I agree with you. Not objective.
But an excellent working system when done properly
APA screwed our very own sleinen out of a national championship
- Thread starter ShortBusRuss
- Start date
But an excellent working system when done properly
In my brief conversation with him regarding the subject, it was his first session, and he doesn't play 8-ball as well as he does 9-ball. He probably only played enough matches to qualify to play in LTC's....
I'll let you know more after he beats my brains in tomorrow night, he's vacationing near here and we get together to play when he's nearby
always fun.
Last edited:
I believe for singles you don't need weeks played at the national tourney. Just a membership and entry fee.
Evil? Folks like to shoot pool, that can't be evil, can it ? lol
Seriously, you can only play in your basement so many times, or play the same buddy, over and over. League are good for business, and good for recruiting folks to the sport. No different than a softball league. Folks like to be active and compete at stuff they like.
If no leagues, how the hell is the sport going to grow. Folks that only own a table in their basement don't really contribute much to the sport other than that first purchase. heck, they might not even buy magic chalk after that
lol
Evil? Folks like to shoot pool, that can't be evil, can it ? lol
Seriously, you can only play in your basement so many times, or play the same buddy, over and over. League are good for business, and good for recruiting folks to the sport. No different than a softball league. Folks like to be active and compete at stuff they like.
If no leagues, how the hell is the sport going to grow. Folks that only own a table in their basement don't really contribute much to the sport other than that first purchase. heck, they might not even buy magic chalk after that
So very evil. The other day I had to drive through my old stomping grounds in Baltimore to get to the green room. This was a trying experience to put it mildly. Then when I get there to meet some folks they say all the tables are reserved for some APA event and they consigned me...ME...to play on one of 4 disastrously kept coin operated tables which were perched higher than the rest of the floor as if to emphasize and put on display our unenviable circumstance of outsider-ness.
It was sickening and obviously the work of some foul religious phsyconaut. Not to mention the whole place was filled with nothing but Valleys! Who does that?? I nearly had an appendicitis when I walked in.
Now you might be saying to yourself "But Mr. Chef, you could've called ahead and checked for evil leagues using the tables"
But the place didn't open, and no one would answer phones, before 6 o'clock. The appointed meeting time and so I had to start my journey blind and hope against hope that the room wouldn't be filled with people alternately sacrificing babies and shouting MARK IT UP! With a twisted grin. 20% of them holding pencils and asking "was that defense?" To every person that walked by.
And did I mention I had to pay a toll on my way back? After spending probably 5 bucks in quarters.
That's funny right there even if you are a fan of the APA. :thumbup:
Let me relate my story of a recent happening in my wife's local APA league.
She had played for three consecutive sessions in the Arlington (TX) APA 8-ball league as a SL3, winning about 50 to 60% of her matches during that time. She accumulates a normal amount of innings during her matches for her skill level. She lays off a session then goes over to Tarrant County APA 8-ball league, begins as a SL3, loses her first match of the session to a SL4 3 games to 1 and the next week goes up to a SL4.
I cannot explain it.
APA in St. Louis cannot possibly look at her scoresheet for her first match and determine that she shot well enough in her one game she won (in which her opponent missed the 8-ball and left my wife an easy shot). I think that particular game went four innings.
Now, being as how my wife's opponent won the other three games (he was up 2-0 when my wife won her only game and he was the missed 8-ball away from a rackless night), how is it any fault of my wife to be able to control the amount of innings in the three games she lost? As far as St. Louis (National headquarters where all scoresheets are sent for skill level assessment) knows, my wife may have never made a ball in the three games she lost.
I only relate this story to give my opinion of how broken the APA scoring system can be at times. I believe in the APA, but only consider it as an alternate way to get out of the house and mingle with some friends, have a drink or two, and shoot a bit of pool. I simply cannot take it seriously.
FWIW, my wife has lost both her matches since being raised and has no confidence she will win another match as a SL4. Time will tell, but I can honestly say that she's got a tough patch of road ahead of her until she goes back down.
Maniac
Last edited:
Here is where we part ways.
Yes we do, as I do with most that not fans of the APA.
I certainly see your side of this, we just happen to disagree
Yes, The Green Room. Dundalk maryland. Home to about 120 in house APA teams. Well kept valley's, except for the 4 coin ops that you played on. No body really cares about them. Also home to Charlie's pro shop, arguably the best pro shop in the country. It's a great pool hall with some very good players that play there
LOL. That's life. Remember as a teenager, we'd go to the bowling alley, and guess what, we could not bowl because of leagues. It only took about 10 times to finally ask what nights are fuggin leagues on so we can come a different night
But did they mark their pocket for the 8 ball?
Maryland Toll Roads, getcha' every time
Been there done that with a couple of my players maniac. Not too long ago i emailed st louis about one of my players. The lo had a knowledgeable player review her during a match after st louis contacted the lo.....she is still a 3.
Years ago i got so mad when a 2 was raised during a tournament i dang near quit.
Since then i have resigned myself to accept it is what it is. One thing of note though that i really buckled down on recently. Texting my lo when i see obvious signs of running up innings and marking safes on any shot that is obviously not an offensive shot. I guess its doing some good because one person i complained about was raised.
Let me clarify my stance. Every one misses shots now and then thslat they should not miss....even with bih. What i am talking about is several obvious shots during a match will get my attention and i will write them up on the scoresheet and follow up with a text to the lo explaining why i wrote them up and explain that the safes i marked were not safes per se but obvious misses consequently running up innings.
Yeah I always figure a pool hall in a major city will attract plenty of the really good players. Even one with only valleys
I did enjoy the pro shop though while I was there.
They were actually playing niner ball. I don’t actually hate the APA lol, or leagues in general. I’m just a borderline personality that loves pool so when I got in the apa (after training myself to a respectable level) expecting to find serious pool players all about business (I had never read about the apa experience) I was like
they were all sitting around...drinking, laughing, talking