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Shane Van Boening and the changing world of professional pool
Summary
Shane Van Boening is the world's number one pool player and deaf since birth. He travels 300 days a year competing in professional pool tournaments and has won the U.S. Open five times. He is considered a generational talent and is known for his killer break. Pool is a deceptively tricky sport and Van Boening practices 10 hours a day, making him a master of geometry and angles. He was once a hustler on the road, but chose to go legit and play in tournaments instead. The pro tour struggles to draw much interest and investment outside of pool die-hards, and Van Boening's six sponsors are all pool-related. British sports promoter Emily Frazer is trying to standardize the sport and increase prize money and viewership, and hosted a Junior Open at the U.S. Open in Atlantic City. Van Boening encourages younger players to stick with it and have passion for the game.
Q&As
What is the state of professional pool today?
Emily Frazer describes the state of professional pool today as an "absolute mess".
How did Shane Van Boening find success in professional pool?
Shane Van Boening found success in professional pool by going legit and playing in proper tournaments. He also practiced as much as ten hours a day and shot half a million balls a year.
How does Emily Frazer plan to make professional pool thrive?
Emily Frazer plans to make professional pool thrive by standardizing the format, bringing in bigger live audiences, ramping up TV production, and getting players known.
What are the challenges of making pool a professional sport?
The challenges of making pool a professional sport include attracting sponsors and media deals, and getting rid of backroom money games.
How does Shane Van Boening view gambling in professional pool?
Shane Van Boening views gambling in professional pool as something that needs to be done away with in order for the sport to thrive.
AI Comments
š This article was an incredible look at the world of professional pool and the star player Shane Van Boening. It was fascinating to learn about the sport and how people like Emily Frazer are trying to make it a professional sport.
š This article lacked depth and didn't really go into all of the details of the sport of pool and how it is changing. It focused too much on the story of Shane Van Boening and not enough on the sport itself.
AI Discussion
Me: It's about professional pool player Shane Van Boening and how he is trying to help pool become a legitimate professional sport. He's trying to do away with the money games and the hustling that goes on in the shadows and promote the sport in a more mainstream way. He's also deaf and he talks about how this is actually an advantage for him when he plays.
Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. It sounds like he's trying to make a lot of changes to the sport. What do you think the implications of this could be?
Me: Well, if Van Boening is successful in his efforts, it could help to legitimize the sport of pool and make it more accessible for everyone. It could also bring in more sponsors, more media attention and bigger prize money, which would make it more attractive to younger players. It could even help the sport to become an Olympic event one day!
Action items
- Research the history of pool and its relationship to gambling.
- Reach out to professional pool players to learn more about the sport and the challenges they face.
- Follow the professional pool circuit and attend tournaments to gain a better understanding of the sport.
Technical terms
- Wagering
- Betting or gambling money.
- Hustling
- To deceive someone into paying for something they don't want or need.
- Rack
- A frame used to organize billiard balls.
- Cue Stick
- A long, thin stick used to hit billiard balls.
- Chalk
- A powder used to increase friction between the cue stick and the billiard ball.
- Geometry
- The branch of mathematics that deals with the properties and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.
- Trick Shot
- A shot in billiards that requires a player to use a combination of angles and spins to make the ball go into the pocket.
- Straight Pool
- A type of pocket billiards game where the goal is to score points by pocketing any object ball on a shot.
- Ryder Cup
- A biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States.
- Mosconi Cup
- An annual nine-ball pool tournament between teams from Europe and the United States.
- Pop-up Action Rooms
- Rooms where people can play pool for money.
- Big Timber
- Slang for a large amount of money.
- Cue Ball Control
- The ability to control the direction and speed of the cue ball after a shot.
- Sponsor
- A person or company that provides financial or other support to an event, activity, person, or organization.
- Professional Pool
- A sport in which players compete in tournaments for prize money.