Anyone play in TAP League?
- Thread starter bobbydee
- Start date
I play TAP after a few years of APA. I have been to a few national events for TAP. Never USPL so I can't fully help.
Compared to APA, TAP is far better. 25 skill level points, and every player is about one skill level lower in TAP, gives you a lot more flexibility to build a roster. TAPs level math is less dependent on your areas general skill level so I have found players of the same skill level to be consistent, regardless of where they are from. In APA in Vegas, you really never know what you are going to find.
The highlight of being in TAP is the Super Billiards Expo, near Valley Forge, PA. TAP runs their Rally in the Valley in the same event. It is nice to be able to actually play on one of the hundreds of tables while attending the Expo. There are team events, singles, some mini tournaments available.
Good luck.
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Compared to APA, TAP is far better. 25 skill level points, and every player is about one skill level lower in TAP, gives you a lot more flexibility to build a roster. TAPs level math is less dependent on your areas general skill level so I have found players of the same skill level to be consistent, regardless of where they are from. In APA in Vegas, you really never know what you are going to find.
The highlight of being in TAP is the Super Billiards Expo, near Valley Forge, PA. TAP runs their Rally in the Valley in the same event. It is nice to be able to actually play on one of the hundreds of tables while attending the Expo. There are team events, singles, some mini tournaments available.
Good luck.
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CaptainBly
Registered
I do enjoy Tap, for 8 ball. I find their rule set to be one of the best. "Most" of their rules are common and the proper way to play. I like the app and going to PA as I can drive there in a half a day.
It's funny that you mention 8ball as that is where they could tweek something. The race between a 7 vs a 4 is a 5/2 race. That is pretty tough as a 4 can run out if the layout is straightforward. A 6/3 would be a bit fairer, imo. TAP recently added an "8" skill level and they would have a 6/2 race.
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CaptainBly
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One thing I think could improve Tap's sandbagging would be for both captains to keep score. In our league we have a team that NEVER records a safety for their team but puts one down for almost every miss of their opponent.
Score keeping on an app that you just tap a button is more of a pain in the ass than writing on paper where someone has to decipher it later?
Score keeping on an app that you just tap a button is more of a pain in the ass than writing on paper where someone has to decipher it later?
CaptainBly
Registered
We had two 7's in our league. Myself and another player. This was our race most nights. We still won way over 50% of the time, so it might actually be a good race?
I've never played it, our room here has two nights of APA, and two nights of TAP. Both are popular, many folks play in both. (League is available every weeknight, Monday thru Thursday, so you can play as much pool as you like.) From what I've heard from folks playing it, the differences in rules aren't many, call pocket for TAP 8-ball seeming to be the biggy. (Still supposed to mark your pocket, heh heh.) Jump cues, too, and the Skill Level difference. Also, TAP 9-ball is conventional games-won, vs points-based in APA. Pushout, I think, as well, where APA doesn't use that rule.
I'm sure there are more differences, but those are the biggest ones I recall hearing about. TAP does have more "national" tournaments, I believe. In addition to the Expo, they have at least one more "National" tournament that moves around the country, maybe two.
(While I don't play in it, I'm on the Facebook page for the local group, the LO is a friend of mine and used to play on my APA teams for years. I'm happy that both leagues thrive here locally.)
I'm sure there are more differences, but those are the biggest ones I recall hearing about. TAP does have more "national" tournaments, I believe. In addition to the Expo, they have at least one more "National" tournament that moves around the country, maybe two.
(While I don't play in it, I'm on the Facebook page for the local group, the LO is a friend of mine and used to play on my APA teams for years. I'm happy that both leagues thrive here locally.)
The rally in the valley at the expo isn’t really their national tournament Where people won a trip to go play. Anyone can go there. Their nationals are held else where..
another thing I like is when you play at regionals or nationals they don’t increase anyone’s skill level. Your scores are entered at the end of a match. If you have a player who plays 2 levels over his skill level you get a warning . If it happens twice you get disqualified. We had a team with someone who obviously wasn’t a 4 run multiple racks in the final . Got red flagged and his team was disqualified. It was always a pain in apa me being a 9 as it it to show up and suddenly 1 or more players jumped up a skill level and your numbers are screwed.
I did appreciate that they hold more regional events then apa. They had a big tournament in Lancaster like every 6 months at the host resort where they would bring a bunch of tables. That’s where you would go to play for a chance to goto nationals but they would also hold regular tournaments for anyone to play in there. They seem to understand that everything doesn’t have to be about going to nationals.
Any idea how large their national event it? Like how many 8-Ball teams? I have not been able to find online brackets like I can for APA, BCAPL, USAPL, VNEA, ACS...
Thanks! That's the issue with my USAPL league now. There's a team of sandbaggers and the LO has been told by multiple and he even noticed it before being told and he doesn't do anything about it. I hear our local TAP league LO's are vigilant and won't stand for it. And it's the only league the sandbaggers don't play on. Honestly at first I didn't care about sandbagging until I started getting into local tournaments and I'm there playing against Fargo "400" an under players that should be 500+. Weird they struggle to win a league match but miraculously end up into the money on tournament nights. LOL
Don’t fool yourself lol there are plenty of sandbagged in all these leagues lol it all comes down to if the lo cares or not b
I think it’s the 2nd biggest next to apa. Acs and bca are small compared to what it was years a go. Apa is by far the largest currently.
For most of these organizations, nationals brackets are online. They may organize divisions differently. But one apples-to-apples comparison is the total number of 8-Ball teams at the flagship event over all divisions. I have looked at a few comparing 2016 to 2024.
ACS 189 in 2016, 177 in 2024 --almost same; slight decrease
VNEA 554 in 2016, 529 in 2024 --almost same; slight decrease
CSI 688 in 2016, 975 in 2024 --large increase
APA. 1230 in 2016, ?? in 2024 --event happens next month
Here CSI is BCAPL/USAPL
Again, can anybody point to online brackets for NAPA or TAP or any others that might be players?
I can tell you on the 90s in their hey day they would have 600 teams at acs and bca.
How you will like it will depend on the local players and league owner. I like it better than APA, less than USAPL or BCA. Best part about TAP is the tournament they have is during SBE, which makes for a nice handy trip to do both. Less cheating than the APA, more knowledgeable players for the most part. APA is dirt track local racing, TAP is NASCAR, USAPL and BCA is F1.
The 8ball nationals were held in Biloxi, MS in November. They put teams in 4 team groups. You play round robin teams in your group. The total wins will place you in the 32 team bracket of decreasing prizes. The top bracket was 8k for first and 4k for second place, paying 500 to the 9-16th. The next bracket paid 4k/2k down to 5-8th getting 500. The bottom bracket paid 1400/700/350/350.
There were 3 brackets and I know that last bracket was not full, something like 95-110 teams.
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ACS was created in 2004/2005, and I don't think it has ever been big.I can tell you on the 90s in their hey day they would have 600 teams at acs and bca.
Can see from compusport (8-ball teams at national event),
151 teams in 2012
189 teams in 2016
177 teams in 2024
OK, so TAP is not so big
Seems it paid out $38,000 to 28 teams (and probably a bit over 100 teams playing)
Contrast this with BCAPL, which paid $281,000 to 210 teams (out of 815 teams that played)