I have wondered the Vegas thing myself. I have a guy on my team who played in Vegas as a 9 and is now a 7. When he was a 9 he was playing 7 days a week, but family obligations dropped it down to 2-3 days at most so they skll level has suffered.
APA Skill Levels
- Thread starter Hooper840
- Start date
I have wondered the Vegas thing myself. I have a guy on my team who played in Vegas as a 9 and is now a 7. When he was a 9 he was playing 7 days a week, but family obligations dropped it down to 2-3 days at most so they skll level has suffered.
Unfortunately, there are no absolute rules regarding handicaps in the APA. The rules that apply to team A don't necessarily apply to team B.
That's kinda my point. I started apa as a 3/3 and worked on my game to get to a solid 4/4. I got raised to a 5 the week before cities. My 8 ball team won cities and we are going to Vegas in August. I didn't play in cities because i was raised 2 days before cities started. I don't want to get locked in as a 5 by playing in Vegas.
I cant compete as a 5. I don't have the time to practice to get better to shot as a 5. No table at home, work 60-80 hours a week. I shot 2 nights out of that. With family obligations it doesn't leave much time for any practicing or getting better. I was hovering around 40-50% as a 4. I mostly beat the 2-3's i should beat, its a coin-flip with a lot of 4's and 5-6 i usually lose to.
IMO, the Lowest Attainable Rule makes no sense. You should be ranked on how you're currently playing, maybe the last 20 matches, and nothing else. If the Equalizer handicap system actually works (it doesn't) and sandbaggers are thrown out, you wouldn't have any need for this rule.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet but once you play in a higher level tournament like Vegas you are given a National Lowest Attainable.
For me, since I have been to Vegas for 8 and 9 as a SL6 I can never go below that SL. I have seen people who have gone up unjustly out there but in order to go down your LO has to write a letter to St. Louis.
Once you win in Vegas you will be locked at that handicap.
Edit: Looks like it has been mentioned...lol
For me, since I have been to Vegas for 8 and 9 as a SL6 I can never go below that SL. I have seen people who have gone up unjustly out there but in order to go down your LO has to write a letter to St. Louis.
Once you win in Vegas you will be locked at that handicap.
Edit: Looks like it has been mentioned...lol
So if i play in Vegas as a 5 I can never go down to a 4 ever again?
Does the LAR not apply if you play in Vegas and get locked in? If i play in Vegas as a 5 I will be locked in as a 5 and the LAR will not apply and I cant go down to a 4 ever again??
Seen the NLA overridden at least twice...
It is just like any handicapped team sport.... Bowling, golf, or pool. You can have sandbaggers...... no, you will always have sandbaggers.
In APA I think the SL would be much closer if the score keeper did the job correctly every game. Always mark down the defensive shots and sandbaggers will be better ranked. One thing I run up against is a team that always adds few innings to the game. I have even heard a person say "I am not going to win any games this session." in hopes of a lower rank in the playoffs.
I always play my best and keep score as well as I can. I don't cheat and I play like a sportsman. I sleep good at night but that's just me.
I admit that sometimes I fail to mark defensive shots so I add to the problem.
I asked the LO if the number if innings on the score sheets don't agree, which number do you take???? He said "the highest number". I believe that helps sandbagging. I need to protest the policy with him.
It is not perfect but I have fun anyways.
Kim
Me too but from what I have heard the League Office has taken that out of the LO's hands. I don't believe they can just go in and move someone down anymore without ramifications from St. Louis. They can still move someone up on their own.
At least this is what I have been told.
That's how it's supposed to work.
You will then have a NLA of SL5 which means that's the lowest you could ever be.
I have heard this as well. Here's to hoping.
(Of course, just because they can't lower someone easily doesn't mean that an unscrupulous individual might not submit scores properly, to prevent an indivdual from going up. I would hope that doesn't happen, but hope is all it is. I'm sure there are bad LO's, just like there are bad everything-elses...)
and then there's always that possibility. I would also like to think LO's take their jobs seriously and would never do this but who knows. Naive probably.
All these talks about handicaps really make me want to throw my hat in the ring for the masters format. Straight races with no handicaps. I'd probably get my arse handed to me but at least there's no sandbagging.
I think the fundamental issue is that the handicap is calculated using innings. Innings are the easiest part of the game to manipulate and good players can easily hide safeties from the scorekeeper. Why not just give the most weight to the win/loss percentage? Maybe factor in the skill level of the opponents somehow. I saw innings manipulated at least once a night when I played APA. When I kept score, if there was any doubt about whether a shot was defensive, I marked it as a defense. But it didn't seem to have any effect. The same sandbaggers played at the same level, year after year.
i just joined the masters a few weeks ago. i also play in 2 other handicapped divisions. i know the results of my 2 handicapped divisions affect my overall ranking. what about the results of my master league matches. will they affect my handicap in my other divisions ?
I would doubt it. You don't keep score of innings, do you? Even if you do, you and your opponent don't have a "skill level" in that format to compare common opponents against, either.
Of course I don't know, and it is an interesting question. I look forward to hearing the answer from someone who does know.
It's no innings, right? Just wins and losses.
If that's the case it won't affect your handicap.
thanks koop. as many losses as i have already i would probably wind up a 2 pretty soon lol.
Even if I dont actually play in Vegas.
Thats complete bs. I get raised to a 5 3 days before cities and all it does is hurt our team. We over come it, I don't play but keep a mean score all weekend, and now because we are going to Vegas for Nationals I'm locked in as a 5 for life. Hell if that's the case I might was well quit all together. Cant play as a 5, don't have the time to put in the work to get better to compete as a 5, so now I have to stay a 5. Kinda takes all the fun out of it when you play for fun, play because you love to play and want to enjoy it but cant enjoy because I have no real shot at winning.
I understand the lack-of-time issues completely. I get how it frustrates you. I'm an SL5 right now myself in 8-ball, and am having my struggles too. (I kinda jokingly call myself a 4.5)
Don't let it break you. You can still compete, just try to play more SL4's when you can. Yes, you have to give them a game and in some cases that's a challenge. But at least it's a way for you to drive yourself and still get some enjoyment. I, too, play far better against the SL4's than the SL5's. Even having to give them a game. It's just a different level of play, at least here in my division. And that's OK. The SL5's usually beat me, and the SL4's usually don't. That's plenty of incentive for me to improve, as much as I can, even with limited practice time available.
Yes, sometimes the needs of the team require that I play an SL5 or and SL6, instead of an SL4. That's gonna happen. I just try to get the most out of it that I can. Occasionally I win one of those, and I bet you will too. You can improve your game, even without a lot of table time. Reading here helps. Books, of course. Concentrate on what is your biggest problem area in what little time you get. Play smarter. (That's one that has been my challenge lately. The battle within.)
Good luck!
From the leaked Equalizer formula, that is correct. A losing winning percentage at your current skill level is (or was) the only way to drop.