Thinking about going Pro

Gerry said:
I'm not a negative person, and go get your dreams, BUT.....I need to be honest here.

IT wasnt too many years ago I had ideas like yours. Hit the road, or tourney trail, live the life in the story books....Thank the universe I invested my time in my plumbing trade.

There may have been a time around WWII that you could be an average player, travel and live, but those days are way gone thanks to the internet era, and not being able to be an unknown or your speed not known.

You MUST be the very best these days, and I don't mean good, I mean Pro speed to walk into pool rooms and win. If you want to scrape around bars for a living? not me, $$$ is tight these days ....people don't step up like 15 years ago. Try to get a game for $20.....like pulling teeth.

Poker?, well, I can't speak to that. I used to deal cards in a "private" game, and the same guys won all the time, and the same guys donate consistently.

I say this....you can be an "ok" electrician, or carpenter, or plumber and make a damn good living.....then go out on the weekend for road trips. It is just as fun, just ask me! :)

BTW....I"m the best plumber in the room! :)


Good luck, G.
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this describes what I like to do, work through out the week and battle it out on the weekends. Weekend warriors unite!
 
Considering that if you are fairly young you will need to be a millionaire + to even consider being able to retire someday, I'd say pro pool is not the answer.

The only sure way I know to become a millionaire playing pool is to start with $3 million and work your way down.
 
Some fairly negative responses:grin:
It seems to me that most replies equate playing pool to a job with good pay...
So if your goal is being rich, pro pool player is a bad decision, but uf you look at it like an adventure and realize that you most probeably must take odd jobs like bartending etc. It might be a cool ride for a few years and most likely you have some great stories for your grandchildren:)

The question is: how good are you? Sure practice makes perfect, but to be a pro you pretty much have to be a natural talent from the get go.
If you can, try playing some of the top pros, if you consustently can hold your own, maybe it can be a great adventure for you.
 
One of the best monster players I've ever known was a truck driver and he beat most players that came through. He could've made a living playing but chose the easier way.
 
JD0GG$ said:
One of the best monster players I've ever known was a truck driver and he beat most players that came through. He could've made a living playing but chose the easier way.
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Interesting first post....what was your previous s/n so I can reply accordingly?
 
keithmonti said:
Hi Guys,
I'm new here don't really post much on forums. Here's my question (s)?

How much can your average pro billiard player expect to make ? Let me explain ... It's either that or Poker for me. I prefer playing Billiards but poker apparently pays more.

I also read this article from Toni Judet, it disillusioned me a bit he chose poker of Billiards http://www.pokerlistings.com/toni-judet-in-poker-and-billiards-you-have-to-wait-for-your-moment-60334

Do you agree with what he said ?

Thanks
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If you have to ask, then neither is the right choice for you! You must be totally dedicated to being successful at either one. In pool the money is smaller but the swings (in your bankroll) are much less as well. You must be a GREAT pool player to make a decent living. You are really choosing a life style more than a vocation. It's an exciting and interesting life, being a pool player. And if you are good enough to compete with the best players it's even more fun. It can be very frustrating though between pay checks. The money (winnings) tend to be small unless you win a major event. That may take you YEARS of dedication though. I seriously doubt you have what it takes for that. Very few people do.

Now in poker, you can win huge amounts of money, but you can also go broke very quickly. And I mean really broke! It's a much more desperate life style and not nearly as much fun. Pool is a far more interesting game to play, no question about that. You need a huge bankroll to play poker, not so much for pool. You can play either one on a regional basis to get your feet wet and see how much you like it.

Either one you chose you must have some serious dedication to succeed. If you're on here asking that tells me you aren't there yet! Good luck. Have fun and enjoy yourself while you're young. Don't let life slip by and you regret later all the things you didn't do. Don't let others discourage you from living your dream, brief though it may be.
 
jay helfert said:
If you have to ask, then neither is the right choice for you! You must be totally dedicated to being successful at either one. In pool the money is smaller but the swings (in your bankroll) are much less as well. You must be a GREAT pool player to make a decent living. You are really choosing a life style more than a vocation. It's an exciting and interesting life, being a pool player. And if you are good enough to compete with the best players it's even more fun. It can be very frustrating though between pay checks. The money (winnings) tend to be small unless you win a major event. That may take you YEARS of dedication though. I seriously doubt you have what it takes for that. Very few people do.

Now in poker, you can win huge amounts of money, but you can also go broke very quickly. And I mean really broke! It's a much more desperate life style and not nearly as much fun. Pool is a far more interesting game to play, no question about that. You need a huge bankroll to play poker, not so much for pool. You can play either one on a regional basis to get your feet wet and see how much you like it.

Either one you chose you must have some serious dedication to succeed. If you're on here asking that tells me you aren't there yet! Good luck. Have fun and enjoy yourself while you're young. Don't let life slip by and you regret later all the things you didn't do. Don't let others discourage you from living your dream, brief though it may be.
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That's great advice. I've seen people blow right through a 200k bankroll in the space of a week. Some world class poker players have lost tens of millions in very short periods too. Poker is mostly played online by many that earn a living from it and that in itself takes a huge amount of dedication. Sitting at a desk with a laptop for 8 hours a day isn't fun, but it pays the bills. People see the televised poker events and want to be there living the dream with all the high rollers. That just doesn't happen. I play in the WSOP Main Event and EPT London every year and those are the only 2 live events I play in each year without fail. They're really fun to take part in and a 10 hour session feels like 10 minutes. Its easy to see the glamourous side to it, when infact, its just you sat at a desk for 8 hours a day for 99% of the time.
 
'Should I be a pro pool player?'

We could name thousands of pool players that play top level pool and have nothing to show for it.

Do the math.
 
You neglected to mention other trained skills you have. Suggest you follow those first. Pool and poker are first and foremost, recreation; and second, very much long-shot, livlihoods.
 
Does not matter which one you pick...do both for that matter.....just don't forget to factor in the third "P".........Two make it....one takes it.

Me personally I chose to be a professional ameature at both....and yes...the third one still takes it.
 
I will take this a step futher...

Anyone who starts a thread like this is not ready for a pro career in either discipline.

Spimp13 said:
In poker would you consider yourself a level 1, level 2, level 3, or level 4 thinker? If you need to ask me what that is poker is not for you.
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Just break into car wash coin machines like some good player/gamblers that are will known on AZ Billiard Forums do. After a while you will have experience and then you can also break into Laundromats and break into their change machines.

That life could be yours! I mean there are plenty of people that will defend your actions, praise you, and you will become famous!

You may even have to resort to selling drugs and become an alchoholic unless you get lucky!

Or just go to school and get a job and do your best to improve your pool skills!!!!

Good luck!

--Jeff
 
I know several players who are pro or pro level I am not going to name all of them except Mike Davis look his last finishes up here on AZ not to shabby however he realized pool has no future unless u want to live in a suitcase with no chance of having any stability he realized that he's still young enough to do something else and has now taken on a job with a future ,, only the very elite can make a good living playing pool
You can still play pool in the side and if you start beating the top tier pros on a regular bases at that time you may reconsider but not till then



1
 
keithmonti said:
Hi Guys,
I'm new here don't really post much on forums. Here's my question (s)?

How much can your average pro billiard player expect to make ? Let me explain ... It's either that or Poker for me. I prefer playing Billiards but poker apparently pays more.

I also read this article from Toni Judet, it disillusioned me a bit he chose poker of Billiards http://www.pokerlistings.com/toni-judet-in-poker-and-billiards-you-have-to-wait-for-your-moment-60334

Do you agree with what he said ?

Thanks
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Welcome to the best pool forums, AZ BILLIARDS!

Now on to your question, if you play pool at a very high level (Busti, SVB, Holhman, efern, earl) then you could probably make a decent amount of money.

There are pool players that play just a little under the best players (Shuff, Morris, Bartram, and many more) and their incomes from the tournaments are not nearly enough to live on.

Dont take this to the heart, but i would guess your speed isnt up to par of the players i just mention, so if they cant make a good living at pool, you would have no chance at doing it either!

So if you cant play SVB even, you would be very hard pressed to make it at pool!
 
"A life lived without risk is a life not worth living" - CJ Wiley

keithmonti said:
Hi Guys,
I'm new here don't really post much on forums. Here's my question (s)?

How much can your average pro billiard player expect to make ? Let me explain ... It's either that or Poker for me. I prefer playing Billiards but poker apparently pays more.

I also read this article from Toni Judet, it disillusioned me a bit he chose poker of Billiards http://www.pokerlistings.com/toni-judet-in-poker-and-billiards-you-have-to-wait-for-your-moment-60334

Do you agree with what he said ?

Thanks
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Take a chance, Columbus did and look what he found. ;) If you don't know what game to pursue them flip a coin or even better ... play both games, there's plenty of time.

"A life lived without risk is a life not worth living" - CJ Wiley
 
three best players in town: i would gladly pay these guy's table time to get to shoot with them.
1 full time player; substance abuse (looking better lately) problems; little viable hope for a successful future if he doesn't eschew drugs.

2 full time player; hard to get a game in town. can grind out a win.

3 hardcore player until games ran out locally; got a full time job. steady income. works regularly, steady income. capable of 5-packs. no fear. steady income from a full time job. oh and he gets a steady paycheck from his full time job. lol.

these guys are absolutely amazing players. smooth shots but #1 and #2 have problems getting games/backers.
i think #3 has a vehicle , others do not as far as i know.

i honestly figure i have made more than all three of them in my working life.
honestly. steady jobs.
 
A dream is a dream. Nothing wrong if your at a stage in your life to try and follow that dream. Are you known in your community. Maybe seek several sponsors for smaller amounts instead of one to cover everything. $50-100 a month might not seem so bad to a smaller business. Just a thought. Now you have to ask yourself. How good are you in every aspect of pool. Top pro's dont usually have a weakness. Like jumping a ball and at times for position and defense. How good is your kick shot. Good for a hit or good for a hit with postion as a defense. How good is your defense. You need to be extremely good at all aspects of your game and thats just to hope you can place in the money. When you watch the pro's are you in awe or feel you can do what they can do. Pool at their level isnt just about being able to run a rack. Those guys rarely give up ball in hand no matter how bad they are stuck. Those guys play lock down defense. Those guys jump a ball make it and have position on the next shot. Gotta ask yourself. Just how good am I.
 
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