APA (by Google)

u12armresl

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
Was looking for a place to see people's APA rankings (since I don't play APA and don't have a member account.)
And Google offered "How good is an APA 7?" I had to click on it.

1673829149399.png
 
APA 7 is a decent player. BIH they just run out. The rating system is all over the place in the APA. I’ve heard stories an APA 5 in one area is a 7 in another.

I played in the APA for one series and I capped out within a few weeks in 8 and 9 ball. I’m not really into bar pool. I played in the Joss tour about 20 years ago I was an “A” so I knew ranking up quick was going to be an issue with the APA team.

I find the biggest disadvantage to the APA is the capping of the rating. You get a player like SVB and myself and we are playing equal. I’m probably breaking and running 3-4 racks and I’d expect him to break and run all the racks.

The APA is geared more to the beginner/bar room player. From what I see the average player is about a 5.
 
Zerksies said:
APA 7 is a decent player. BIH they just run out. The rating system is all over the place in the APA. I’ve heard stories an APA 5 in one area is a 7 in another.

I played in the APA for one series and I capped out within a few weeks in 8 and 9 ball. I’m not really into bar pool. I played in the Joss tour about 20 years ago I was an “A” so I knew ranking up quick was going to be an issue with the APA team.

I find the biggest disadvantage to the APA is the capping of the rating. You get a player like SVB and myself and we are playing equal. I’m probably breaking and running 3-4 racks and I’d expect him to break and run all the racks.

The APA is geared more to the beginner/bar room player. From what I see the average player is about a 5.
Click to expand...
He would be a super 7, you probably would not be.
 
The Google post is abut right.

I rate myself as a APA 6.5 and as a C+ player. (APA rates me as a 6.)

Early in my APA playing I oscillated between 6 and 7 weekly and then later monthly.
 
APA gradients work well 2-6. The highest levels in 8b and 9b need to be broken down further if there is an expectation that very good players are participating in APA. That said it probably works ok considering APA is targeted to the casual player. But because APA does not stratify level 7 (8b) and 9 (9b) enough, there is a wide disparity of skill at these levels.
 
u12armresl said:
He would be a super 7, you probably would not be.
Click to expand...

But the handicap is the same no matter how good the 7 is. I think the max a player can play, if the league is not sitting on its ass and ignoring known player skill, is about a 700 Fargo. The "super 7" is pretty much just a name for a 7 that is better than most other 7s (in 8 ball that is).
 
MitchAlsup said:
The Google post is abut right.

I rate myself as a APA 6.5 and as a C+ player. (APA rates me as a 6.)

Early in my APA playing I oscillated between 6 and 7 weekly and then later monthly.
Click to expand...

Unless you are talking about 9-ball where the limit is 9, you would not be a C+ player as a 6 or 7 in APA 8 ball. You need to be a very good B player to max out APA ratings, top of the B+ levels, or A-. Remember C level is just over a beginner D player, so even a C+ would not have that huge of a skill and knowledge level to be a 6 or 7 (again if we are talking 8 ball here). A C+ in APA would be like a 5 max, or a good 4, probably closer to a 4, so 4.5 maybe. B- you can get to skimming the 6 rating.

I don't play APA but TAP is also a 7 rating cap, and I go between a 6 and a 7 as a 550 Fargo, which is a B+ level, when I play good I shoot at an A- level (can run a 2-pack every week or so during league nights). I also play in rooms that are APA rooms and the players and owners there always put me in as a 7 in their events, and I still have a decent chance of cashing and have won a few. So if you are a 6/7 in APA 8 ball you are a level higher than a C+, should be a B+, or at least a very good B.
 
Last edited:
The real problem with APA is there is no reason for a 6 to win games and stay a 6 or even move to 7 when they can sandbag and stay a 5.
 
DryFlyTrout said:
The real problem with APA is there is no reason for a 6 to win games and stay a 6 or even move to 7 when they can sandbag and stay a 5.
Click to expand...
You are correct in they have to lose to sandbag. A 6 can never move down to a 5 if they have a 50% or greater win percentage.
 
Zerksies said:
The way people talk about getting that free trip to Vegas. They would do that.
Click to expand...
Maybe. But remember, more then one person with a losing win percentage is unlikely to get you to Vegas. It's a slippery slope. Another thing to remember is if you ever played at Vegas before, you will play at the skill level you had the last time you were there. Unless you went up since then. Then you play at the higher level.
 
The average 8 ball SL 7s (at least in my neck of the woods) definitely aren't a favorite to get out with BIH on a bar box unless they have a relatively wide open layout.

However, they are usually smart/experienced enough to avoid falling into the trap of painting themselves into a corner and then turning over a wide open table to their opponent. That's the bread and butter of SL 6s. Getting beyond that trap is when 6s are usually raised to 7s.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Maybe. But remember, more then one person with a losing win percentage is unlikely to get you to Vegas. It's a slippery slope. Another thing to remember is if you ever played at Vegas before, you will play at the skill level you had the last time you were there. Unless you went up since then. Then you play at the higher level.
Click to expand...
I could care less about a free trip to Vegas. I've been their on my own. It's not worth the hassle to me. I don't see the big thing about sandbagging for a crappy trip
 
I don't play league but got some first hand experience with the ambiguity of the top level ranking just last week. I asked a friend about a guy looking to play me and he replied: "I don't know much but even if he's some standard SL7, you don't have much to worry about". And therein lies the problem. 'IF' he's a 'standard SL7'. What does that even mean? Obv I'd be a 7 as well. So would SVB. Now SVBs aren't playing league ever, but we have forum members who do play league and are in the 700s. So the FR range for an APA 7 is what? 150 points? That's quite a huge range of players playing even that def shouldn't be.
 
WobblyStroke said:
I don't play league but got some first hand experience with the ambiguity of the top level ranking just last week. I asked a friend about a guy looking to play me and he replied: "I don't know much but even if he's some standard SL7, you don't have much to worry about". And therein lies the problem. 'IF' he's a 'standard SL7'. What does that even mean? Obv I'd be a 7 as well. So would SVB. Now SVBs aren't playing league ever, but we have forum members who do play league and are in the 700s. So the FR range for an APA 7 is what? 150 points? That's quite a huge range of players playing even that def shouldn't be.
Click to expand...
yes, sl7s typically range no lower than 550 up to over 700
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top