how are ya'll doing in league ?

[dquarasr]

Tri-annual 8-ball tournament this afternoon. We were short a player so we needed to win most of the remaining matches because we were forfeiting one. I started out great then got progressively worse. This is becoming a pattern. I must be tightening up even as I am trying to stay relaxed. We lost first round. Sigh. But good experience in pressure competition.

I hope to break this pattern tomorrow in Tri 9-ball. We’ll be short TWO players so we’ll need to score 16-4, 17-3, 17-3 to advance. Wish me luck.

One bright spot: Today I nailed the $100 “$bill” challenge on my second turn at the table so the day was not a total loss.

 

[lorider]

We went in early Sunday to so a make up before our regularly scheduled matches. It made a long day.

My first match was 9 ball vs another 6 who i have never played before.. Everything kind of went my way for once. Break working good. Shooting good. Cue ball control good. It went so good i won 46-20 in a 46-46 race. Truth be told my opponemt didnt play all that great for a 6. Coulda been a bad night for him i guess.

I played the same guy in 8 ball and i won 4-1. He broke dry the first rack and i ran the table. I had a break and run the second rack. Kinda lost focus the 3rd rack...possibly in shock for winning w racks in zero innings. He won the 3 rd rack and rhen i tightened up a lil and won the next 2 racks to win the match.

On to our regular scheduled match and i played another 5 who i have never played before but i knew of him. He had tied me in 8 ball mvp for 1st place 2 sessions ago but i wound up winning it by virtue of playing more matches.

It was basically a repeat of my first 8 ball match winning 4-1 with another break and run in this match.

Later i faced this same guy in 9 ball where he is a 5 and i am a 6. Match was pretty much opposite of my first 9 ball match. Scratched on the break the first 2 racks allowing him to get a bunch of points. Changed up my break and dry broke leaving a pretty good lay out allowing him to run 7 balls i believe. I guess i am lucky to only lose 38-36 in a 38-46 race. Was feeling kind of tired by the last match which also may have affected my play somewhat.

All in all a pretty good night for me. What am i saying ? Its the best night i have had in a while

 

[Texas Carom Club]

masters league was a ghost town
paid the fee for that reason only
got back with some old friends who needed a 6 monday and took out the opposing 6 in standard fashion, 5-1

 

[lorider]

I faced a 4 last night in 8 ball that i had never playee before. He shot better than any 4 i have faced before. I shot a lil below my ability missing an 8 ball that a player my level should never miss.

Still managed to win 4-2 in a 4-3 race. It should not have been that close but i guess a win is a win.

Didnt play 9 ball due to the handicap limit.

 

[dquarasr]

Totally lost last week. Took a few days away from the table.

Returned to the table after not touching the cue three days, identified a problem, fixed it, shot great (for me). As an APA SL5 in 9, beat a SL7 18-2 APA points system, then won 3-1 racks in a heads-up SL4-4 race to 3 in 8. Happy with having fixed my one-month performance slump. Hope to keep this high in the coming weeks. Wish me luck.

 

[Grimper]

Thanks dub. I started back to work today...light duty of course

As for the drama on my team ? Since my last post i had another player confirm he was positive. Another is sick and getting tested.

So last saturday i text the lo and cancelled last sundays matches. I slept on issue with the other 3 refusing to take a test and also refusing to wear a mask and having had a few previous issues with these same 3 i kicksd them all off the team.
So i heard yesterday that those 3 went down sunday night and joined other teams.

People like them is why cases of covid is rising again..

Except it's not.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

Just joined APA league. Unranked. They say I have to start as a 3. 8 and 9. Told them I was at least a 6-7. I feel kind of bad for whoever I play Sunday…but the team captain should be happy!

 

[Texas Carom Club]

My 3man bca team's doing great, looking like we got a real shot to win it.
Starting a apa 8ball team, finally found enough dependable people, I'm not babysitting adults/ herding cats .

 

[cjl0s]

Just joined APA league. Unranked. They say I have to start as a 3. 8 and 9. Told them I was at least a 6-7. I feel kind of bad for whoever I play Sunday…but the team captain should be happy!

It won't take long. Everybody who comes in with a lot of experience goes thru this. Your team gets a bonus for a week or two!

 

[chefjeff]

I arrive at league last night and apparently there has been a week long fakebook fight going on re our makeup match.

So glad I don't do fakebook.

We won. My captain told me that was a nice touche' re the online crap. yeah


jeff Livingston

 

[Chili Palmer]

Just joined APA league. Unranked. They say I have to start as a 3. 8 and 9. Told them I was at least a 6-7. I feel kind of bad for whoever I play Sunday…but the team captain should be happy!

That happened to me. Told LO I should be minimum 6/7 and started as a 3. Was on the LO's team and my first game the guy broke dry and I ran out LO came running over and gave me a high-five and said "You're now a 4!" LOL. Within 6 months I was a 7/9 in 8B and 9B.

At first I was kind of irritated about it but then the people I played realized I had zero control over it and nobody ever got too upset so I didn't worry about it anymore.

Ironically, the other day my son played a "new" guy. I think he was rated as a 4, either way, he had a BNR, a table run, and almost cleared another table. My son wasn't happy about it and I just looked at him and said "How do you think the people felt when I started "

Good luck.

 

[surffisher2a]

Just joined APA league. Unranked. They say I have to start as a 3. 8 and 9. Told them I was at least a 6-7. I feel kind of bad for whoever I play Sunday…but the team captain should be happy!

In my APA league the good captains usually notify the league operator if someone is known to shoot a lot better than a 3 and they usually start them off at a higher level. Of course there are those captains who do intentionally find new to APA players and destroy teams for a couple of weeks. Eventually it will catch up to them and then that team can't make the numbers (23 skill limit) for the rest of the season and end up forfeiting games.

I am not talking about people starting as 3 who might end up being a good four, but starting people who are clearly 6 or higher as a three is just bad sportsmanship on either the team captain or LO.

 

[Chili Palmer]

In my APA league the good captains usually notify the league operator if someone is known to shoot a lot better than a 3 and they usually start them off at a higher level. Of course there are those captains who do intentionally find new to APA players and destroy teams for a couple of weeks. Eventually it will catch up to them and then that team can't make the numbers (23 skill limit) for the rest of the season and end up forfeiting games.

I am not talking about people starting as 3 who might end up being a good four, but starting people who are clearly 6 or higher as a three is just bad sportsmanship on either the team captain or LO.

In my situation, I was adamant in the beginning that I wasn't a 3 but she stuck with it. As mentioned, it bothered me in the beginning but the players seemed to be used to it so I just went with the flow. To ease their pain I would spend a few minutes with them afterwards chatting about the match and asking if they had questions.

 

[Willowbrook Wolfy]

In my situation, I was adamant in the beginning that I wasn't a 3 but she stuck with it. As mentioned, it bothered me in the beginning but the players seemed to be used to it so I just went with the flow. To ease their pain I would spend a few minutes with them afterwards chatting about the match and asking if they had questions.

Now that’s funny. I just let the captain know that he can do the explaining if anyone is upset because I don’t feel right about it. Starting at a 3 how long does it normally take to get to someone’s real handicap?

 

[Maniac]

Now that’s funny. I just let the captain know that he can do the explaining if anyone is upset because I don’t feel right about it. Starting at a 3 how long does it normally take to get to someone’s real handicap?

In your case, probably three to five weeks.

Depends on how bad you are destroying your opponents.

 

[Chili Palmer]

Now that’s funny. I just let the captain know that he can do the explaining if anyone is upset because I don’t feel right about it. Starting at a 3 how long does it normally take to get to someone’s real handicap?

In your case, probably three to five weeks.

Depends on how bad you are destroying your opponents.

My situation might be different than yours. I quit playing for 14 years and when I got back into it I joined APA and I was completely out of stroke. I'm guessing it took 9-12 months because for the first few months I would dog too many shots.

It's all about innings - the fewer the innings the faster you move up - even if you lose.

For the first few months I only played APA and was just banging balls but then I bought a home table and I started playing in more tourney's and the BCA so started really hammering the practice/re-learning stuff. Once I started playing a ton of safe's I moved from a 7 to a 9 (9B) in about 2-3 months. My 9B defense average is 3.05, which I believe is 3.05 average safeties per match. I just looked up about 4-5 other 8's and 9's and none of them were above 2.0 - I went on a tear for a while

I think you'll find it will take longer than 3-5 weeks simply based on their algorithms.

Post up when you do move up a level, it would be interesting to track.

And for reference my Fargo is a shade over 600.

P.S. I'd also be interested to know what you think of their handicapping after a few months. I have, and continue, to believe the APA has the best handicapping system in 9B. If people suck then they suck, but if they have any skill and can play close to their rating then I don't care if you're playing a 2 or a 9, you can't let up or they'll catch you. I've probably been beaten by more lower skilled players than high skilled players.

 

[BlueRaider]

Just joined APA league. Unranked. They say I have to start as a 3. 8 and 9. Told them I was at least a 6-7. I feel kind of bad for whoever I play Sunday…but the team captain should be happy!

I went from a 3 to a 6 in 9 ball in week two when I first joined. My team was apoplectic over it. What’s funny is I lost to the same person in 8 ball 2-0 that night and that kept me as a 3 for a while in that game, lol.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I went from a 3 to a 6 in 9 ball in week two when I first joined. My team was apoplectic over it. What’s funny is I lost to the same person in 8 ball 2-0 that night and that kept me as a 3 for a while in that game, lol.

Then your LO changed your rank, there's no way that happened by stats alone.

 

[surffisher2a]

Then your LO changed your rank, there's no way that happened by stats alone.

I think as a brand new player your skill levels can adjust pretty wildly until you get 10 or so matches put in. I have seen players go from a starting 3 to a 5 or 6 in just a week. Heck the guy I played last week was a SL3 the week before and played me as a SL5. he only had like 4 matches in the system. I beat him 5-2 and he ended up being a 4 this week. He plays really good and will probably end up being a SL5. I bet if he would have beaten me in a reasonable amount of innings he would have been a 6 this week instead of a 4.

PS-- we are talking 8 ball in this instance.

 

[Maniac]

I think as a brand new player your skill levels can adjust pretty wildly until you get 10 or so matches put in.

Yep.

And there doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to it.

Maniac (seen it all)