aba, bca, masters, league play or not?

oldplayer

oldplayer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
been playing pool on and off for more than 35 years but never any league play. i'm moving back to the usa for an undetermined period of time and want to know more about the leagues and league play. i practice/play daily here for at least 2 hours with a couple of beers and pay about $5 per day (that's 9' table time and beer). the last time in the usa at the local pool hall that same thing cost me more than $20. that is cost prohibitive on a daily basis, even every other day. so i was thinking about league play as a way to play the game i love without breaking tha bank! a friend used to be in ABA but changed to BCA because he liked the rules better with the latter. now there seems to be a new league called "masters". what is major difference in the leagues and how many times a week do you play and is it ongoing thru the year? what about costs? what do you like/dislike about league play?
 
Wow, you posted this at 3PM yesterday, and I'm the first to respond, 8AM next day? I would've thought the thread would have gotten the usual couple dozen league bashes, pro's, con's, etc by now! :p The ABP thing really has the pool world on tilt, doesn't it? :grin:

I hate it when people say it to me, but seriously... if you do a little searching here on the site, you will find more threads about leagues than you have time to read. It's a regularly debated topic.

The short answer is that you need to check out what's available in the area you intend to live in. Not all league are available everywhere. Yes, different leagues have different rules, but IMHO that ain't a big deal. As long as you know the rules going in, it should be fine. Others will disagree with me on that point, vehemently, and that's cool too. Again, checking it out ahead of time saves potential aggravation.

It also depends on what you are looking for from your league experience. Different leagues are geared towards different levels of play, and that greatly affects peoples opinions about them.

I play APA and I like it. Of course I'm a relative beginner, and that's what APA is geared towards. (Though a great many players in APA are far from being a beginner, and are very good players.) Every league will have it's good points and it's bad points, and APA is no exception. It's also the only league system offered where I live, so I have no options. Many here despise the APA, for various reasons. It's been a quiet couple of weeks here on AZB in that regard, but have no fear, that topic will come around again. If you only read the threads regarding APA here on AZB it would take months, probably years. :p

From everything I've read about the other leagues (BCApl, TAP, VNEA, and all the rest of the alphabet soup) they all have a lot to offer. In the end, it's gonna be what you make of it. Do a little research on what's available where you'll be living and that will help narrow it down. If you tell folks here where you'll be living, you will likely get a response from someone who lives or has lived in that area, and knows the local scene. And keep checking out AZB, cuz the league threads will pop up on a regular basis.
 
Masters league

The APA has the Master's division. This division is a combination of 8 ball and 9 ball. the same format and rules used in the US Amateur championships that the APA also runs. There are no handicaps and it is a race to 7. Teams are made up of up to 4 players with 3 matches played each week. Winner of the lag can choose to break or select whether to start with 8 ball or 9 ball. if 8 ball is chosen then 5 games are played. after 5 games of 8 ball players begin 9 ball and the winner is determined when either player reaches 7. If 9 ball is chosen first then a maximum of 8 games of 9 ball are played before switching to 8 ball assuming no one has made it to 7 yet.

Hope this helps you.
 
thanks so much for the replys......i had all but given up on learning anything about the leagues. i will be playing at marietta billiard club in marietta ga (johnny archer's place). so all leagues are available. i guess when i get there in a month i will stop there for a couple of nights and just check on the action. in the meantime i will try a search. i am not one to watch play for an hour or more and then get my chance to play one game until my turn comes around again 30 minutes or so later as they do it here.
 
oldplayer said:
thanks so much for the replys......i had all but given up on learning anything about the leagues. i will be playing at marietta billiard club in marietta ga (johnny archer's place). so all leagues are available. i guess when i get there in a month i will stop there for a couple of nights and just check on the action. in the meantime i will try a search. i am not one to watch play for an hour or more and then get my chance to play one game until my turn comes around again 30 minutes or so later as they do it here.
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I would just stay away from the APA, to many league operators with their own interest in mind.

This coming from a former APA and soley tourney player now
 
oldplayer said:
been playing pool on and off for more than 35 years but never any league play. i'm moving back to the usa for an undetermined period of time and want to know more about the leagues and league play. i practice/play daily here for at least 2 hours with a couple of beers and pay about $5 per day (that's 9' table time and beer). the last time in the usa at the local pool hall that same thing cost me more than $20. that is cost prohibitive on a daily basis, even every other day. so i was thinking about league play as a way to play the game i love without breaking tha bank! a friend used to be in ABA but changed to BCA because he liked the rules better with the latter. now there seems to be a new league called "masters". what is major difference in the leagues and how many times a week do you play and is it ongoing thru the year? what about costs? what do you like/dislike about league play?
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BCA is more competitive, IMO, than APA. You'll find more solid players.

If you want more competition in the APA, play in the Master's league. Jump cues are allowed in the Master's league, but not in a regular APA league.

If you want to play people with a handicap and try a season out to see if you like it in more of a social setting, try a regular APA league.

Several different formats to choose from. 8-Ball, 9-Ball, both games in one night, or join separate teams/formats and play on different days of the week.

Cost up here is $6/$7 a night if you play, free green fees.

There's also a membership fee. I think I paid $20-30 for APA when I signed up.

I started playing pool a few years ago and tried out my first two seasons in APA. It was exciting at first, and then there's a lot of bullshit that may push your buttons. i.e. the way people on other teams act, how unsportsman-like people can be, how ridiculous upset people get over stupid rules, playing on crap tables, etc.

What I liked about league, more than anything, is beating people. If you're competitive, you'll love it. Our team went to the state qualifiers for Vegas both seasons, and that as well, was a lot of fun. Ultimately I got tired of people in general in league, and quit. I'm joining back up this coming season with my 8-ball team to have some fun
 
I've played over 100 league seasons since 1966, - local leagues, NPBA (no longer exists), Midwest Pool League, VNEA, BCA and APA. There are no VNEA, BCA or ACS leagues where I live (sadly). If I had my options, I would choose ACS first, then VNEA, BCA and local leagues in that order. No APA for me. Other threads give their reasons, most of which I agree with. I like the World Standardized Rules, simple scoring systems, and league financial statements. I don't like rules and systems that encourage sand-bagging. Check out league websites for details.
 
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