--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started playing all the players…" description: "\"When I started playing all the players were trying to sell the game of snooker. Nowadays the prize money is so great, competing in tournaments is no la..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/john-virgo-23763_game_when-i-started-playing-all-the-players-w_887294.jpg" --- # When I started playing all the players were trying to sell… ![“When I started playing all the players were trying to sell the game of snooker. Nowadays the prize money is so great, competing in tournaments is no laughing matter.” quote by John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/john-virgo-23763_game_when-i-started-playing-all-the-players-w_887294.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/john-virgo-23763_game_when-i-started-playing-all-the-players-w_887294.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/124/john-virgo-23763_game_when-i-started-playing-all-the-players-w_887294.jpg) > “When I started playing all the players were trying to sell the game of snooker. Nowadays the prize money is so great, competing in tournaments is no laughing matter.” [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early snooker was informal and playful; now high stakes and prize money make competition serious. **In simple terms:** Snooker shifted from casual fun to high‑stakes sport. Key Takeaway Adapt to changing professional environments. Themes sports commercialization career evolution Mood reflective critical Type sports economic When to use this quote - sports management - athlete sponsorships Key Concepts financial incentives professionalism Questions to Reflect On - How does commercialization affect player motivation? - Can sport retain its spirit amid big prizes? A Different Perspective The pressure of money can diminish enjoyment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competing Tournaments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing-tournaments-1111993/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Game Snooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-snooker-1111991/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Snooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snooker/) [Snooker Nowadays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snooker-nowadays-1111990/) [Tournaments Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tournaments-laughing-1111992/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [In 1983, I played in a new tournament called the Professional Snooker League. I won eight of my 11 matches, beating Alex Higgins, Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/in-1983-i-played-in-a-new-tournament-called-the-professional-snooker/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [It was fantastic when I came into snooker, when tobacco was throwing lots of money at it, and even when they fell away we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-higgins/it-was-fantastic-when-i-came-into-snooker-when-tobacco-was-throwing/) [John Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-higgins/) > [Snooker's only popular in China now. Well China's OK to go to once or twice a year but to go and play six or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/snooker-s-only-popular-in-china-now-well-china-s-ok-to-go-to-once-or/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [It might sound strange now from where I'm standing as a world boxing champion, but I harboured serious thoughts, at the age of nine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/it-might-sound-strange-now-from-where-i-m-standing-as-a-world-boxing/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [Golf and snooker are similar. They are ball games that you don't have to be super fit for. It's not like boxing or football…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/golf-and-snooker-are-similar-they-are-ball-games-that-you-don-t-have/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [The most important thing, the biggest love of my life, is my snooker. Ive never been so emotionally ingrained in something - in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-o-sullivan/the-most-important-thing-the-biggest-love-of-my-life-is-my-snooker/) [Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-o-sullivan/) > [40 seems to be the new 25 in snooker so there is no rush, but I would like to start hitting the time where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-maflin/40-seems-to-be-the-new-25-in-snooker-so-there-is-no-rush-but-i-would/) [Kurt Maflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-maflin/) > [Fred Davis, the doyen of snooker, now 67 years of age and too old to get his leg over, prefers to use his left hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lowe/fred-davis-the-doyen-of-snooker-now-67-years-of-age-and-too-old-to/) [Ted Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lowe/) > [Snooker has just been a British-based sport for such a long time and when I started at 18 the furthest you'd go would be London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-higgins/snooker-has-just-been-a-british-based-sport-for-such-a-long-time-and/) [John Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-higgins/) > [I don't feel people are that interested in snooker any more and the only thing that will get snooker back into the limelight is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-trump/i-don-t-feel-people-are-that-interested-in-snooker-any-more-and-the/) [Judd Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-trump/) > [With snooker, having three months off could have a huge long-term effect on your game. It's not like football, where there's a huge margin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-robertson/with-snooker-having-three-months-off-could-have-a-huge-long-term/) [Neil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-robertson/) > [If you are a single guy and work in a normal job you can get around it. But you can't win professional snooker matches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-robertson/if-you-are-a-single-guy-and-work-in-a-normal-job-you-can-get-around/) [Neil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-robertson/) > [I have always loved playing snooker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/i-have-always-loved-playing-snooker/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [I like to play snooker, golf as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-terry/i-like-to-play-snooker-golf-as-well/) [John Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-terry/) > [I don't think I suffered with depression, I don't think I'm a depressed type of person - I just think I suffered a depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-o-sullivan/i-don-t-think-i-suffered-with-depression-i-don-t-think-i-m-a/) [Ronnie O'Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-o-sullivan/) ## More by John Virgo > [I don't like tea that's too sweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-don-t-like-tea-that-s-too-sweet/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [You can't be giggling and joking when you miss a shot in the modern game - not like the way when Ray Reardon used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/you-can-t-be-giggling-and-joking-when-you-miss-a-shot-in-the-modern/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I don't mind cheese with a nice glass of port, but I prefer chocolate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-don-t-mind-cheese-with-a-nice-glass-of-port-but-i-prefer-chocolate/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [Cricket had John Arlott, Wimbledon had Dan Maskell, we had Ted Lowe. He was great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/cricket-had-john-arlott-wimbledon-had-dan-maskell-we-had-ted-lowe-he/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I was born in March 1946, almost exactly 10 months after V-E Day, so I imagine my parents got carried away when peace was declared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-was-born-in-march-1946-almost-exactly-10-months-after-v-e-day-so-i/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [It's a different world now and as we see with footballers and everybody else, and the fall from grace of any sportsman, it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/it-s-a-different-world-now-and-as-we-see-with-footballers-and/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [When the results weren't coming on the snooker table, I tried to supplement things by gambling on horses even more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/when-the-results-weren-t-coming-on-the-snooker-table-i-tried-to/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I grew up on a street that's similar to the ones you used to see in Coronation Street on TV. We had an outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-grew-up-on-a-street-that-s-similar-to-the-ones-you-used-to-see-in/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [The game really started in 1969 with Pot Black, but in 1970, along came Alex Higgins and the game took off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/the-game-really-started-in-1969-with-pot-black-but-in-1970-along-came/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I get the 'Daily Mirror,' purely and simply because they put the Racing Post prices in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-get-the-daily-mirror-purely-and-simply-because-they-put-the-racing/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I have never invested directly in stocks and shares. That's never been my type of speculation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-have-never-invested-directly-in-stocks-and-shares-that-s-never-been/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [The worst time was in 1985 when house prices crashed and interest rates went up to 14 percent. I was not winning on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/the-worst-time-was-in-1985-when-house-prices-crashed-and-interest/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [Particularly now with social media, you only need to turn round and someone will have a camera in your face and occasionally someone will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/particularly-now-with-social-media-you-only-need-to-turn-round-and/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [I remember that if you went down to the Crucible or other snooker tournaments it was all the snooker writers, and then all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/i-remember-that-if-you-went-down-to-the-crucible-or-other-snooker/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) > [At the end of the day, life is a gamble, isn't it? A lot of it is sheer luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-virgo/at-the-end-of-the-day-life-is-a-gamble-isn-t-it-a-lot-of-it-is-sheer/) [John Virgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) [Explore all 25 John Virgo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-virgo/) ## More Game quotes > [Raised by game where niggas ain't phased by fame. Come to the crib, get banged, they take your chain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/raised-by-game-where-niggas-ain-t-phased-by-fame-come-to-the-crib-get/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [It's no wonder Pep is one of the best coaches in the world. When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [I've always been very hard on myself, and I never want to get to a point where I'm like, 'Alright, I'm kicking butt,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-sauerbrunn/i-ve-always-been-very-hard-on-myself-and-i-never-want-to-get-to-a/) [Becky Sauerbrunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-sauerbrunn/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) [Gene Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-scott/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Often in my game as an actor, someone else pays for your travel and there's nothing like being able to lie flat on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/often-in-my-game-as-an-actor-someone-else-pays-for-your-travel-and/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. In other countries, people are still buying CDs and going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/look-at-music-for-what-it-s-worth-around-the-world-and-not-just/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [With the Capital One Bowl, the average fan might think whoopty do. But if you are a team member, you win that game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/with-the-capital-one-bowl-the-average-fan-might-think-whoopty-do-but/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [I remember throughout middle school and high school how excited my mom, sister and I would be when a UNC game was on TV.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/i-remember-throughout-middle-school-and-high-school-how-excited-my/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Obviously, I want to win, but at the same time, at the end of the day, it's a game and that's what I'm going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/obviously-i-want-to-win-but-at-the-same-time-at-the-end-of-the-day-it/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [It's more than a game. It's an institution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hughes/it-s-more-than-a-game-it-s-an-institution/) [Thomas Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hughes/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) [Browse all 13,309 Game quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started playing all the players were trying to sell the game of snooker. 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