What is the most effective Handicapping System that is easy to understand?

SJpilot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You write pool books and have a "handicap"?
I'm assuming if he writes pool books his handicap usually puts him the favorite. I don't like to think about the handicap in tournaments either. It can get in your head if your giving up 3 games in a race to 5 or whatever even knowing full well your supposed to win that game. Also I feel like I dog it more if I think there's a big difference in our skill levels. Almost like I'm playing down to the level of competition.

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336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
You write pool books and have a "handicap"?

You're in Hawaii. Over here on the mainland, the big pool centers are in
the cities, up north, Atlanta and Florida are big in my part of the country. The rest of
the South where I live tournaments have all but disappeared because room owners
can't get the money they add to the tournaments back and the players aren't doing
enough business in the rooms.

The Pool League players are the only ones bringing anything to the table for the
room owners to get in the way of business. So handicapping is important to keep
those people playing.

The last time I looked at the tournament section of this site there were 4 tournaments
listed and there used to be pages of them.

If you want to have some social pool, its going to be leagues. Not everyone is avid 3
times a week or more player.

You don't share my political opinions in the Non Pool Related forum and say nasty
things about me there. I'll play you anytime you want if you come to NC, for as long
as you want just decide how much you want to play for. The game is One Pocket.
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Race to your handicap divided

I haven't heard anyone say anything about Race to your Handicap.

I know that can be a long affair if playing double elimination so I was thinking if you start your lower ratings at 4 and then
rate up from there you could cut the time needed by half if you simply divide the handicaps you know that work by 2.

4/2=2 and say 14/2=7 for example. A race to 2 for a 4 skill level vs. Race to 7 for the skill level 14.
 

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
--a time for every purpose under heaven... I'm running and playing in a small weekly tournament right now

The range of players is big, with 11 players rated 435, 497, 514, 533, 549, 586, 608, 621, 664, and 722. So the top player is more than 100 points over all but one other player. The 497 just got to the hotseat match by beating the 722. The race was 2 to 6, and he won 2 to 4.

These players just would not be laying down $15 week after week in an open tournament. Here they will, and they also talk and learn and interact and generally get juiced up about the game.

I like it !! Of course, we will have the usual locals on FB crying their eyes out about just practicing and not needing handicaps. I asked them how many times have they played the US Open? None of them raised a hand.

I'd much rather have 30 folks in the tourney then just 12. The lower ranked players have no need to just piss away $20. At least give them a shot at the money. If you are a top player and can't out run the nuts against the weakest player, you probably need to practice more ;) lol
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sounds like you have something that's working for you but I don't
understand what you're saying when you say races are to 3, 4 and 5? Are you
having different races within the same tournament based on the handicap? If so how
is that determination made?
An experienced tournament director should know how to rank all the regulars. For 9-ball, we have 5 different ratings. There would be no way to institute 5 different handicap ratings utilizing only game spots on the wire, with all races being to 4. You'd only be able to have 4 ratings max, and even then the biggest spot would be a 3 game spot in a race to 4, which means the weaker player could win a match on one single lucky roll, so our largest spots still require the weaker play to win a minimum of 2 games to win any match.
 

mikepage

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
An experienced tournament director should know how to rank all the regulars. For 9-ball, we have 5 different ratings. There would be no way to institute 5 different handicap ratings utilizing only game spots on the wire, with all races being to 4. You'd only be able to have 4 ratings max, and even then the biggest spot would be a 3 game spot in a race to 4, which means the weaker player could win a match on one single lucky roll, so our largest spots still require the weaker play to win a minimum of 2 games to win any match.

This is where match charts come in.

Players, for example, play one of

4 to 4
4 to 3
5 to 3
5 to 2
6 to 2

If you are a top player, say 650, playing a weak player, say 400, it will be 6 to 2. But if that same 650 plays a 615 in the next match it will be 4 to 4.

The match always just depends on the rating difference. This one is called Chart R4
 
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