Most people enjoy playing pool for fun with friends and family. However, if you excel at the sport, you could make money as a professional pool player. While it may be challenging to establish yourself and earn a good salary, it is a possible path for those with exceptional skill.

Educational Requirements

You do need to understand various pool concepts and the rules for different games, such as:

 

• Straight Pool
• 8-Ball
• 9-Ball
• Snooker

How Do Professional Pool Players Earn Money?

Professional pool players earn money by competing in pool tournaments in the U.S. and around the world. To get paid, you must win the tournament and move up in the rankings. The more you play and the more you win, the more money you can earn.

With the limited number of professional players in the sport, it can become highly competitive to be in the top rankings. If they do not win a tournament, they do not necessarily get paid.

Due to the uncertainty of winning tournaments, many professional players supplement their winnings in other ways, such as:

• Teaching pool to others
• Offering private tutoring/lessons
• Attending pool exhibitions
• Hosting “friendly” competitions at local pool halls
• Endorsing products
• Selling branded merchandise
• Creating online content

Thus, while the primary income for professional pool players may come from tournament winnings, diversifying their activities helps ensure a more stable and sustainable financial future in the competitive world of professional pool.

Tournament Requirements

Anyone can enter local and regional tournaments without a sponsorship. There is often an entry fee that goes toward the prize money. Certain professional pool tournaments will require you to play a qualifying round to compete. However, as you move up in the ranks and become seeded, you may be able to bypass these qualifying rounds.

Once you move on to state and national tournaments, having sponsorship helps get you noticed. Furthermore, you will need sponsorship if you have big dreams of competing in world championships.

As you can imagine, maintaining winning streaks can be challenging even for professional pool players. If you have a bad streak, you will not earn any money in tournaments and could lose sponsorships and endorsements. In addition, some tournaments only pay out prize money to the top ten players.

Other Costs Professional Players Incur

Travel is an essential part of pool competitions, so you must have money for transportation expenses, hotels, and food. This money will come out of your pocket upfront, regardless of whether you win or lose tournaments.

Even when you are on a winning streak, you need to deduct these expenses from your winnings to have a good idea of how much money you are earning.

Years of Experience

The more experience you have, the easier it is to get sponsorships and endorsements. Ideally, at the very minimum, you should be able to run 80 balls in straight pool. The top professionals can run 150 or more balls.

Professional Pool Player Salary

While Joshua Filler is currently one of the world’s greatest and most well-known pool players, with a significant net worth, it's important to note that not all professional pool players make millions of dollars. In reality, an intermediate-level professional player typically earns around $50,000 annually.

Top-level players usually earn more, with annual salaries starting at $100,000. Their earnings largely depend on the number of sponsorships and endorsements they secure.

Some top players, like Shane Van Boening, earn substantial amounts, potentially millions, over their careers due to their experience and winning ability. However, these players are the exceptions rather than the norm.

This illustrates the significant disparity in earnings within the sport.

Becoming a Professional Pool Player

If your dream is to become a professional pool player, just remember the sport is highly competitive, with everyone vying for the top seed rankings and highest earnings. To get started, you need to register with professional pool organizations and pay their annual membership fees, such as:

• United States Professional Poolplayers Association
• Billiard Congress of America
• World Pool Association

Joining these organizations allows you to register for competitions and tournaments. Playing in competitions and pool tournaments can be fun and exciting, regardless of whether you win or lose. So, even if you do not earn millions of dollars, you can still earn some extra money while playing a sport you love.

Next, you need to compete in tournaments. Before considering the major pool competitions, you must start smaller in local and regional tournaments. As you move up the ranks and rack up wins, you may get noticed by different sponsors.

Sponsorship is essential as you move up and advance to higher level tournaments because it can further help boost your earnings potential. Sponsorships also open up opportunities where you may be offered endorsements, which can also be lucrative.

Tournament-Quality Pool Tables From Blatt Billiards

Achieving success in the competitive world of professional pool not only requires skill and dedication but also the right equipment. At Blatt Billiards, we provide tournament-quality pool tables that meet the highest standards of craftsmanship and performance

Whether you are just starting your journey in professional pool or looking to elevate your game, our artisan-crafted tables are designed to enhance your playing experience. Investing in high-quality gear is pivotal in achieving the precision and consistency required at the professional level.

Explore our selection of custom pool tables, cue sticks, and ball sets today. You can also contact us at 212-674-8855 for personalized assistance in selecting the equipment that best suits your professional needs.