the cheapest hobbies that require equipment and some travel.
all middle class people can easily afford it and most poorer than that.

250 dollars cue and case.
one dollar for sandpaper for tip care
3 dollars for a glove
free chalk.
a job to pay for pool time or hotels.
economy car to travel.
254 dollars pool equipment. 3000 dollars for a car.
off you go.

oh, if you are capable to make a winning game you can always find people to play for table time. so that then is free.

What you described is for the poor people. We’re not talking about hustling for pool time.

We’re talking about sanctioned events.

 

[Justaneng]

Whether or not pool is expensive depends on what else you would be doing with your time. Sitting at a bar chugging the newest local IPA every 30 minutes quickly becomes more expensive than nursing 3 Miller Lite’s in 5 hours playing pool.

 

[justnum]

If your being priced out of playing pool, then you can join me at BIRPA and starting finding ways to improve billiards.

Billiards tables are not well suited for lots of people, thats how the group organizes.

 

[3kushn]

Pool is becoming a rich man's sport.The only people on the mosconi cup seem to have a lot of money and travel alot.The days of playing and travel cheap are over most pro players aren't traveling lack of money .Only the rich seem to be able to travel on the derby city classic the rich with fancy cues playing.The good players aren't traveling because of the lack of money. let's talk

Pretty ridiculous attitude.
The top players are sponsored - meaning they get financial help to some degree.

The end of the Road Player came with the advent of Cell Phones and Internet.
There's little chance for a top player to travel incognito from town to town like in the 70's and earlier.

IMO the only way for a top player to play the road game is to seek out their contemporaries.
In other words, travel to where another top player lives and lock horns. Rather than work the room till you meet the top player.

Shane can't walk into any room in the country and expect to work that room like the old days. We all know who he is when he crosses the threshold.

I suppose there's someone or ones that will try to run the country and never play a tournament for fear of getting known, but with phones, cameras and internet, they're gonna have to travel long distances between gigs, and even so, it won't last long.

 

[justnum]

Pretty ridiculous attitude.
The top players are sponsored - meaning they get financial help to some degree.

The end of the Road Player came with the advent of Cell Phones and Internet.
There's little chance for a top player to travel incognito from town to town like in the 70's and earlier.

IMO the only way for a top player to play the road game is to seek out their contemporaries.
In other words, travel to where another top player lives and lock horns. Rather than work the room till you meet the top player.

Shane can't walk into any room in the country and expect to work that room like the old days. We all know who he is when he crosses the threshold.

I suppose there's someone or ones that will try to run the country and never play a tournament for fear of getting known, but with phones, cameras and internet, they're gonna have to travel long distances between gigs, and even so, it won't last long.

Not true several pros have been spotted in body suits and disguises.

Emily Duddy is one of them.

 

[MitchAlsup]

$350 cuetec case
$800 cue cuetec/predator/mezz any one of these
$400 shaft
$400 break cue
$200 jump cue
$200 misc/tip shaper/tip tool/glove/ extra tip
$100 chalk , you need a few of those in the bag and TAOM is the go-to
$30 claw to hold your cue
$5 towel

$70 J&J case (2008)
$400 8RWSP with Z2 shaft (on sale 2010)
$80 break cue (came with my table 2008)
$75 Lucasi jump cue (2008)
$0.25 4" square of 80 Grit.
$0.25 2 cubes of Masters
$10 claw
$636 traveling kit.

 

[Island Drive]

Most high end bar tables are 75 cents a game.

 

[brunswick1901]

In the 1990s I was a B player and I had a very good job. When I heard about a room in the South that had a lot of action I decided to fly down to find out if the stories were true.

The stories were true and more amazingly the room was full of players who looked like they played about my speed. I didn't play on that first trip but when I left I knew I would start practicing and flying back on long weekends.

The air fare, motel, rental car and food cost me about $500 each trip and four out of five times I made a small profit and lost a little on the fifth trip.

I am sure a trip like mine in the 1990s would now cost $200 to $300 a day.

 

[dnschmidt]

I certainly hope this is right. Then, maybe the game will go somewhere. The fact is that poor people mean nothing to corporate America other hhan a source of cheap labor. Look at the sponsors of The Masters Tournament. Cadillac, Mercedes Benz, high end shit the commoner will never be able to afford. Rich people have the resources to get shit done. Poor people barely survive.

 

[bpeacock]

Pool has a very low cost of entry,there is no doubt about it, but if you want to be really good then you will spend thousands of hours on the table. How do you pay the bills? As with any sport, if you come from wealth you can afford to practice while the rest of us are working.

 

[Pool artist]

$70 J&J case (2008)
$400 8RWSP with Z2 shaft (on sale 2010)
$80 break cue (came with my table 2008)
$75 Lucasi jump cue (2008)
$0.25 4" square of 80 Grit.
$0.25 2 cubes of Masters
$10 claw
$636 traveling kit.

For real bro I just got my old rempe meucci and z3 predator shaft and acme case from pawn shop total cost .200 bucks

 

[Pool artist]

Pool has a very low cost of entry,there is no doubt about it, but if you want to be really good then you will spend thousands of hours on the table. How do you pay the bills? As with any sport, if you come from wealth you can afford to practice while the rest of us are working.

Agreed bud.

 

[Pool artist]

I certainly hope this is right. Then, maybe the game will go somewhere. The fact is that poor people mean nothing to corporate America other hhan a source of cheap labor. Look at the sponsors of The Masters Tournament. Cadillac, Mercedes Benz, high end shit the commoner will never be able to afford. Rich people have the resources to get shit done. Poor people barely survive.

Well said bro

 

[Pool artist]

Most high end bar tables are 75 cents a game.

8:00 to 9 a hour in Kansas

 

[bpeacock]

8:00 to 9 a hour in Kansas

$1.50 a rack where I play in Mississippi. Adds up fast...

 

[maha]

i hardly ever just practiced except when i first started some. i played people for time and a couple bucks. and worked my way up from there.
over time my game got much better as everytime i played i was under pressure to win without giving reason to believe i was much better than my opponent.
that was many years back. but still i make more each year than the time and expenses involved in pool. that's for sure.

 

[maha]

if you are a grownup and spending 30 bucks on pool time affects you then you need to find a way to increase your earnings in life.

and if you add in drinks and food, you do that anyway and has no bearing on pool costs.

 

[maha]

covid caused the inflation as the govt. threw billions at it and the economy. the federal reserve by raising rates tamed it over time, as it takes time to be effective.
prices will not go down as inflation cools. the rate prices go up slows down.
and as a consumer you can choose how you spend your money to negate much of the inflation effect on you as your income should increase closely to the rate.

 

[Bob Jewett]

For my first many years, practice was free, mostly. First my friend got a table that I used more than he did. Second, I got a job at the pool room in the rec center. Then the tables were always free in the day rooms in the military. Later, I usually played the manager of the local pool room and he didn't charge me time.

Now, there are several rooms in my area that have monthly memberships. For $50/month I can play from 3-7 six days a week on 9-foot Gold Crowns. On Sunday it is $2/hour.