Tonight was the last straw. I've been playing handicapped tournaments at this one place for about 3 months. I won the tournament once as an A-, and my rating got raised to an A+. I am a decent player but I don't play strong like an A+ should. Last week I lost in the 3rd round, but I was playing very well. I wasn't running racks and racks, but maybe like one break and run and the rest of the time if I had 4 or 5 balls with a shot I got out most of the time. Even though I lost my 3rd match, the tournament director was watching and he raised me to an A+. I know that I am not at that level. The other A+ players are like shortstop level, I mean they can run racks and racks, and they give up alot of spots.
I didn't argue about my handicap being raised because I don't like to complain. I thought about it this week before tonights tournament and I told myself that maybe this will help me play better. Even though I have to give up weight to guys that I should be playing even, I thought that the added pressure would help me improve. So I joined the tournament tonight. In the first round, I drew a player that alot of people have been complaining about. He is rated a C+, but he plays more like a B+. Numberous times I heard people tell the TD that this guy should be raised one full average, because he can actually run out sometimes, and he plays good safes. The TD didn't adjust him, so I had to give him the max spot of 4 games to 7. I was thinking about saying something before the match started, but I decided that I would play my best and see what happens. He wins the flip, and what does he do the first game? He breaks and runs out. Now I am stuck 5-0. I manage to win 2 games in a row. The next game I break and don't make a ball. He runs 5 balls and pockets a 6-9 combo. Once he did that I got extremely frustrated. The first break and run, he stayed in line perfectly and got out like a pro. In the rack with the combo, he made a great shot on the 1 ball and stayed in perfect like for the 6-9 combo. If he had made a sloppy out, I wouldn't have been so pissed, but him staying in line perfectly demonstrated how well this guy can really play. The TD was watching the match, and didn't say a word. The next game literally drove me nuts. I played safe on the 1 ball and left him locked up. The 3 ball was on the end rail tied up between the 8 ball and 9-ball. He goes for the kick and left me an easy shot, but his stick knocked the 3 out of the cluster and left it in an open area, which made the runout possible. He quickly picked up the 3ball and put it back in the cluster. I told him that he had no right to do that, because it is up to the incoming shooter whether the ball stays there or goes back. I told him I wanted the 3ball where it stopped after he accidentally hit it with his stick. He picked it up and put it in a spot that was about 4 inches away from where it really stopped, and he made it so it was tied up with the 6-ball!!! I nearly blew a fuse. I told him that the 3ball was over to the left a few inches, and that it wasn't tied up with that ball. He started arguing with me, and I looked at the TD. He looks at me and says that the guy put it back in the right spot. This is complete and utter bullshit, but there was nothing I could do about it. I made the one and two, and had to play shape for the 3 in the side at a steep angle, which was the only available pocket because of where he put it. If it was where it should have been, I could have played position to the corner. I missed the 3 ball and the guy ran out the 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 for the win. I was so upset I was almost in tears. I went up to the TD and asked him why he never raised that guys average after all the complaints, and he said that he felt the guy didn't play any better than a C+ and that he just happened to play the match of his life against me. I also mentioned to him that he placed the 3 ball in the wrong spot. Guess what he tells me? "You have to take the other guy's word for it". The TD saw me in stroke ONCE out of all the tournaments I've played in, and he raised me from an A- to an A+ in one week! That is 2 full digits. He watches a C+ run out and play perfect position, and even after complaints from weeks before, he wouldn't adjust that guys average. I told him that's F***ed up, and I left. I don't think I'm gonna play that tournament again. What would you all do in that situation?
I didn't argue about my handicap being raised because I don't like to complain. I thought about it this week before tonights tournament and I told myself that maybe this will help me play better. Even though I have to give up weight to guys that I should be playing even, I thought that the added pressure would help me improve. So I joined the tournament tonight. In the first round, I drew a player that alot of people have been complaining about. He is rated a C+, but he plays more like a B+. Numberous times I heard people tell the TD that this guy should be raised one full average, because he can actually run out sometimes, and he plays good safes. The TD didn't adjust him, so I had to give him the max spot of 4 games to 7. I was thinking about saying something before the match started, but I decided that I would play my best and see what happens. He wins the flip, and what does he do the first game? He breaks and runs out. Now I am stuck 5-0. I manage to win 2 games in a row. The next game I break and don't make a ball. He runs 5 balls and pockets a 6-9 combo. Once he did that I got extremely frustrated. The first break and run, he stayed in line perfectly and got out like a pro. In the rack with the combo, he made a great shot on the 1 ball and stayed in perfect like for the 6-9 combo. If he had made a sloppy out, I wouldn't have been so pissed, but him staying in line perfectly demonstrated how well this guy can really play. The TD was watching the match, and didn't say a word. The next game literally drove me nuts. I played safe on the 1 ball and left him locked up. The 3 ball was on the end rail tied up between the 8 ball and 9-ball. He goes for the kick and left me an easy shot, but his stick knocked the 3 out of the cluster and left it in an open area, which made the runout possible. He quickly picked up the 3ball and put it back in the cluster. I told him that he had no right to do that, because it is up to the incoming shooter whether the ball stays there or goes back. I told him I wanted the 3ball where it stopped after he accidentally hit it with his stick. He picked it up and put it in a spot that was about 4 inches away from where it really stopped, and he made it so it was tied up with the 6-ball!!! I nearly blew a fuse. I told him that the 3ball was over to the left a few inches, and that it wasn't tied up with that ball. He started arguing with me, and I looked at the TD. He looks at me and says that the guy put it back in the right spot. This is complete and utter bullshit, but there was nothing I could do about it. I made the one and two, and had to play shape for the 3 in the side at a steep angle, which was the only available pocket because of where he put it. If it was where it should have been, I could have played position to the corner. I missed the 3 ball and the guy ran out the 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 for the win. I was so upset I was almost in tears. I went up to the TD and asked him why he never raised that guys average after all the complaints, and he said that he felt the guy didn't play any better than a C+ and that he just happened to play the match of his life against me. I also mentioned to him that he placed the 3 ball in the wrong spot. Guess what he tells me? "You have to take the other guy's word for it". The TD saw me in stroke ONCE out of all the tournaments I've played in, and he raised me from an A- to an A+ in one week! That is 2 full digits. He watches a C+ run out and play perfect position, and even after complaints from weeks before, he wouldn't adjust that guys average. I told him that's F***ed up, and I left. I don't think I'm gonna play that tournament again. What would you all do in that situation?
