how are ya'll doing in league ?

[justadub]

I don't know numbers. However I do know that the local CPA(APA) LO doesn't have a day job and manages to support his home/family. I've heard rumours of his income driven by the several leagues he runs. Again though, I don't know numbers so I won't comment beyond that. I don't see any problem with LOs being compensated on proportional level. It's a ton of effort and anyone running >10 leagues continuously throughout the year should be recouping something for their time. If not making a living.

I always try to gently point out to the complainers "you try managing a league filled with crying pool players...they deserve all they get out of running this"

Obviously, the work that goes into managing a successful APA franchise is huge. Our LOs had 30 different divisions in the Spring Session, a bit fewer for the summer, unsurprisingly. That's a lot of teams, a lot of players.

And if I recall correctly, APA franchise holders have to pay for the rights to their territory, so its kinda difficult to do it simply "for the love of the game", unless they're ridiculously wealthy.

 

[smiling_Hans]

I don't play league but I play in weekly tournaments and boy have I've been sucking. I have a tendency to play down to a player's level.

I can't get over that hump. If you watch my matches I'm that guy that makes 70 to 90% of the balls during a match but the last two balls I can miss and its all over from there.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I don't play league but I play in weekly tournaments and boy have I've been sucking. I have a tendency to play down to a player's level.

I can't get over that hump.

mental. I was doing the same until I finally said “f it” now my fargorate is slowly creeping up each tournament I play in. I’ve been told I need to stop feeling bad for opponents more than a few times.

 

[Mikkes]

I'm playing in Germany and started the season with a new team. So I had to start in the lowest division with this team. Our team is to good for this league and will promote in the next higher league in the next season. It's not easy to play against beginners and frustrating for them to loose so high against so much higher ranked players.

In singles I will play the qualification for the senior state championchips in 8- 9- and 10-Ball.

Little update:
- Four Team games are left in this season but we have already enough points to promote in the next higher league for next season.
- I am qualified for the senior state championchips in 10-Ball and my Team qualified for the state championchips (8-Ball Team).

 

[jalapus logan]

I started my team 6 years ago with my best buddies. Play one night during the week, and 1 or 2 weekends a year for tourneys.

I got 2 very active teenagers. I coach many of their teams.

It is frustrating, but the APA is a money making business. The more they can force you to create new teams, the more money they make. Just the way it is.

For me personally, I have my own diamond table at home. I practice a lot. League is an opportunity to get out and see how the practice is translating to match play. I ain't ever going to make a living playing pool, and I don't fancy myself ever being in a Rocky type situation where I will come from nowhere and win the US Open. APA is a fun night out with my buddies. My goal is to be the best player I can be, and I pay very little attention to the things that upset a lot of the league detractors. Sandbagging? Doesn't bother me a bit. My goal is to blow my opponent off the table, if he wants to make it easier on me, fine by me.

There is plenty of low stakes action after the league matches. A SL 4 on my team won a race to 9 for $500 bucks last Monday night against a SL 6, getting 3 games on the wire. The SL 7 on my team is a 680 FR and will play just about anybody. Lost 2k playing Roberto Gomez on the big table last year and another 1200 playing him on the bar table. Barely ever got to the table, but it was fun to see.

League is what you make it. Sounds like you are in a perfect situation for you. Good Luck

I feel ya here. I'm really keeping myself busy these days and am in the process of picking up the wreckage of my life as this divorce process unfolds. So in the process of reinventing myself, I intend on occupying my time hiking, camping, attending live music shows, and of course pool. On the pool front, I've been trying to bear down hard and practice up, but we all know how limiting a full time job will be to one's pool game. I find myself oddly unmotivated by money (heresy in the pool world I know)....so I am really only playing for the enjoyment of the game itself. Yes, I will play cheap sets and I do enjoy a good ring game (split the cash with another decent shooter in a ring game a few weeks back...ring games are to me the pool equivalent of the energy at a craps table, which I enjoy----or used to , lol).

So that said, I find myself really hitting the ceiling of what is possible with my level of commitment to the game, though I do seem to be making some incremental gains and becoming more consistent, so perhaps the ceiling is a moving taget? I intend on doubling down on drills, league play, perhaps some more formal coaching (when I finally get control of my damn finances...), and I want to play at least the open tournaments at my local pool room, which is quite nice, but unfortunately are all bar box events (oh well, at least they have them). I do strongly prefer 9' pool, but whatever...it's a hobby after all.

So I need 53 more games to have an established Fargo rating evidently. Fargo is telling me that my recent 35 games (7 nights of BCA 8 ball league) has risen my rating to an absurd 711 (good #'s for the come out roll in craps though...)...which I strongly feel is overrating my ability, and only reflects 100% league 8 ball play and nothing else, as I've kind of been living under a rock for the last decade as far as pool is concerned. That said, I've been playing better and do seem to be on the slight improve, so that's really the main thing. I will enjoy the tournaments, but truthfully, I really just continue to enjoy knocking balls around and kind of dislike all of the sitting around that happens in tournies.

Anyway, jokrswyde, you called it...pool (and life really) are to an extent what you make of it. I'll never be a champ, but hey, who cares...I'm enjoying the process...and I'm REALLY enjoying breaking and running more often....

Cheers boyz,

Neil

 

[Texas Carom Club]

mental. I was doing the same until I finally said “f it” now my fargorate is slowly creeping up each tournament I play in. I’ve been told I need to stop feeling bad for opponents more than a few times.

theres the key to success folks

just fk it

 

[jokrswylde]

I feel ya here. I'm really keeping myself busy these days and am in the process of picking up the wreckage of my life as this divorce process unfolds. So in the process of reinventing myself, I intend on occupying my time hiking, camping, attending live music shows, and of course pool. On the pool front, I've been trying to bear down hard and practice up, but we all know how limiting a full time job will be to one's pool game. I find myself oddly unmotivated by money (heresy in the pool world I know)....so I am really only playing for the enjoyment of the game itself. Yes, I will play cheap sets and I do enjoy a good ring game (split the cash with another decent shooter in a ring game a few weeks back...ring games are to me the pool equivalent of the energy at a craps table, which I enjoy----or used to , lol).

So that said, I find myself really hitting the ceiling of what is possible with my level of commitment to the game, though I do seem to be making some incremental gains and becoming more consistent, so perhaps the ceiling is a moving taget? I intend on doubling down on drills, league play, perhaps some more formal coaching (when I finally get control of my damn finances...), and I want to play at least the open tournaments at my local pool room, which is quite nice, but unfortunately are all bar box events (oh well, at least they have them). I do strongly prefer 9' pool, but whatever...it's a hobby after all.

So I need 53 more games to have an established Fargo rating evidently. Fargo is telling me that my recent 35 games (7 nights of BCA 8 ball league) has risen my rating to an absurd 711 (good #'s for the come out roll in craps though...)...which I strongly feel is overrating my ability, and only reflects 100% league 8 ball play and nothing else, as I've kind of been living under a rock for the last decade as far as pool is concerned. That said, I've been playing better and do seem to be on the slight improve, so that's really the main thing. I will enjoy the tournaments, but truthfully, I really just continue to enjoy knocking balls around and kind of dislike all of the sitting around that happens in tournies.

Anyway, jokrswyde, you called it...pool (and life really) are to an extent what you make of it. I'll never be a champ, but hey, who cares...I'm enjoying the process...and I'm REALLY enjoying breaking and running more often....

Cheers boyz,

Neil

Stay the course, my friend. I am in the same boat. Just had the 1 year of my divorce being final after a 20 year marriage. TO this day I am finding out (and paying for) the wreckage my ex caused with our finances. It is truly a nightmare. But if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I will continue to get up one more time than I get knocked down.

 

[jalapus logan]

Stay the course, my friend. I am in the same boat. Just had the 1 year of my divorce being final after a 20 year marriage. TO this day I am finding out (and paying for) the wreckage my ex caused with our finances. It is truly a nightmare. But if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise, I will continue to get up one more time than I get knocked down.

Oh man...I'm sorry to hear that. 20 year marriage here as well, now landing with a resounding thud in a desert of chaos. My wife overdrew our bank account twice in the last 30 days, somehow unplugged our chest freezer allowing $400 worth of food to spoil (including the damn brisket I was going to smoke) and managed to mow over our garden shed shackle lock and keys and more general chaos..... I'm trying my best to stay the course. I'm in a very, very similar boat as yours for sure. Like you, I shall continue to put one foot in front of the other. Have a great holiday weekend my friend, I intend on doing the same despite it all dammit.

 

[SSDiver2112]

One of the leagues I play in and have played the longest in is a bar league. No hopes for Vegas, no cash prizes, no acceptance in the Fargo world. Just a bunch of people playing pool and having fun.

The team I am on won the 1st place trophy.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Well not league but an APA qualifier. 16 person final chance board. Seeded by handicap. Played a guy that was up to a 9 and just dropped down to an 8. Was down 20 balls or so. Came back to win 65-61. Then strategically dismantled a 7 for a spot in the regionals.

It was one of those days though. No warm up. Missed some easy ones. But man I was playing safes like a frickin monster today. Gotta go with what’s working.

 

[justadub]

I've been scuffling (again) the last few weeks, can't get comfortable shooting, which gets in my head, which then makes me overthink things, which makes it worse, etc etc etc.

Last night I played a friend who is clearly a better player than I am, tho not night and day. I've been SL5 for 11 or 12 years, he's gone back and forth between SL5 and SL6 for the least 3-4 years. So it's still supposed to be even, lol. (He's back at SL5 again currently.) We've played a lot over the years. He wins more than I do, but most of the time I have my chances.

Given my recent struggles and then seeing that I'm playing someone who wins more often than I do when we play, I was a little discouraged going into the match. I did my best to relax, and even tho he did win, I got a couple games, and he had to pull out two really great shots (one a kick, one a bank) to win the deciding game. I kept my composure the whole time, and didn't beat myself up like I sometimes do. Did a few good things, made a few mistakes that didn't help, played ok. He was just better. Tip the cap.

Growth and maturity? Or just tired? Bwahahahaha
(It was a good match. I did better than the rest of my team, we got completely smoked, losing 13-0. A bad night for us, sigh)

Aggravating, humbling game

 

[The_JV]

League is done for me. At least until the fall I suppose.

I was told the other day that the Masters event in Vegas is being moved to April after this year. It's to be ran along side the singles and whatever else. Ran it passed my LO and it's confirmed, so that's the last coffin nail for me in Masters. The whole point in my masters league was to offset costs for vegas vaca with the wife (hardly justifiable). She can't get time off in April, so that's that. If the itch to compete in Vegas comes back and the wife doesn't care. I'll just sign up in a regular league, play the minimum, and take a run in the singles events. The odds of winning a reg. team trip are so heavily stacked against you. It doesn't make sense to bother in my opinion. If the whole intent in playing is to get that trip and the social aspect isn't a consideration I mean.

There's a less intense CCS (ACS) league running in the summer, but I took a pass this year. Too busy running the kids around to bother dealing with potential schedule conflicts. On the upside, my local room's conditions somehow manage to get worse with the summer weather so it was an easy decision. Crazy how much humidity mixed with dirt and neglect will make cloth feel like it's coated with 3M spray adhesive.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I've been scuffling (again) the last few weeks, can't get comfortable shooting, which gets in my head, which then makes me overthink things, which makes it worse, etc etc etc.

We’ve all been there for sure. Good luck!

 

[Rickhem]

Been playing horribly in league of late. I know what I'm doing wrong, rushing, shooting too fast, not picking a specific shot, not giving each shot it's own prep and execution, kind of all that wrapped up together. Last night prior to league, I played a teammate a quick warm-up game and crushed it. I had each shot clearly thought out in my mind, how hard to hit it, where on the cueball I was going to stroke, and where my cue would stop afterwards. Went like I wrote the script for it. Hmmmmmm.

So today is a big tournament in our area, and I'm going to make sure all of that carries forward to the tournament today.
I know there are other AZB members playing today too, so good luck to all that do. Earl Strickland will be there, and I'm hoping to pay the fee to play him again today too. I'll update later with an after-action report.

 

[Rickhem]

So yesterday finished up with me winning more than I lost, so I'll have to be satisfied with that. First round for me was a bye. I signed up and paid early, so maybe those that did that got preference, but anyway, moved to round two. I started play against a younger player that had a good eye and shot well, but he played fast, which helped me to contrast that by being more deliberate. He'd clear up much of the table and let me run the rest. Next round I played a guy that I met playing local tournaments, about my age or a little older, and a very good shotmaker. Not fancy, or wild with the cue, but doesn't miss much. He's beaten me way more than I've beaten him, and I was actually hoping that we'd match up today. I played well until either my last ball or the eight, then stumble. I missed a full table length, along the rail cut to the corner, and jawed it, and he ran out from there on one game. And the last game I had a tough back cut on my last ball before the eight, he still had a bunch, so I played it to either drop or hang in the pocket since he had balls at that end. It ended up right in the jaws where I figured it would, except that the cue came off the rail and hit the eight of another ball into that same pocket before my ball got there. I hate losing like that. That guy eventually won the tournament, so good for him. Off to losers bracket for me. I won two rounds in the losers bracket and then lost to a guy hill-hill by trying another backcut. The safe there was just as hard, and I figured that if it didn't work, I'd rather lose by shooting than by a failed safety.

Lost that just in time to sign up for the second chance tournament. Tournament director told us that only 3 people signed up for the SL7 second chance, and he wanted to just add them to out SL6 bracket, with them needing to win 4 to our 3. Nobody opposed, but it felt like we were just subsidizing them for this event. I won my first two rounds in this and matched up against a 7 with a 679 fargo. I was actually hoping that I'd play him too. First game I broke dry, he made a ball or two, then I ran out. Second game he broke dry (alternating break), then I made a ball and pushed one between his and the corner pocket. He broke up a cluster he had, and I ran out to the eight, but missed a gimme into the side pocket. The next three games he seemed to leave 5 or 6 balls on the table while I ran out to the eight, but couldn't get a clear shot at it. He'd either run out from there, or play a safe and let me kick at the eight, then run out after I missed. It felt like I was soooo close while we were playing, but when he won the last game I realized he was just letting me clear my ball and tie myself up. If so, his plan worked perfectly, cause I did exactly that. That would have put me in the final, but instead it was two of the SL7s playing for the final. I did get $50 out of that, so the tournament director may have spread the cash out a little more with the bracket being a little top heavy.

Today is a could brackets of doubles, then a women's tournament over the weekend. They're also doing that league's World Qualifier in the evenings, so lots of pool going on.

So it was fun, and I never really got crushed. My losses were my own fault and when I needed to make key shots, I did, but the cue didn't always end up in the place I wanted it to. Sometimes I made that work, sometimes not.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

League went good today. Lost both. My cue has a rattle. Sounds like it’s coming from the joint. Time to send it back in.

I know that sounds bad but it was good. Caught it early and it wasn’t during a big tournament or something. That would’ve sucked. Knew it was sounding a little funny occasionally

 

[Rickhem]

League went good today. Lost both. My cue has a rattle. Sounds like it’s coming from the joint. Time to send it back in.

I know that sounds bad but it was good. Caught it early and it wasn’t during a big tournament or something. That would’ve sucked. Knew it was sounding a little funny occasionally

I have a break cue that has a rattle and it's from the joint area, but it sure sounds to me like it is in the shaft side. I don't really use it, have it home and we use it there sometimes, but it's definitely distracting. When disassembled, it doesn't seem to rattle, but occasionally does when screwed together. More of a little psychological thing, but often, that's enough, so I understand completely.

 

[Ģüśţāṿ]

League is done for me. At least until the fall I suppose.

I was told the other day that the Masters event in Vegas is being moved to April after this year. It's to be ran along side the singles and whatever else. Ran it passed my LO and it's confirmed, so that's the last coffin nail for me in Masters. The whole point in my masters league was to offset costs for vegas vaca with the wife (hardly justifiable). She can't get time off in April, so that's that. If the itch to compete in Vegas comes back and the wife doesn't care. I'll just sign up in a regular league, play the minimum, and take a run in the singles events. The odds of winning a reg. team trip are so heavily stacked against you. It doesn't make sense to bother in my opinion. If the whole intent in playing is to get that trip and the social aspect isn't a consideration I mean.

There's a less intense CCS (ACS) league running in the summer, but I took a pass this year. Too busy running the kids around to bother dealing with potential schedule conflicts. On the upside, my local room's conditions somehow manage to get worse with the summer weather so it was an easy decision. Crazy how much humidity mixed with dirt and neglect will make cloth feel like it's coated with 3M spray adhesive.

That's unfortunate she can't get time off. I just played the singles event this past April and the weather was so much better versus in August. I'm happy that they made this change and I'm looking forward to it next year.

Like you said the team events are very tough to get through (just lost at our World Qualifiers this past weekend), but it's worth staying in league just for the singles opportunity. Singles and Masters are competitive, I only play on a team to get out of the house for a night.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

I have a break cue that has a rattle and it's from the joint area, but it sure sounds to me like it is in the shaft side. I don't really use it, have it home and we use it there sometimes, but it's definitely distracting. When disassembled, it doesn't seem to rattle, but occasionally does when screwed together. More of a little psychological thing, but often, that's enough, so I understand completely.

Yeah. It happened on my first shot of the first match. Aggravating as all hell. So it was hard to hit anything soft. Then thought maybe I was just hearing things until one of my teammates asked what was going on with my cue.

So the rattle is easier to hear with the shaft on. Maybe because it helps resonate the sound being less wood than the butt. Idk. But initially thought it was the ferrule or tip starting to pop off due to this. Then apart when bouncing the butt at an angle you can hear it. You can’t hear it bouncing the cue straight up/down. Oh well. It’s going in this week. Hopefully will be tuned up and back to me before the qualifier I plan to go to happens. Anyone playing in Davie July 19th? If so. Maybe I’ll see you there

 

[The_JV]

Like you said the team events are very tough to get through (just lost at our World Qualifiers this past weekend), but it's worth staying in league just for the singles opportunity. Singles and Masters are competitive, I only play on a team to get out of the house for a night.

My "problem" is the commitment to year round league play that the CPA (APA) requires to maintain "qualification". Now if I could find a team that would be willing to field a 7 at the absolute minimum commitment. Then I'd probably bite. Playing only 12 nights a year isn't so bad...lol