APA National Singles questions

Da Poet

Da Poet

Pool is Cool
Silver Member
If everyone can resist the urge to hijack this thread into an APA sandbagging discussion, (you know who you are! :D ) a week and a half ago, I managed to win a trip out to the 8 ball APA Singles National finals in Las Vegas April 26th and 27th. I was wondering if anyone here has been to this event and could share their experiences and maybe answer a few questions I have.

1) How is the hotel? I've been out there a few times and usually stayed at Bally's. How would the Riviera compare? I've opted to pay extra for my own room.

2) How long between matches usually?

3) How would you describe the atmosphere and crowd there, honestly.

4) How was your overall experience? Is there anything you would have done differently to prepare for the tournament.

5) How were the tables and what kind were they, size, cloth, pocket size etc.

6) How were the players as far as their ratings go. I am an SL5 knocking on six. Is it pretty well balanced out there?

7) How far to you have to go to finish in the money?


Thanks for any input here. I kinda looking forward to it. It's not the US Open, but for someone who just really started playing a few years ago, I'm pretty happy about it. Not bad for a $15 qualifying fee.:D
 
congrats on your win, i am also qualified. i have never been out there so i could ask the same exact questions.
 
DP & Ant,

I can't answer your questions, but good luck and excellent shooting to the both of you in Vegas!!! Most of all, savor the moment as "many are called but few are chosen".

Maniac
 
Only thing I can tell you is, I believe (someone else can confirm this or tell me I'm wrong) that the SLs are grouped by 2/3, 4/5, 6/7. So if you're a strong five, you're probably sitting pretty.
 
they are grouped that way. i feel that i am a strong five and should move up within the next year sometime but there is always someone better. now i was in a class of 44 or so sl4-5in the regionals which got split into 3 seperate brackets of 16. 3 of us are going to the final. from what i have heard i think there was 350 people there last year, not sure if that was 9 ball included or not. if its 350 for 8 ball that would probably leave half of them as 4's and 5's. thats 175 guys, its gonna be a real tough weekend.:eek: i would imagine they split it up into 16 man brackets and the winners of all those would go into a seperate winners bracket to play for the one winner. not sure but thats my guess. that would leave you with 10 matched to play assuming you dont get sent into the loser end of the brackets in which you would play up to 2 more matches in each bracket.
 
Also something to keep in mind:

Not all SL 5s are equal. Handicaps are largely based on a player's performance against other players in their area. If one area's players simply play better than the players in another area - a pair of SL 5s, one from each area, won't be playing at the same speed.

Make NO assumptions; take NO chances. Play smart, always. And good luck!
 
I'm pretty sure that you get $150 even if you never win a game. The tables are bar boxes usually with good cloth and normal size pockets. Good luck.
 
Da Poet said:
1) How is the hotel? I've been out there a few times and usually stayed at Bally's. How would the Riviera compare? I've opted to pay extra for my own room.

I’ve never stayed at Bally, so I really can’t give you a fair comparison. I will say that the Riviera is old and the rooms are too, I’d say adequate, a 2 on the 1-5 scale.

2) How long between matches usually?

In the first few rounds there is a lot of time between matches, many hours. The better you do the less time you have between them.

3) How would you describe the atmosphere and crowd there, honestly.

Though question. Generally, I had good experiences, my opponents were pretty good losers. :)

4) How was your overall experience? Is there anything you would have done differently to prepare for the tournament.

I should have played more on the smaller tables. Around here there aren’t many 7fter’s.

5) How were the tables and what kind were they, size, cloth, pocket size etc.

We played on 7 fter's with big pockets that were pretty fast.

6) How were the players as far as their ratings go. I am an SL5 knocking on six. Is it pretty well balanced out there?

Another though question. All I will say, is, that if you are moved up two skill levels within the tournament you will be disqualified. I know you said you wanted to avoid sandbagging talk. But I’ve seen a player intentionally raise his handicap by one when signing up and then get raised again during the tourney to avoid the possibility of DQ. This player BTW placed fairly high too.

7) How far to you have to go to finish in the money?

I’m not sure how you are traveling, but in my case I received cash upon check-in at the APA registration desk. It’s base on how far away you live, as to how much money you get. So you get paid for showing up, after that it’s based on how well you do in the tourney.


Thanks for any input here. I kinda looking forward to it. It's not the US Open, but for someone who just really started playing a few years ago, I'm pretty happy about it. Not bad for a $15 qualifying fee.:D
Click to expand...

Good luck.

Rick
 
How are the 5's?

I went out last year as a 5 and was close to becoming a 6. I lost my first match and then totally destroyed the guy in my next match. I was moved up to a 6 after that and continued playing in the 4/5 bracket. I would say the 5's were average. I had maybe one or two matches that were close and the rest were a breeze. Just remember the table will be easy for you but it is also easy for your opponent. :cool:

Angela
 
Good luck to you. My teammate made it as well playing 9ball in the 4-5 bracket.

The Riv is not very nice and someones ranking of 2 out of a 5 is about right. Its just older and needs revamping.
The table will be 7foot bar boxes that play pretty fast. Pockets are normal bar table pockets.
This year will be the biggest singles Nationals ever for the APA. The size of the events are usually not very big in comparison to the amount of people playing in Regionals.

In your rating group I think you will have the biggest field. If I were you I would want to play as many sl5s as possible and never play a sl4. You give up 25% of the match to a 4 and they can play ok. Your even against the 5 and mentally you can picture them as always being able to play at least your level or better. Some people think they are much better than the sl below them and become to confident. Giving up 1 game in a race to
4 is alot among equal skill levels.

Have fun. I believe you get several things just for making it and some money. If you win a couple rounds the money goes up as do the prizes. Its a cash and prizes type event. The winner gets part cash and part prizes as well.

When you get out there you can practice and they will have mini events as well.

Good luck again


From the APA site __--------------------------------------------
Also check out http://www.poolplayers.com/nsc.html
Theres also a prize breakdown of last years event in the 2006 program. You can view it
from the link above or here http://www.poolplayers.com/temp/2006/2006NSC_SouvinrPgm.pdf

The 2007 APA 8-Ball & 9-Ball Spring Regionals concluded this past weekend. March 3 & 4 was the last weekend for players to qualify for the National Singles Championships held this Spring in Las Vegas. 137 9-Ball players and 196 8-Ball players qualified in 38 regional areas, making it the largest qualifying weekend ever for the event. These players, and others who qualified before this weekend's event, will be playing for their share of cash and prizes in the National Singles Championship held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino April 26 - 28, 2007.

8-Ball participants will be competing in the APA 8-Ball Classic in one of three skill level tiers the Blue Tier (SL 2&3), Yellow Tier (SL 4&5) and Purple Tier (SL 6&7). The champion in each tier of this event receives $15,000 in cash and prizes. Total purse for this event is $200,000.

9-Ball participants will be competing in the APA 9-Ball Shootout in one of three skill level tiers the Green Tier (SL 1-3), White Tier (SL 4&5) and Black Tier (SL 6-9). The champion in each tier of this event receives $10,000 in cash and prizes. Total purse for this event is $100,000.

Congratulations to these players! Keep an eye on poolplayers.com as we draw closer to the event, pre-event coverage will be posted soon
 
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The only thing I will say about the APA Singles Championships is that it's deceptively difficult for 7s. Unlike all the other ratings that have a floor & ceiling, s/l 7s can be just about anybody. When you're in this bracket, you know that every round will be against a competent player.


My only word of advice is, DO NOT GET A RANDOM ROOMMATE. Spend the dough. I wouldn't even think twice about it. The event has the potential of being a rather memorable moment. You don't want it scarred by the fact that you're bunking with some crazy person.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
The only thing I will say about the APA Singles Championships is that it's deceptively difficult for 7s. Unlike all the other ratings that have a floor & ceiling, s/l 7s can be just about anybody. When you're in this bracket, you know that every round will be against a competent player.
Click to expand...

I'd say it's tough for *everyone* in the 6/7 group, because there's no telling when you'll draw that "7 who would be a 9 if the system went that high" opponent.

Jude Rosenstock said:
My only word of advice is, DO NOT GET A RANDOM ROOMMATE. Spend the dough. I wouldn't even think twice about it. The event has the potential of being a rather memorable moment. You don't want it scarred by the fact that you're bunking with some crazy person.
Click to expand...

HUUUUGE taps on this one. What if you end up with a chronic snorer? No sleep whatsoever. :(
 
This is a great thead. Lots of good info. I was eliminated in the regional qualifier, so getting a trip to Vegas is a big coup in my mind. Congratulations for getting this far. I hope you report back your results and how you enjoyed the experience.

For those of you on here that have been to Vegas, how did you do? Please share a story if you've got a good one. Was it a positive experience? One you'd want to do again?

McCue Banger McCue
 
DelaWho??? said:
This is a great thead. Lots of good info. I was eliminated in the regional qualifier, so getting a trip to Vegas is a big coup in my mind. Congratulations for getting this far. I hope you report back your results and how you enjoyed the experience.

For those of you on here that have been to Vegas, how did you do? Please share a story if you've got a good one. Was it a positive experience? One you'd want to do again?

McCue Banger McCue
Click to expand...


I won the first two regional tournaments I played in. The first time I went in my first match, I got out from near jail only to have my opponent tell me I forgot to mark my pocket. I looked down and realized the marker was already there (which is fine). Because of my rank, I thought it was extremely uncool for him to try and get a win that way.

The next year, I played someone who forgot to mark the pocket. I walked up to the table, proceeded to rack the balls and softly whispered, "Don't forget to mark the pocket next time." Surprised, he asked why I didn't take the win. I said, "Nobody travels all this way to win or lose like that."


I think, because of the handicap system, MANY APA players become obsessed with ALL the rules. It's really kinda sad because once you play anywhere else, you learn there's a higher authority that most pool players abide by: Integrity.
 
Of course I've been in other leagues (BCA, TAP, ...) and they were even worse rules sticklers. Big arguments can erupt over the smallest of issues, destroying the fun of the event for all (not just the ones involved in the incidents).

Overall, I agree with your point that the outcome of any competition should not be determined by technicalities. You bring your best, and the opponent does the same, and whoever performs best should be the winner.

Rules are just there to facilitate the process of determing the winner. Not to be stolen by a rules junky.
 
Da Poet,

Seems like most of your questions have been answered pretty well in this thread.

As I recall, unlike Regionals where there are boards of 16 players, in the Nationals there is one big board for all players in your tier (2-3 tier, 4-5 tier, 6-7 tier - 8 ball example, of course it's similar for 9 ball).
 
Try to bring some nice clothes w/you in case you get to play on Saturday. When I got 3rd 2 years ago I had to take a Saturday morning taxi ride to a K-Mart just to buy some khakis for the semi-finals.

I haven't read the whole thread, but you get a hundred dollars for showing up, plus a really nice jacket. Depending how far you traveled, you get some travel money. The tables were very nice Valleys 2 years ago, and I think that's what they'll be this year again.

I'm paying a little extra so I have a room Wednesday night and Saturday night, so I can fly in and get some sleep before the first day of play and also so I can hang out at the Poolapalooza party on Saturday night.

G/L avoiding the killer 7's if you're in the purple tier. Sarge is the main one I know of.

Make sure you always ALWAYS mark you pocket when you're on the 8. Too many horrible stories out there to take chances like that.
 
Awsome! Thanks!

This forum rocks!

Thanks for all the congrats and info. It should be fun. Right away when they gave me the paperwork after the regional, I checked the box agreeing to pay extra for the single room.

This info really helps. I'm going to give it my best shot. I'm not worried about being bumped all the way up to a SL7. I'm sure my teamates back here would find that pretty hilarious. I suppose there is a chance that I'll get bumped up to a SL6 mid way through, but I don't really care. Win the first game and it doesn't matter anymore.

I forgot to mention if any AZ'ers are going to be there, by all means an after tourney drink is in order. Just pm me at some point. If the place has internet access, I'll post an update or two.

I like what Jude said about the nitpicky factor and I admire the way he handled the second situation. I really hope I don't have to make any decisions like that though! :D

I had a guy in the regionals try to say that the chaulk I used to mark the pocket wasn't legal and was loss of game. The regional tournament directors said at the beginning that it was okay, so I kind of chuckled and told him to go ahead and check with them. What was silly about this is not only did I place the chaulk next to the pocket, I called it out aloud, and patted my hand on the pocket on it a couple times while I was looking right at him. He came back from the tournament director just shaking his head and muttering something and I could tell he was so worked up over it that the match was over. He only ended up sharking himself over something that really didn't matter.

I'm going out there to hopefully play some good pool, try to avoid silly huge mistakes, and have a good time. I'm looking forward to playing some great matches. Whoever plays better should win so we'll see what happens!

Thanks again for the info and hope to see a few of you out there!
 
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hustlefinger said:
if you are moved up two skill levels within the tournament you will be disqualified. I know you said you wanted to avoid sandbagging talk. But I’ve seen a player intentionally raise his handicap by one when signing up and then get raised again during the tourney to avoid the possibility of DQ. This player BTW placed fairly high too.
Click to expand...

That's interesting after everything I've heard about sandbagging. Does that rule not exist for the team tournament?
 
Singles beats the team tournament

I found that they treated you great! It is recognized that you have already accomplished something just by qualifying for the tournament. I had a great time and found the level of play to be quite a challenge and a lot of fun.

I think with the team tournament they know that there is a lot of team members along for the ride but with the singles everyone is a legit player.

Have a great time and enjoy the ride because anyone can win on any day!
 
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