What's the best strategy for APA/CPA "points" 9-ball?

[DAVE_M]

APA 9-ball starts tonight. I figured it would be something fun to do every hump day.

I'm a C+ player, maybe a B player depending on who's judging. I've beaten the 9-ball ghost and 10-ball ghost on Diamond barbox's plenty (races to 7), but that's not using this wacky points system the APA/CPA uses.

I know 1-8 is worth 1 point and the 9 is worth 2 points, but what happens if I snap the 9? I only get 2 points? Would it be smarter to play aggressive or should I just punt balls around till I can get a run?

I think they start me as a 4 (I've never played APA 9-ball); How many "points" do I need to run to win?

 

[ctyhntr]

Starting off as a SL 4, you need to make 31 points before your opponent make his/her numbers.

This was my first season of APA 9-ball, and sharing my experience. To me, the outcome of each match contributes to 3 factors.

Factor 1;, your individual win/loss ratio.

Factor 2; How well your team perform that night. Your team can win up to 100 points each night, or 20 points per match. Depending on the margin of win/loss in your match, the 20 points will be divided accordingly. So, you can have a situation where your team loss 3 matches and won 2. However, you may still come ahead if your two wins are total blow-outs (20-0, 20-0) and the three are hill hills.

 

[DAVE_M]

Starting off as a SL 4, you need to make 31 points before your opponent make his/her numbers.

So hypothetically speaking, If I break and run 3 racks and get 30 points. The next rack I could make some balls on the break and I win?

In other words, I don't have to make the 9 to win? I'm going to be so confused.

 

[justadub]

It's not that difficult. Don't worry about the 9 specifically, tho its worth 2 points.

Make balls. Run balls. Hit your number before your opponent, you win.

Now then, that having been said, some differences that may help. As we've pointed out, the 9 isn't critical, so don't go riding the 9 any chance you get. If you have a chance for an early 9, and you don't like the layout of the table, take it. But if the table looks like an easy run, I don't take the 9, but take the run as far as I can. Basic math there, even I can do it.

Don't scratch on the break! Keep your break under control. If you are playing a lower Skill Level player, giving them ball in hand with an open table is gonna kill you, even if they can't run many. Ball in hand is the killer, especially lower skill level players, since they don't need many points. Giving them an easy one or two hurts, a lot.

Other than that, its much the same, take what you think you can make or hide.

I really enjoy it. Give it a chance, and good luck!

 

[DAVE_M]

That's the advice I was looking for! (It won't let me give you more greenies! lol)

 

[LuckyStroke]

Get on the break and stay on the break. If you can run racks like you say a controlled break that makes a ball and controls the one ball is your best friend.

 

[ctyhntr]

Let's say in all three racks you made every ball but consistently miss the 9. I make the 9 in all three games but come up dry on the breaks. In APA scoring going into the 4th rack, my total is 6 while you have accumulated 24 points. 9-ball is worth 2 points and the break. As a player who can run out, you really don't care about the 2 points potting the 9 as the break is potentially worth far more.

So hypothetically speaking, If I break and run 3 racks and get 30 points. The next rack I could make some balls on the break and I win?

In other words, I don't have to make the 9 to win? I'm going to be so confused.

 

[DAVE_M]

Let's say in all three racks you made every ball but consistently miss the 9. I make the 9 in all three games but come up dry on the breaks. In APA scoring going into the 4th rack, my total is 6 while you have accumulated 24 points.

Oh hell lol :yikes:

 

[pogmothoin]

If you run three racks you won't be a 4 next week that's for sure! Before long you'll be a 9 and never be able to play because your team won't make the "23" rule. Welcome to the APA, lol.

 

[1shot]

Points

Hey Dave-M

The one thing that matters are points at the end of your match!

There is a total of 20 points that can be won on each match that your team

plays based on the final score of each match.

Your most important job during your match will be keeping the other person

from making balls for example if you were lets say playing a 3 and they

only made 4 balls (the 2 through the 5 or say the 3,4 & 9 which adds up to 4)

during the match you now look at a chart that is on the score sheet and

based on the final ball count of 31 to 4 you just won 20 to 0 so you see

it is more important to control the table than anything.


Hope this may help! Take Care C.D.

 

[DAVE_M]

If you run three racks you won't be a 4 next week that's for sure! Before long you'll be a 9 and never be able to play because your team won't make the "23" rule. Welcome to the APA, lol.

My team is actually expecting me to be around a 7 or higher. I'm in it for fun. With my work schedule and current living conditions, I can't make Vegas or the Regional events.

I've played in cash leagues and it was nothing but arguing and bickering. The APA is still the typical league atmosphere, but there's a lesser group of the crazies.

Hey Dave-M

The one thing that matters are points at the end of your match!

There is a total of 20 points that can be won on each match that your team

plays based on the final score of each match.

Your most important job during your match will be keeping the other person

from making balls for example if you were lets say playing a 3 and they

only made 4 balls (the 2 through the 5 or say the 3,4 & 9 which adds up to 4)

during the match you now look at a chart that is on the score sheet and

based on the final ball count of 31 to 4 you just won 20 to 0 so you see

it is more important to control the table than anything.


Hope this may help! Take Care C.D.

I gotcha. So if I won say 31 to 15, that isn't the actual number of points my team gets?

 

[ctyhntr]

Let's say you played me. SL4, 15, you SL 4, 31

According to the score sheet, look at the first column for my skill level (SL4). Then look across for 15 points (box with 15-18), then go up and that should tell you how to score the match (16 you, 4 me). The points always add to 20, and 100 points for both teams.

Not sure if your league operator awards 'bonus points'. That 'smooths' out the teams to keep it close going into the playoffs.

I'm co-captain of my APA 8-ball and 9-ball team, and its alot of paperwork compared to my BCA league experience.

My team is actually expecting me to be around a 7 or higher. I'm in it for fun. With my work schedule and current living conditions, I can't make Vegas or the Regional events.

I've played in cash leagues and it was nothing but arguing and bickering. The APA is still the typical league atmosphere, but there's a lesser group of the crazies.



I gotcha. So if I won say 31 to 15, that isn't the actual number of points my team gets?

 

[uwate]

in my own personal experience with apa 9ball, I have found that any level of player can be taught to learn key defensive shots. Any safety that leads to ball in hand is as powerful as running some balls. Most players do not play defensive 9ball and in apa especially, this is punished heavily. I had a team that went to nationals and got 33rd. Really we should have done better except the capt who was a 6 and had to sit in order to play the 9 all cities and all nationals finally got a head of steam from jack daniels and called himself and got beat 17-3. This team had two 2s and two 3s and all of them had been taught stop ball shots and how to follow up behind balls. We were playing a team one match and my player had an open shot to cut a ball into the corner but was not going to be able to get down table to have any kind of shot on the next ball. So I called timeout and had her instead shoot the object ball two rails down table and stop right there with the cueball which left a natural snooker. The other team capt said why didnt you let her shoot that shot. I said...watch and see...the other teams 2 misses the kick and my 2 runs 3 balls that were all near each other down table together.

One thing you can do is practice how to roll up onto balls and lag the object ball down table. Then after you start to become more comfortable with the direction the cueball takes with just follow and lagging speed, try increasing the difficulty and practice stunning sideways and forward behind balls. This type of shot drives the ball out of an area with some speed usually but its extremely useful type of shot.

Another key defensive shot is when the object lays on the side rail and you have a bank into the corner or side. Practice the safety to get the object ball downtable to the middle of the end rail. Another is when the object lays on the top or bottom rail towards the middle of the rail and you have a steep thin cut on the ball. You can cross over the face of the ball and drive it one rail downtable to the other parallel top or bottom rail near the middle. That shot in particular is foreign to most players and it needs to be practiced, but it comes up alot.

Higher level 9 v 9 type matches are usually won by the player that controls the table the best. Its defensive that matter most imo with apa since all the balls are worth about the same with the 9s value most being in that you get to break next.

 

[1shot]

Score vs Points

Dave

The 31 to 15 would be the score of your match or ball count if you like.


Now with the chart that ctyhntr posted (which is on the score sheet)

You find the losers handicap which in your case would be a SL 3 and

then go to the right until you find there score which in this case was 15

and then look at the top of the chart and you will see what the point spread

would be which in this case would be 15 to 5 and you won the match

15 points to there 5 points.


With all of that said I will say again the most important thing you can ever do

is keep the other person from making balls!!!!! C.D.

 

[DAVE_M]

Dave

The 31 to 15 would be the score of your match or ball count if you like.


Now with the chart that ctyhntr posted (which is on the score sheet)

You find the losers handicap which in your case would be a SL 3 and

then go to the right until you find there score which in this case was 15

and then look at the top of the chart and you will see what the point spread

would be which in this case would be 15 to 5 and you won the match

15 points to there 5 points.


With all of that said I will say again the most important thing you can ever do

is keep the other person from making balls!!!!! C.D.

I got it now, thanks!!! When I first looked at the chart, I was a bit confused. I'll post up tonight how it goes!

 

[Celophanewrap]

From what I have seen the biggest adjustment that a player has to make is not to give too much significance to the 9 ball. For instance after the break it's your shot and you see a nice 1-9 combo, or you can play a safe and get ball in hand and generate a run. While the 1-9 is nice it only gets you 2 points, the safe and the run can get you a possible 10 points if you run out. But even if you only make a 3 ball run you're still ahead of where you'd be if you had played the 1-9. Reasonably few people in the APA or few locations that the APA plays in can facilitate a nice tight proper rack, you know - bar tables, and the added disadvantage of having the break is there is no push out. So the break is iffy at best. Making the 9 only gets you the break, it doesn't necessarily mean you've won the rack

 

[mcsock]

If you run three racks you won't be a 4 next week that's for sure! Before long you'll be a 9 and never be able to play because your team won't make the "23" rule. Welcome to the APA, lol.

I play on 2 APA teams both with 9s. They get as many matches at most of the other 4+ players on the team. But the 1s and 2s seem to play the most because of the 23 rule.

 

[mcsock]

From what I have seen the biggest adjustment that a player has to make is not to give too much significance to the 9 ball. For instance after the break it's your shot and you see a nice 1-9 combo, or you can play a safe and get ball in hand and generate a run. While the 1-9 is nice it only gets you 2 points, the safe and the run can get you a possible 10 points if you run out. But even if you only make a 3 ball run you're still ahead of where you'd be if you had played the 1-9. Reasonably few people in the APA or few locations that the APA plays in can facilitate a nice tight proper rack, you know - bar tables, and the added disadvantage of having the break is there is no push out. So the break is iffy at best. Making the 9 only gets you the break, it doesn't necessarily mean you've won the rack

Just my view on it. Pocket the 9 out of rotation really is a 3-4 pt shot as long as I dont get a dry break. So usually worth taking the shot if it is a high percentage shot or there is not a blind man run of 3-5 balls sitting on the table. But both of my APA leagues are on 9 ft. tables not bar boxes and I do check the racks before break.

 

[DAVE_M]

From what I have seen the biggest adjustment that a player has to make is not to give too much significance to the 9 ball. For instance after the break it's your shot and you see a nice 1-9 combo, or you can play a safe and get ball in hand and generate a run. While the 1-9 is nice it only gets you 2 points, the safe and the run can get you a possible 10 points if you run out. But even if you only make a 3 ball run you're still ahead of where you'd be if you had played the 1-9. Reasonably few people in the APA or few locations that the APA plays in can facilitate a nice tight proper rack, you know - bar tables, and the added disadvantage of having the break is there is no push out. So the break is iffy at best. Making the 9 only gets you the break, it doesn't necessarily mean you've won the rack

Everywhere our division plays, this session, has a Diamond 7ft Smart Table. Getting a tight rack isn't too bad, but I'm a stickler and will check it in front of my opponent.

 

[lorider]

i have to agree with the posters about playing defense and controlling the table.

i have a friend of mine who used to play on my team always tell me if you cannot run out ....play defense.

i said yea ok but never took his advice.

well in the cities this past year he put on a clinic on how to play defense and control the table.

we are down and need an 18-2 score to win.

he is a 7 and played a good 5.

rack after rack he would run a few and play safe. 17 innings later he was up 60-1 against what i thought was a darn good 5 and the 5 just said fvck it and unscrewed his cue..

you would not believe the hell raising and complaining to the lo that my player was not a 7 and a few comments that he should not even be allowed to play apa because he was so good. need less to say he was raised to an 8 before his next match.

that match opened my eyes to the value of playing good safes.. now i don't have the cueball control i would like to have but since i started playing more safes not only has my win % went up but also my scores .

3 times this session i have won score by 18-2 against players who ...if i did win i only won by 12-8 or so before.