Expenses on Individual Players to Play Professional Tournaments?

[_Harry_Potter_]

As per me, in a professional tournament, there is a winner prize money, first runner up prize money, prize money of the max and prize money for the highest break. Pls correct me if I have missed any other. Also please illuminate if the winner prize money is pooled (entry fees in the ranking games or something similar - I am really not aware of this)

Now as per the above statements, if top 16 players are playing, it is possible that 10-12 players will go empty handed.

Now for the most prestigious tournaments (UK Champions, German Masters and World Champion as well as China Open and similar not so huge tournaments), players come from all around the world the play.

My question is - Are there expenses covered by the organizers (travel, lodging and meals etc) or do they pay for everything on their own?
Just curious so thought of asking :snooker:

[dcrackers147]

Players will have to fund their own travel meals etc. There really is no money in the game unless you are really in the elite....If you look on cue traker you can see player earnings some really good players earning some really rubbish money and they are winning matches! after travel costs etc most good pros are barely earning £20k on average. This is why you need financial backing or a part time job just to live a pretty humble lifestyle.

[trains]

Travel and lodging was provided by WS or WPBSA under the Rodney Walker era but players have to pay for those now since Barry Hearn took over.

[jrc750]

It's not just the finalists who get prize money, it goes to last 16 doesn't it, and a lot of players are earning a very good wage

[tomwalker147]

Everything comes out of their own pockets in terms of travel, hotel, meals etc. This is why sponsorship is such a big thing for players these days. Any help they can get is really needed.

The winner at the PTC in Gibraltar will pick up 25k (euros). Early round losers will pick up barely anything meaning they could actually make a loss.

A lad from our club won one match at the UK champs and picked up 4k. Winning his next match would have meant 9k. Players really need a run in one of the major comps (comps with highest prize pots) to establish themselves.

[dcrackers147]

It's not just the finalists who get prize money, it goes to last 16 doesn't it, and a lot of players are earning a very good wage

have to disagree there look at the earnings of the mid ranked pro on cue tracker. then factor in flights food hotels general living expenses. Really not great unless they get the run of their lives like Grace just did then they scrape by by part time work at the clubs they play at most of the time.

[dcrackers147]

Everything comes out of their own pockets in terms of travel, hotel, meals etc. This is why sponsorship is such a big thing for players these days. Any help they can get is really needed.

The winner at the PTC in Gibraltar will pick up 25k (euros). Early round losers will pick up barely anything meaning they could actually make a loss.

A lad from our club won one match at the UK champs and picked up 4k. Winning his next match would have meant 9k. Players really need a run in one of the major comps (comps with highest prize pots) to establish themselves.

spot on. The game needs bigger pots to make it worth while turning pro.

[mikeyd100]

Here's a breakdown of the prize money for the UK Championship this year - according to Wikipedia :


Winner: £150,000
Runner-up: £70,000
Semi-final: £30,000
Quarter-final: £20,000
Last 16: £12,000
Last 32: £9,000
Last 64: £4,000



Highest break: £4,000

Total: £732,000

[Leo]

Some players on the tour are only just scrapping over minimum wage

[Neil Taperell]

When the players are abroad [ China etc] their expenses [ with the exception of flights ] are covered by the sponsor until they are out of the Tournament .

[jrc750]

2013-2014 season earnings here, some decent money earned here
http://cuetracker.net/Statistics/Pri...s=Professional

[tomwalker147]

You can check the earnings by going to the world snooker website and clicking on the ranking list for anybody who's interested. Keep in mind that that outgoings aren't included, hotels, meals, travel, sponsor's cuts.

As Leo said there are full time pro's earning minimum wage (or less than). Being a pro is like being a car salesman, guaranteed no basic but opportunity to earn a lot depending on performance.

We'd all love to be professionals but you wouldn't be guaranteed good money unless you have a David Grace moment or are simply brilliant.

[Neil Taperell]

David Grace gets £30k but in the 2 previous seasons in earned less than £14k . So if you add the 2 together , he is still struggling financially .

[tomwalker147]

Without mentioning names, the lad in our club earnt 40k last season and 18k the season before.

He still serves me my chips and cheese and pint of lager every week.

[DeanH]

here is the prize schedule for this season, as you can see only the losers of the first round in each event do not get any winnings
http://www.worldsnooker.com/wp-conte...y-schedule.pdf

out of this a player will have to spend for their expenses; paying the event entry fee, travel, lodgings, food, etc, and also don't forget that World Snooker also takes a Player's Levee on these winnings, not sure but I believe it could be 5%, before any tax etc.
Now if a player can get sponsorship and depending on the agreement, travel, lodgings, etc. could be covered by the sponsor.