What defines a "Pro"...

TheOne

TheOne

www.MetroPool.club
Silver Member
...am I a Pro?

This topic gets skirted around a lot on these forums so I wondered if we could nail it down once and for all!

I am not talking about ability so lets try and avoid another train wreck!

What in your opinion defines a modern day professional pool player, feel free to use player names as examples to support your case?
 
IMO, anybody with a primary source of income stemming from winning pool games or trick shot competitions. Also include would be being paid to demonstrate superior skills for exhibition.

I'm sure others have conflicting ideas on this.
 
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The best definition of a Pro Poolplayer would be someone who can make a living with only playing pool. So when you are winning enough price money with playing pool, that you can live with only the price money, you are a pro.
 
Yea , not as conficting as it may seem.

Pretty much anyone deriving the bulk of thier income from pool playing activities. Can be a Player (Touring pro) or a teacher (Teaching Pro) or an exibitor of various kinds.

IMO. :)
 
Definition of "Professional"

5. following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional golfer.

7. undertaken or engaged in as a means of livelihood or for gain: professional baseball.

11. a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs: a golf professional.

12. an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.
 
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Would you consider G Breadlove, C Williams, A Hopkins, S Lipsky (sorry steve!), etc Professionals?

All these players probably don't rely on pool as there main source of income.
 
TheOne said:
Would you consider G Breadlove, C Williams, A Hopkins, S Lipsky (sorry steve!), etc Professionals?

All these players probably don't rely on pool as there main source of income.
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I would define pro as the abilty you have and how you play---not by if its your source of income or not. We have a few members here on the forum who have "pro player" written under their name and i know for a fact they cannot beat me and i am no where near "pro speed" .

The pro term pro in my opinion should be used on your skill level not source of income.

With that said i couldnt propose a determing factor on what makes you a pro other than common sense.

But i will say cwilliam, and George and allan hopkins are pros-- i dont know steve lipsky that well so i cannot make a decision about him.
 
cincyman said:
I would define pro as the abilty you have and how you play---not by if its your source of income or not. We have a few members here on the forum who have "pro player" written under their name and i know for a fact they cannot beat me and i am no where near "pro speed" .

The pro term pro in my opinion should be used on your skill level not source of income.

With that said i couldnt propose a determing factor on what makes you a pro other than common sense.

But i will say cwilliam, and George and allan hopkins are pros-- i dont know steve lipsky that well so i cannot make a decision about him.
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I kind of agree with this post more especially since very few players in the world today make there primary source of income from pool.
 
Interesting how people make up the meaning of words. "How I define it is.......".

How a word is defined, is through a dictionary.
 
amen cory...i believe that a person must participate in the game of pool as their livelihood in order to be a professional. However, some people play like pro's but are just not professional pool players.

Pool is one of the few sports that have this arguement and it comes up because our sport is one of the only ones where you just sign up and play in pro events....or are they pro events....hmmm. Is the DCC a professional pool tournament...hmmm...is the US open a pro event? What do you guys think?

This arguement normally comes up when a top level player wants to play in a local event.
 
TheOne said:
Would you consider G Breadlove, C Williams, A Hopkins, S Lipsky (sorry steve!), etc Professionals?

All these players probably don't rely on pool as there main source of income.
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Perhaps not anymore. That said, you could always refer to someone like that as a former professional. No insult there.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
Interesting how people make up the meaning of words. "How I define it is.......".

How a word is defined, is through a dictionary.
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Of course Corey but as mentioned pool is unlike many other sports and doesn't really have a professional structure. It's not like Snooker where u have to earn the right to be called a professional. In addition so many players play in "Pro" events that don't rely on pool as there main source of income, some are arguably up there with the best in the world!

I didn't intend this thread to about "dictionary definations" (I could have looked it up myself if I was unsure!;)). I want to hear the opinions of other forum members.
 
I believe one can also further expand the definition though. Professional can be viewed in two ways IMO: 1) the player derives their livelyhood from pool, or 2) the speed that which they play is at a "professional" level.

This is how I view it. I have met "professionals" that were rookie road players that weren't that good and were sure to have a short career but because they had no other job they were essentially professional players. Then there are the weekend warriors you play in tournaments that have jobs, many working in pool halls, that have to be considered as playing to a "professional" level wherein they can compete with those who do make a living in the sport.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
Interesting how people make up the meaning of words. "How I define it is.......".

How a word is defined, is through a dictionary.
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I believe i am allowed to "define" something how i interpret it ---
I did not know it was a discussion about the actual dictionary definition of the words.
What is the definiton of "house pro" are you a pro even if you never won a pro tournament or if you go 2 and out in every tournament you enter ala frank alvarez and butch weimer are they "pros" are you a "pro" because you work for Tiger ? Would you play George Breedlove even for 10k or 20k ? I dont think so
 
obvious answer

When you file your taxes as 'self-employed' and report your winnings to the irs, and write off your expenses, you're a pro. If you use your own company instead and pool is the primary source, you're even smarter and more of a professional because of the tax break.
 
TheOne said:
Of course Corey but as mentioned pool is unlike many other sports and doesn't really have a professional structure. It's not like Snooker where u have to earn the right to be called a professional. In addition so many players play in "Pro" events that don't rely on pool as there main source of income, some are arguably up there with the best in the world!

I didn't intend this thread to about "dictionary definations" (I could have looked it up myself if I was unsure!;)). I want to hear the opinions of other forum members.
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I understood what you meant i did not know either it was about "dictionary" terms give me a break
 
fdambi said:
When you file your taxes as 'self-employed' and report your winnings to the irs, and write off your expenses, you're a pro. If you use your own company instead and pool is the primary source, you're even smarter and more of a professional because of the tax break.
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Interesting point, I've been registered as a "professional pool player" in the UK for over a year now, it's an excellent tax break on my main source of income! :D
 
TheOne said:
Interesting point, I've been registered as a "professional pool player" in the UK for over a year now, it's an excellent tax break on my main source of income! :D
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Ditto here in the good ol' USA for 3 years. I only know (I am sure there are many) of one other that does so being Tony Robles.
 
cincyman said:
I believe i am allowed to "define" something how i interpret it ---
I did not know it was a discussion about the actual dictionary definition of the words.
What is the definiton of "house pro" are you a pro even if you never won a pro tournament or if you go 2 and out in every tournament you enter ala frank alvarez and butch weimer are they "pros" are you a "pro" because you work for Tiger ? Would you play George Breedlove even for 10k or 20k ? I dont think so
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Since I obviously do not know what I am talking about, I am gonna stick with Webster's as how I define "professional".

The only reason not to play George (or anyone else for that matter) for 20k is because I don't have it. What am I supposed to be afraid of? Losing. Please.
 
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