I agree with you Mike, I got my ass handed to me 2 rounds out in the winners. I won the coin toss, broke, nothing fell, other guy was out, loser breaks, broke, nothing fell, other guy was out, loser breaks, broke nothing fell again, other guy was out......0-3, all the stars were in line that match, but on the upside I did get 3 shots and got to feel the balls.
Update on the Des Moines pool scene
- Thread starter mikeyfrost
- Start date
My thoughts were just my thoughts. I am fine with wherever people want to play and their eligibility in each division. The short races make it tough to where you kind of have to come out firing if you want to win. I also had a bit of shell shock going on with that type of tournament atmosphere. I still get nervous in certain situations and I miss things I usually don't. It happens, all a part of growing as a player. If you have $500 in your pocket you're not sweating it being stuck a little bit if you are gambling but if you only have $150 and you are down $100 that pressure gets greater. I find these tournaments where you have two bullets are actually more stressful and have more pressure than playing for money, eventhough what you can win is less in most cases. That's something I didn't anticipate.
Valley has always been the same. ISPA has always been "known ability." I am ok with up and coming young players starting in the open divisions, but that's about it. That is up to the players and the individual league operators. Looking through the ISPA start times, and I see a few players in the open that are definitely Master players...without question.
And then you have the players that don't play singles, but play on Masters teams as "open" players, so the team can have an Elite...but don't get me started on that.
I gave it a best search, where'd you find start times. I went to the ISPA website and couldn't find it.
P.S. NM I found it. I think it's funny when I look at the Masters Starting times and there are 4 guys I beat at Valley playing in the Masters divisions. That's always fun. The winner of the Open 9-Ball was Dan Kuhl, you see he has to go to 6 so he must be an established Masters player. Oh funny. I think my hunch was right about the winners at Valley.
Last edited:
Mikey...it's on there...front page. I looked but didn't see you in the Open Level 1 or Masters...oops, I didn't check the Open Level 2 though.
Mike B...I think we are thinking alike. A word comes to my mind whenever I see the signup for either of these State Tournaments where we both us Division. That word is INTEGRITY.
I see players that should be playing in the Masters Division (or Open 1/Intermediate), but because they have maybe never played in that particular tournament, can fly under the radar so to speak and enter in a lower division because they can. Heck, I saw a Master player once that won the IOMA Open Division...I bet he holds his chest out proudly!!!
It really makes me wonder how they really feel when they win or finish really high in that lower division. Are they proud of their accomplishment? Does it bother them at all that they just robbed some players in a State Championship Tournament. There have been these less than honorable players since day one, I know who they are and I have a little less respect for them as a person than they might deserve, but in my mind, they do deserve it.
Until all pool players have INTEGRITY, there will always be a list of players who aren't allowed to play in certain divisions. Players with INTEGRITY put themselves where they belong. If everybody did that, we wouldn't need lists.
End of my rant...see you all next week...Ken
Mike B...I think we are thinking alike. A word comes to my mind whenever I see the signup for either of these State Tournaments where we both us Division. That word is INTEGRITY.
I see players that should be playing in the Masters Division (or Open 1/Intermediate), but because they have maybe never played in that particular tournament, can fly under the radar so to speak and enter in a lower division because they can. Heck, I saw a Master player once that won the IOMA Open Division...I bet he holds his chest out proudly!!!
It really makes me wonder how they really feel when they win or finish really high in that lower division. Are they proud of their accomplishment? Does it bother them at all that they just robbed some players in a State Championship Tournament. There have been these less than honorable players since day one, I know who they are and I have a little less respect for them as a person than they might deserve, but in my mind, they do deserve it.
Until all pool players have INTEGRITY, there will always be a list of players who aren't allowed to play in certain divisions. Players with INTEGRITY put themselves where they belong. If everybody did that, we wouldn't need lists.
End of my rant...see you all next week...Ken
Im in the Open 9-Ball and Level 1 8-Ball with the other champs. Should be fun and if it's not on Wednesday night and Thursday night I'll hang out at the strip joints and make it rain until my morning matches!
I don't have or see a problem with people who in their first time playing singles play in the open division and have a chance to win it. Everyone wants a chance to be a state champion.
Everyone said i was (stealing) in the intermidiate last year at vnea. I got 4th. So was a really stealing ?
In like 2003? maybe we went to BCA open team division with Me, Justin, CHance, Fenton and a couple others. We had no idea what to enter, and we pretty much smoked most the teams. Multiple teams complained. But wasnt it our right to be state champions one time ?
I could go on, but i am not in the mood. There will always be someone/team who is the best. Others will ALWAYS complain. No point in talking about it imho.
Everyone said i was (stealing) in the intermidiate last year at vnea. I got 4th. So was a really stealing ?
In like 2003? maybe we went to BCA open team division with Me, Justin, CHance, Fenton and a couple others. We had no idea what to enter, and we pretty much smoked most the teams. Multiple teams complained. But wasnt it our right to be state champions one time ?
I could go on, but i am not in the mood. There will always be someone/team who is the best. Others will ALWAYS complain. No point in talking about it imho.
I agree, complaining is the next best thing to winning. I would have preferred playing masters at valley. At least I wouldn't have felt i lost flipping coins. Do people really sit around all year conspiring what division to play in? This is my second year playing league and the state tourneys, and apparently I and others don't have the sign up handbook.
About ISPA:
It doesn't matter which division you play in. Winning is tough. It might be easier for me to win the masters getting spotted games than it is to win the open. I would only have to win about 6 matches in the masters or about 14 in the open.
The only difference I see is that playing in one of the tournaments would screw my team. This isn't APA league, where teams get broken up. This is suppose to be a better league.
Get rid of elite status!
It doesn't matter which division you play in. Winning is tough. It might be easier for me to win the masters getting spotted games than it is to win the open. I would only have to win about 6 matches in the masters or about 14 in the open.
The only difference I see is that playing in one of the tournaments would screw my team. This isn't APA league, where teams get broken up. This is suppose to be a better league.
Get rid of elite status!
If people haven't proven themselves in Iowa, what's the problem? Is it really an integrity issue if they haven't ever played in the ISPA state tourney before? I believe everyone should have a shot at working their way up through the ranks in each state. I can't believe that everyone is making such a big deal out this! Let people prove themselves and then they will be ranked accordingly. And yes, guys should feel good about themselves no matter what division they win!!!
By the way, who are you talking about in your rant?
A week left until it's on!!!
OK One pocket tourney this Saturday at Big Dogs. Here's the deal I am going to run brackets this time. You guessed it, that means I am cutting the field off at 16 players. People have requested brackets as of late and I will give that a go since people do not losing to the same person twice.
Since we are going to double elimination and we are paying 4 places I'd like people to buy in for $35. Assume Big Dogs will add in $50 or a $100, depends on how Randy is feeling that day but he's been good to us. Winner will get around $250 with a full tourney and no side pot. If we do a side pot again, winner will probably get about $400.
If $35 sounds high for an entry let me know, $25 has been what we have been doing with a rebuy so I figured an extra $10 would help cover the difference for less participation.
Since we are going to double elimination and we are paying 4 places I'd like people to buy in for $35. Assume Big Dogs will add in $50 or a $100, depends on how Randy is feeling that day but he's been good to us. Winner will get around $250 with a full tourney and no side pot. If we do a side pot again, winner will probably get about $400.
If $35 sounds high for an entry let me know, $25 has been what we have been doing with a rebuy so I figured an extra $10 would help cover the difference for less participation.
That is completely within the rules at Valley though.
I guess all I can say is if you play like a Master in Iowa, others agree that you are a Master in Iowa and especially if you know you are a Master in Iowa...you need to play in the Masters Division...no matter which Association you are considering.
I don't think anyone has a 'right' to win anything. You must earn it. But if you come into a tournament knowing you are the odds on favorite, you're probably stealing. If you aint getting away with it in your own league/town tournments, don't do it at State.
John, I wasn't targeting you specifically...but if the shoe fits....
L8R...Ken
I don't think anyone has a 'right' to win anything. You must earn it. But if you come into a tournament knowing you are the odds on favorite, you're probably stealing. If you aint getting away with it in your own league/town tournments, don't do it at State.
John, I wasn't targeting you specifically...but if the shoe fits....
L8R...Ken
OK, I'll see what I can do:thumbup:
But you might have to wear a diaper
L8R...Ken
Speaking of the pee wees ken, I noticed that there is a junior tourney on Sunday. My boys 9 and 11 will be with me for the teams. Is it open to anyone and is the first year you have had this?
The sad thing is, they did add a division below the open division!