Professional level according to Fargo

The number for years was 720 and above.

Although i see a lot of guys between 680-720 play pro speed. They just have terrible consistency.

Saw a 685 beat Efren a few years back…Big table 9 ball for money.

FargoRate is amazing but there is something to be said for matchup styles. I know a couple guys 25 points above me that can’t beat me. And a couple guys 25 points below me that I can’t seem to beat. It’s weird sometimes. But it’s more like a batting average.
 
Very true. I know the question has been done to death, i am just curious.
Disclaimer, I am nowhere near pro level by anyone’s standards, closer to donkey level.

If it's done to death, you can easily find all the other discussions about it. Probably the most common "pro" skill level pick is 750 Fargo, maybe 730.
 
The number for years was 720 and above.

Although i see a lot of guys between 680-720 play pro speed. They just have terrible consistency.

Saw a 685 beat Efren a few years back…Big table 9 ball for money.

FargoRate is amazing but there is something to be said for matchup styles. I know a couple guys 25 points above me that can’t beat me. And a couple guys 25 points below me that I can’t seem to beat. It’s weird sometimes. But it’s more like a batting average.

That is about right, for all ranks. According to the Fargo data, a player can play +- 50 points at any given match or day, so a 700 can have a burst of 750 type play, or 650. That is what makes them a 700 LOL It's not going to be very likely that a 700 only ever plays as a 690, 700 or 710 without going outside that narrow range. I do think that the better the player is, the smaller their skill swings get, with the biggest range up or down being the 400-600 levels. The lower levels rarely would play much higher or much lower, they just don't have the position and ball pocketing skills to play too well even by accident, and won't really play horribly due to having some skills. The higher levels are getting too good at being consistent match after match, so their ups and downs are tighter. It's the average players that would swing up and down the most.
 
In my neck of the woods (Canada) I'd consider a 720+ a pro player (ability) around here. Around the world its 760+ for sure. I'm strictly going off of ability what I'd consider a pro Fargo.
 
That is about right, for all ranks. According to the Fargo data, a player can play +- 50 points at any given match or day, so a 700 can have a burst of 750 type play, or 650. That is what makes them a 700 LOL It's not going to be very likely that a 700 only ever plays as a 690, 700 or 710 without going outside that narrow range. I do think that the better the player is, the smaller their skill swings get, with the biggest range up or down being the 400-600 levels. The lower levels rarely would play much higher or much lower, they just don't have the position and ball pocketing skills to play too well even by accident, and won't really play horribly due to having some skills. The higher levels are getting too good at being consistent match after match, so their ups and downs are tighter. It's the average players that would swing up and down the most.
I agree about the range being narrower the better a player is. When looking at Fargo numbers, we need to always remember we aren't looking at the players "skill level". We're looking at their win percentage versus their opponents. It would be easy for a 750 player to run into a couple of hot hands in a single tournament and their "tournament performance rating" would be like 400 fargo, while their opponents would be 900 :D. I know it would balance out over the long run.
 
In my neck of the woods (Canada) I'd consider a 720+ a pro player (ability) around here. Around the world its 760+ for sure. I'm strictly going off of ability what I'd consider a pro Fargo.
Why does the threshold change based on location...?

Is your thought simply based on depth of the local comparative talent pool...? "There aren't many above 750 so 720 is the number."

Isn't the cool part about fargo is a 720 being a 720 regardless of where they're play...?

...or is this a CFL vs NFL thing...? A CFL player is a pro "in Canada", but general can't hang with pros in the USA.
 
I always laughed at those locals who claimed they "played pool for a living". I saw how some of them lived and got by...BARELY!
I used to watch a lot of the local money matches and it seemed like they were just passing the money back and forth and around again.

As a result, some of them now are trying to survive on near minimum social security. A number of them are dead from drugs, lung cancer from smoking, alcoholism, etc and only made it to about 73 y.o. max. some didn't even come close to that.
 
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Why does the threshold change based on location...?

Is your thought simply based on depth of the local comparative talent pool...? "There aren't many above 750 so 720 is the number."

Isn't the cool part about fargo is a 720 being a 720 regardless of where they're play...?

...or is this a CFL vs NFL thing...? A CFL player is a pro "in Canada", but general can't hang with pros in the USA.

it must be relative to something. tyler styer is around 750 fargo and full time "pro" while a 750 player in europe is often a part time player. maybe has the occasional eurotour quarter final run, but no mosconi cup future, and probably worse sponsorship deal than tyler has.
 
Pro speed? 730+, 750+, 760+, take your pick.

Pro? Not determined by Fargo. If someone matches up well, is great at giving/getting weight, and can pick his spots, then a person can gamble and make money at the sport even with a very pedestrian Fargo. Maybe you'd call that person a professional gambler rather than a professional pool player, but it is possible. It's just not a very glamorous lifestyle--the phrase "a hard way to make an easy living" comes to mind.
 
If Pool isnt a sport what is it?
Why does the threshold change based on location...?

Is your thought simply based on depth of the local comparative talent pool...? "There aren't many above 750 so 720 is the number."

Isn't the cool part about fargo is a 720 being a 720 regardless of where they're play...?

...or is this a CFL vs NFL thing...? A CFL player is a pro "in Canada", but general can't hang with pros in the USA.
The Fargo Rate also depends on Robustness right? So if you have a high robustness your right should be pretty accurate.
 
If Pool isnt a sport what is it?
It entirely depends on just how you define the term "sport".
A lot of activities are only loosely defined as a sport. Mostly to try to raise them above just being a game and be a bigger deal than they really are.
 
Anyone can try their hand in most pro events. But pros are not allowed to play in amateur events. So I think of it backwards. Not when are you a pro but rather when aren’t you an amateur anymore. The WPBA illustrates this better than anything. I don’t care if Mary Avina calls herself a pro and claims to have mastered 8-ball. She’s still welcome in any amateur tournament that wouldn’t allow Kelly Fisher to play.
 
Pro should be anyone who makes a majority of their income from the sport through sponsorship or winnings.

If someone also can break and run probably 5% of racks, they are getting close...

Even on golf there are "house" pro's as well. Pro should not have to travel and play tournaments.

I have seen Fargo 713 in APA league. Rumor was if he went to 715 they considered him pro.

There are APA players with over 3,000 lifetime matches and 98% lifetime win rates. How are they not pro?

Anyways, this will be an endless debate with no perfect solution.
 
Consider that a player could earn their revenue from sponsorship rather than results from competition. So you can be a "professional" by definition and be a terrible player.

My new goal in life is now to be that terrible player who gets that coveted sponsorship. I can see it on SVB’s Facebook page now “Welcome to the Cuetec Team!…some APA 5 out of Louisiana????”
 
If Pool isnt a sport what is it?

The Fargo Rate also depends on Robustness right? So if you have a high robustness your right should be pretty accurate.
It's a game, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's a very fun and challenging game.
 
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