S
Scottster
Guest
Black-Balled said:
What DO pro players earn?
- Thread starter Roy Steffensen
- Start date
Scottster said:
Note that the QUOTE tags got messed up here, so you quoted something Black-Balled in reply to me as something I said.
Anyhoo, getting back on topic, the amount that the player of any game/sport is paid is determined by the value society as a whole places on watching that particular game/sport. That is where the money to pay them comes from, pure and simple.
In present US society there is very little money paid to watch Pool, so therefore very low pay for players. A very simple equation. Note that the lucrative Snooker tour in the UK was created in large part by the publicly funded BBC TV network, which for years has shown Snooker tournaments nationwide, live and in prime time. This continued and consistent TV coverage, along with focused promotional work by people like Barry Hearn, created stars of the players and attracted major sponsors.
Hmm, maybe US citizens need to lobby PBS to cover Pool?
As to why this should be the case in the USA, it seems to me it always come back to the core perception of Pool in the USA as nothing but a way for hustlers to con people out of money. When the general public sees a Pro Pool player they don't admire their skill and appreciating the years of effort, dedication and training it must have taken them to acquire it. Instead they accuse them of being a con artist. The closest comparison I can think of is when drug abuse is exposed in other sports, which creates a universally negative response in the general public.
teko454 said:
Nope...The current definition is that you're considered a pro if you make all of your income from pool...not just play pool for money.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
AuntyDan said:
The problem with pool is that it's in a catch 22 situation. The reason pool players are consitered such degenerates and scumbags is because there is no money in the game. Thats why they hustle, dump, sell drugs, etc. But until the game's image is cleaned up and made better marketable (maybe pharmacutical companies should give a wack at sponsoring thier biggest clients
) there will never be that much money in pool. But until players can fully make a living off being a professional of a sport (like golfers, bowlers, hell even pro fishermen) there will always be that dark underside there.
SCOTTSTER
"A professional pool player should make WAY more than a professional bowler and near what professional golfers make."
I dont know how you figure that, I mean i know The guys who are on the PBA Tour make good money. Its because they got GOOD owners who wanted to make the players money. And they also got some good sponsers to back the tour.
If there was one unified Billiard Organization and they was able to get decent sponsers then you'd see guys in pool being able to make money. It probably wouldnt be like what the IPT flaunted but I am sure it would be alot better than what they make now.
I mean If there was one unified tour for the men, and first place was between 50-100,000$ per event, and the last paid out spot was between 2500 - 5000$ , how could anyone pass it up?
"A professional pool player should make WAY more than a professional bowler and near what professional golfers make."
I dont know how you figure that, I mean i know The guys who are on the PBA Tour make good money. Its because they got GOOD owners who wanted to make the players money. And they also got some good sponsers to back the tour.
If there was one unified Billiard Organization and they was able to get decent sponsers then you'd see guys in pool being able to make money. It probably wouldnt be like what the IPT flaunted but I am sure it would be alot better than what they make now.
I mean If there was one unified tour for the men, and first place was between 50-100,000$ per event, and the last paid out spot was between 2500 - 5000$ , how could anyone pass it up?
I will admit that I suck at pool compared to Souquet. However, I have won more than a hundred dollars in a tourny which matches one of his DCC winnings.
Maybe I have an invalid point. But it is pretty depressing.
I make more money as a school teacher after all my expenses are accounted for.
Maybe I have an invalid point. But it is pretty depressing.
I make more money as a school teacher after all my expenses are accounted for.
S
Scottster
Guest
StormHotRod300 said:
You lost me here buddy, I am not understanding what you're trying to say. Owners of what?
No disrespect intended here, I just want to understand your point.
Scottster,
The guys who bought the PBA tour i think back in 99 or 2000, made the Tour a FOR PROFIT company. They Increased the Prize Funds, and payouts for all the tournaments. They also brought in Big name Sponsers too for every tournament.
But they also made the PBA Tour more appealing to people. If you watch ESPN often, you've probably seen the commercials for the PBA Tour. How often do you see any commercials for the WPBA or Mens Tour?
I Still remember back in 2001 when they used actual PBA Tour Members in thier commercials and they were actually funny as hell too. Corny maybe but it made me laugh.
The Biggest thing the PBA did was bring in outside Sponsers like Denny's and Days Inn, and Motel 6, Miller Light, and several other Well known sponsers that you every day person recognizes.
If the Mens Tour wants to be more successfull they need to bring in outside sponsership not just Brunswick or Diamond or Aramith or Simonis.
The guys who bought the PBA tour i think back in 99 or 2000, made the Tour a FOR PROFIT company. They Increased the Prize Funds, and payouts for all the tournaments. They also brought in Big name Sponsers too for every tournament.
But they also made the PBA Tour more appealing to people. If you watch ESPN often, you've probably seen the commercials for the PBA Tour. How often do you see any commercials for the WPBA or Mens Tour?
I Still remember back in 2001 when they used actual PBA Tour Members in thier commercials and they were actually funny as hell too. Corny maybe but it made me laugh.
The Biggest thing the PBA did was bring in outside Sponsers like Denny's and Days Inn, and Motel 6, Miller Light, and several other Well known sponsers that you every day person recognizes.
If the Mens Tour wants to be more successfull they need to bring in outside sponsership not just Brunswick or Diamond or Aramith or Simonis.
Actually, the definition of a pro is as follows.Scott Lee said:
You are considered a pro at something if you derive the majority of your income from it. For example if I made $40,000 from selling widgets and I made $50,000 from playing pool I would be considered a pro pool player. If you reverse the numbers I would be considered a professional widget salesman.
George
George said:
So does that mean that Irving Crane, Arthur "Babe" Cranfield and Weanie Beanie Staton were not professional players? Or that a professional player who buys a poolroom and subsequently makes more in the room than on the tournament circuit is no longer a professional player? I think the definition of a pro player must be based more on rankings and on level of play.
StormHotRod300 said:
Pool also needs a season and certain days of the week where it is Live.
I agree without legit corporate sponsorship will always be pros playing for their own money and getting by picking up dead money.
Waste of an awesome sport that has never been well utilized in this country for the last 60-70 years.
There used to be traveling exhibition that people paid good money to go watch and before that pool was even larger.
I am off to the Derby so I have to stop this post.
Most pro's are (let's face it) struggling financially.
BUT....they have a passion and would probably prefer to be struggling financially and playing on the tour/gambling/etc....than making $1 million a year in a straight job. Kind of shows you that money really can't give you happiness...or more pros would quit playing full time.
BUT....they have a passion and would probably prefer to be struggling financially and playing on the tour/gambling/etc....than making $1 million a year in a straight job. Kind of shows you that money really can't give you happiness...or more pros would quit playing full time.
I strongly agree
For any pool tour to reach the payouts we hope for consistently it has to appeal to the masses. Take a look at NASCAR: Many of the sponsors of races and individual cars have nothing to do with racing or even cars. Stock car racing appeals to enough of the general public that it is a good bet to have your name on a car or event regardless of what you are selling.
Count the cars in a Nextel Cup race. The cost of sponsoring any one of those cars would sponsor a major pool tour that would dwarf any out there now. What would it take to get one or more of these sponsors onboard for an existing tour?
Hu
StormHotRod300 said:
For any pool tour to reach the payouts we hope for consistently it has to appeal to the masses. Take a look at NASCAR: Many of the sponsors of races and individual cars have nothing to do with racing or even cars. Stock car racing appeals to enough of the general public that it is a good bet to have your name on a car or event regardless of what you are selling.
Count the cars in a Nextel Cup race. The cost of sponsoring any one of those cars would sponsor a major pool tour that would dwarf any out there now. What would it take to get one or more of these sponsors onboard for an existing tour?
Hu
Matt_24 said:
Matt...I'd have to disagree with ya here. There's no pro alive, who wouldn't trade playing professional pool for a $1,000,000 a year job!
They'd just work the job a few years, and then "retire", and go back to playing pool! Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Matt_24 said:
how many people honestly have the chance to have a million a year job? You're either born into it or you bust your ass to get it. Pool players are typically those who struggled. Needed easy money. Found out a way to stretch 20 into 200. I would venture to say that there isn't a pool player alive that wouldn't make the swap. I have to agree with the previous post.
Tony
under paid
Bottom line is that pro players are under paid. In this sport you have to earn your money. You dont perform you dont get paid. Pro players in pool put in just as much if not more practice and road time as players in other professional sports. You cant just show up and ride the pine and make a living at it. That is my true opinion, but u know what they say about opinions.
Bottom line is that pro players are under paid. In this sport you have to earn your money. You dont perform you dont get paid. Pro players in pool put in just as much if not more practice and road time as players in other professional sports. You cant just show up and ride the pine and make a living at it. That is my true opinion, but u know what they say about opinions.
TrickyRicky
happy, happy, joy, joy!
A few years ago a remember reading an article in Games Magazine that had a list of the top 10 games they rated the most difficult to become TRULY proficient at. #1 was golf, #2 was billiards.
Now we all know the kind of money the pro golf tourneys pay....
Top pool players are really disrespected by the public when it comes to the time invested vs. the returns achieved. It's pathetic
And I agree that it's due to the lack of MAJOR corporate sponsorship.
It's really too bad that our sport is so unable to get the recognition it deserves.
This, as I posted earlier, is why so many of the best pool players in the U.S. don't play on the tour-- there's no money in it.
I can guarantee you that if the pro pool tourneys starting paying half as well as the golf tourneys do, todays KNOWN top players would have their hands full with some really "new" tuff competition (the non tour pros) suddenly "appearing" out of nowhere
But until that happens--if it ever does-- the non tour (IRS who?) top players aren't wasting their time with the organized tours. That's STILL not where the real action is at.
Rick P.
Now we all know the kind of money the pro golf tourneys pay....
Top pool players are really disrespected by the public when it comes to the time invested vs. the returns achieved. It's pathetic
And I agree that it's due to the lack of MAJOR corporate sponsorship.
It's really too bad that our sport is so unable to get the recognition it deserves.
This, as I posted earlier, is why so many of the best pool players in the U.S. don't play on the tour-- there's no money in it.
I can guarantee you that if the pro pool tourneys starting paying half as well as the golf tourneys do, todays KNOWN top players would have their hands full with some really "new" tuff competition (the non tour pros) suddenly "appearing" out of nowhere
But until that happens--if it ever does-- the non tour (IRS who?) top players aren't wasting their time with the organized tours. That's STILL not where the real action is at.
Rick P.