Why doesn't the Snooker format work for "USA" billiards?

Bamacues

Bamacues

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I have been around pool for a long time. The story is always the same... why can't pro pool players make a "decent" living?

I was watching some Champion's League Snooker, last week, and I began to wonder why that format would not work for pros.

I do not know all the specifics, but the players get a "nominal" amount guaranteed, per rack (around 100 pounds)... they get more for each rack won, and more for each match won. They play "round-robin", and advance to higher paying events, throughout their "season".

In the end, they ALL make some decent money, and some make a lot. I just do not understand why nothing exists for 8/9 ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc similar.

Pro players have a really tough time making a "living" at pool.
 
Bamacues said:
I have been around pool for a long time. The story is always the same... why can't pro pool players make a "decent" living?

I was watching some Champion's League Snooker, last week, and I began to wonder why that format would not work for pros.

I do not know all the specifics, but the players get a "nominal" amount guaranteed, per rack (around 100 pounds)... they get more for each rack won, and more for each match won. They play "round-robin", and advance to higher paying events, throughout their "season".

In the end, they ALL make some decent money, and some make a lot. I just do not understand why nothing exists for 8/9 ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc similar.

Pro players have a really tough time making a "living" at pool.
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Because BetVictor puts up the $$. Ever since MR has gotten involved back in the 80's they've usually had some form of gambling $$ behind it. Format: https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/invitational/ total prize fund is 200,000pds with winner getting 30,000pds. Every player gets min. of 1,000pds.
 
garczar said:
Because BetVictor puts up the $$. Ever since MR has gotten involved back in the 80's they've usually had some form of gambling $$ behind it. Format: https://championshipleaguesnooker.co.uk/invitational/ total prize fund is 200,000pds with winner getting 30,000pds. Every player gets min. of 1,000pds.
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I understand... just wonder why standard billiards can not get the backing for something similar. With the streaming tv sources of today, ie, DAZN, etc, it seems (to me) that it could work...
 
Bamacues said:
I understand... just wonder why standard billiards can not get the backing for something similar. With the streaming tv sources of today, ie, DAZN, etc, it seems (to me) that it could work...
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Wouldn't be surprised if MR has something like this format in store for pool. Not just $$ but also the organization/logistics side. MR has it all covered.
 
Bamacues said:
I have been around pool for a long time. The story is always the same... why can't pro pool players make a "decent" living?

I was watching some Champion's League Snooker, last week, and I began to wonder why that format would not work for pros.

I do not know all the specifics, but the players get a "nominal" amount guaranteed, per rack (around 100 pounds)... they get more for each rack won, and more for each match won. They play "round-robin", and advance to higher paying events, throughout their "season".

In the end, they ALL make some decent money, and some make a lot. I just do not understand why nothing exists for 8/9 ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc similar.

Pro players have a really tough time making a "living" at pool.
Click to expand...

Premier League Pool 2024 - Matchroom Pool

Premier League Pool is an exciting league format contested by 16 of the world’s elite World Nineball Tour players. Across eight days of action, all 16 players will face each other once in a thrilling race to 5 format. Players will be eliminated in stages before the top four contend the playoffs...
matchroompool.com matchroompool.com

isn't that similar?
 
skogstokig said:

Premier League Pool 2024 - Matchroom Pool

Premier League Pool is an exciting league format contested by 16 of the world’s elite World Nineball Tour players. Across eight days of action, all 16 players will face each other once in a thrilling race to 5 format. Players will be eliminated in stages before the top four contend the playoffs...
matchroompool.com matchroompool.com

isn't that similar?
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There ya go. Already in action. Good to know. $100,00 fund, $2500 min and $20,000 to winner. Not bad but needs to be bigger. Hopefully it will grow.
 
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skogstokig said:
it's quite a gruelling format. i think albin played like 50-60 matches last year. in not many days. so good stamina needed
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It seems that they make a pretty good living from it, though. There is the potential to win several thousand dollars in each "round".
 
garczar said:
There ya go. Already in action. Good to know. $100,00 fund, $2500 min and $20,000 to winner. Not bad but needs to be bigger. Hopefully it will grow.
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Where do we get to watch it? Who is carrying it, and when? Who is in it, and where will it be?

Again, it appears to be in Europe/Britain... I was wondering why there is nothing comparable in the USA.
 
Bamacues said:
Where do we get to watch it? Who is carrying it, and when? Who is in it, and where will it be?

Again, it appears to be in Europe/Britain... I was wondering why there is nothing comparable in the USA.
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Again, MONEY. MR is based in England so its only natural they do it there. Will it happen here? Who knows. Their big event here is the Open and probably will be for a while.
 
garczar said:
Again, MONEY. MR is based in England so its only natural they do it there. Will it happen here? Who knows. Their big event here is the Open and probably will be for a while.
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The main issue for me is that events like the Open are separate, single events. The snooker "league" goes on, over and over. That gives those players a real chance to make enough money to live on.
 
Bamacues said:
The main issue for me is that events like the Open are separate, single events. The snooker "league" goes on, over and over. That gives those players a real chance to make enough money to live on.
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yes but it's an invitational, so only a select group of players, namely the highest ranked on the tour, gets to play in it. so if you play well enough in the open events you get to play in the premier league, world pool masters, etc.

i like both but i prefer the open events. it's not possible for a total outsider to make a splash in invitationals, but we saw the other week how the syrian kid suofi made just that in the world championship
 
skogstokig said:
yes but it's an invitational, so only a select group of players, namely the highest ranked on the tour, gets to play in it. so if you play well enough in the open events you get to play in the premier league, world pool masters, etc.

i like both but i prefer the open events. it's not possible for a total outsider to make a splash in invitationals, but we saw the other week how the syrian kid suofi made just that in the world championship
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He played awesome... had a chance, too!!
 
Bamacues said:
I have been around pool for a long time. The story is always the same... why can't pro pool players make a "decent" living?

I was watching some Champion's League Snooker, last week, and I began to wonder why that format would not work for pros.

I do not know all the specifics, but the players get a "nominal" amount guaranteed, per rack (around 100 pounds)... they get more for each rack won, and more for each match won. They play "round-robin", and advance to higher paying events, throughout their "season".

In the end, they ALL make some decent money, and some make a lot. I just do not understand why nothing exists for 8/9 ball, straight pool, one-pocket, etc similar.

Pro players have a really tough time making a "living" at pool.
Click to expand...
Because there’s a gambling parlour on every corner in the UK.
They bet on frames as well as outcomes in Snooker.

Those betting parlours are then tapped as sponsors for all kinds of events that Matchroom produces for example.

American betting culture is not the same as English betting culture.

Matchroom has now wrangled independent pool promoters under one umbrella in an effort to standardize the game and go forward with 9 ball.
 
Bamacues said:
... I was watching some Champion's League Snooker, last week, and I began to wonder why that format would not work for pros. ...
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Here is the format for Matchroom's "Premier League Pool" event. Is this about what you had in mind?
  • All 16 players face each other once across the first five days of play
  • After day 5, the bottom 6 in the League Table are eliminated
  • The remaining 10 players face each other again across days 6 and 7 before 4 more players are eliminated
  • The remaining 6 play each other once more on day 8 before the top four contend the playoffs
  • All group matches race to 5, alternate break
 
Well, the real reason is that snooker is considered to be a "Gentleman's Sport" and pool is considered to be a sport of hustlers and lowlifes. Same difference exists between golf and pool. Does anybody ever expect Cadillac or Mercedes Benz to be title sponsors in pool. The last major sponsor in pool sold cigarettes. That sort of explains everything now doesn't it?
 
Snooker had tobacco sponsors way back as well and plenty of endorsements for the top players. Pool is way to far behind in that aspect and with the amount of pool played around the world and the quality of the top flight players they should be rewarded alot more than they are. The top 16 invitational tourneys are a spotlight for the talent and bigger prize money should be the bonus IMO.
 
garczar said:
There ya go. Already in action. Good to know. $100,00 fund, $2500 min and $20,000 to winner. Not bad but needs to be bigger. Hopefully it will grow.
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I see that they have Earl and Alex in the line up. Looks like they are trying to get some characters there, hope Souffi gets a wild card and maybe a couple of ladies as well
 
dnschmidt said:
Well, the real reason is that snooker is considered to be a "Gentleman's Sport" and pool is considered to be a sport of hustlers and lowlifes. Same difference exists between golf and pool. Does anybody ever expect Cadillac or Mercedes Benz to be title sponsors in pool. The last major sponsor in pool sold cigarettes. That sort of explains everything now doesn't it?
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Before Barry and MR got involved snooker in the UK didn't have the greatest reputation either. It was a game played in smoky parlors full of drinking middle aged men and punks with no jobs.
 
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