Pro Players Overhead

Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
To me, traveling and playing and working and such for a good 20 yrs, he's a perspective.
This game still hasn't gotten to where I hope it get$.

Players traveling costs in the 70's-90's were realistic.

Travel with two and get a nice hotel for $40 each per night or less.
Meals, you could easily fill up under $10.
Now, motels 6's are worn out, some only give you toilet paper and no soap/shampoo, and want $60-$70 a night (not all of em).
Hotel costs have easily doubled, and in pro events (US Open) you have to stay here if your playing, and $250 a night is ''tough action'' before taxes.
Food costs have done the same.
Everything is at least double in price.

Pool now has that similar feel, cost vs time spent.
Only thing now that's allot better is the good players have sponsors, that help$ allot.

Hope the world bodies get on ship, and don't all want to be on the starboard side.... because it will always ''turn turtle''.

bm
 
Island Drive said:
To me, traveling and playing and working and such for a good 20 yrs, he's a perspective.
This game still hasn't gotten to where I hope it get$.

Players traveling costs in the 70's-90's were realistic.

Travel with two and get a nice hotel for $40 each per night or less.
Meals, you could easily fill up under $10.
Now, motels 6's are worn out, some only give you toilet paper and no soap/shampoo, and want $60-$70 a night (not all of em).
Hotel costs have easily doubled, and in pro events (US Open) you have to stay here if your playing, and $250 a night is ''tough action'' before taxes.
Food costs have done the same.
Everything is at least double in price.

Pool now has that similar feel, cost vs time spent.
Only thing now that's allot better is the good players have sponsors, that help$ allot.

Hope the world bodies get on ship, and don't all want to be on the starboard side.... because it will always ''turn turtle''.

bm
Click to expand...
That's why it would be nice for Diamond to build a large facility near their home to host tournaments all year long without the set up and tear down costs.

Players could move to the area and sleep in their own bed every night and have no travel costs.
 
jasonlaus said:
That's why it would be nice for Diamond to build a large facility near their home to host tournaments all year long without the set up and tear down costs.

Players could move to the area and sleep in their own bed every night and have no travel costs.
Click to expand...
Bonus Ball did that in Vegas. Didn’t work out. 😕
 
Don't want to say it's a beating a dead horse issue, but close.

I think you're talking about creating more advanced and Pro Players?
Keep in mind the value of the Dollar since 1970. Politics has ruined the dollar.

$40 in 1970 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $325.37 today.

Do your own research. Mine might be wrong.
 
Even if pool continues to grow as it has in our recent past, tournament pool is unlikely to ever provide a really comfortable living for all but the Top 50 players in the world, which right now means Fargo 803 or better.

Many players help make ends meet through instruction, and in some cases, by having a business interest in a pool-related business.

The good news is that really good sponsorship deals are far more available today than way back when, so the most worthy are well-positioned to live very comfortably.

Still, the premise of this thread is correct. The participation costs are high enough that they can be tough to fade even for the Fargo 770 player trying to play a full international schedule.
 
Sure, there's been inflation. Things cost more. But prize funds have gone up some too. I think you have to track both of those to figure out whether things are getting better for pro players. Lately, the total annual purse available has improved quite a bit.

In 1986, the 10th player on the money list won a total of $10,138,

In 2024, the 10th player won $124,000.

That's a ratio of 12:1 more or less, and in the same time inflation has been about 3:1, so in some sense pro players are four times better off than they were 40 years ago.
 
True Bob, I just Don't see even 50 players in the states making enough to pay all expenses. World wide ok players yep.... but not here.
 
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Bob Jewett said:
Sure, there's been inflation. Things cost more. But prize funds have gone up some too. I think you have to track both of those to figure out whether things are getting better for pro players. Lately, the total annual purse available has improved quite a bit.

In 1986, the 10th player on the money list won a total of $10,138,

In 2024, the 10th player won $124,000.

That's a ratio of 12:1 more or less, and in the same time inflation has been about 3:1, so in some sense pro players are four times better off than they were 40 years ago.
Click to expand...

plus sponsorship..
 
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