APA Skill Levels

[Anunnaki]

Win loss means nothing. In fact you can lose and still be moved up if you played well enough

Losing games count towards your winning percentage at your current skill level. You can drop with a losing winning percentage.

You can still lose a match and your winning games (if any) will still count towards your skill level. It is an average of the 10 best wins in the last 20 games, regardless of if you won the match or not.

 

[OneIron]

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.

And I think the losing percentage to go down was higher for as you moved up in skill level. In other words, a 7 had to have a lower winning percentage to drop than a 5. Could be wrong though. It's been a long time...

 

[RunoutJJ]

What you describe is the APA system working as it is designed. An APA 6 should essentially never be able to run a 3-pack in 9-ball. It worked because you apparently didn't hold back and because your safeties were marked.

Yeah they put me in as a 4 after i told them I was a 7 10 years ago when I played. So the first week im a 4 then the next week i got bumped up to a 6.. You already know the rest of the story :lol:

Yes the APA system "CAN" work if people dont sandbag. I mean if i really wanted to I could've sandbag my way as a 4 or even drop down to a 3 adn then head off to Vegas... Then destroy (on the sly) anybody I play. This is why I dont do Vegas for APA but I would go to play in any BCA events

 

[OneIron]

Yeah they put me in as a 4 after i told them I was a 7 10 years ago when I played. So the first week im a 4 then the next week i got bumped up to a 6.. You already know the rest of the story :lol:

Yes the APA system "CAN" work if people dont sandbag. I mean if i really wanted to I could've sandbag my way as a 4 or even drop down to a 3 adn then head off to Vegas... Then destroy (on the sly) anybody I play. This is why I dont do Vegas for APA but I would go to play in any BCA events

I never sandbagged in the APA. Consequently, I was routinely spotting 10-20 balls to players who played as well or better than me. Takes some of the fun out of it. But at least I could sleep at night.

 

[xxroodoggxx]

I just went to an 8 and I'm not "putting racks on anyone" I'm doing good to get 1 break an run during my match. Then go to cities (Charlotte) an get in the cash tourneys an play sl 4 an 5's that runout an beat me even it's really discouraging.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. **roo$t@r**

 

[bflojosh]

I started playing in the APA last year as a 4... then after winning all of my matches except 1 that season I was still a 4, with the occasional break and run, some safeties, etc. I just went up to a 5 this season and I think I've only lost 2 more matches since. I don't get it! I guess I shouldn't complain but I'd rather have a lot of fun than anything else. Ours is a pretty small league could that have contributed at all?

-Josh

 

[BrokeStroke]

I just went to an 8 and I'm not "putting racks on anyone" I'm doing good to get 1 break an run during my match. Then go to cities (Charlotte) an get in the cash tourneys an play sl 4 an 5's that runout an beat me even it's really discouraging.

This was what I was wondering:

I'm in a division with really weak players playing at higher skill levels than they should be playing at. If any of these guys were to go to nationals, I don't see how any of the SL6's or 7's would be able to win a game. I'm only saying this because in the 8-ball division I'm in, the other SL7 cant run 5 balls.

Basically, I was just wondering how the APA handicap system can work on a national level, being that our SL7s can be considered SL4's in some other part of the country?

 

[brophog]

Basically, I was just wondering how the APA handicap system can work on a national level, being that our SL7s can be considered SL4's in some other part of the country?

It's problematic writing a ranking equation without some form of weighting system, and unfortunately, even if you know all of the comparators involved, it is still a bit unwieldy.

 

[PoolDood]

I've seen the National Lowest Attainable lowered 3 times.

The player has to write a letter to the LO explaining why he should be lowered, usually due to physical / medical reasons. The LO then sends the letter off to the national office and then the NLA is lowered 2-3 SLs, not removed. My one teammate went to Vegas as a 6, had some issues and his NLA is now at 4 but he's playing as a SL5.

The player's SL will not go down immediately, his/her SL is based on the players true Equalizer rating. I've seen it go down 2-3 weeks after sending out the letter and I've seen it never go down because my teammate was still playing strong at times and wasn't deserving of a lower SL but his NLA was lowered.

 

[PoolDood]

This was what I was wondering:

I'm in a division with really weak players playing at higher skill levels than they should be playing at. If any of these guys were to go to nationals, I don't see how any of the SL6's or 7's would be able to win a game. I'm only saying this because in the 8-ball division I'm in, the other SL7 cant run 5 balls.

Basically, I was just wondering how the APA handicap system can work on a national level, being that our SL7s can be considered SL4's in some other part of the country?

I agree.

I was just in vegas in April and I've heard MANY stories about SL2 playing like SL5s and SL4s playing like SL7s.

BUT, I was more surprised by the SL7s playing like SL5s and the SL5s & SL6s playing like SL4s.

And, didn't see anyone playing way above their SLs. At every SL, you're going to get players that play well on a particular day but the stories I've heard for years, by the same people, were exaggerated.

 

[Sport666]

If you play in the Masters division, your ranking could affect your ranking in 8&9 ball. even though your only marking wins and loses on the score sheet. Let say your a sl5 in 8ball and are playing in the master. after a season or less they see you waxing sl6&7 you will go up. No doubt.

 

[OneIron]

This was what I was wondering:

I'm in a division with really weak players playing at higher skill levels than they should be playing at. If any of these guys were to go to nationals, I don't see how any of the SL6's or 7's would be able to win a game. I'm only saying this because in the 8-ball division I'm in, the other SL7 cant run 5 balls.

Basically, I was just wondering how the APA handicap system can work on a national level, being that our SL7s can be considered SL4's in some other part of the country?

It also happens with players in the ladies division moving to the open division. Their handicaps tend to be higher than normal due to lower level of play in the ladies. (not knocking the ladies, just a fact).

 

[walrus_3d]

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.

If you moved up to a 5, it's because the system thinks you were playing like a 5 when you were a 4. By definition, you can play like a 5 already. I know, it sucks, but just keep shooting straight and stay calm and you'll win more games than you expect.

As far as "locked in for life," that's a misnomer. If you truly can't perform as a SL5, contact your league operator and ask them to petition for a skill level drop at the national office. The only thing the LAR does is keep people from going to vegas, getting moved up, and then sandbagging back down the next year.

 

[Anunnaki]

I mean if i really wanted to I could've sandbag my way as a 4 or even drop down to a 3 adn then head off to Vegas... Then destroy (on the sly) anybody I play. This is why I dont do Vegas for APA but I would go to play in any BCA events

The APA attempts to prevent this is by using two different databases and averages the results. Division play goes into one database. Post season play (Qualifiers, Regional and Nationals) goes into another.

Rumor is that the second database counts double. Something like DivisionDB+(PostseasonDBx2)/3.

This method catches players dumping in division play and turning it on in the Nationals. Players do this, or play on multiple teams to dump on one, or two and play speed on another.