9-ball handicapping help needed

gedukas

gedukas

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello everyone,
I'm new to posting here, but I've been a lurker for a while(before the cognoscenti cue was stolen and found.)

I am part of a pool club at my university, and I need some help. Our club holds Saturday tourneys during which 8-14 people of varying skill level might show up to participate in the tourney. The problem is, if we don't have a handicap, many newer players get discouraged from participating in these tourneys, as they see it as just a way to hand over money to the best players.

So, my question is:
Does anyone have a good handicapping system for a 9 ball tourney that can be easily set up and used every weekend(maybe during the week as well?)

So far, I have looked at a point based system(every ball is worth 1 point and the 9 ball is worth 2), but it was not very appealing with fellow club members, so I'm looking for something different.

Any help/suggestions you guys and gals can give would be extremely helpful.

Thank you,
Gedukas
 
gedukas said:
Hello everyone,
I'm new to posting here, but I've been a lurker for a while(before the cognoscenti cue was stolen and found.)

I am part of a pool club at my university, and I need some help. Our club holds Saturday tourneys during which 8-14 people of varying skill level might show up to participate in the tourney. The problem is, if we don't have a handicap, many newer players get discouraged from participating in these tourneys, as they see it as just a way to hand over money to the best players.

So, my question is:
Does anyone have a good handicapping system for a 9 ball tourney that can be easily set up and used every weekend(maybe during the week as well?)

So far, I have looked at a point based system(every ball is worth 1 point and the 9 ball is worth 2), but it was not very appealing with fellow club members, so I'm looking for something different.

Any help/suggestions you guys and gals can give would be extremely helpful.

Thank you,
Gedukas
Click to expand...

At my local 9 ball tourny we have a very easy handicapping system.

I started off a D, and if I get 1st or 2nd I move up to a C. 1st or 2nd again, then I become a B. Again, then an A, then a double A.

If I play a D then we play even.
If I play a C I get the 8
If I play a B I get the 7
If I play an A I get the 6
If I play a AA I get the 7 out.

Race to 7 in the winner's and a race to 5 in the looser's bracket.

This system works pretty good, and you probably know how good most of the players are in your tourny. So just start them out accordingly. If they go like 6 weeks without getting in the top 2 then slide them down one letter.

This works pretty good for us, and it makes the great players here have to play their butt off! LOL
 
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I played in a 9-ball league once that simply assigned each player a handicap from 3 to 9. Everybody just raced to their handicap, and adjustments were made as the season progressed. In my experience, you'll hear a lot of griping regardless of how you handicap players, but this type of system is hard to beat if simplicity is what you're after.

Good luck,

Aaron
 
Aaron_S said:
I played in a 9-ball league once that simply assigned each player a handicap from 3 to 9. Everybody just raced to their handicap, and adjustments were made as the season progressed. In my experience, you'll hear a lot of griping regardless of how you handicap players, but this type of system is hard to beat if simplicity is what you're after.

Good luck,

Aaron
Click to expand...

We tried this, but our system seems to work a little easier.
 
Handicap

You can't make people win too many games. I have never played a ball spot tournament as spelled out earlier, but I believe that (the 7, the 8, the 7 out) might be the best. The shorter the race the better a lower rank player would fare as well... like no more than 3.
 
txplshrk said:
At my local 9 ball tourny we have a very easy handicapping system.

I started off a D, and if I get 1st or 2nd I move up to a C. 1st or 2nd again, then I become a B. Again, then an A, then a double A.

If I play a C I get the 8
If I play a B I get the 7
If I play an A I get the 6
If I play a AA I get the 7 out.

Race to 7 in the winner's and a race to 5 in the looser's bracket.

This system works pretty good, and you probably know how good most of the players are in your tourny. So just start them out accordingly. If they go like 6 weeks without getting in the top 2 then slide them down one letter.

This works pretty good for us, and it makes the great players here have to play their butt off! LOL
Click to expand...

all of the "if i play" things are assuming you're a D player?
So is this correct-----------
if am a.. playing a Y then i have to get he X ball in
D Y=D X=9
D Y=C X=8
D Y=B X=7
D Y=A X=6
D Y=AA X=7 and out(7,8, or 9) ??

and do you then just adjust appropriately for C playing B during which the C would have to get the 8 or 9 in, and the B would need the 9 in?

thanks once again.
 
gedukas said:
all of the "if i play" things are assuming you're a D player?
So is this correct-----------
if am a.. playing a Y then i have to get he X ball in
D Y=D X=9
D Y=C X=8
D Y=B X=7
D Y=A X=6
D Y=AA X=7 and out(7,8, or 9) ??

and do you then just adjust appropriately for C playing B during which the C would have to get the 8 or 9 in, and the B would need the 9 in?

thanks once again.
Click to expand...

You got it!


D+D = even match
D+C = D getting the 8
D+B = D getting the 7
D+A = D getting the 6
D+AA = D getting the 7,8,9

C+C = even match
C+B = C getting the 8
C+A = C getting the 7
C+AA = C getting the 6

B+B = even match
B+A = B getting the 8
B+AA = B getting the 7

A+A = even match
A+AA = A getting the 8

AA+AA = even match

N E questions?

Like I said start everyone somewhere on the scale, and if they keep winning keep moving them up!

If they keep loosing for several weeks move them down until they get into the money! LOL
 
txplshrk said:
We tried this, but our system seems to work a little easier.
Click to expand...

Yes, I like the simplicity of your system as well. The only problem I could see with it is the fact that it could end up being misleading if used in an area where you do not have a deep talent pool (which is probably not the case in your area). Since the letter rating system is used everywhere, players would have to be aware that just because they are an A+ player in their local tournament doesn't necessarily mean they are an "A+" player. That could end up being a bit embarrassing for someone who traveled to a tournament in another area. :o

Good rolls,
Aaron
 
Aaron_S said:
Yes, I like the simplicity of your system as well. The only problem I could see with it is the fact that it could end up being misleading if used in an area where you do not have a deep talent pool (which is probably not the case in your area). Since the letter rating system is used everywhere, players would have to be aware that just because they are an A+ player in their local tournament doesn't necessarily mean they are an "A+" player. That could end up being a bit embarrassing for someone who traveled to a tournament in another area. :o

Good rolls,
Aaron
Click to expand...

Yea, most the players in my area aren't that talented! There are a few stand out players but I won't say what rank I think they really are in the pool world! As I am probably lower than a D myself! LOL

Well you could use numbers too! a # 1 or #9 for the top player, and go decending or acending to rank them as well! The handicap could stay the same.

Lets say a # 9 is the same as our AA
#8 is our A

#7 is our B

#6 is our C

#5 is our D

Then keep the same handicap. If you wanted to that is.
 
one more quick question.

if a D plays an A, and the A knocks in everything from 1-7 and the D player comes to the table with the 8 and 9 still there, he/she has to hit in the 9 to win, correct ??


If all of this is right, Thank you very much for this system. I will report the system to my club on saturday and post back here later.
 
txplshrk said:
Yea, most the players in my area aren't that talented! There are a few stand out players but I won't say what rank I think they really are in the pool world! As I am probably lower than a D myself! LOL

Well you could use numbers too! a # 1 or #9 for the top player, and go decending or acending to rank them as well! The handicap could stay the same.

Lets say a # 9 is the same as our AA
#8 is our A

#7 is our B

#6 is our C

#5 is our D

Then keep the same handicap. If you wanted to that is.
Click to expand...

There you go. I haven't played in any tournaments or leagues that use ball spots for handicapping, but it sounds like a good idea to me. At least that way you can use uniform races, and keep them short if you want. Good system, IMO.

Good rolls,
Aaron
 
gedukas said:
one more quick question.

if a D plays an A, and the A knocks in everything from 1-7 and the D player comes to the table with the 8 and 9 still there, he/she has to hit in the 9 to win, correct ??


If all of this is right, Thank you very much for this system. I will report the system to my club on saturday and post back here later.
Click to expand...


That is correct.
 
gedukas said:
one more quick question.

if a D plays an A, and the A knocks in everything from 1-7 and the D player comes to the table with the 8 and 9 still there, he/she has to hit in the 9 to win, correct ??


If all of this is right, Thank you very much for this system. I will report the system to my club on saturday and post back here later.
Click to expand...

Yes you are correct! they get the 6 only...........not the 6 out! The handicap ball and the 9 ball are the money balls for that player. Once the ball that is their spot is pocketed by the other player they have to pocket the rest to win, or at least pocket the 9.
 
gedukas said:
Hello everyone,
I'm new to posting here, but I've been a lurker for a while(before the cognoscenti cue was stolen and found.)

I am part of a pool club at my university, and I need some help. Our club holds Saturday tourneys during which 8-14 people of varying skill level might show up to participate in the tourney. The problem is, if we don't have a handicap, many newer players get discouraged from participating in these tourneys, as they see it as just a way to hand over money to the best players.

So, my question is:
Does anyone have a good handicapping system for a 9 ball tourney that can be easily set up and used every weekend(maybe during the week as well?)

So far, I have looked at a point based system(every ball is worth 1 point and the 9 ball is worth 2), but it was not very appealing with fellow club members, so I'm looking for something different.

Any help/suggestions you guys and gals can give would be extremely helpful.

Thank you,
Gedukas
Click to expand...

If they are a bunch of beginners, I wouldn't play 9 ball. I would play 8 ball.

Chris
 
gedukas said:
... Does anyone have a good handicapping system for a 9 ball tourney that can be easily set up and used every weekend(maybe during the week as well?) ...
Click to expand...
Sure. I have a system that gives game spots. For example, if two players are even, they might play 5-5. If they are a little apart, it's 5-4, then 6-4, 6-3 and so on up to 7-2. The lengths are designed so each match takes about the same time. The handicap adjustment is dead simple and fair. See http://www.sfbilliards.com/NPL_info.txt for more info.

This system was originally developed for an in-house nine-ball league at the UC Berkeley Student Union.
 
gedukas said:
... Any help/suggestions you guys and gals can give would be extremely helpful. ...
Click to expand...
One comment about ball spots. If a person is getting wild winning balls, their best strategy may well be to ride the money. If they catch on to this, the game won't look much like nine ball.
 
Oh yea, the spotted balls go to the front of the rack right behind the one ball! This prevents those balls from getting pocket on the break as easy.

So if they are getting the 7 out it would look something like this

1
78
295
46
3

Or something like that! If they are getting the
 
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