Your opinion on this handicapping system.

inside_english

inside_english

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Played in a local 9B handicapped tournament yesterday.
Players are rated as AA, A, B, C, D and E being the lowest rank.

If there is a one-letter difference, the lower ranked players gets 1 game on the wire going to 7 (these are on bar boxes).

Two-letter difference = 7-ball and two games.
Three-letter difference = 6-ball and three games.
Four-letter difference = 5-ball and three games.

Seems like a huge drop between a 1-letter and a 2-letter difference to me.

To go from just a one game spot to the 7B and two games seems inequitable.
 
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Definitely seems like a huge drop, but it probably keeps the better players from being completely dominant (although I bet they will still find a way to win).
 
These tournaments are never fair, and they are spreading like a DISEASE. I think they are ruining pool.
 
inside_english said:
Played in a local 9B handicapped tournament yesterday.
Players are rated fas AA, A, B, C, D and E being the lowest rank.

If there is a one-letter difference, the lower ranked players gets 1 game on the wire going to 7 (these are on bar boxes).

Two-letter difference = 7-ball and two games.
Three-letter difference = 6-ball and three games.
Four-letter difference = 5-ball and three games.

Seems like a huge drop between a 1-letter and a 2-letter difference to me.

To go from just a one game spot to the 7B and two games seems inequitable.
Click to expand...

I agree. Handicap systems like this never work for very long.

Roger
 
joe76195 said:
These tournaments are never fair, and they are spreading like a DISEASE. I think they are ruining pool.
Click to expand...

Again, I agree. If anyone ever did come up with a really fair handicapping system, someone else would just come along and figure out a way to make it unfair again.

Roger
 
handicaps

i personally dont liky any kind of ball spot in any game and much prefer games on the wire in a handicapped event.
 
inside_english said:
Played in a local 9B handicapped tournament yesterday.
Players are rated fas AA, A, B, C, D and E being the lowest rank.

If there is a one-letter difference, the lower ranked players gets 1 game on the wire going to 7 (these are on bar boxes).

Two-letter difference = 7-ball and two games.
Three-letter difference = 6-ball and three games.
Four-letter difference = 5-ball and three games.

Seems like a huge drop between a 1-letter and a 2-letter difference to me.

To go from just a one game spot to the 7B and two games seems inequitable.
Click to expand...

Sounds a bit harsh, especially that 1st drop to 2 letters. And on a bar table?

Our weekly tournament has 4 levels: the top level goes to 6 games, next goes to 5, next goes to 4 and the last goes to 3. You spot your opponent accordingly. It has been going strong for a few years now. The owner also has a top-chick prize to help encourage our women to play.

I played in a weekly tournament in San Diego once years ago (College Billiards) where they only spotted ball/break weight that seemed to go well.

I think double dipping the handicaps are goofy, but if they are getting a bunch of people to play each week...the people have spoken.

I agree with the majority that handicapped tourneys are always a problem.
 
I also agree that handicapped systems can be problematic for a lot of reasons (which have probably been discussed on these boards many times).

I also know that there probably won't be a system developed that will treat everyone fairly all of the time. (APA-lovers, no comments please, LOL)

Sure there will be whiners, sandbaggers and the like, but I was just asking about the huge drop-off.

This system exists in this particular area for a couple of reasons.

1. A few of the locals will NOT play in any heads-up tournament.
2. The spots have to be huge for them to feel they "have a chance".

So, like most handicapped events, the better players "get punished" for being good.

Basically, the better players have to play their best while the weaker players just need to play good enough to their spot to win.

Is it good for business? Sure...it keeps more people participating...but it is bad for pool in that the weaker players never try to improve...they just whine for more weight if they lose with the already-huge spot!

But the bottom line is always money.

As a room-owner, I will not care about the players improving their abilities (especially since some of them have been playing the same poor pool for 20+ years). I will only be concerned with the head count, and how much I am going to make in concessions.

I only played in this event twice because it is run by a friend of mine, and I am rated as a B...but giving people the 7 and two games in a race to 7, AND they get lucky, even as a D player, is tough to outrun!

Anyway, no real point to this, just using up my lunch hour (yes, I get an hour for lunch!)
 
handicap

I used to play in a weekly 9 ball tournament that had a house handicap similar to that.

I played as a B and when I played a AAA I got the 5,6,7,8,9 and one game in a race to 7.

I usually only won 1 or 2 games.

Damn those guys were good!

Eventually the players dwindled from 30 to about 8. So the house banned all players above an A and the weaker players came back.

Too bad because I liked watching those AA and AAA players......WOW

(watching them beat me)

Kim
 
Nine ball league I play in uses a handicap system by Bob Jewett. It is all games on the wire based on the difference of skill levels. What was noted by some posters is true for this as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Tony_in_MD said:
Nine ball league I play in uses a handicap system by Bob Jewett. It is all games on the wire based on the difference of skill levels. What was noted by some posters is true for this as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
I am in MD too. Where is this tournament? PM me if you want.
 
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