Is playing in a league really worth it?

Ssonerai · Aug 22, 2019

Do check out NAPA if it is available in your area. In Ithaca it was considered the friendliest league, but also had the best players (some played in other leagues as well) & sent the most people to Nationals that cashed checks. Besides sending a team each year, there are several ways for individuals on other teams that didn't make it, to get in the Nats if you want, based on individual development/performance.

In NAPA there are also a number of options for play, you can do all of them if your nights are free: Typical team/league; Singles league, & Scotch Doubles league. There's also APA & a thursday night tourney, some guys played 5 nights a week and practiced the other 2.

smt

ShootingArts · Aug 22, 2019

go observe

I can't say strongly enough, go observe any league you are thinking about joining for a few nights. If that is what you want to commit to for months, go for it. I wanted league to give structure to my return to pool after many years. I found it would lend structure, just not the structure I wanted!

Not saying all leagues are that way but the leagues I have observed will slow your advancement compared to a little first hand instruction, good video, and some focused practice. I favor Joe Villalpando's DVD's but I'm sure there are other good ones out there too. Lots of good info on youtube, lots of crap too. You have to be able to sort the difference if you go that route.

When I go to the pool hall I go to get on the pool table. League seems to be about 90% social, 10% pool if that much. Standing or sitting around for hours would frustrate me to no end when I wanted to hit balls.

Hu

sbpoolleague · Aug 22, 2019

JimmyJaymes said:
I recently started trying to play a little more and trying to get better at the game with fundamentals and controlling the cue ball the way your suppose to.....

If this is your stated goal then stay away from the APA at all costs. Find a BCAPL league if you want to improve. If you want to get drunk and don't care about your game or whether or not you and your friends are having any fun, then play APA.

KRJ · Aug 22, 2019

Tony_in_MD said:
VanBoening, and his whole family (mother, sister, grandfather) were big in BCA, if memory serves.

The rest, I don't know.

No, leagues are not needed. But it is a good way to experience competitive pool and develop without the risk of losing your rent money.

I agree, if it were not for leagues, there would be no SVB. But, his mom and grandmother got him hooked on the sport through leagues.

Without leagues, there really is no sport. I don't think you can have one without the other. It would seem weird to have pro baseball players but no system to introduce them to the game? I mean, how many folks play competitive badminton in the US? Yeah, not many, because if you are not introduced how do you start playing?

I play leagues twice a week, but at the same time, I can't wait for the night to be over as I want to get some sleep, and I'm usually ecstatic when the session is over and I get a week or two off

And for every "banger" in pool, there are 100 times as many banger softball players, trust me, I know. So what. They both get to play a sport they like, and some are OK with filling up a roster spot, they just want to be on the team playing the sport they like. Nothing wrong with that, unless it's Curling

lol

JimmyJaymes · Aug 22, 2019

I don’t drink so I don’t really want to join a league for that social aspect. It would be cool to meet some nice people and maybe get some advice from better players or have someone point out what I am doing wrong or right. Or what I can do better. I would want to join to have a consistent match up during the week to test my skill level and hopefully it would help me move up in skill level. I should have asked from the beginning if APA would be good for me. Which it sounds like I should stay away from to avoid the drama and the drunken behavior that some people go to play in a league for. That’s fine if you don’t want to be serious and just hang out with friends as some of you have stated.

I also heard that sometimes you have to wait around all night just to play one match with APA. I know that in BCA you constantly play and have matches against players of all skill levels. Correct me if I am wrong on that, but that sounds better to me than to wait around all night to play. I am also now interested in playing singles in a league. I always thought you had to play on a team in a league so that was my misunderstanding.

jason · Aug 22, 2019

Chopdoc said:
When I played serious it was for money. If I won, you paid me. If you won, I paid you. Simple. No ratings. And I never gave or took weight. Just straight up. I am not a gambler, never have been.

This is pretty much what I did too. Now I play a money league and don't mess with the gambling. Just not worth it to me anymore.

garczar · Aug 22, 2019

jason said:
This is pretty much what I did too. Now I play a money league and don't mess with the gambling. Just not worth it to me anymore.[/QUOTE............................

erhino41 · Aug 22, 2019

Welcome. Leagues can be a lot of fun and worthwhile experiences, even the apa. What you get out of it is whatever you want to take from it.

You will find good players who will gladly help you out. Be careful though, you will find a lot of people who think they know what they're talking about as well, even though they mean well.

There will be players of all different interest levels as well as players with myriad different reasons for being there.

I like a good challenge and always want to play the very best player available to play, but a lot of times I end up playing less experienced or less interested players. I treat these matches as practice opportunities. Fading a forty ball spot and a somewhat belligerent crowd helps you learn how to fade pressures when the screws are really tightened.

My advice is join a league and see how you like it. If you don't like it join a different league and see if that works for you.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

DelawareDogs · Aug 22, 2019

sbpoolleague said:
If this is your stated goal then stay away from the APA at all costs. Find a BCAPL league if you want to improve. If you want to get drunk and don't care about your game or whether or not you and your friends are having any fun, then play APA.

..............

jrctherake · Aug 22, 2019

Is league good or bad? Well, it depends on the area.

If I were new to pool, I would in no way join a league. What would I do? I would put that money, time and effort toward lessons.

Why lessons? Well, if your new to pool, you don't have all the bad habits that are very hard to fix once ingrained into muscle memory.

Get lessons and between lessons, do what the instructors says. He/she will probably tell you to spend most of you table time doing (homework) drills to develop a strong foundation to build on.

After enough time under 1, 2 or even 3 instructors, over time you will be a much stronger player.

At that point, you could join a league or travel to nearby tournaments or just somewhat close rooms and play private matches.

Gambling? Lol....no matter hiw well you play, you have to learn "how to match up" before you start gambling.....that is "if" you ever do.

Bottom line to me:

League players (in my area) are the same skill levels they were 10 years ago.

Lessons
Tables time doing what you learned in lessons
Then venture out and test what you have learned

Good luck,

Jeff

sparkle84 · Aug 22, 2019

jrctherake said:
League players (in my area) are the same skill levels they were 10 years ago.

Good luck,

Jeff

I've noticed the same thing. Particularly the APA. Other leagues are slightly better.
If improvement is the goal then leagues aren't the best way to go.

mchnhed · Aug 22, 2019

sparkle84 said:
If improvement is the goal then leagues aren't the best way to go.

jrctherake said:
If I were new to pool.....What would I do? I would put that money, time and effort toward lessons.

Sound advice, except......

Where do I get these lessons?

So far.....I’ve struck out.

AbZ?
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=398957

Yelp?
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=billiards+lessons&find_loc=Los+Angeles,+CA

Facebook?
https://poolskool.weebly.com/

Online?
Takelessons.com https://takelessons.com/search?serv...90001&location[accuracy]=city&promo_version=A

Next county over? ***70 Miles RT***
http://buterasbilliards.com/lessons/

Yellow Pages?
https://www.yellowpages.com/los-angeles-ca/billiard-lessons

Bark.com?
https://www.bark.com/buyers/bark/Qwkjk4/

cubswin · Aug 22, 2019

I play NAPA singles, usually 2 sessions a year. Don't really enjoy playing on apa or any other team leagues.

Of course I play pool because I like to compete against the table, and I like to gamble. Neither of those things really are important in a league.

DecentShot · Aug 22, 2019

Your in So Cal with a nice friendly pool room? You have already found a unicorn around here. Stix or Plush? Cause ain't nothing like that around me anymore....'tear'
Anway, heres the breakdown in socal.
I have played in the APA, even signed a contract that gave me national handicapping power (long story). Anyway, I imagine most of the men on here are past the "are there chicks in this league" phase of life. The APA is the way to go for that. There are plenty of single women in leagues (And they know pool playing women etc..). The APA even has Jack & Jill formats (google it.) For someone like you who is starting out on their journey, most APA 6-9's (8 and 9 skill levels are only in APA 9 ball) can REALLY help you.
I wouldn't start with the BCA. From what I can see around here, the level of BCA play isn't truly that much better than the APA...its just....IMO... something to say, but when the BCA guys step in the box with me...they run out of quarters before I lose a rack .I don't notice much difference.
In the APA you meet people, have fun, and don't expect some payout at the end, and drink as much beer as you like. Those who say APA is for drinkers are just delusional about the importance of the league they are in. Just have fun.

mchnhed · Aug 22, 2019

Stix or Plush?

Where are you at?

Pretty much a desert around here in LA LA Land also. (Compared to years ago.)

Buteras Billiards In Moorpark (Semi Valley) 70 Miles RT - All Diamond Table’s 7’ & 9’ Nice Place
http://buterasbilliards.com/the-room/

Plush Pocket in Northridge 30 Miles RT - Nice, Real Pool Room
https://m.facebook.com/plushpocketpool/

Stix in Rancho Cucamonga 105 Miles RT - Never Been
http://www.mystixbilliards.com/

Stix in Ventura 140 Miles RT - Never Been
https://www.stiixbilliards.com/

Hard Times in Bellflower 65 Miles RT - Nice Old School Pool Room - No Alcohol
https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Sports-Team/Hard-Times-Bellflower-110168342343145/

Mr. Lucky’s in Torrance 65 Miles RT - Nice, Clean, Real Pool Room
http://www.mrluckysbilliards.com/

House of Billiards Santa Monica and Sherman Oaks 40 Miles RT - Decent Place, Cash Only
https://www.hobsm.com/

JimmyJaymes · Aug 23, 2019

I appreciate what everyone is saying. I think I should stay away from APA because that’s just something I don’t want to deal with. I would want to play in BCA. I would rather lose and learn something from the better level of play in BCA. Plus I believe they play on big tables. (9ft) I would like to join a team but at the same time try to play singles. After all pool is a head to head game which is why it feels good to win, and feels really bad to lose. I am sure I will meet some nice people to help me with my game as well. There will probably be some people that will try to punk me, or give me bad advice too. I can deal with that and learn to stay away from those people. Thanks again for the advice and input. I am taking a little bit from everyone and putting into consideration.

jokrswylde · Aug 23, 2019

JimmyJaymes said:
I would rather lose and learn something from the better level of play in BCA.

I would imagine there are just as good of shooters in your local apa as any other league...unless your area is totally different than everywhere else Iv'e heard about. Heck in many places it's the same shooters playing in multiple leagues.

DecentShot · Aug 23, 2019

JimmyJaymes said:
I appreciate what everyone is saying. I think I should stay away from APA because that’s just something I don’t want to deal with. I would want to play in BCA. I would rather lose and learn something from the better level of play in BCA. Plus I believe they play on big tables. (9ft) I would like to join a team but at the same time try to play singles. After all pool is a head to head game which is why it feels good to win, and feels really bad to lose. I am sure I will meet some nice people to help me with my game as well. There will probably be some people that will try to punk me, or give me bad advice too. I can deal with that and learn to stay away from those people. Thanks again for the advice and input. I am taking a little bit from everyone and putting into consideration.

You described yourself as the perfect APA player looking for an APA experience. Maybe at a certain place they will play on 9fts, but APA and BCA are bar table leagues. I think your going to be way over your head, surrounded by a sausage fest. That's something I wouldn't want to deal with lol.

sbpoolleague · Aug 23, 2019

DecentShot said:
In the APA you meet people, have fun, and don't expect some payout at the end.....

Well I think you have nailed the problem right on the pointed APA head.

The several hundred members of my BCAPL league don't enjoy it when they feel like their money is being stolen from them. The APA is giving you a horrible return on your money. Wake TF up.

cuesblues · Aug 23, 2019

My opinion is no.
We recently won a long grueling 20 week 3-man 8ball VNEA session (plus playoffs)
22-weeks overall.
We only lost one week, 10-teams
The payout was embarrassing, last place team got $30 less than we did,
every kid gets a trophy, I'm done.

Is playing in a league really worth it?

AzB Silver Member

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!

AzB Silver Member

Support UKRAINE

New member

Unprofessional everything

AzB Silver Member

AzB Silver Member

The Double Deuce…

Attachments

AzB Silver Member

AzB Silver Member

I Came, I Shot, I Choked

Just call me Joe...

AzB Silver Member

I Came, I Shot, I Choked

New member

AzB Silver Member

AzB Silver Member

AzB Silver Member

cue accumulator