What Will Happen To All The Aging Pros

[drivermaker]

In the June issue of Billiards Digest, George Fels wrote an article about some of the pros from the past that met either untimely and unfortunate deaths, but also who shared a common denominator which was the monster unhappiness that pool created. He also suggested for any young man who was thinking about turning pro to "Run, don't walk away".

As much as we all like hearing war stories from the past of all the great fun times and conquests by our favorite "heroes" as if they were legendary gunslingers, and retelling those stories over and over, there's a world of reality out there which says...you will get old...your skills, eyes, and nerves will diminish...but life goes on and in today's economy it costs a shitload to live and exist.

I've personally been doing quite a bit of planning over the last couple of years regarding the time I was going to say "F*#K IT" to work and just play for the rest of my life. I'm going to do it next year when a new house gets built in another state, but working the numbers for living expenses, cost of living increases, potential emergencies, and even the possibility of assisted living or nursing home costs a number or years down the road is quite sobering.

The most important question is...where is all the money going to come from to pay for all of that when no more is coming in from work earnings?

Fortunately I know where it's coming from and how much...but what do you think it's going to be like for the majority of older pros that are now getting to the point in life when they'll be making that decision?

Hell, Social Security doesn't pay shit...even if you contributed the maximum amount every single year that you were eligible from adulthood. The maximum amount ANYONE could possibly make in the country is $1900 a month. Most in the world of pool would probably fall WELL under $1000 a month due to the fact that earnings (gambling) weren't reported, or after write-offs from tournament expenses they zeroed out in income and a minimum was sent in for SS contributions.

How many pool players in their YOUNG lives had the foresight to invest in real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or anything to build a nest egg for the future? My guess is, whenever extra money was available, it was used as a nest egg for future gambling escapades. To anyone's knowledge, has there ever been any pool players that got filthy rich from gambling and ended up walking away from it all? I know of some that are still working other jobs outside of pool, but NO ONE that's really living comfortably or high off the hog.
Marrying into a little wealth might help, but a number of them aren't.

There are only a handfull of pros that I see who might live life decently in their greying years. Alan Hopkins could probably do what he's doing until 90 if he had the energy and he would come out pretty damn good. Jeanette Lee is the smartest of all and parlays it into everything that makes good business sense.
A few of them get into cue making or open rooms, but who really knows how successful ventures like that are?

All I can say is...when you start crunching numbers...it's pretty scary. There's no better time to start saving than the present when you're young enough, and I mean A LOT!

Typically we all stick our heads in the sand like an Ostrich and don't discuss this about our legendary heros, but anybody else with some thoughts one way or another?

 

[Timberly]

I've often pondered this in my head over the yrs. Even if I have to work 40 hrs a week and still not make half of what these guys can in a night, I'm still "happy" being a working joe schmo. I like knowing there's a check coming every week with medical benefits included. The money might not be much but I can live within my means and still enjoy some of what life has to offer.

There's a handful of pro's and gamblers that actually bank their money but they're few & far between as we all know. Unfortunately the ones that do bank their money get picked on relentlessly. Some use backers and some only gamble a percentage of their money. In the end, the people that pick on these guys are going to be the ones wondering how they're going to feed themselves and realize that the guy they spent so much time calling a nit wasn't such a nit afterall.

 

[vapoolplayer]

Typically we all stick our heads in the sand like an Ostrich and don't discuss this about our legendary heros, but anybody else with some thoughts one way or another?

you're right on the money. most poolplayers are living for the present, not worrying about whats going to happen in the future.

the last MAJOR tourney i was at was downright depressing in this aspect. i won't mention names, but i'm sitting around and there is just about every name in pool, past and present there.

all of the "legends" of pool were there for the most part, and ALL save but a handful were a bunch of broke ass poolplayers. not taking anything away from them, they are all a great bunch of people, and great players........but they all were broke for the most part.

this isn't a very promising sight for young players like myself who aspire to be that good one day........is the price for being that good worth it?

is it worth spending ALL of your time working to get to that level, for a few prime years of succes.....and basically living in poverty for the rest of your life afterwards because while you could have been in school, or working, or whatever else productive, you were in the hall practicing or gambling?

of course, im still going down that path full speed ahead........but im making sure to try to make the right financial decisions along the way.

there is NO money in pool for the most part.....so you have to do other things, be it work a job, or open a business on your own. right now in the present day for the most part, you have to play pool AND do something else, to be remotely successful.

VAP

 

[OldHasBeen]

I agree in a way - BUT...............

Some of us have been fortunate enough to "Wake Up" in enough time to plan for the future. My inspiration came from the moment my wife said she was pregnant.
I do know of quite a few (few being the operative word) that have "Made It" from pool alone.
AND - FYI
Ask Larry Hubbard & Terry Bell what they think of the Pool Business.

TY & GL

 

[Keith McCready]

What will happen to all the aging pros? The same thing that usually happens. We'll eventually kick the bucket.

As for right now, myself, I'm not old enough to quit yet. I still have something left in my tank and plan on playing pool as long my health permits me to.

When you've been playing pool for as many years as I have, it's hard to get it out of your system. I guess I will always have a passion for pool. I don't agree with some of the politics, but I just keep on plucking away and am grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.

 

[ScottR]

Dammit, guys. I'm gettin' depressed thinking about this. Not for myself, but for the subjects of this thread - the true experts at our chosen passion, pool. I'm racking my brain, trying to come up with any other endeavor, especially sports, where the most accomplished practitioners are so universally unrecognized, not to mention unrewarded. I'm shooting air barrels. Maybe curling, speed skating, horseshoes?!?!?

I've read all the threads on what it will take to get money, success and recognition into pool and didn't find anything that struck me as a workable plan. Other threads go on about the image - gambling versus "pure" competition - again with no conclusions on the right mix.

Why aren't we where we know we should and want to be? I think it is because the average Joe, doesn't, won't or can't appreciate the difficulty of what playing at that level means. Again, why not?

Does pool look simple to the Avg. Joe? Hell, nothing is simpler "looking" than bowling, where the pins are virtually always in the same position. Please no flames from bowling fans. I know how hard bowling is. I said simple "looking". Yet, bowling blows us away in terms of money, TV coverage and the people making a decent living.

Do we need the pool equivalent of golf's Arnold Palmer, who was accepted, cheered and followed by golf afficionados and "everyman" non-golf Joe, too? Without Arnold (among others, both players and smart business people), I don't think the PGA tour would be where it is today. We've got the flamboyant personalities; maybe it's just marketing or that one as-yet-unidentified person that is needed to get us on the map.

Do we need a deep-pocketed benefactor like Mark Griffin or George Soros (sorry to put you in that company, Mark!!) to come along and say. I'll sponsor xx tournaments per year for 5 years, guaranteed $xxx,xxx per event and the game is xxxx. It could happen . . . . The venture capital firm that owns the company I work for offered $4 BILLION to buy the NHL!! Post the money up front, run it like a business investment. Could we rise to the occasion and give them a long-lasting product?

According to the BCA, VNEA, APA, and others, the numbers of people who play pool competitively in leagues, local tournaments and socially appear to compare favorably with amateur tennis, bowling, softball and others. The populations from these other sports support thriving professional level tours and leagues. Why can't we?

Is it the demographics? Are the golf and tennis amateurs so much more affluent as a group than people playing pool that the sponsors/advertisers don't see any payback marketing to us? I would guess that Avg. Joe pool league player spends more on beer in a year than Avg. Joe tennis player spends on new equipment. I'm talking average here; not the tennis player who has to have the newest racquet every 3 months and new strings every 2 weeks.

Why are golf courses clogged every weekend with people willing to pay $85 - $125 (in my neck of the woods) to hack and slash around for 5 hours? I think it may be that every once in a while, Avg. Joe can sink a 50 foot putt, or stick a 150 yard approach shot over water, or boom a long drive, or get a hole-in-one, and "know" how hard that is and appreciate that Tiger, Ernie, Phil do it more often than not every week. Avg. Joe watches the tournaments on TV or in person, buys the clubs, balls and shoes that <insert name of favorite player here> uses, and is generally who the advertisers/sponsors want to get in front of. As a result, 1st place at an average PGA tournament is worth about $750,000 (roughly). In 2004, 176 golfers made over $250,000, 141 made over $500,000, and 77 made over $1m on their tour.

Ok, that last paragraph was a total ramble. But, that comparison is what runs through my head for where our pool world needs to be. Both are sports played by millions of people, are hard as hell to master, can be played by both men and women at a very high level, involve hand/eye coordination, provide tremendously variable layouts/shots, and are just damn fun to play well!

We've got to figure it out people!

Just some random thoughts from Hotlanta . . . . . .

Scott

 

[DawgAndy]

These are the same problems facing us 10 dollar an hour types as well. Like I say, I can't afford to get sick or old I can only afford to die. 1900 dollars a month for Social Security is more than I take home each month.

Andy

(Retiring next year before he turns 35)

 

[macguy]

What will happen to all the aging pros? The same thing that usually happens. We'll eventually kick the bucket.

As for right now, myself, I'm not old enough to quit yet. I still have something left in my tank and plan on playing pool as long my health permits me to.

When you've been playing pool for as many years as I have, it's hard to get it out of your system. I guess I will always have a passion for pool. I don't agree with some of the politics, but I just keep on plucking away and am grateful for every opportunity that comes my way.

Health issues would be my biggest worry. You could wake up tomorrow and no longer be able to play pool with $1000 a month or more worth of medical costs for the rest of your life. Nothing wrong with playing pool but it has to be treated as a business. If one can't make a living at it then it would be wise for them to be doing something else. Life can be very cruel when you are old and poor.

 

[drivermaker]

Health issues would be my biggest worry. You could wake up tomorrow and no longer be able to play pool with $1000 a month or more worth of medical costs for the rest of your life. Nothing wrong with playing pool but it has to be treated as a business. If one can't make a living at it then it would be wise for them to be doing something else. Life can be very cruel when you are old and poor.

When someone goes into an Assisted Care living arrangement, that doesn't mean it's a nursing home or that they're feeble, bed-ridden, or in a wheel chair. Most everyone in one is fairly healthy, however they can no longer take care of a large home or clean an apartment, cook for themselves, or have children or relatives close by to assist in many ways. I can tell you right now, if that is required...it's between $5,000 - $6,000 a month right now.
It includes room, prepared meals and food, and cleaning services. That's WITHOUT medical needs. Where in the hell does the money come from if it's not stashed away or in assets that can be liquidated?

All other major team sports have pension funds and so does the PGA Tour for regular qualified members. Plus, they make a hell of a lot more in earnings.
Kinda scary for our pool heros though.

And Keith...if you read this post...you're one of the all-time all-Pros of this sport and maybe a dying breed. I doubt the new crop of young pool players will have the tenacity and intestinal fortitude to stick it out as long unless something can be done overall to boost the game. Keep playing, keep planning, keep saving, and write that f*#king book. It'll help down the road.
Man...those years go by quickly.

 

[bruin70]

Dammit, guys. I'm gettin' depressed thinking about this. Not for myself, but for the subje

I,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Why aren't we where we know we should and want to be? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Does pool look simple to the Avg. Joe? Hell, nothing is simpler ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Do we need the pool equivalent of golf's Arnold Palmer, who was accepted, cheered and followed by golf afficionados and "everyman" non-golf Joe, too? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Do we need a deep-pocketed benefactor like Mark Griffin or George ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

According to the BCA, VNEA, APA, and others, the numbers of people who play pool competitively in leagues, local tournaments and socially appear to compare favorably with amateur tennis, bowling, softball and others. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Is it the demographics? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Why are golf courses clogged every weekend with people willing to pay $85 - $125 (in my neck of the woods) to hack and slash around for 5 hours? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Scott

all the issues you brought up bespeaks a fundamental problem with pool. it is boring. you compare it to bowling.,,,,,bowling is big,,,it's noisy, pins expolde,there's mass spectator build-up as the ball rolls down a long lane, there's a spectacular crash, and a woop-de-do. golf......golf is expansive, it's beautiful, it's sunny, rich people participate in it, AND IT GREW UP WHEN TELEVISION WAS GROWING UP.

pool is small, pool is dark, pool is subtle. and no amount of "audience participation(ie wpba)" is going to change that.

pro pool and league/casual pool are two seperate animals and neither has anything to do with the other when it comes to pro pool's future.

and pool has a bad rep. even today,,,your core hot shot players are school drop outs who hang out in pool rooms. and as poker becomes the hot new thing to do, pool and its gambling allure(whatever that was worth) gets pushed further into the dark.

 

[OldHasBeen]

My largest fear about dying!

My biggest fear is that I'm going to die Healthy. Or worse yet, with money.

TY & GL

 

[drivermaker]

Some of us have been fortunate enough to "Wake Up" in enough time to plan for the future. My inspiration came from the moment my wife said she was pregnant.
I do know of quite a few (few being the operative word) that have "Made It" from pool alone.
AND - FYI
Ask Larry Hubbard & Terry Bell what they think of the Pool Business.

TY & GL

And where do you think you'd be 4-7 years from now IF that "wake up" call didn't arrive? Hell...where do you think you'd be right now? Better off due to the fact you wouldn't have had all the expenses of marriage and child rearing
and that much more money to gamble with....or....fairly broke with barely a pot to piss in, with the pot up for sale to the highest bidder?

I had their telephone number on a match book cover and it got destroyed in the washer and dryer. What would they have said if I called?

 

[OldHasBeen]

DriverMaker - I quit gambling about 40 years ago!

And where do you think you'd be 4-7 years from now IF that "wake up" call didn't arrive? Hell...where do you think you'd be right now? Better off due to the fact you wouldn't have had all the expenses of marriage and child rearing
and that much more money to gamble with....or....fairly broke with barely a pot to piss in, with the pot up for sale to the highest bidder?

I had their telephone number on a match book cover and it got destroyed in the washer and dryer. What would they have said if I called?

At about 19 years of age, I realized that gambling was a waist of time. At that time I started BETTING on myself at pool. I "NEVER" had a year where I didn't make at least 25% more than the average policeman, fireman, gov worker, etc.
I always saved at least 20% of my years gross and invested it in RE.
I run my business from the Sales & people skills, and money management talents I learned from Pool Hustling.
You can always call Larry & or Terry at the APA headquarters here in Lake Saint Louis. You may find it hard to get them as they are probably playing golf at Pebble Beach, or on a cruise.

TY & GL

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

all the issues you brought up bespeaks a fundamental problem with pool. it is boring. you compare it to bowling.,,,,,bowling is big,,,it's noisy, pins expolde,there's mass spectator build-up as the ball rolls down a long lane, there's a spectacular crash, and a woop-de-do. golf......golf is expansive, it's beautiful, it's sunny, rich people participate in it, AND IT GREW UP WHEN TELEVISION WAS GROWING UP.

pool is small, pool is dark, pool is subtle. and no amount of "audience participation(ie wpba)" is going to change that.

pro pool and league/casual pool are two seperate animals and neither has anything to do with the other when it comes to pro pool's future.

and pool has a bad rep. even today,,,your core hot shot players are school drop outs who hang out in pool rooms. and as poker becomes the hot new thing to do, pool and its gambling allure(whatever that was worth) gets pushed further into the dark.

You did a very good job in describing the differences between Pool and Golf and bowling and poker but you really failed to describe WHY. Pool is seedy, so is poker and bowling. Bowling is loud? So is pool!

The fact is, there are plenty of reasons as to why things are successful on television. I think poker's rapid assent can be seen in the viewer's ability to play along at home. Honestly, if you took away the graphic describing what cards were held and their chances of winning, do you really think the majority of people would continue watching? Of course not! The poker world was smart enought to apply meaning to each hand by describing the probability of success.

Such a statistic would be very difficult to do for pool but that doesn't mean pool is without its statistics. I think the way to make pool more exciting is to add meaning to what is being accomplished before we quickly write off that it's too sleezy to sponsor. Poker is still sleezy and it now has the world's attention.

Take a moment and ask yourself if the average person might find any of these things uninteresting while channel surfing. I assure you, if you asked your non-poolplaying friends, many of them would likely have a tough time deciding:

1. Golf - A hole in one
2. Baseball - A perfect game
3. Bowling - A 300 point game
4. No Limit Hold 'em Poker - A Royal Flush beating Four of a Kind
5. Pool - A 150 ball run


I assure you, if the person has an even basic awareness as to the significance of what is happening, they'll stop surfing and watch each and every one of these. However, without proper commentary or graphics, all of these situations can appear rather ordinary when given little scrutiny.

If you want pool to suddenly take off, you need to figure out a way to make it more than just a couple of people hitting balls into pockets. You really have to tap into what is primal about the game. What is it that we find most interesting? In another thread, I recommended straight pool as the television game of choice. My reason for that has to do with the ability for television to show a graphic of the current run-count and for the audience to sit at home and wonder if/when he'll ever miss.

I say this because when I first played pool in the third grade, I ran home and grabbed my Guiness Book of World Records and looked up the greatest pool achievement. The book said, "see Billiards" (which is how I learned THAT word). It was then I learned the name "Willie Mosconi" and next to that name was "526 consecutive balls pocketed". I stared at that number as though it were Ruthian and it was! I knew this because at 8-years-old, I already appreciated the difficulty in pocketing ONE ball, let alone 526. I didn't want to see a 25 mph break. I wanted to see a guy who never missed and frankly, 9-ball has too much missing.

I'm sorry but I play poker a lot. In fact, I love Texas Hold 'em which is why I think I have a bit of an understanding for its popularity. It isn't POKER they're interested in. It's statistics. People like watching probability play out. Do you think horse racing would be even half as fun if there were no favorites? Do you think college hoops would be as exciting if there were no underdogs? It's statistics that drive us to pay attention. If pool is to be successful in today's television world, it needs to provide far more than simply the score and the break speed. It needs to show the event's significance beyond the scope of prize money or tournament finish. The Miami Heat can win the championship but if Shaq goes 10 for 10 from the free-throw line in that game, which do you think people will speak of first?

 

[drivermaker]

At about 19 years of age, I realized that gambling was a waist of time. At that time I started BETTING on myself at pool. I "NEVER" had a year where I didn't make at least 25% more than the average policeman, fireman, gov worker, etc.
I always saved at least 20% of my years gross and invested it in RE.
I run my business from the Sales & people skills, and money management talents I learned from Pool Hustling.
You can always call Larry & or Terry at the APA headquarters here in Lake Saint Louis. You may find it hard to get them as they are probably playing golf at Pebble Beach, or on a cruise.

TY & GL

I would guess you're one of few that figured it out.

 

[JoeyInCali]

I would guess you're one of few that figured it out.

He's the only one.

 

[JustPlay]

You did a very good job in describing the differences between Pool and Golf and bowling and poker but you really failed to describe WHY. Pool is seedy, so is poker and bowling. Bowling is loud? So is pool!.....

.....I'm sorry but I play poker a lot. In fact, I love Texas Hold 'em which is why I think I have a bit of an understanding for its popularity. It isn't POKER they're interested in. It's statistics. People like watching probability play out. Do you think horse racing would be even half as fun if there were no favorites? Do you think college hoops would be as exciting if there were no underdogs? It's statistics that drive us to pay attention. If pool is to be successful in today's television world, it needs to provide far more than simply the score and the break speed. It needs to show the event's significance beyond the scope of prize money or tournament finish. The Miami Heat can win the championship but if Shaq goes 10 for 10 from the free-throw line in that game, which do you think people will speak of first?

Even with your aspect of statistics, poker is easy to learn and can be played on the internet for fun or for real money (24/7) and poker can be played anywhere with 2 or more people and a deck of cards. Pool is just to slow, to complex and to boring for the sporting public get a rush out of.

And another interesting aspect about poker that I think people are drawn to is that from bums to successful business person are successful at it, just follow the WSOP. ESPN interviews these players with diverse backgrounds, age differences and life stories that most people don't see with pool players. The only pool player over the last 20 years to get a life exposure and possiblily a move deal is Danny Bashavich....

 

[bruin70]

You did a very good job in describing the differences between Pool and Golf and bowling and poker but you really failed to describe WHY. Pool is seedy, so is poker and bowling. Bowling is loud? So is pool!
beg to disagree....pool is not loud except for the music played at 100,000 decibels. poker gambling has always had mixed venues. from the dark dens you hint to, to the bright las vegas lights, to the dorms rooms i played in 20 years ago, to the living room where i played with neighbors for the f*ck of it. pool. on the other hand has a bad rep that spans a century................and remains.

The fact is, there are plenty of reasons as to why things are successful on television. I think poker's rapid assent can be seen in the viewer's ability to play along at home. Honestly, if you took away the graphic describing what cards were held and their chances of winning, do you really think the majority of people would continue watching? Of course not! The poker world was smart enought to apply meaning to each hand by describing the probability of success.
for any of the reasons i listed above, poker has been successful, aside from its interesting % graphic. and btw,,,the man who has made TONS off tv poker, norm chad, said in an interview that the best games are poker horse racing and POOL. it's clear where he comes from. and it's obvious he knows where to make money and what to avoid, because i don't see him wasting his time trying to buoy pool.


Take a moment and ask yourself if the average person might find any of these things uninteresting while channel surfing. I assure you, if you asked your non-poolplaying friends, many of them would likely have a tough time deciding:

1. Golf - A hole in one
2. Baseball - A perfect game
3. Bowling - A 300 point game
4. No Limit Hold 'em Poker - A Royal Flush beating Four of a Kind
5. Pool - A 150 ball run
yeah, my gosh,,,,#5. you must surely be joking. the average person does not relate to pool AT ALL. you can't possibly put it up against any of the others!!!

You really have to tap into what is primal about the game. What is it that we find most interestinga?
you hit upon a basic that simply can't be translated to everyone else,,,,,what players find interesting about pool the average person couldn't care less. you're talking about what YOU like. a more common sense idea would be to show 8ball, not 14.1,,,becaue "stripes and solids" is what the average person plays.

The Miami Heat can win the championship but if Shaq goes 10 for 10 from the free-throw line in that game, which do you think people will speak of first?
that shaq can carry a team and koby can't

 

[wayne]

Even with your aspect of statistics, poker is easy to learn and can be played on the internet for fun or for real money (24/7) and poker can be played anywhere with 2 or more people and a deck of cards. Pool is just to slow, to complex and to boring for the sporting public get a rush out of.

And another interesting aspect about poker that I think people are drawn to is that from bums to successful business person are successful at it, just follow the WSOP. ESPN interviews these players with diverse backgrounds, age differences and life stories that most people don't see with pool players. The only pool player over the last 20 years to get a life exposure and possiblily a move deal is Danny Bashavich....

Uhh, snooker is slower, more complex and many would say more boring than 9-ball, yet, it is the most watched sporting event in England, more viewers than soccer. Steve Davis made 19 million one year off winnings and endorsements and a number of the stars of snooker are millionaires.
Explain that???

Wayne

 

[JustPlay]

In the June issue of Billiards Digest, George Fels wrote an article about some of the pros from the past that met either untimely and unfortunate deaths, but also who shared a common denominator which was the monster unhappiness that pool created. He also suggested for any young man who was thinking about turning pro to "Run, don't walk away".

As much as we all like hearing war stories from the past of all the great fun times and conquests by our favorite "heroes" as if they were legendary gunslingers, and retelling those stories over and over, there's a world of reality out there which says...you will get old...your skills, eyes, and nerves will diminish...but life goes on and in today's economy it costs a shitload to live and exist.

I've personally been doing quite a bit of planning over the last couple of years regarding the time I was going to say "F*#K IT" to work and just play for the rest of my life. I'm going to do it next year when a new house gets built in another state, but working the numbers for living expenses, cost of living increases, potential emergencies, and even the possibility of assisted living or nursing home costs a number or years down the road is quite sobering.

The most important question is...where is all the money going to come from to pay for all of that when no more is coming in from work earnings?

Fortunately I know where it's coming from and how much...but what do you think it's going to be like for the majority of older pros that are now getting to the point in life when they'll be making that decision?

Hell, Social Security doesn't pay shit...even if you contributed the maximum amount every single year that you were eligible from adulthood. The maximum amount ANYONE could possibly make in the country is $1900 a month. Most in the world of pool would probably fall WELL under $1000 a month due to the fact that earnings (gambling) weren't reported, or after write-offs from tournament expenses they zeroed out in income and a minimum was sent in for SS contributions.

How many pool players in their YOUNG lives had the foresight to invest in real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or anything to build a nest egg for the future? My guess is, whenever extra money was available, it was used as a nest egg for future gambling escapades. To anyone's knowledge, has there ever been any pool players that got filthy rich from gambling and ended up walking away from it all? I know of some that are still working other jobs outside of pool, but NO ONE that's really living comfortably or high off the hog.
Marrying into a little wealth might help, but a number of them aren't.

There are only a handfull of pros that I see who might live life decently in their greying years. Alan Hopkins could probably do what he's doing until 90 if he had the energy and he would come out pretty damn good. Jeanette Lee is the smartest of all and parlays it into everything that makes good business sense.
A few of them get into cue making or open rooms, but who really knows how successful ventures like that are?

All I can say is...when you start crunching numbers...it's pretty scary. There's no better time to start saving than the present when you're young enough, and I mean A LOT!

Typically we all stick our heads in the sand like an Ostrich and don't discuss this about our legendary heros, but anybody else with some thoughts one way or another?

Real good thread you started. Every thing you mentioned in your thread, IS seen across the entire US in EVERY POOL ROOM! This is a huge reason why alot of young players really do not pursue pool full time. No money, no stability, health hazards.. not very challanging mentally, only a few have survived. I think as technology in the work place gets more advanced, and people trying to get regular jobs have to have more and more tech skills, people skills and have to have some specialization in a particular area and some economies go from blue collar industries to white collar industries, people who prusue pool as a profession fall behind and most get left behind. This world is changing very fast and the pursuit of playing "professional" pool takes up too much time to learn and master before can really make some money at it to make a living. To be a pro pool player (mens) you have to place in the top 3 of almost every tournament to get ahead financially.

This is why poker has taken off so fast. Anyone can make a living playing poker and you don't really have to work that hard at it.