Men & Women competing against each other..?

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What are your opinions about Men & Women competing in handicap tournaments, against each other.
 
What are your opinions about Men & Women competing in handicap tournaments, against each other.

There is a lady who is an APA 7 that plays pretty well at my favorite spot. She can give wait to a lot of guys who are new to the game and developing. There are other women out there that can do the same.

Handicaps bother me in general because they punish good players and don't encourage weaker players. Its the same as barring somebody from a tournament because they keep winning it. I run a weekly 9 ball tournament that is getting really popular and I can't stand the idea of barring a friend who is a pro because he wins a lot. Meanwhile he is trying to make a living playing pool and gets knocked by a couple old guys who end up getting in the top 3 anyways!

In a short race a handicap does not belong. If we talk about longer races well then the issue of how skilled the women are comes into play. Vivian and Karen Korr could wipe the floor with a lot shortstops, especially if they had a handicap. Then you have to get into deciding whether or not all women get the same handicap. If they do, there is discrepancy, if they dont then you have to find a system to rank them. Those systems could be sandbagged or could rank someone inappropriately.

In short handicap tournaments based on age, gender, "skill level" or any other difference between people don't belong around the pro pool scene and should be left to leagues.

To me it has nothing to do with men vs. women or a gender equality thing at all.
 
What are your opinions about Men & Women competing in handicap tournaments, against each other.

That's crazy talk! Next they'll be mixing up bald and non-bald men, and that's only a step away from having those under 5'8" and those over being in the same tournament. As a short guy, playing against those that can reach shots is not fair at all.

Why would there be any issues with women playing with men in any tournament, handicapped or not? Only issue I'd have is giving a woman an advantage just because she's a woman.
 
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That's crazy talk! Next they'll be mixing up bald and non-bald men, and that's only a step away from having those under 5'8" and those over being in the same tournament. As a short guy, playing against those that can reach shots is not fair at all.

Why would there be any issues with women playing with men in any tournament, handicapped or not? Only issue I'd have is giving a woman an advantage just because she's a woman.

I didn't mean for it to come across as "CRAZY TALK", I was being serious. We play men & women tournaments, all the time, unless they are big tournaments & then it's split up.

Myself, I ask why..?
 
Why Handicap? Either you have game or you don't. Gender shouldn't be a factor....

That's the same way I feel. I hate handicaps...taking them or giving them. I prefer to win outright. If you win, so be it...you played better than me.

What's the problem?
 
I didn't mean for it to come across as "CRAZY TALK", I was being serious. We play men & women tournaments, all the time, unless they are big tournaments & then it's split up.

Myself, I ask why..?

I don't know of any tournaments that are men only, unless the event also has a women only tournament at the same time. Even then in some cases the women are OK to play in the men's event, but not vice versa. Our league for example has a women's league but no men only league.

I think we all know why that is.
 
That's the same way I feel. I hate handicaps...taking them or giving them. I prefer to win outright. If you win, so be it...you played better than me.

What's the problem?

"Hey Grady,...Up your ass with the spot!"... One of my favorite lines..:smile:
 
Back in about 2006 I promoted a Pool Challenge, "King v Queen of Pool" in Shanghai which featured Pan Xiao Ting v Ralf Souquet, both arguably the best of each gender at the time.

It was broadcast about 3 hours delay Friday prime time on Shanghai Sports Channel in prime time and later around the country to an estimated 2 million viewers.

Initially the concept was to give Pan Xiao Ting a 6 frame handicap but she refused it and played off scratch. The final score was 15-9 or 15-8 as I recall, in Ralf's favor.

If she'd have taken the 6 frame head start, Ralf may have been under considerable pressure, but it was more about a demo than a real challenge, there was no bonus for winning above pride.

Pan has gone on to be a national celebrity in China. Lovely girl and nice family. She owns several pool rooms around Shanghai these days as I understand.
 
I have no problem with women playing guys I play a tournament on Sundays and women are welcome we don't play any kind of handicap . half the time the guys are to busy checking the lady's out they cant concentrate to shoot. the ladys don't usually win but I have yet to hear one complain about not having a handicap. heck ive seen women that can ream some of the guys a new A Hole.
 
men and women can compete on an level playing field

What are your opinions about Men & Women competing in handicap tournaments, against each other.

The biggest viewing audience ESPN ever had was 'The Battle of the Sexes' between the World Champion Lady vs the World Champion Man.

A reported 2.8 million people tuned in for this broadcast, so it was certainly a hit on TV.

This is one of the greatest features of pocket billiards, men and women can compete on an level playing field, and both have a chance to win.
 
The biggest viewing audience ESPN ever had was 'The Battle of the Sexes' between the World Champion Lady vs the World Champion Man.

A reported 2.8 million people tuned in for this broadcast, so it was certainly a hit on TV.

This is one of the greatest features of pocket billiards, men and women can compete on an level playing field, and both have a chance to win.

According to Neilson, the largest ESPN viewing audience happened last January for the college football championship. Estimated audience was 28.2 million.
 
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