how are ya'll doing in league ?

[The_JV]

According to the letter our league operators have no issues with any apa players joining other leagues and have no problem with members playing on more than one league simultaneously.

How gracious of the league operators to allow their members to spend their free time as they will...lol

However....our league owners will not allow competing league owners to play apa.

I know non-union contractors would never allow a card carrying union member to be on their crews. I'm sure the same logic is implied here. They simply don't want other LOs actively presenting options to their members.

 

[The_JV]

I've hit the next wall in my summer league of "Lefty".

Took about 15 games, but I now can address a ball left handed like I do with my right. Stroke is about 60% of the way there. Still a small amount of chicken wing in my stroke. However I've reached the point where I'm trying to work the CB rather than roll through every shot. This is hurting my short term play. Nightly scores still suck but I don't have the comic relief of the brutal form to keep me entertained.

Next couple of weeks will be the real test of my fortitude....lol

 

[Justaneng]

NOLA qualifier in Biloxi, 5 victories needed to go to Vegas in APA "9-ball".

Our home tables: Diamonds with Simonis cloth, Tournament tables: Valley bar boxes with Championship cloth.

Round 1: Got lucky, the other team didn't show up (they have 3 SL-6's and were worried about going into handicap hell).

Round 2 (9AM): Our team has available 6/5/4/4/3/3 (I'm the 5), the other team has available two 6's and enough 3's and 2's that they can play them both. They throw a 6. Initially our captain wants to throw our 6, so I offer to go make a coffee run for the team. While I'm in line, he changes his mind and puts me up so I hurry back to the table. We both miss a few shots early that are within our skill levels, but eventually I claw back to a handicap assisted victory giving our team a 12-8 lead. Using a lineup of 6/5/4/3/3 we eek out a win in sudden death to move on. We played our strong 4 and sat the weak 4.

Round 3 (7PM). Similar setup with the other team having 2 SL-6's available. They throw an SL-6 first and I get put up. I shoot really well and beat him outright putting us up 15-5. Our captain takes the opportunity to give the weak 4 a chance to shoot. The weaker 4 loses 14-6 but we're still up. Our next 2 players win 12-8, giving us a 10 point lead going into sudden death on the 5th match. They throw a strong 4, we counter with our 6 (a questionable move since we still had a strong 3 on the bench who would have only needed a few balls). Their 4 breaks and runs to the 7, so already he has nearly half the points he needed. Our 6 eventually claws back and needs 4 balls to win [he needed to get to 28 before his opponent got to 31, since a 15-5 loss for us is still a win]. He comes to the scorers table and we tell him he needs 4 more.

Out guy sinks the 4,5, and 6 gets down on the 7 ball (the last ball he needs), and rattles it trying to 3-rail power follow for shape on the 8 which was tied up on the head rail. The opponent shoots, makes the 7 but misses on the 8, leaving our guy set up reasonably well (especially for a Valley when we normally shoot diamonds). However, you can see the nerves set in and he breaks his pre-shot routine - rattling the 8 out. The other guy makes the 8 and 9 giving them the win. Eventually - the other team wins out and got the Vegas bid....

...so, technically I'm claiming we came in 2nd.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I've hit the next wall in my summer league of "Lefty".

Took about 15 games, but I now can address a ball left handed like I do with my right. Stroke is about 60% of the way there. Still a small amount of chicken wing in my stroke. However I've reached the point where I'm trying to work the CB rather than roll through every shot. This is hurting my short term play. Nightly scores still suck but I don't have the comic relief of the brutal form to keep me entertained.

Next couple of weeks will be the real test of my fortitude....lol

How’s your break? I thought about doing the lefty thing before, but my break would be horrendous.

 

[lorider]

Why not? Get it off your chest. Might get some decent advice. That happens here sometimes.

Besides, being retired and all I guarantee you I will read your post from start to finish.

Well since you asked for it first a disclaimer. This is not about apa...the league operators or the equalizer system. This is strictly about pool players and their morals....or lack thereof.

I get to league last night and have a former player of mine come up and say ...i want to thank you for beating the crap out of me 2 weeks ago and knocking me back down to a 4. I say ...what ??. Now this is a player that i kicked off my team the second week of last session due to drama from her and her friends. It was nothing to do with any ones handicap or playing ability..

She rose to a 5 the first week. Last session after having a couple outstanding sessions prior. She came in 2 nd in mvp 4 sessions ago and came in first 3 sessions ago with a 9-1 record. She was bragging to every one about being raised to a 5.

Now she is thanking me for her being lowered. ?? After getting home i looked up her record for the last 2 sessions. 5-5 last session and 1-4 this session. I cant help but think her new captain has a lot to do with her new attitude and her unbelievable drop in her win percentage since she joined that team.

I faced a 4 last night in 8 ball that was a 5 the last time i played her a year or so ago i believe. Damn near lost but i managed to pull out a hill - hill win. A 4 huh ? Didnt play like one last night.

Now on to this womans husband. A 3 ? He Has beat my 3 by 2-0 both times he faced her this session. Now i know we all have good nights and bad nights. Everything from work issues to family issues to finacial issues can affect anyones game on any given night. However if you have spent 13 years coaching 3 's...playing against 3 's....keeping score and watching 3 's you can definitely tell what a 3 is and what a 3 is not . this guy is not a 3.

I really believe in the equalizer system but far too many people seem to care less if the scoresheet is filled out properly. I even had my 7/8 who was keeping score of my match one night fail to mark at least 6 safes my opponent played that night. He obviously knows what a safe is but you cant mark it if you are not watching the match.

Believe me ...i let him know i was not happy that night.

Now the kicker... I have a new player who joined my team last week. Not new to apa though as he plays on another night also. I started to throw him in 9 ball last night and thankfully i looked at the handicaps. He was raised to a 5 ? Wth ?

He is a 3 in 8 ball and just a bad of a 3 as the 3 i am always complaining about on here . how the hell is he a 5 in 9 ball ??. He lost 2 -0 to another 3 in 8 ball last night and i know i had a dumbfounded look on my face many times while keeping score of his match.

With him raised to a 5 i cannot play my 8 in 9 ball anymore. I am going to have to go back to playing 9 ball and i know its going to kill my team

I am 0-3 in 9 ball but still kicking butt in 8 ball at 7-0. Now one lil last rant. Won 8 ball mvp 2 sessions ago with a 12-1 record.and did great last session but not positive what the record was. 7-0 so far this session but yet everytime i get in a singles qualifier i get the crap beat outa me. Whats up with that. ?

 

[Maniac]

I am 0-3 in 9 ball but still kicking butt in 8 ball at 7-0. Now one lil last rant. Won 8 ball mvp 2 sessions ago with a 12-1 record.and did great last session but not positive what the record was. 7-0 so far this session but yet everytime i get in a singles qualifier i get the crap beat outa me. Whats up with that. ?

Sounds to me like you need to be raised a skill level in 8-ball since you are steamrolling over the league. But....I don't know all of the circumstances of your or your opponent's playing.

 

[lorider]

Sounds to me like you need to be raised a skill level in 8-ball since you are steamrolling over the league. But....I don't know all of the circumstances of your or your opponent's playing.

Actually i am surprised i have not been raised in 8 ball and i would not object if i was . i guess steamrolled is not quite an accurate description as far as scores go because several went hill -hill such as last night. . i more or less was refering to going undefeated so far.

By the same token i am surprised i have not been lowered in 9 ball after losiing the last 3 matches in a row by scores of 1e-7 to a 3. 14-6 to a 4 and 18-2 to a 6. I know thsy go by your best 10 out of your last 20 or somethimg like that but my 9 ball game has really sucked for the last 3 sessions and i am still a 6.

 

[Justaneng]

“He is a 3 in 8 ball and just a bad of a 3 as the 3 i am always complaining about on here . how the hell is he a 5 in 9 ball ??. He lost 2 -0 to another 3 in 8 ball last night and i know i had a dumbfounded look on my face many times while keeping score of his match”

After my first week in double jeopardy in after being out of leagues for 15 years they had me as an SL-6 in 7-ball and an SL-2 in 9-ball. Looking around and based on prior league experience I should have come in around a high-4, low-5 in both. Among my first APA 9-ball match highlights, I executed a push out, giving the other player BIH, which was an interesting way to get introduced to that particular APA rule.

For the next few weeks I was held out of 8-ball while they looked up my 2007 stats and got dropped to a 4 (now back up to a 5).

For 9-ball that next week I had to apologize to the guy I played. I don’t sandbag and our captain took the opportunity to throw off against an opposing 5. As an SL-2 I went 19-1 on him.

 

[hang-the-9]

The more I read about league handicaps the more I think they need to burn them all and start over with administrating lie detector tests before every match. If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin seems to be the law in them.

 

[Chili Palmer]

Well since you asked for it first a disclaimer. This is not about apa...the league operators or the equalizer system. This is strictly about pool players and their morals....or lack thereof.

I get to league last night and have a former player of mine come up and say ...i want to thank you for beating the crap out of me 2 weeks ago and knocking me back down to a 4. I say ...what ??. Now this is a player that i kicked off my team the second week of last session due to drama from her and her friends. It was nothing to do with any ones handicap or playing ability..

She rose to a 5 the first week. Last session after having a couple outstanding sessions prior. She came in 2 nd in mvp 4 sessions ago and came in first 3 sessions ago with a 9-1 record. She was bragging to every one about being raised to a 5.

Now she is thanking me for her being lowered. ?? After getting home i looked up her record for the last 2 sessions. 5-5 last session and 1-4 this session. I cant help but think her new captain has a lot to do with her new attitude and her unbelievable drop in her win percentage since she joined that team.

I faced a 4 last night in 8 ball that was a 5 the last time i played her a year or so ago i believe. Damn near lost but i managed to pull out a hill - hill win. A 4 huh ? Didnt play like one last night.

Now on to this womans husband. A 3 ? He Has beat my 3 by 2-0 both times he faced her this session. Now i know we all have good nights and bad nights. Everything from work issues to family issues to finacial issues can affect anyones game on any given night. However if you have spent 13 years coaching 3 's...playing against 3 's....keeping score and watching 3 's you can definitely tell what a 3 is and what a 3 is not . this guy is not a 3.

I really believe in the equalizer system but far too many people seem to care less if the scoresheet is filled out properly. I even had my 7/8 who was keeping score of my match one night fail to mark at least 6 safes my opponent played that night. He obviously knows what a safe is but you cant mark it if you are not watching the match.

Believe me ...i let him know i was not happy that night.

Now the kicker... I have a new player who joined my team last week. Not new to apa though as he plays on another night also. I started to throw him in 9 ball last night and thankfully i looked at the handicaps. He was raised to a 5 ? Wth ?

He is a 3 in 8 ball and just a bad of a 3 as the 3 i am always complaining about on here . how the hell is he a 5 in 9 ball ??. He lost 2 -0 to another 3 in 8 ball last night and i know i had a dumbfounded look on my face many times while keeping score of his match.

With him raised to a 5 i cannot play my 8 in 9 ball anymore. I am going to have to go back to playing 9 ball and i know its going to kill my team

I am 0-3 in 9 ball but still kicking butt in 8 ball at 7-0. Now one lil last rant. Won 8 ball mvp 2 sessions ago with a 12-1 record.and did great last session but not positive what the record was. 7-0 so far this session but yet everytime i get in a singles qualifier i get the crap beat outa me. Whats up with that. ?

I haven't seen him play, nor do I have any skin in this game, but, if you take a look at the chart, there is really only one level separating an SL 3 in 8B and an SL5 in 9B. It could be construed differently but in the end, the rankings aren't that too far apart. People have different skills in different games (your records in 8B and 9B clearly show that).

Point being, just because he's a 3 in 8B doesn't mean he's not a 5 in 9B.

Again, no skin in the game and I haven't seen him (or you) play, just realize the two rankings aren't that far apart in the real world.

 

[The_JV]

How’s your break? I thought about doing the lefty thing before, but my break would be horrendous.

oh no... no breaking with my left....lol. I can hardly break with my correct hand..

Maybe if I ever really develop something similar to a solid stroke, but that's not in the cards anytime soon.

The goal wasn't to completely learn to play the game with my left. Only have the alternate hand available for those awkward shots that happen on rare occurrences. Figured the only way I'd ever build up some efficiency with the off hand was to force myself to play in game shots with it, and without falling on the right hand crutch.

 

[Justaneng]

I haven't seen him play, nor do I have any skin in this game, but, if you take a look at the chart, there is really only one level separating an SL 3 in 8B and an SL5 in 9B. It could be construed differently but in the end, the rankings aren't that too far apart. People have different skills in different games (your records in 8B and 9B clearly show that).

Point being, just because he's a 3 in 8B doesn't mean he's not a 5 in 9B.

Again, no skin in the game and I haven't seen him (or you) play, just realize the two rankings aren't that far apart in the real world.

For established players I haven't seen anyone more than 1SL apart in 8/9 ball (unless it's a 6/8 or 7/9 type scenario). I suppose a 3/5 could happen if someone is a real straight shooter, however has no pattern play ability whatsoever, so they make bad decision after bad decision in 8-ball. A player like that can oust a 5 with a more powerful break that opens up the balls and leaves plenty of open shots, but lose to a 2 where the game ends up being a strategy game since 9 balls are still tied up in the rack area resulting in 10 inning games.

But if this SL3 is intentionally playing the multi-rail position in 9-ball and varying shot speed based on needs, they probably aren't a 3.

 

[Maniac]

For established players I haven't seen anyone more than 1SL apart in 8/9 ball (unless it's a 6/8 or 7/9 type scenario). I suppose a 3/5 could happen if someone is a real straight shooter, however has no pattern play ability whatsoever, so they make bad decision after bad decision in 8-ball. A player like that can oust a 5 with a more powerful break that opens up the balls and leaves plenty of open shots, but lose to a 2 where the game ends up being a strategy game since 9 balls are still tied up in the rack area resulting in 10 inning games.

But if this SL3 is intentionally playing the multi-rail position in 9-ball and varying shot speed based on needs, they probably aren't a 3.

The only way to accurately gauge an APA players skill level is to 1.) Have ample experience/years playing in the league. 2.) Take notice of the amount of pool knowledge the player has. 3.) Watch their basic stroking fundamentals. 4.) Notice things like if they decide to bank a cuttable ball or shoot a hard combo instead of playing safe. 5.) Their safety game in general. And 6.) Their ability to "read" the playability of the table. There are probably more, but this is all my tired 'ol brain could come up with at this time.

I've been doing APA for 16 years and consider myself a pretty fair judge of what I see in a player's ability (a far as APA skill levels are concerned).

Maniac (FWIW...a 6/7)

 

[Maniac]

The goal wasn't to completely learn to play the game with my left. Only have the alternate hand available for those awkward shots that happen on rare occurrences. Figured the only way I'd ever build up some efficiency with the off hand was to force myself to play in game shots with it, and without falling on the right hand crutch.

I am in no way being accusatory, but I once had a teammate that told me when he first started playing APA leagues, he played the first session left-handed to keep his skill-level down (sandbagged). If you are playing left-handed and your skill-level drops because of it, it's not fair to your opponents when you start playing right-handed again. Do you see my point?

Maniac

 

[lorider]

Maniac was right ..i felt better after the rant

I didnt mean to insuate sandbagging runs rampant in my area. Actually i think its less now than it ever was. I have noticed that the last 3 years we have had different teams qualify for nationals instead of the same ones going year after year like it was under the previous league operator.

My rant was borne more or less out of frustration due to my failure to feild a competitive 9 ball team aside from the fact that one person thanked me for being lowered although we all know one match does not determine a handicap.

Plus facing a tough player thst was lowered...plus her husband is not a 3 no matter what the scoresheet says.

What hang said about cheating in leagues could be applied to hustlers...con men... Olympics and pro sports also. Well the list could go on and on.

Not claiming that its not possible but in my 13 years in apa i have never seen a 2/4..3/5..4/6 etc.

Last session i lost a mother and daughter that was a 2 and a 3. It was either i sit or my 8...i chose to sit. Now that my new player went to a 5 i have to sit my 8 and i go back to playing 9 ball.

Now back to the regular old lamenting how we suck or bragging about how well we played .

 

[Texas Carom Club]

2 weeks not so great bca, two weeks beating everyone i should, which was all of em
finally got a decent win over another solid 6 last night after losing a few

new 11.5 carbon shaft is a little to adjust to, not a ton but for sure some

 

[The_JV]

I am in no way being accusatory, but I once had a teammate that told me when he first started playing APA leagues, he played the first session left-handed to keep his skill-level down (sandbagged). If you are playing left-handed and your skill-level drops because of it, it's not fair to your opponents when you start playing right-handed again. Do you see my point?

Maniac

Oh you are 100% right... Fortunately the summer and Fall/Winter leagues are completely independent of one another in terms of handicapping, (not APA).

So my rather strong average has not followed me into the summer session, and my currently poor average will not follow me into the primary season. Of course there is an honour system on my part not to switch hands come the summer league playoffs. However that just boils down to my integrity, so it's not a problem. I've in fact had opponents tell me to use my correct hand when I'm having real difficulty setting up. Which I have refused to do.

Once the fall/winter session (competitive) starts back up my intent is to go back to my regular hand.

 

[Justaneng]

The only way to accurately gauge an APA players skill level is to 1.) Have ample experience/years playing in the league. 2.) Take notice of the amount of pool knowledge the player has. 3.) Watch their basic stroking fundamentals. 4.) Notice things like if they decide to bank a cuttable ball or shoot a hard combo instead of playing safe. 5.) Their safety game in general. And 6.) Their ability to "read" the playability of the table. There are probably more, but this is all my tired 'ol brain could come up with at this time.

I've been doing APA for 16 years and consider myself a pretty fair judge of what I see in a player's ability (a far as APA skill levels are concerned).

Maniac (FWIW...a 6/7)

7) How they handle a ball in hand scenario. I cannot for the life of me get our SL3’s to do anything but line up a stop shot. Our 4’s suffer a bit from that too.

 

[BlueRaider]

The only way to accurately gauge an APA players skill level is to 1.) Have ample experience/years playing in the league. 2.) Take notice of the amount of pool knowledge the player has. 3.) Watch their basic stroking fundamentals. 4.) Notice things like if they decide to bank a cuttable ball or shoot a hard combo instead of playing safe. 5.) Their safety game in general. And 6.) Their ability to "read" the playability of the table. There are probably more, but this is all my tired 'ol brain could come up with at this time.

I've been doing APA for 16 years and consider myself a pretty fair judge of what I see in a player's ability (a far as APA skill levels are concerned).

Maniac (FWIW...a 6/7)

Number 3 usually tells me everything I need to know. If a guy has a really loosey-goosey grip and free-flowing stroke, he's either an overly confident SL4/5 or he's an absolute beast. Given that absolute beasts are rare in APA, it's usually a good sign if the guy is stroking like Busty because while he may have excellent cue power and probably a very strong break, he's going to miss. A lot.

 

[Justaneng]

The only way to accurately gauge an APA players skill level is to 1.) Have ample experience/years playing in the league. 2.) Take notice of the amount of pool knowledge the player has. 3.) Watch their basic stroking fundamentals. 4.) Notice things like if they decide to bank a cuttable ball or shoot a hard combo instead of playing safe. 5.) Their safety game in general. And 6.) Their ability to "read" the playability of the table. There are probably more, but this is all my tired 'ol brain could come up with at this time.

I've been doing APA for 16 years and consider myself a pretty fair judge of what I see in a player's ability (a far as APA skill levels are concerned).

Maniac (FWIW...a 6/7)

I will say no one in our division would be a plausible 3/5. 3's get bumped to 4's fairly quickly if they don't look like absolute beginners. That said, SL4 covers a pretty wide skill margin in our division for 8 ball and 9 ball, with weak 4's being dominated by strong 4's on a fairly routine basis. A 4/6 or 5/7 are far more plausible than a 3/5.