THE Reader Demographics of AzBilliards

Select one:

  • Pool Room Owner

    Votes: 2 0.8%

  • Industry Member

    Votes: 17 7.2%

  • Social Shooter

    Votes: 29 12.2%

  • Amateur Player (leagues, weekly tournament participant, regional tour member, et cetera)

    Votes: 141 59.5%

  • Professional pool player

    Votes: 8 3.4%

  • Pool Enthusiast (railbirds, sweaters, et cetera)

    Votes: 12 5.1%

  • Gambler (side-better, road player, hustler, bookmaker, et cetera)

    Votes: 28 11.8%
  • Total voters
    237
Interesting results from the first 90 responders, the majority of which fall into the Amateur category. It would seem that this would be the group that pool industry members and television broadcast companies would want to target for their products.

I wonder, of 57 responders who selected the Amateur option, how many of them think of pool as a sport and how many of them think of pool as a recreational game, or is there even a difference?

JAM
 
JAM said:
Interesting results from the first 90 responders, the majority of which fall into the Amateur category. It would seem that this would be the group that pool industry members and television broadcast companies would want to target for their products.

I wonder, of 57 responders who selected the Amateur option, how many of them think of pool as a sport and how many of them think of pool as a recreational game, or is there even a difference?

JAM
Click to expand...

You know my view--its a sport! I requires physical coordination, vision, concentration, knowledge, and the ability to successfully access the mind-body continuum under pressure. Someone tell me that this isn't the definition of sport!
 
JAM said:
Interesting results from the first 90 responders, the majority of which fall into the Amateur category. It would seem that this would be the group that pool industry members and television broadcast companies would want to target for their products.

I wonder, of 57 responders who selected the Amateur option, how many of them think of pool as a sport and how many of them think of pool as a recreational game, or is there even a difference?

JAM
Click to expand...
I voted amateur. For me pool is a serious hobby of mine. I would call it a sport as it takes good hand-eye coordination and a strong mental outlook and stamina. Not all sports have to be "physical" to be called a sport. JMO

BVal
 
JAM said:
Interesting results from the first 90 responders, the majority of which fall into the Amateur category. It would seem that this would be the group that pool industry members and television broadcast companies would want to target for their products.

I wonder, of 57 responders who selected the Amateur option, how many of them think of pool as a sport and how many of them think of pool as a recreational game, or is there even a difference?

JAM
Click to expand...

Speaking as one of the amateurs, I vote it's a sport....recreational games are monopoly and scrabble imho.....pool requires stamina, physicals gifts, coordination.....as well as incredible mental toughness and nerves....

I play golf, basketball, tennis, football, all that stuff.....imho, pool definitely qualifies....
 
Sport

I chose amatuer and I feel it is a sport. Any thing you can do while drinking a beer is a sport! Golf, softball, pool, etc, etc. That was EASY!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
It's absolutely a sport, especially when played at the higher levels. I think the better you become, the less of a game and more of a sport Pool becomes. Anybody that doesn't think that never checked to see how much walking was done during a day's worth of tournament play. You better have good wheels!

Great poll Jam! Best to you!

Brian in Va
 
Demographics - Social Shooter

I guess since I am not a pro, semi-pro, not a gambler, not playing in tournaments, on and on - that leaves social shooter.

Does that make me lower on the food chain, somewhere just above a slug?

I'm not socially shooting just to met people, drink, mingle, and socialize.
I am playing, practicing mostly by myself, just to try and improve my game.

Last night - as an example - there was a weekly 8-ball tournament in the local big chain pool hall. Many could not understand why someone practicing straight pool on a 9-footer and potting balls would not want to play 8-ball on the 8-footers with some good and not so good players. Many said I was good enough to enter. Not that I am Johhny Archer - but Duh. I have played in plenty of tournament in the past, but just do not feel the need to on a regular basis. I do not mind helping out the sport and teaching, but let the younger guys getting started win some games and enjoy these tournaments more than losing to me. I just do not see the upside for me.

How about "anti-social" shooter?
 
robertno1pool said:
I guess since I am not a pro, semi-pro, not a gambler, not playing in tournaments, on and on - that leaves social shooter.

Does that make me lower on the food chain, somewhere just above a slug?
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. When I was a social shooter is when I had the most fun playing pool. :)

It wasn't at tournaments or leagues, though I've done that, too.

Playing at my neighborhood watering hole as a social shooter, if you will, I truly looked forward to meeting up with my pool friends on a regular basis; in my case, nightly. What can I say! I drank beer back in them days! :o

I must say I enjoyed beating some of my friends for a buck or a brewskie. It wasn't the free beer or money, though. When I was hitting 'em good, my spirit definitely soared, and it was a natural high. That's when pool was fun for me.

JAM
 
Brian in VA said:
...I think the better you become, the less of a game and more of a sport Pool becomes....
Click to expand...

Man, that little quote really hits the nail on the head! :)

Brian in VA said:
Great poll Jam! Best to you!
Click to expand...

Best to you and yours, Brian. Hope I can get out of Dodge City next month and enjoy a bowl of chili at The Playing Field! :D

JAM
 
Guess I fall as an Industry Member with no voting rights except within our Confederation (CPB).

Confederacion Panamericana de Billar (Panamerican Billiards Confederation)
 
JAM said:
Best to you and yours, Brian. Hope I can get out of Dodge City next month and enjoy a bowl of chili at The Playing Field! :D

JAM
Click to expand...
The first bowl is on me JAM! So is Keith's first adult beverage. :cool: We'd love to see you both!

Brian in VA
 
JAM said:
Interesting results from the first 90 responders, the majority of which fall into the Amateur category. It would seem that this would be the group that pool industry members and television broadcast companies would want to target for their products.

I wonder, of 57 responders who selected the Amateur option, how many of them think of pool as a sport and how many of them think of pool as a recreational game, or is there even a difference?

JAM
Click to expand...

To me it's a sport, for all the reasons others have mentioned & more. I love the competition during a game, mind against mind, ability against ability. I was in a lot of pain during our league game last night & was struggling to walk but there was no way I'd sit out & let someone sub for me. It was an important match & I ended up unbeaten for the 3rd week in a row. If it were just a game I don't think I'd be so serious & determined about it.
 
I am in the minority in the Pool Enthusiast/Railbird option. Whoever said pool ain't a spectator sport must be right.

The Amateur players on AzBilliards are pool-smart and pool-educated. If I went to the league night over in Laurel, Maryland, and showed 20 people a picture of Efren Reyes or Earl Strickland, I would be surprised if any of them would know who the picture was of. I remember a couple of league players one night coming over to ask what game was Keith playing, as they hadn't seen it before. The game was one-pocket. :D

We here in the States at least have multiple regional tours for pool players to keep in stroke, and I would venture to guess that we have more regional tours here than elsewhere in the world. The regional tours I have attended, some of those players, who may not consider themselves "pro," can, and do, beat a pro pool player on any given day. They're strong, at least they are in my neck of the woods. :p

With all of the leagues we have in the States -- I can't remember the alphabet soup acronyms of them -- and regional tours available, there are tens of thousands of pool players who compete in these. Yet and still, pool as a sport hasn't seem to have risen to a level where it is accepted by mainstream America. The TV coverage is not what it is in other countries.

This group of pool players, especially the leagues, is where the masses are in pool in America. The pool room owners are definitely in the minority, but they're the ones who usually post up the monies and host events in their rooms. I wonder if there is a new strategy today that could elevate pool in the States that hasn't been tried before.

JAM
 
JAM said:
Several years back, there was a voluntary survey thread which provided a brief bio of the AzBilliards Discussion Forum members who elected to respond.

I am interested in learning about the demographics of the readers/members of AzBilliards. Considering there's several thousand-plus registered members here, I realize this poll is not all-inclusive, but it may be at least somewhat representative of the "regulars," so to speak.

For the lurkers, this is a blind poll, and so you can select an option, and your lurking status will remain intact! ;)

I'm sure I will leave out a category. I will try to be inclusive. Some of you may feel that your pool involvement may be more than one of the selections, but just check the one that describes you most, and that'll do just fine. :p

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this thread, and if you take the time to be participate, thank you for being a part of this voluntary poll. :)

Hope the poll comes out this time around! :o

JAM
Click to expand...

Interesting thread, JAM,

Like some of the other posters, I gamble, play fairly seriously, but don't consider myself a gambler or an amateur as in league player. Serious student of the game is more like what I consider myself. :-)
joeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Interesting thread, JAM,

Like some of the other posters, I gamble, play fairly seriously, but don't consider myself a gambler or an amateur as in league player. Serious student of the game is more like what I consider myself. :-)
joeyA
Click to expand...

I have touched on all of the options in a small way at one time or another in my life. I didn't own a pool room, but I worked grave-yard shift for quite a few years in an action pool room in Maryland. Night time, right about midnight, is when things got hopping. Man, that was fun! :D

Industry member, I used to work with an industry member for several years. ;)

Social shooter. I was definitely one of those and enjoyed pool better than I have ever in my life, even today. :)

Amateur player. Was a 6 on the Busch League many moons ago. I think they had me over-rated! :mad:

Pro player. One time and one time only, I competed in the Maryland State Tournament for Women, and did absolutely horrible. :o

Today, I am a professional railbird! LOL

Gambler. Well, I've side-betted, stakehorsed, and been on the road playing pool. :cool:

I guess you could say I have come full circle in my pool life! :D

JAM
 
Maniac said:
Me too! Probably a LOT of others on this forum would feel the same way. I don't aspire to be a pro, but I sure wouldn't mind being able to SHOOT like one ;) !!!

Maniac
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CALL ME AT 484 623 4144

HAL
 
Gamblers

I would love to know the screen names and maybe the real names of everyone who voted in the poll and mared Gamblers.

Wait a minute......................Didn't 147 say that you could click on something and see who voted for what. ......................... I have to go check this one....:p
JoeyA
 
JAM,
Interesting poll. I had to go with Industry Member, since there wasn't an option for professional instructors. I'm sure it was just an oversight. ;-)
sTEVE
 
pooltchr said:
JAM,
Interesting poll. I had to go with Industry Member, since there wasn't an option for professional instructors. I'm sure it was just an oversight. ;-)
sTEVE
Click to expand...

I think that pro instructor would fall in the Industry Member category. So that was an appropriate response to the poll! :)

JAM
 
:) Great poll. Amateur for sure. I think I take this sport a lot more seriously than most of my friends/pool peers but will be stuck in this state to some time.
 
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