What are the differences between TAP & APA leagues

Banks said:
No, it's usually because the top players spend so much time playing pool, they all smell so horribly. In an effort to reduce offensive odors, they limit "skill level". It encourages more boobs on the team, which contributes to a better all-around smell(usually). :thumbup:
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this guy...yeah, I like this guy.:thumbup:
 
poolguy4u said:
TAP League keeps score of every shot...every turn at the table.

TAP and APA are money leagues and your goal is to keep your handicap as low as possible and still win.

Depending what you want to do by shooting in a league will determine which league is best for you.

Can't wait until York gets into TAP League!:thumbup:
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you are the man.........
 
Banks said:
It encourages more boobs on the team, which contributes to a better all-around smell(usually). :thumbup:
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+1

Kevin have you played APA before? If not you will start out as a skill level 4 to begin. Have never played TAP so can't offer an opinion of that but I can't imagine the sandbagging aspect is all that much more prevalent in APA. I don't see much of it honestly. I know no one on our team does it. There are a few rules in APA that I hate. The closed break as was mentioned, slop counting etc
 
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JBB2388 said:
Thats absurd
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John,

Think your comment is absurd. The APA operator, like a TAP operator, buys the franchise. If someone came into MY territory and tried to start up a new league with MY players, I'd make that call as well. This is not personal, it's strictly business.

Lyn
 
TAP vs APA

Here are a few things that TAP differs from the APA. Please, I am not getting into a big pissing match either. Here is what I see are the main differences.

Yearly dues....TAP........$20....APA...$25

Team Pt Limits...TAP......25....APA...23

Call Pocket....TAP.......Slop....APA

Handicapping....TAP...Poolnet....APA...Equalizer

TAP has new score keeping apps for Ipad and Iphones and shortly for androids...APA ...pen and paper

Nationals....TAP moves their nationals to different locations such as Dallas (2014), New Orleans, Vegas, Chicago, Louisville, Orlando, Mrytle Beach and Charleston, S.C. and in 2015 Nashville......APA...Vegas

TAP is the only league that has a competition at Allen Hopkins SBE...APA...No presence

TAP nationals event formats...Round Robin...teams are guaranteed 4 rounds of play.....APA....Modified DE...Guaranteed only 2 rounds of play.

Poolnet offers features such as "Who is the Best?", team picture or host location logos and players personal stats at $0 extra cost to our members... ...Equalizer...None of these.

Here is a example of a snippet of the Who's the Best? module. Both below are from 1/1/14 to present.

Best Win Percentage - 8 ball on 7 foot for 6 HC
Name Member ID Territory State Win % Total Matches

ROBINSON, AUBREY 229270 Tap Las Vegas #87 NV 0.93 14
FIGUEROA, RODOLFO 229639 Riverside TAP #250 CA 0.86 7
CAJIGAS, SCOTT 214547 Long Island Suffolk TAP #292 NY 0.85 20
KRAMER, MIKE 216484 TAP West Georgia #283 GA 0.85 20
GROFF, GORDON 225073 Tap Las Vegas #87 NV 0.83 12
GIELLO, GENE 37460 Buddy's Billiards #36 PA 0.83 23
BLEVINS, JACK 10050 North Coast TAP #35 OH 0.83 24
HACKLEMAN, JOHN 224876 Sooner TAP #107 OK 0.83 30
MIDDLEHURST, SCOTT 190244 Ontario TAP #131 0.82 11

Here is part of a player's personal stats they can find on Poolnet. Players can look up how they do vs every handicap plus overall lifetime records.

Detailed Performance Against Handicap 4
Total Matches: 8
Matches W-L: 6-2 Games W-L: 35-14
Ball Count Ratio: 3.86
Success Rates: Shot: 81% Ball: 90%
LOT/Game: Self: 2.36 Opponent: 1.63
Match Closeness: 34% Player Aggressiveness: 80%
Eight on Break: 0 Break and Run: 0

In short...I could go on and on but let's face it...TAP due to the 25 pt. team limit has better competition. IMHO, the APA is a introductory or beginners league to league play. Not knocking it. It is what it is and serves a purpose. But we at TAP see once players get to the next level of play (don't get me wrong, there are good players in the APA but overall the skill level is lower than TAP) they tend to gravitate to TAP. I may be wrong on a few of the APA things I mentioned but I think I nailed most if not all on the nose.......TAP ON!

PS...POOLGUY4U....If you are in York, Pa. then we have a licensee in your area. Kelly Nace...Her email is kelly@keystonetap.com

PSS....To the guy with the Joss cues logo...It is not absurd. It happens. I have heard this many times over the years with TAP that they do this to their players. Play with them or your banned. I just heard about this happening in Texas where a player is now banned for 6 years because they played in TAP. I personally know of a player that walked into a APA event with a TAP shirt on and was told to either turn it inside out or leave...... Sad and stupid but true.
 
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Clearly my post was misunderstood. I don't doubt that this crap happened. I just feel it is pathetic that it did. I would love to have some other choices of local leagues to play in. The overall level of play in my league is comical and tedious. Unfortunately there are none close enough to make leaving the APA worthwhile.
 
I won't get into a pissing match either, because I don't practice pissing as much as some people so I'm no good at it. :wink:

My advice to the OP would be to talk to some people in each league and find out how much fun they have in league and what they think of their operator. A good operator can make any system fun for his/her customers, and at the end of the day why would you spend money on a recreational activity you don't enjoy?
 
APA Operator said:
I won't get into a pissing match either, because I don't practice pissing as much as some people so I'm no good at it. :wink:

My advice to the OP would be to talk to some people in each league and find out how much fun they have in league and what they think of their operator. A good operator can make any system fun for his/her customers, and at the end of the day why would you spend money on a recreational activity you don't enjoy?
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This is the correct answer.
 
Kevin,

Over the past five years or so I've played in APA, BCAPL, TAP, USAPL, ACS and VNEA leagues. Each one has something special to differentiate itself from the others. As other posters on this thread have said, play in both for a session or two. Get a feel for the format. Then decide. Honestly feel both leagues are more for social enjoyment than serious pool. JMHO. BCAPL, ACS and perhaps VNEA are for more serious players. Again JMHO. Too many people fixate on the National Championship trips and not the weekly play. If you enjoy the weekly play, go with it.

Lyn
 
Sam at TAP said:
Here are a few things that TAP differs from the APA. Please, I am not getting into a big pissing match either. Here is what I see are the main differences.

Yearly dues....TAP........$20....APA...$25

Team Pt Limits...TAP......25....APA...23

Call Pocket....TAP.......Slop....APA

Handicapping....TAP...Poolnet....APA...Equalizer

TAP has new score keeping apps for Ipad and Iphones and shortly for androids...APA ...pen and paper

Nationals....TAP moves their nationals to different locations such as Dallas (2014), New Orleans, Vegas, Chicago, Louisville, Orlando, Mrytle Beach and Charleston, S.C. and in 2015 Nashville......APA...Vegas

TAP is the only league that has a competition at Allen Hopkins SBE...APA...No presence

TAP nationals event formats...Round Robin...teams are guaranteed 4 rounds of play.....APA....Modified DE...Guaranteed only 2 rounds of play.

Poolnet offers features such as "Who is the Best?", team picture or host location logos and players personal stats at $0 extra cost to our members... ...Equalizer...None of these.

Here is a example of a snippet of the Who's the Best? module. Both below are from 1/1/14 to present.

Best Win Percentage - 8 ball on 7 foot for 6 HC
Name Member ID Territory State Win % Total Matches

ROBINSON, AUBREY 229270 Tap Las Vegas #87 NV 0.93 14
FIGUEROA, RODOLFO 229639 Riverside TAP #250 CA 0.86 7
CAJIGAS, SCOTT 214547 Long Island Suffolk TAP #292 NY 0.85 20
KRAMER, MIKE 216484 TAP West Georgia #283 GA 0.85 20
GROFF, GORDON 225073 Tap Las Vegas #87 NV 0.83 12
GIELLO, GENE 37460 Buddy's Billiards #36 PA 0.83 23
BLEVINS, JACK 10050 North Coast TAP #35 OH 0.83 24
HACKLEMAN, JOHN 224876 Sooner TAP #107 OK 0.83 30
MIDDLEHURST, SCOTT 190244 Ontario TAP #131 0.82 11

Here is part of a player's personal stats they can find on Poolnet. Players can look up how they do vs every handicap plus overall lifetime records.

Detailed Performance Against Handicap 4
Total Matches: 8
Matches W-L: 6-2 Games W-L: 35-14
Ball Count Ratio: 3.86
Success Rates: Shot: 81% Ball: 90%
LOT/Game: Self: 2.36 Opponent: 1.63
Match Closeness: 34% Player Aggressiveness: 80%
Eight on Break: 0 Break and Run: 0

In short...I could go on and on but let's face it...TAP due to the 25 pt. team limit has better competition. IMHO, the APA is a introductory or beginners league to league play. Not knocking it. It is what it is and serves a purpose. But we at TAP see once players get to the next level of play (don't get me wrong, there are good players in the APA but overall the skill level is lower than TAP) they tend to gravitate to TAP. I may be wrong on a few of the APA things I mentioned but I think I nailed most if not all on the nose.......TAP ON!

PS...POOLGUY4U....If you are in York, Pa. then we have a licensee in your area. Kelly Nace...Her email is kelly@keystonetap.com

PSS....To the guy with the Joss cues logo...It is not absurd. It happens. I have heard this many times over the years with TAP that they do this to their players. Play with them or your banned. I just heard about this happening in Texas where a player is now banned for 6 years because they played in TAP. I personally know of a player that walked into a APA event with a TAP shirt on and was told to either turn it inside out or leave...... Sad and stupid but true.
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:thumbup:


You left out one thing...if you have a team like Murphy's Law, you can win the Morgan Cup plus the Dream Team Event at Edison.

Total winnings=?????????????????:smile:
 
I've been playing apa for a few years now. The local league operator really determines whether or not the area will be good to play in. My previous LO's had frequent small tournaments and pretty good cash payouts. Now, since I've relocated the LO is the worst and is only concerned about how much cash he can put in his pockets.

Based on what I've seen and heard from others, join TAP.
 
ScottK said:
Short answer: Join TAP.

Longer answer:

In addition to the previously mentioned score keeping difference, where every ball and every shot are accounted for in TAP scoring, the main differences are these:

TAP is call shot while APA is slop.
TAP does not prohibit the use of a jump cue, nor any other cue which meets the World Standardized Rules as far as I'm aware.
TAP team handicap limit is 25 versus the "23-Rule" in APA.
TAP handicaps are also 2-7, but tend to run 1/2 to 1 lower than an APA handicap allowing the play of a much stronger 5 person line up.
TAP has an annual National Championship which takes place in a different city every year similar to the APA National Team Championships held annually in Las Vegas. However, if you do not qualify, you can assemble a Dream Team roster and attend to play in the Dream Team event. There is also a Dream Team event (8 ball and 9 ball) at the Super Billiards Expo every year. This is to say that twice a year you're eligible to attend a National level event in TAP. Singles competition in each handicap bracket is held as well.

You'll be frustrated with sandbaggers in either league, as you likely will in any handicapped format.
The only downside to TAP imho is the tedious nature of the score keeping.

That probably covers most of it, if I think of anything else, and no one covers it, I'll reply again later.
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I'd Agree, TAP is the way to go if you want to enjoy a players league. APA if you want to continously have to change your roster and split teams to stay under the handicap. Good luck keeping a group of friends together if you decide to play APA.
 
Thats true but......

Murphy's Law won neither. They won the 2nd board which is 1/2 the money at the Rally then the Elite board. That team is a built team for the Rally like all the other teams there. They never won the Morgan Cup...Better check your notes Poolguy4U
 
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i have never played tap so i cannot compare the leagues. i can comment on what has been touted on here though.

20.00 vs 25.00 ? if i gotta make a decision on one league vs the other over .04 cent a week.....well i must have a serious financial problem and don't need to be playing pool.

as far as the format goes. i prefer matching up in a race to your handicap. i have played bcapl and did not really care for round robin and playing for points. i have played in money leagues...too much drama and sandbaging. money turns friends into enemies.

i currently play on 2 apa teams and 2 napa teams a week. 2 entirely different leagues but i enjoy both equally. how can i enjoy both equally you ask.? several reasons but a couple are ...they both have dedicated lo's and i am a firm believer that you get out of a league what you put into it.

several factors on whether i play in a league or not.

1. ratio of ass holes to cool people. every league is gonna have ass holes. the fewer they are the more likely i am inclined to stay in it. money leagues are full of ass holes.

2. ratio of sand bagger to non sandbaggers. the fewer they are the more likely i will stay in it.

3. the rules and format. if there was a round robin league or a race format league i might play both...have done it before but i prefer a race format.

4. how dedicated the lo is.

last but not least ...it don't matter what the name of the organisation is . if it don;t meet my 4 criteria above i will not spend my money in it.
 
cardiac kid said:
John,

Think your comment is absurd. The APA operator, like a TAP operator, buys the franchise. If someone came into MY territory and tried to start up a new league with MY players, I'd make that call as well. This is not personal, it's strictly business.

Lyn
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its bad business.. It's like telling a guy if you buy at home depot don't every come back to lowes again. lol I highly doubt you would find that acceptable in any other business but a pool league that's fine? You don't tell a customer ANYTHING...You appreciate there business and try to give them the best bang for the buck so they return. I know the guy well who runs the tap leagues in harrisburg and carlisle and they tell know one who they can play for . They don't have to . They know they offer the players more so they don't need to threaten them..He flat out tells players if you want to play for me fine ...if you like apa play it. He feels he has a better product so no threats our necessary.
 
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