United Billiard Leagues

gdc25

gdc25

I call 'em like I see 'em
Silver Member
United Billiard Leagues - Your Opinions?

If this has already been discussed, I appologize.

A fellow pool player approached me last night about joining a new (upcoming) pool league to the area. He sang the praises of this league that it's the highest paying league ever... yada yada yada... New name, same song and dance...

So I looked into whatever it was he was talking about. Here is what stood out to me...

If you actually take the time to read the exerpts I've provided below, you will see that based on handicap (the higher the handicap, the weaker the player) each player gets a certain number of Balls In Hand PER GAME!!

Additonally, but not in the rules below, anyone of a handicap of 4 or higher can have a teammate break for them... Alternate Break!!!

So.... What say you?

I personally don't think I want anything to do with this. But times and minds change.

How the handicap works

The idea behind the handicap system is to have all players consistently run tables like pros do. The only way to do this is have players move the cue ball by hand and set up easy shots during their inning at the table. The less skilled you are the more times you can do this per game. The better skilled you are the less times you can do this per game. This makes the game fair for above or below average players and gives all players a chance to run the table.
Click to expand...

Additionally the handicap system is explained more in the rules...

Handicap

1. The Handicap System levels the playing field and gives every player and team an equal chance of competing and winning money. Each player has a handicap, which is a number in the range from zero to six (0 to 6) with a professional always being minus one (-1). The handicap number represents the number of handicap balls in hand (BIH) (see definitions section) a player has during each game they play.

2. A minus one (-1) handicap is reserved for professional players (see Definitions section). A professional will always have a -1 handicap and it will never change throughout the league play regardless if they win or lose. A -1 means the professional player has no BIH and they give an extra BIH to their opponent during each game. For example, if a nonprofessional player has a 3 handicap (3 BIH per game) and is playing against a professional, the professional would give a BIH to that opposing player and that player would now have 4 BIH for each game during that player match. If a professional is playing another professional, neither gets a BIH.

Handicap -1 Gives +1 (extra) BIH per game*
Handicap 0 0 BIH per game
Handicap 1 1 BIH per game
Handicap 2 2 BIH per game
Handicap 3 3 BIH per game
Handicap 4 4 BIH per game
Handicap 5 5 BIH per game
Handicap 6 6 BIH per game
Click to expand...

that "-1" up there... means that if a "Pro" plays a six.. the six gets 7 (SEVEN) Balls In Hand..... PER GAME!!! (Granted the 6 shouldn't get to shoot but still)


edit: One more thing. Cue ball fouls only. BIH for fouls does not affect handicap BIH..
 
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Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I talked with the room owner of one of the rooms listed on the league website. He says that they don't run it any more as they just couldn't get it off the ground. He really liked the handicap method -- ball in hand for the weaker player -- and uses it in a local league.
 
Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
gdc25 said:
If this has already been discussed, I appologize.

A fellow pool player approached me last night about joining a new (upcoming) pool league to the area. He sang the praises of this league that it's the highest paying league ever... yada yada yada... New name, same song and dance...

So I looked into whatever it was he was talking about. Here is what stood out to me...

If you actually take the time to read the exerpts I've provided below, you will see that based on handicap (the higher the handicap, the weaker the player) each player gets a certain number of Balls In Hand PER GAME!!

Additonally, but not in the rules below, anyone of a handicap of 4 or higher can have a teammate break for them... Alternate Break!!!

So.... What say you?

I personally don't think I want anything to do with this. But times and minds change.



Additionally the handicap system is explained more in the rules...



that "-1" up there... means that if a "Pro" plays a six.. the six gets 7 (SEVEN) Balls In Hand..... PER GAME!!! (Granted the 6 shouldn't get to shoot but still)


edit: One more thing. Cue ball fouls only. BIH for fouls does not affect handicap BIH..
Click to expand...

Are you saying the "games on the wire" are eliminated and replaced with ball-in-hand shots or is there still a "games on the wire" system AND a number of balls-in-hand in play?

It seems the latter (if indeed it is that way) could be brutal for the higher skill level players, but I'd have to see it in action to accurately make a determination on it.

Maniac
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Maniac said:
Are you saying the "games on the wire" are eliminated and replaced with ball-in-hand shots or is there still a "games on the wire" system AND a number of balls-in-hand in play?...
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure it is only ball-in-hands. That sort of means that each player gets to shoot about the same number of shots, which is nice.

My observation of people who rarely if ever run racks is that they have no idea where to put the cue ball with ball in hand. As in, they don't notice that if they put the cue ball over three inches they would automatically break a cluster. Or, they put the cue ball back three feet when attempting a draw shot. Maybe they would learn with all the practice they would get at BIH.
 
Chili Palmer

Chili Palmer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bob Jewett said:
I'm pretty sure it is only ball-in-hands. That sort of means that each player gets to shoot about the same number of shots, which is nice.

My observation of people who rarely if ever run racks is that they have no idea where to put the cue ball with ball in hand. As in, they don't notice that if they put the cue ball over three inches they would automatically break a cluster. Or, they put the cue ball back three feet when attempting a draw shot. Maybe they would learn with all the practice they would get at BIH.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I was playing with some non-pool playing friends and gave them BIH on EVERY shot, we played for over 2 hours and I never lost, I was even shooting opposite handed. They simply didn't know where to put the CB.
 
Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
Bob Jewett said:
My observation of people who rarely if ever run racks is that they have no idea where to put the cue ball with ball in hand.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. I cannot count the times I've seen lower level players get BIH and shoot at the easiest ball on the table.

Maniac
 
Klink

Klink

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
BIH with a coach might be tough.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
9andout

9andout

Gunnin' for a 3 pack!!
Silver Member
I wanted to give this a bump.
I watched some of Mike's FB chat last night. It was interesting.
Anyone on here playing this?
What are you thoughts?
I was thinking of presenting the idea to my local room owner.
 
Positively Ralf

Positively Ralf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The hall I go to has this during one of their nights. It's been a hit so far from what I'm told. Around here it's APA country so it's very refreshing to see so many APA players playing another league with much different rules compared to what they are used to.
 
ctyhntr

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
Here is the link to the website, with more information.

https://www.unitedbilliardleagues.com/

For those wondering about the money, I heard Pete Margo is a millionaire, so he's backing this.

If you're in NYC area and want to check this league out in person, reach out to Tony Robles. He is running this league (UBL) out of Steinway on Tuesdays.
 
9andout

9andout

Gunnin' for a 3 pack!!
Silver Member
ctyhntr said:
Here is the link to the website, with more information.

https://www.unitedbilliardleagues.com/

For those wondering about the money, I heard Pete Margo is a millionaire, so he's backing this.

If you're in NYC area and want to check this league out in person, reach out to Tony Robles. He is running this league (UBL) out of Steinway on Tuesdays.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Found a spot kinda near me, but not my local rm.
 
Pete

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If Boston Billiards Nashua or Maxamillions Tyngsboro had this league I would try t out for sure (depending on the night of the week)...
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have a new student who plays in the UBL. He is currently one of the highest-ranked players in that no one in the league gives him a spot. He said it was a little scary to be giving up ball in hand multiple times, but the weaker players tend not to take advantage of the spot -- at least so far -- as mentioned above. The will put the cue ball down for a straight-in when a little angle would break a cluster or get to the other end of the table for their last ball.

It seems like a good way for everyone to get equal table time and maybe the weaker players will start to think about how the game works.
 
sbpoolleague

sbpoolleague

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
These league rules sound absolutely wonderful if you were starting a league at the Sonoma County Day Care Center.

For the rest of us that are over 12-years-old, no thank you.
 
JC

JC

Coos Cues
sbpoolleague said:
These league rules sound absolutely wonderful if you were starting a league at the Sonoma County Day Care Center.

For the rest of us that are over 12-years-old, no thank you.
Click to expand...

Stop holding back. How do you really feel about it Chris?

:rotflmao1::rotflmao1::rotflmao1:

JC
 
Pete

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
sbpoolleague said:
These league rules sound absolutely wonderful if you were starting a league at the Sonoma County Day Care Center.

For the rest of us that are over 12-years-old, no thank you.
Click to expand...

You know it's funny (to me), I told my team cap about this league and handi-cap system (to the best of my knowledge), he scoffed at it saying that with multible ball in hands at 8 Ball he would run out ALL the TIME. Yet with ball in hand (C players and below) aren't always favorites to run 8 and out on an open table (say 75% of the time). Yes if it's a stop shot run out, but with the need of work to be done the percentage drops a lot (something he is un able to see, from the chair EVERY RUN OUT looks like hangers to him, yet I only saw him run out 2 or 3 times throughout the entire session).

The point is at the league player level, ball in hand doesn't ensure run outs imo.

But it will teach (in time) some how to set up proper angles and looking a head (something lots of mid range players don't do)...

Pete
 
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