Should good pool players be barred from local tournements ?

I like the passion in this thread. I think I misread the original post. I was posting in relation to bar tournaments or pub tournaments depending on your neck of the woods. A lot of these posts as of late have me thinking we are talking tourneys in general.

As pool players we get this "thing" in our heads about what level we play..short stop A, B, etc. Make a new "thing" up called BAR player. Maybe a bar should hold tourneys and make them BAR level only. Would that end this discussion? It's not quite strong enough to be selfish but if youre on the scrape that bad to rob "Danny's Lounge" for a $5 tourney you prob have bigger problems than being banned.

I like to shoot. I like to see other people shooting. It's good when there is something for everybody. It's bad when the sharks go around killing everything in sight. If you're level is high enough why should you be allowed to play with the C and D players in their tourney? Just sayin handicap aint gonna solve someone whos cold stealing.

You know how you know pool is in a bad place? If we start blaming bars for not promoting pool. The majority of pool players want free things and dont spend any money. How can an industry survive like that?
 
I spend money in bars.....probably $40-$50 or so everytime im out. and i buy other people drinks too... sure its not 100 or 200 but i spend and i tip 1dollar a drink( beer is $2.50 still where i am)....

i dont play APA legue... ive been asked.... but its just not a fun league, its in a pool hall wich i like,and am good friends with the owner....but the league is not fun...all people do is play to qualify for state and nationals. wich i have no desire for....if i go to vegas im not spending my day in the hotel wondering when my next match is....its vegas...im gonna ride the rides , see the sites , and go to the cathouse. so that leaves playing in the bars at bar leagues.....

i like the bar leagues ....they are fun....we drink and have fun ...sure we want to win...but when my opponent whos joe budweiser bar shooter makes a great bank or uses nice touch to get shape im the first guy to say nice shot.....
there are a couple guys that Cry....Specially when you play safe

with ball in hand....i had a guy tell me i was playing "pussy pool" once when i broke my trouble balls out and hooked him...got ball in hand again and ran out.....he wanted to quit....his attitude was so piss poor that i didnt even really want to play him anymore....he's not a bad guy...but its not my fault he doesnt understand the game.....if he payed attention and learned from his loss hed be a better player...
 
Last edited:
I can see both sides of the arguement.
I know several years ago a amatuer tour i played in always had 50+ players at every stop.Then they started letting guys that consitantly cashed on bigger tours(pro level) play and within a year they were down to 20+/- players.I ask alot of players why they stopped playing and everyone of them said because they didn`t want to keep donating to the same people or some said they would rather take the $65 and gamble with it because they stood a better chance.
This wasn`t a handicaped tour so you had to play everyone even.One of the regular winners used to play Nick Varner with the 7 and like it and then he would play a guy even that might run 1 out of 15 racks.One of the the guys I talked to said "what alot of tournament directors don`t understand is that when you let one strong player in you will probally lose 2-3 weaker players and after seeing the drop in the tour I talked about he is correct.I know one of the consistant winners on the tour offered me the 7 and last 4 gambling and I turned him down but I had to play him even on the tour.
I`ve seen the same thing happen in golf.I`m not that good in pool (i`ve run 5 racks of 9 ball on a bar table once and 3 racks a couple of times on a 9ft)but I went to college on a golf scholarship(dropped out to get married like an idiot) and carried a +4(under scratch) handicap at my strongest(no where near that now).I played in some local money(skins/points) games and alot of the higher handicapped players quit getting in the skins pot.I didn`t play in it for the money just for the competitive side of it.Once I saw some of the guys complaining I stopped going because I didn`t need the money and I can go other places and other games.I never went there to rob the game just to play and it was close to my house.I have been on both sides of it.I don`t play on any of the amatuer tours anymore and very seldom play golf anymore.If you handicap a person correctly they complain and if you don`t the other people complain.It`s a no win situation so I would say do what is going to get the most players because that`s what will keep the tourn. alive.
Just my opinion
 
I haven't read all of the posts so this may have been covered. IMO. As a general rule, I don't think good players should be barred from local tournaments. But this is the caveat to that thought:
If the entry fee is low, say $5 or $10, the overwhelming majority of players won't ***** about high level players playing in or always winning local tourneys. They will look at it as a cheap opportunity to play some competitive pool against good competition. On the other hand, if the entry starts getting into the $20 and up range, people have to consider their disposable income vs. fun money. In other words, the bang for your buck. JMO
 
i think another way to address this question is this......

where do the best players come from, at least in terms of size of the country vs how many good players are produced. the philipines, right??

well, let me tell you right now a few things i bet they DONT have in the philipines. handicapped tournaments, leagues and players being barred from tournaments.

it reminds me of mexico's fire prevention techniques vs ours..... mexico is light years ahead of us, a fire starts down there and it just goes out a couple hours later, in southern california (5 miles away) the same fire burns intensely for a week wreaking havoc all over the place.

you know what mexico's fire prevention technique consists of? let fires burn. im telling you they are geniuses and we are the supposedly technologically advanced idiots.

same thing with the philipines philosophy on pool vs ours.
 
enzo said:
it reminds me of mexico's fire prevention techniques vs ours..... mexico is light years ahead of us, a fire starts down there and it just goes out a couple hours later, in southern california (5 miles away) the same fire burns intensely for a week wreaking havoc all over the place.

you know what mexico's fire prevention technique consists of? let fires burn. im telling you they are geniuses and we are the supposedly technologically advanced idiots.
Click to expand...

So let me get this straight. Here in America, if we use helicopters to scoop up thousands upon thousands of gallons of water from area lakes that are near the fires to douse the fires, and we use firefighters to dig fire containment trenches to slow the spread of the fires, we are actually causing the fire to burn longer and spread further :confused::confused:???

Mexico probably lets their fires burn because 1.) They don't have the resources and money to put them out. and 2.) There ain't nothin' down there worth savin' :rolleyes::grin::grin:. They (the fires in Mexico) probably go out on their own because the winds and the terrain are somewhat different there.

Sorry, not trying to hijack the thread!!!

Maniac
 
To be or not to be, conundrum!!

houmatroy said:
Down in South Louisiana we have a few places that just flat out bar good pool players from playing..some even have calcutta's...My thoughts have been the same for over 20 years...that the bigger the name the more money in the calcutta plus it's the cheapest way for up & coming players to play better players so they can see how the game can be played & they can use it as a learning experience...I believe that if it's mostly ball bangers or novices that whoever running the tournement could handicap said player to try and make it as equal as can be to all players..But to flat out BAR a player for being too good is just crazy in my eyes...Just asoon go to the bowling alley & pass out flyers saying we are interested in bowlers who would like to play in our pool tournement...Just was curious on everyone elses thoughts on the subject...To bar or not to bar...that is the question..thx...Troy
Click to expand...

To be or not to be, conundrum!!

For the longest time when I had my pool hall and had tournaments with money added, sometimes I run into the better players looking for a pay cheque........with time I created a handicap system that seems fair to must everyone, where all had a "Real chance to cash" from the Pros to the amateurs and seldom had any problem........this was called at first The 10K Tour , later the 20K Tour and finally the 30K Tour and......it paid good and the total pack at the end pay well to averyone...........never mind the countles hours in running and keeping up to date...........BTW, the handicap system is still being used by must pool places now days in this area and still use it to assess new players, but in all fairness the system was used from experience of the local players as well of the road warriors, and allowences were made where needed either up or down.
The person running the stop has to decide what he wants out of the stop and if the mayority are fair players looking to get better or drink a few brews with friends or cater to the better class of players where you run into certain costs that are hidden, if there is enough players to have A and B that would be the best in my view, once all realize that there is a chance to cash by anyone due to handicap and format (Rack your own, alternate break, 8 or 9 ball of the break wins, etc, etc.) super short races, multi level entry fees:):wink::wink:
 
RD3P said:
i didnt read the whole thread...im not singling anyone out ...just sharing my thooughts on the matter.

Not playing or quitting because someone is better than you is crybaby Chit...people like that shouldnt even play pool...

for a guy that worked hard on his game to get to whatever level he might be at, and then some crybaby's come along and makes it so he cant play in the local bar tourney???? thats not fair.

what good is the local pool scene when your local tourney's punish you for playing good.

there is no crying in pool.
there are 2 options If your not winning matches,
1)Step your game up a notch...and try too win the next tourney.
2)Be a lame crybaby that nobody likes.
...
Click to expand...

First of all, welcome to AZ....

It's unfortunate you didn't read the whole thread.....lots of good opinions on both sides of the subject and some good dialogue, it's worth a read....

People that play in handicapped tournies or leagues aren't crybabies....every sport is full of those kinds of events....they are there so everyone can enjoy the game....many people can only play a few hours a week, it's a liesure opportunity for them, and it's a way for them to match up with players of like ability....they compose the vast majority of players and help support keeping bars and pool halls open for all of us....

As a player that once played 30 hours a week, I appreciate those that put effort into their game.....when the chance comes up, I love to play top players.....also, if the cost is right, I'll still throw my hat in the ring at an open tourney and try my luck.....but as someone with a family these days, I have limited practice time, but still love to play.....I would have zero fun playing in a tournament where the top 4 guys cash every week, being players that play 30+ hours a week, knowing I simply cannot put in that time......neither myself nor many social players would enjoy no chance to win.....ie, the tourney would die out.....it's happened in bars all over the country......it hurts the bar and the others that used to enjoy the tourney....and for the better player, where is the challenge in beating someone that practices 1/4 of the time and is 4 balls below them????

There are two sides to the story here, and neither is necessarily right, but I don't see any crybabies.....I enjoy donating in my Wednesday night tourney, playing top players, but the handicaps do still give the bangers a shot....and that makes it fun for all.....we get 20-30 players every Wednesday of all skill levels, not bad for a little $10 event....
 
WHo the fukc can read that shait in that font?

Thumbs down

xxxbilliards said:


To be or not to be, conundrum!!

For the longest time when I had my pool hall and had tournaments with money added, sometimes I run into the better players looking for a pay cheque........with time I created a handicap system that seems fair to must everyone, where all had a "Real chance to cash" from the Pros to the amateurs and seldom had any problem........this was called at first The 10K Tour , later the 20K Tour and finally the 30K Tour and......it paid good and the total pack at the end pay well to averyone...........never mind the countles hours in running and keeping up to date...........BTW, the handicap system is still being used by must pool places now days in this area and still use it to assess new players, but in all fairness the system was used from experience of the local players as well of the road warriors, and allowences were made where needed either up or down.
The person running the stop has to decide what he wants out of the stop and if the mayority are fair players looking to get better or drink a few brews with friends or cater to the better class of players where you run into certain costs that are hidden, if there is enough players to have A and B that would be the best in my view, once all realize that there is a chance to cash by anyone due to handicap and format (Rack your own, alternate break, 8 or 9 ball of the break wins, etc, etc.) super short races, multi level entry fees:):wink::wink:
Click to expand...
 
Maniac said:
So let me get this straight. Here in America, if we use helicopters to scoop up thousands upon thousands of gallons of water from area lakes that are near the fires to douse the fires, and we use firefighters to dig fire containment trenches to slow the spread of the fires, we are actually causing the fire to burn longer and spread further :confused::confused:???

Mexico probably lets their fires burn because 1.) They don't have the resources and money to put them out. and 2.) There ain't nothin' down there worth savin' :rolleyes::grin::grin:. They (the fires in Mexico) probably go out on their own because the winds and the terrain are somewhat different there.

Sorry, not trying to hijack the thread!!!

Maniac
Click to expand...

Actually he's quite right, fire is a natural event. when you put in years of fire suppression the ground fuels start to add up and you get bigger hotter fires.
 
Big Perm said:
First of all, welcome to AZ....

It's unfortunate you didn't read the whole thread.....lots of good opinions on both sides of the subject and some good dialogue, it's worth a read....

People that play in handicapped tournies or leagues aren't crybabies....every sport is full of those kinds of events....they are there so everyone can enjoy the game....many people can only play a few hours a week, it's a liesure opportunity for them, and it's a way for them to match up with players of like ability....they compose the vast majority of players and help support keeping bars and pool halls open for all of us....

There are two sides to the story here, and neither is necessarily right, but I don't see any crybabies.....I enjoy donating in my Wednesday night tourney, playing top players, but the handicaps do still give the bangers a shot....and that makes it fun for all.....we get 20-30 players every Wednesday of all skill levels, not bad for a little $10 event....
Click to expand...

i got nothing against Handicap...the leagues i play in are handicapped.
its supposed to level the playing field. but some guys dont care when they lose then the crying starts.
(funnything is they win the match because of the balls they get per round at the end)

outright banning a guy because the other average players cant compete and complain is Crybaby.

This thread is about players being outright banned from tourneys, wich is wrong, its bad for the game. let the guy in with a handicapp.. of sorts

so what if you dont know a guy....say a guys in town for a week and donsnt know whos good whos not...he see a flyer for a little tourney and enters say hes a Master's level player...you guys dont know who he is, he doesnt know you. but he plays as good as the guy that you just said wasnt allowed to compete...but here he is in the tourney....and say he wins it. everyone gets mad because hes a ringer????? and tells him you cant play in these tourney's anymore??? thats a crock of chit....

sure there are certain players that are pro Caliber (can runout 7-8 racks in a row at anytime..or guys that used to play pro) ....those guys are good for the game....outright banning them from the local tourney scene isnt right.
let him in...if he wants to play..for no entryfee get him a few drink chips...some nachos when he wants them.. tell him hes not taking any prize money....if all he wants to do is play then hell take the offer.
 
Last edited:
And I don't care who you are, in a race to 1, if you don't get out when you are supposed to, or only have a couple or one ball left, you are in a heap of trouble with someone who knows how to play safe. The best player does not always have to win. And I have proved it, lol.
 
Good Pool Players Must Travel

I have been catching up on a lot of the posts and notice a pattern ... good pool players are trying to stay local for A level competition. How is this possible if you are in the middle of America or in a remote area of Canada?

The US Open 9 ball is playing now. If you are good at pool, you should be there with your peers. Go get'em. Pony up your entry fees and see how well you do. You must travel to the competition.

Tennis players move at an early age to tennis camps, gain rank and travel to bigger and bigger tournaments. The same with gymnasts. Bowlers must bowl to their average in their leagues and will go to higher and higher competitions based upon their records. Golfers must go to the larger tournaments. Horses must be entered into larger and larger meets against the best in order to get to the top. Travel is mandatory.

This is not a 'penalty' to the good players. It is a natural consequence of being better than the local competition. You can't blame the locals for having local and common skills which are much more in abundance than superior skills. It is the obligation of the superior player to seek out other superior players.

Do the Filipinos stay local to where they grew up? Hardly ... they go to tournaments all over the world. All world class atheletes must travel and get sponsorships.

If a player is really dedicated to a sport then he/she has to be willing to go to the competition. Move to a big city and play the best there is. Schedule vacations so that you can compete. If you win local you can't stay local.

There is not enough prize and sponsorship money in pool to support many players these days. This is not golf were you can make a million and be the 87th ranked player on the tour. So what is a good local player to do?

Move or begin teaching your local competition!

Where are the pool hot spots now?
 
Last edited:
Race

rackmsuckr said:
And I don't care who you are, in a race to 1, if you don't get out when you are supposed to, or only have a couple or one ball left, you are in a heap of trouble with someone who knows how to play safe. The best player does not always have to win. And I have proved it, lol.
Click to expand...
We use to have a lot of race to 1 tournaments in our town. They were great tournaments. You never knew who would win. A lot of the big boys showed up, but they didn't always win. It wasn't until we had the race to three type tournaments that the big boys dominated and fixed the calcuttas that ruined the tournaments and in the end people quit coming as they were tired of supporting the big players and just donating their money for nothing. Those good players are never satisfied with just winning first or second, they have to bring several players and buy each other so they can win all the money. In the end there ends up being no tournament. They kill the golden goose and then complain that there are no tournaments to go to. Just my opinion. Butterflycues
 
mn90403 said:
I have been catching up on a lot of the posts and notice a pattern ... good pool players are trying to stay local for A level competition. How is this possible if you are in the middle of America or in a remote area of Canada?

The US Open 9 ball is playing now. If you are good at pool, you should be there with your peers. Go get'em. Pony up your entry fees and see how well you do. You must travel to the competition.

Tennis players move at an early age to tennis camps, gain rank and travel to bigger and bigger tournaments. The same with gymnasts. Bowlers must bowl to their average in their leagues and will go to higher and higher competitions based upon their records. Golfers must go to the larger tournaments. Horses must be entered into larger and larger meets against the best in order to get to the top. Travel is mandatory.

This is not a 'penalty' to the good players. It is a natural consequence of being better than the local competition. You can't blame the locals for having local and common skills which are much more in abundance than superior skills. It is the obligation of the superior player to seek out other superior players.

Do the Filipinos stay local to where they grew up? Hardly ... they go to tournaments all over the world. All world class atheletes must travel and get sponsorships.

If a player is really dedicated to a sport then he/she has to be willing to go to the competition. Move to a big city and play the best there is. Schedule vacations so that you can compete. If you win local you can't stay local.

There is not enough prize and sponsorship money in pool to support many players these days. This is not golf were you can make a million and be the 87th ranked player on the tour. So what is a good local player to do?

Move or begin teaching your local competition!

Where are the pool hot spots now?
Click to expand...

All that sounds good but the harsh reality is there's not enough money in pool period just to pull up stakes for some.
 
mn90403 said:
Do the Filipinos stay local to where they grew up? Hardly ... they go to tournaments all over the world. All world class atheletes must travel and get sponsorships.
Click to expand...

Actually, most of them do stay local and none stop compete with each other until it's time to travel to a major event. But that has nothing to do with them being good players..... :speechless: I bet if you stuck all the American top players in the same major city and had them playing each other none stop we would be just as feared as the Pino's. :idea:
 
if you spread the money out more places good players cant hustle tournaments.u have to spread it out to a point that maybe everone doesnt have a chance to win but they do have a shot at getting even.after all for the owners it should be about participation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top