How fast or slow are your leagues? Boring league?

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jaime_lion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So just played my first night of SDABA. It is a local state league thing. I never thought I would say this but it was boring. The format on how they played was really something else. Basically your would play 5 games. But you would play 1 person then have to wait to play someone else until everyone else had played. So each team had 5 members. So you and another guy would play then the other 8 members would play before it was your turn again. It took me 2.5 hours to play my 5 games. Is this normal in the pool world? How fast are your leagues? Do you find leagues boring? We played at a bar that had 2 pool tables. I asked if it went faster when we play at bars with more tables. The guy said that you only get one pool table per team. So 2 pool tables to play on. If a place has 4 pool tables they will have 4 teams. Like I was expecting to show up at 7 and be done around 8 and hang around practicing till 9 or something. I left early cause I was first to play so when I left people were still playing.

Thanks

Hopefully this makes sense I am kind of running on empty and so I might need to revise this.
 
MattPoland

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My league is a traveling league with all the bars in town. One team is home, the other is away. Each team has 5 players. There’s 3 rounds of games. So you play 3 games each night. It takes about an hour per round. Faster if two good teams play. It’s a long time between games for you personally.

We usually play on one table. Start at 7:00 and end just before 11:00. Two slow teams can finish after midnight. It goes faster if you play on two tables. But we usually wait until a later round to go to two tables because we owe the hosting bar to not finish too quick. That gives them a chance at some dinner and drinks out of us. That is why they sponsor a team in the first place. Some bars have multiple tables and you can dink around on the other table if you’re not actively in a game.

In that format, there’s more pressure on individual games. It’s not like gambling a set. You need to shine on each game and everyone is watching. So each game is a bit of a glory moment. Step up and get it done, or don’t. But, it’s not a lot of pool to be played. It’s more of a “social” event than a “pool” event. I find if I set my expectations at that, I enjoy it more.


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gregnice37

gregnice37

Bar Banger, Cue Collector
Silver Member
So looks like you play 5 games total with a long wait in between each rack? If so that kinda sucks even to me. If your hot and you have to wait that long, you're definitely coming back cold.

I normally don't get bored at league even when I don't shoot which was most often the past couple years with my back issues. I was the captain so I was there start to finish without being bored.

If the style I mentioned above is the way it is, I definitely couldn't do it because my back would be so stiff with all that waiting. I recall how stiff my back got in our weekly tournaments Everytime I was in the hot seat just waiting to play again in the finals, the wait you're going about would be brutal on me.
 
worktheknight

worktheknight

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Welcome to the world of bar league, been doing this for a long time, just getting
in league nights to qualify for tournaments. Kick back and enjoy your evening.
 
J

jaime_lion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
gregnice37 said:
So looks like you play 5 games total with a long wait in between each rack? If so that kinda sucks even to me. If your hot and you have to wait that long, you're definitely coming back cold.

I normally don't get bored at league even when I don't shoot which was most often the past couple years with my back issues. I was the captain so I was there start to finish without being bored.

If the style I mentioned above is the way it is, I definitely couldn't do it because my back would be so stiff with all that waiting. I recall how stiff my back got in our weekly tournaments Everytime I was in the hot seat just waiting to play again in the finals, the wait you're going about would be brutal on me.
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Yep you have it right. I played first so I got done first. If I had played last I would have had to stay longer to finish my games.

worktheknight said:
Welcome to the world of bar league, been doing this for a long time, just getting
in league nights to qualify for tournaments. Kick back and enjoy your evening.
Click to expand...

I will be playing a few more nights but it looks like bar leagues might not be for me.
 
justadub

justadub

Rattling corners nightly
Silver Member
jaime_lion said:
I will be playing a few more nights but it looks like bar leagues might not be for me.
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This is the correct answer.

League pool is by definition teams of players, playing against one another. So, it follows that there will be more watching than playing, since your teammates will be playing, in addition to you. You should be there supporting your teammates, at least the teams that are successful do.

League is also a social thing. Meaning being around other people, and interacting with them, in a public environment. Kind of the point in having teams of players...

Perhaps you can find a singles league, but methinks they'll be rare. You should play tournaments, tho there can be a lot of waiting with those, as well.
 
T

The_JV

'AZB_Combat Certified'
Sounds like you're playing in a typical league format. It's also what I'm used to. I'm not going to say that I enjoy it, but I do like the fact that you get to play everyone, even if it's only one game.

I was playing in two leagues CCS (ACS) and CPA (APA) last year. I preferred the APA single set format, but it show cases the flaw of the 7 max handicap, and it's potentially a very long night. There was no way I was dropping a set to anyone in my local APA league at a 5 or higher. It also opens up the gates to player mismatches. Meaning as a 7 I'd be continually matched up against 4's or lower. Great strategy for the opponent, but sucks when you want to compete, and are in a MVP race. We used a single table, and it's was a luck of the draw as to when you'd be done. If the captains decide to play chess, and you're key pawn, expect to be there a while waiting for your opportunity. The night would start at 7:30pm and it was common to blow way passed 11.

The CCS (ACS, BCA, yada yada yada) format is what you're playing. We play that on 2 tables, and is lightening fast. Max 25 games... Although I still try to max out my score for the evening, I treat this night as social. You can't dwell on a loss to a guy when you only play 1 game, and may not even get a shot. This night also starts at 7:30 but rarely goes beyond 2+hrs.
 
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J

jaime_lion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
justadub said:
This is the correct answer.

League pool is by definition teams of players, playing against one another. So, it follows that there will be more watching than playing, since your teammates will be playing, in addition to you. You should be there supporting your teammates, at least the teams that are successful do.

League is also a social thing. Meaning being around other people, and interacting with them, in a public environment. Kind of the point in having teams of players...

Perhaps you can find a singles league, but methinks they'll be rare. You should play tournaments, tho there can be a lot of waiting with those, as well.
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So honestly part of my issue is also the fact I do not believe I have much in common with these people so not much to talk about.
 
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Geosnooker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play with three groups. None affiliated. All local. We make up our own formats.

We play continuous for two hours with minimal wait time between. We have two extra tables to bang balls around on if needing to wait five or ten minutes to play.

Having said this, we are more social than results driven. We have top notch players but nobody gives a hoot about rankings, standings, etc. We just enjoy the evening. If someone wants a break ( often the gals want to chat) one of us just fills in the spot.

Anyways, if you aren’t enjoying the format then find a more casual group to play with. Casual doesn’t mean less talent, You can also start your own billiards group via Meet Up or whatever.
 
alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Most bar leagues are for people who frequent bars and want to have something else to do aside from getting drunk on a stool.

Waiting 30 minutes between racks doesn't bother them because they would be in a bar somewhere anyway.
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
alstl said:
Most bar leagues are for people who frequent bars and want to have something else to do aside from getting drunk on a stool.

Waiting 30 minutes between racks doesn't bother them because they would be in a bar somewhere anyway.
Click to expand...

I would guess this pretty much sums it up. Bar leagues are for people who enjoy drinking in bars.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...:rolleyes:
 
MattPoland

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I do tend to find that most A level players and higher aren’t interested in playing leagues.

Below that, almost all the players are interested because that’s the pool playing community and they want to be part of it.

But part of that is because we don’t have a pool hall to serve as a central hub for us.


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L

lorider

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just a suggestion here...maybe paying league does not suit you.. Just my opinion based on the number of threads you have started complaining about ..basically everything to do with leagues.

I have played the same format that you are playing and its ok but i much prefer the race to your handicap format used in apa. I only play double jeapordy ...which is playing both 8 and 9 ball the same night.

Playing 2 matches instead of one will relieve some of the boredom you mentioned. Also it guarantees that every one will play ateast one match that night..

I don't want to tell anyone that sits there most of the night that they will likely not be playing due to matching up with what players the other team throws. We are allowed 8 players on the team but i prefer just having 7 reliable players . its much easier to get every one involved the whole session.

One thing i realized with being captain...you cant please every one all the time.. We had one guy who said he was not coming back the next session because i sat him out the last night of the session. I pulled uo the stats and ahowed him that he played 15 out of the 16 weeks in that session and no one else on the team had more than 13 matches in. I then said goodbye and good riddance.
 
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