working for a living and pool

gpeezy

gpeezy

for sale!
two things i find difficult.i just recently got back to playing a little more,kind of easing back into the game.ack a few years ago i would get off work at 5ish and take off playing pool for the rest of the night(somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30)ride thirty minutes home and get up late for work.sometimes 2 1/2 hours late hell maybe more.and let me tell you this will not help you advance in any company.so like say i took off sometime from pool(thought about for good)to get some ends tied and of course the game has called me back.i know there are a ton of you that have been in my shoes.what i'm wondering is what do you think is a lets say happy medium between pool,work,and other things.mind i'm not married when that comes along i'm sure this post will be no longer needed because i know where my time will lay.
 
Well everyone who has been obsessed with pool has to make "rules" for themselves on what is acceptable balance. My advice to you is play on your days off until you can stick to a decent stop time if you need to work the next day. btw --- I didn't say I did, but I should have.
 
I understand

My answer is this I am working on my MBA so I can be an Internet Instructor (College Professor) so I can play at night and not have to punch the clock the next day. This way I can work anytime I want to.
Thanks
In the same shoes
 
gpeezy said:
two things i find difficult.i just recently got back to playing a little more,kind of easing back into the game.ack a few years ago i would get off work at 5ish and take off playing pool for the rest of the night(somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30)ride thirty minutes home and get up late for work.sometimes 2 1/2 hours late hell maybe more.and let me tell you this will not help you advance in any company.so like say i took off sometime from pool(thought about for good)to get some ends tied and of course the game has called me back.i know there are a ton of you that have been in my shoes.what i'm wondering is what do you think is a lets say happy medium between pool,work,and other things.mind i'm not married when that comes along i'm sure this post will be no longer needed because i know where my time will lay.
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I didn't catch where you live, Gpeezy, but my advice to you would be to stick to the weekend regional tournaments. It would be a great way to get in stroke, without losing any time from your job.

I love pool as much as the next guy/gal on this forum, but let me tell you that there ain't no place like home. That living out of a suitcase gets old real quick.

Also, the weekly local tournaments are nice. Not only do you get to network with other pool enthusiasts in your area, but you can keep up to date on what's happening.

A quick read of the Tours and Tourneys section on the Main Page of the AzBilliards website would reveal how many pool events there may be in your area: http://www.azbilliards.com/2000calendar.cfm

Of course, check out the Tournament Forum right here for the latest news of what may be on the horizon. :)

JAM
 
jam

i am from the great area of north alabama.i've been hitting a few tournys as of late.i'm still brutally out of stroke at times but it will work out.that is the nice thing about living close to tennessee,i always have some good monthly tourny's to hit.
 
For a long time I had wished that I could spend the time needed to get to where I think could get at pool.

No longer an issue. Twice in the last two weeks I’ve had to leave a tournament before being eliminated because of a physical problem. (pain) I know that I couldn’t physically handle shooting pool all day. The thing I’m really getting concerned about is if my pool shooting days are numbered.

(Spinal fusion 1972)
 
gpeezy said:
i am from the great area of north alabama.i've been hitting a few tournys as of late.i'm still brutally out of stroke at times but it will work out.that is the nice thing about living close to tennessee,i always have some good monthly tourny's to hit.
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I guess there will be a variety of suggestions on this board. All are good advice. I guess my only advice would be, if you love pool never quit for anything or anyone. I quit in 93 when I married and did not pick it back up steady until my recent divorce. I'm not saying you should be irresponsible! Just use a little disipline and know when it is time to go home and get some sleep! I have a buddy that has the same problem but his is more alcohol related. Even if he is playing pool, the booze does him in!!!

I'm in Tennessee . What tournaments do you attend here?
 
tournys in tn

mostly chattanooga tournaments at diamonds.i plan on going to more of charlie's tournaments in soddy daisey.charlie runs a great tourny there(by the way charlie that runs the tourny is not the charlie on the sign).i go to memphis when they have the superbowl tourny and try to go to nashville when they have the music city all though i have missed the last few.
 
gpeezy said:
two things i find difficult.i just recently got back to playing a little more,kind of easing back into the game.ack a few years ago i would get off work at 5ish and take off playing pool for the rest of the night(somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30)ride thirty minutes home and get up late for work.sometimes 2 1/2 hours late hell maybe more.and let me tell you this will not help you advance in any company.so like say i took off sometime from pool(thought about for good)to get some ends tied and of course the game has called me back.i know there are a ton of you that have been in my shoes.what i'm wondering is what do you think is a lets say happy medium between pool,work,and other things.mind i'm not married when that comes along i'm sure this post will be no longer needed because i know where my time will lay.
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This is a great thread because most people who love pool cannot put the time in necessary to become a great player.And quite frankly,the game is not worth getting great at because there is NO future in it, unless you enjoy not knowing where your next dollar is coming from,being without medical insurance,and having no retirement plan.When I was up and coming and wondering what I wanted to do with my life,I was asking all of the best hustlers I knew that had been playing for a living for several years what they think would be best for me.ALL of them told me to stay working and just enjoy pool on the side.They told me that they regretted the choices they had made and wished they had gone a different route.Well,I heeded that advice because these guys knew what it was to play at an extremely high level and live off of it.They had first hand experience and for me to NOT listen to them would have been foolish.I thank God that I listened and stayed working.
I now just enjoy the game for what it is and the little time I can put into it.I actually enjoy playing more now than I did when I was playing all the time.My advice is to try and do what JAM suggested,play in tourneys on the weekends,where it isn't going to interfere with your work life.You can even practice a day or two during the week after work.Thats my $.02.
 
LOL. Your story sure relates to myself playing pool during my years of work an 8:00-4:30 warehouse/inventory job. In my early 20's, I get off work at 4:30PM, go home, shower, eat, take a quick nap then meet buddies at the pool hall and play till 2-3-4 in the morning. Come home and sleep till 7:30AM and back to work. Do it all over again. We did this 4 nights a week for a very long time. It sure doesn't make you anyones friend at work the next day. Then I got promoted to IT and had a noon to 10:30PM job. Sweeeet. Playing pool all night in Atlanta was not an issue. Then back to a 10:00AM-7:00PM job and boy that adjustment sucked!! I disciplined myself to play from 10PM to 1AM, get home by 2AM and in bed by 3 for a good nights rest during the week.

Now that I am in my mid 30's. I can't stay out late anymore. Usually play weekends from around 6PM to midnight. I am tired by midnight and ready for bed.

Discipline is the key for me.
ez
 
ez2h8 said:
LOL. Your story sure relates to myself playing pool during my years of work an 8:00-4:30 warehouse/inventory job. In my early 20's, I get off work at 4:30PM, go home, shower, eat, take a quick nap then meet buddies at the pool hall and play till 2-3-4 in the morning. Come home and sleep till 7:30AM and back to work. Do it all over again. We did this 4 nights a week for a very long time. It sure doesn't make you anyones friend at work the next day. Then I got promoted to IT and had a noon to 10:30PM job. Sweeeet. Playing pool all night in Atlanta was not an issue. Then back to a 10:00AM-7:00PM job and boy that adjustment sucked!! I disciplined myself to play from 10PM to 1AM, get home by 2AM and in bed by 3 for a good nights rest during the week.

Now that I am in my mid 30's. I can't stay out late anymore. Usually play weekends from around 6PM to midnight. I am tired by midnight and ready for bed.

Discipline is the key for me.
ez
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How many of us have said..." tonight I aint doing it!!" " I'm going to bed early tonight!" Then find ourselves at the pool hall at 3 in the morning! lol I've done it multiple times in a row!!
 
gpeezy said:
mostly chattanooga tournaments at diamonds.i plan on going to more of charlie's tournaments in soddy daisey.charlie runs a great tourny there(by the way charlie that runs the tourny is not the charlie on the sign).i go to memphis when they have the superbowl tourny and try to go to nashville when they have the music city all though i have missed the last few.
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PM whenever you are going and I'll try and introduce myself to you. Do you know Harold Mac and Mike L? Two good players (Ala.) both of which are super nice guys!
 
kevin s said:
How many of us have said..." tonight I aint doing it!!" " I'm going to bed early tonight!" Then find ourselves at the pool hall at 3 in the morning! lol I've done it multiple times in a row!!
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True that.
It was more like saying "Damn I can't believe I stayed out so late last night playing pool." each morning while trying to unload trucks at work. Only to do it again the next night. lol

ez
 
ez2h8 said:
True that.
It was more like saying "Damn I can't believe I stayed out so late last night playing pool." each morning while trying to unload trucks at work. Only to do it again the next night. lol

ez
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You know the old saying." Time flies when your having fun." :)
 
I was in your shoes in my more formative years, and I was lucky enough to work 1 mile from a great action room. Eventually I took on a part time job at the room to save on table time and play while I worked and did cue repairs.

Now I have a plumbing company, and can do what i want to some extent.

I just wish our great SPORT! would let more folks make a good living and realize their dreams...

Gerry
 
TommyT said:
You know the old saying." Time flies when your having fun." :)
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Wife would call me at the PH at 6:00 pm - "dinner is ready"
Wife would call me at the PH at 8:00 pm - "dinner is cold"
Wife would call me at the PH at 10:00 pm - "dog ate your dinner"
Wife would call me at the PH at 12:00 pm - "you know you have to get up in 4 hours"
Wife would call me at the PH at 2:00 am - "get home NOW"
 
Work to play

Just as in anything else, either you have tons of natural talent or tons of time involved getting better (or a mixture of both). Just as in any sport, you can't just be mediocre. Even the mediocre pros are still pros for a reason. Yes, the recurring theme in the lives of many hustlers is lack of money management and health care. I don't go to work thinking I'm going to pocket $1000 every other week if that's what the salary is. There will be taxes, insurance, rent and all sorts of other things to pay for. I'd be happy to walk away with a few hundred after all is said and done. People see the money change hands at the table and think that it is pocket money. Those people will most likely wind up broke (and sick). You can win as many sets as you want, but years worth of that can be taken away in one trip to the hospital if uninsured. There's no unemployment and not much to help you if you're unable to play (temporarily/permanently) due to an accident of some sort.

I'd love to be able to take a road trip, but until I know for a fact that I can handle myself financially and have a consistent A+ game, I'm going to stick with what pays the bills and keeps me in good enough health to play. As I get better, I plan on taking part in more/more-difficult tourneys and ones that are further away. If some day I pull out a big haul, maybe I'll set up an account for health coverage and basic expenses and hit the road for some fun, but until then I'll be an office schmuck with dreams. :P

As far as the payout/recognition go, pool hit a big stride when the general public was introduced to things like the Johnson City tournament. People want to see big risks, big players and big money. People buy DVDs of big matches and people want to watch big money games. Which are you more likely to watch, preseason games or the playoffs? Show me something that matters! Show me the money! (And skimpily-clad cheerleaders!)
 
Gerry said:
I just wish our great SPORT! would let more folks make a good living and realize their dreams...

Gerry
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Gerry...It can, just not in the fashion that most top players would like. By that, I mean a high paying 'athlete' job, where you don't really have to "work".
The only real dough in 'professional pool' is in the entertainment/teaching end. In order to be successful at that you must have: a) some personality;
b) some brains; c) some integrity; and d) a work ethic, such that you MAKE yourself get out there and work as often as possible! Put all those things together and a six-figure income playing pool is possible. I've said it a million times, but most pro players are too caught up in the 'ego' side of pool, to do what I do. Too bad, because there is room in the market for hundreds of players to do this successfully.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
gpeezy said:
two things i find difficult.i just recently got back to playing a little more,kind of easing back into the game.ack a few years ago i would get off work at 5ish and take off playing pool for the rest of the night(somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30)ride thirty minutes home and get up late for work.sometimes 2 1/2 hours late hell maybe more.and let me tell you this will not help you advance in any company.so like say i took off sometime from pool(thought about for good)to get some ends tied and of course the game has called me back.i know there are a ton of you that have been in my shoes.what i'm wondering is what do you think is a lets say happy medium between pool,work,and other things.mind i'm not married when that comes along i'm sure this post will be no longer needed because i know where my time will lay.
Click to expand...

There is no happy medium I say quit the job. If you rent your living space then don't pay until you are evicted (about 6 mos). Live out of your car and take it on the road where you can go bust and endure true hardship. :D

OK now. How's about you scale back to 3hrs a nite Monday thru Thursday, and play some local tournaments on weekends? Friday nite you take care of the accumulated chores and things, and now you're good to go for a week.
That way you'll keep your game sharp, and keep your job while performing better at both. It's just a matter of self discipline.

If you can afford it hiring a good cleaning lady to come in once a week to take care of the housekeeping for you (including laundry) will free up some time and reduce your stress levels.

Fats
 
kevin

kevin s said:
PM whenever you are going and I'll try and introduce myself to you. Do you know Harold Mac and Mike L? Two good players (Ala.) both of which are super nice guys!
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yeah i just recently met harold but i've known laney for a while now.i supposed to be headed up next month because i got drunk at the derby and decided to line myself up with some action.me and little are gonna play some which should be a good game if i don't dog it.then me and russ have something worked out also.yeah man be cool to meet another az'r there if we already haven't met.i'm usually the drunkest guy in the building.
 
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