Hines was accepted as a professional by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in 1983. His first professional tournament was the 1984 World Snooker Championship, where he defeated Ian Black 10-5 before losing 6–10 to Ian Williamson in the second qualifying round. At the 1985 World Snooker Championship, he eliminated Tony Chappel 10-8 and Paul Watchorn 10-4 before being knocked out 7–10 by Matt Gibson in the third qualifying round. His performance at the 1985 tournament was the furthest he ever progressed in the World Snooker Championship, with his only other appearance being in 1989 when he was defeated 1–10 by Robert Marshall.