You know, when I wrote this, my goal was to be vague and specific all at the same time. Every time I read it, I'm slightly amazed that I was able to accomplish this without offending people. The fact is, even a D player can be an experienced pool player so I wanted to avoid using words like "beginner". Also, my definition is specific to 9ball. I'm sure if the game of reference were 14.1 or 8ball, the wording would be much much different.
Personally, I think a ranking system should be based on an average, rather than the player's best day. It might take a B player a lifetime to run a 5-pack, but it is nice to be able to clock a reasonable estimate of speed by say drilling over a period of 50 racks.
Last edited:
This is very important. Best days can be extreme in every pool game. I've seen B level players put together 4-packs, C-level players run 50+ balls in straight pool and B-level players run 8 in 1pocket. Ten minutes later, the whole world can flip on them which is typically when an Amsterdam regular will chime, "Same shooter, folks. Same shooter."
If you go to http://www.arizbilliardsdirectory.com/ and click on "Ratings Conversions" you will find a chart that gives brief descriptions for 12 different skill levels, along with how the A,B,C ratings compare with the AZ ratings. Then if you click on "Player Ratings" you will see how thousands of Arizona players are rated, as well as many professional players who have visited and played in Arizona. This should give you a fairly good idea of how to rate yourself.:thumbup:
Roger
Roger
I have a drill and associated rating system (with various types of labels and numbers) here:
Enjoy,
Dave
well it says im a "7" but ill be dammed if I go anywhere and proclaim this haha...
You mean this link?
http://www.azpoolscene.com
Because you could go to RATINGS than as below.
http://www.azpoolscene.com/Ratings.html
The Ratings Link does the job of describing how the Arizona Rating Should Ideally Work.
Personally I think the Rating System has many FLAWS in it! With many Catch 22’s. but I have been down that road before, and I see ZERO changing in the future in the Quagmire IMHO. is what we are in Arizona Stuck with.
Roger Longs system is IMHO slightly better.
Interesting...I have never in my recollection broke and ran out playing 9-ball more than once or twice in a row. I suppose that makes me a C-player. Running racks does not accurately gauge a person's ability. Guess what happens if I do not see a "guaranteed" runout on the table and I am shooting...SAFETY. I am not going to go into detail as to "when" or "how" but you can bet that I am in the driver's seat unless I miss a shot or do not hook you or I am not breaking the balls. The majority of games won are not done so from a break and run out. I love breaking players who think that aggressive, runout play will be enough to beat me.
I agree
with you guys that it should be based on a player's average, but the facts are:
A) Most players don't really know how to derive good overall averages for their playing.
B) They won't take the time needed for averages.
C) They don't have the inclination to do so.
D) Who are they going to tell even if they do. You're talking about 'other' players clocking their speed for the most part.
E) Who wants their true speed clocked by other players?
My method, although a 'down and dirty' method, is just a general barometer for guaging a player. Players hear about when other players play good, when so and so ran a ? pack, or beat so and so, what the spot was, etc..
My 'down and dirty' method is based also on 48 years of playing.
My true method of classifying a player is a rating system of 2 to 12 (9 ball rating system used), revised from a modified old money system, classifying of 1 through 10. I classify 2 through 12 with 1 decimal point, ie, 5.2, 7.6, 9.3, 11.4, or 12.6. I will take league classifications, for example, and guage them on my system, 2 APA 4's, for example, 1 might be a 4.2 and the other might be a 4.8 (and there will be a significant difference in their playing). The decimal place is extended to 2 places
when guaging 2 players that are very close in ability, i.e., 7.41 and 7.49.
My 'true' system gives me the necessary detail information that I need to play and/or bet on other players, what spots should be, etc.. Again, my true method is based on an accumulation of 48 years of experience in playing and betting.
with you guys that it should be based on a player's average, but the facts are:
A) Most players don't really know how to derive good overall averages for their playing.
B) They won't take the time needed for averages.
C) They don't have the inclination to do so.
D) Who are they going to tell even if they do. You're talking about 'other' players clocking their speed for the most part.
E) Who wants their true speed clocked by other players?
My method, although a 'down and dirty' method, is just a general barometer for guaging a player. Players hear about when other players play good, when so and so ran a ? pack, or beat so and so, what the spot was, etc..
My 'down and dirty' method is based also on 48 years of playing.
My true method of classifying a player is a rating system of 2 to 12 (9 ball rating system used), revised from a modified old money system, classifying of 1 through 10. I classify 2 through 12 with 1 decimal point, ie, 5.2, 7.6, 9.3, 11.4, or 12.6. I will take league classifications, for example, and guage them on my system, 2 APA 4's, for example, 1 might be a 4.2 and the other might be a 4.8 (and there will be a significant difference in their playing). The decimal place is extended to 2 places
when guaging 2 players that are very close in ability, i.e., 7.41 and 7.49.
My 'true' system gives me the necessary detail information that I need to play and/or bet on other players, what spots should be, etc.. Again, my true method is based on an accumulation of 48 years of experience in playing and betting.
I am down....we can play for the value of some "Brewer Tickets" One Pocket, 9/10 Ball. 8 Ball, 8 Ball Bank the 8, or straight pool. Table 4 would be the table to play on.....To all who are curious table 4 is Romines "tight" table. Still nothing compared to my pocket rattle death trap table. :thumbup:
ummmm....just answer the friggin question with a number (i.e. 4,5,6,7,8). DAMN LOL
BVal
The best I could do for 10 racks of 9-ball today was a 66. I blew two runs missing easy position twice, but I also lucked a 9-ball in on a fluke and made 4 on the break once with a shot on the lowest ball with all the others in front of pockets. So I guess it evens out. I'd still like to take those two shots I missed on the two blown runs over lol. Johnnyt
I gotta call you out on that one patrick =)
It's inevitable you'll get mad but I'm not doing it to be mean, just trying to give you some perspective.
Many times I've heard guys say something that sorta sounds like: "Just cuz I don't play by doing exactly what the so-called pros do doesn't mean I am not a winner! I just win using my own style! Let them try to be 'pro' against me and I'll use my unique technique to take em down!" It's definitely got a fishy C-player ring to it, and you hear it in a ton of different sports and even among competitive video gamers.
The majority of games may not be won by B&RO at your level, and of course a good player needs a safety game... but the dudes on ESPN will do it something like 25-40% of the time. By definition more runouts = more wins, and by definition more wins = better player. If you haven't run more than 1 or 2, it's not because you have a 'safety-using style', it means that either you fail to pocket balls on the break, fail to stick whitey so that you have a good opening shot, or fail to stay in line once you start running balls. These are all things you can improve to get to B-level.
Hope I don't sound like too much a d*ckhead here =) My own record is only 3 in a row, and I think it's fair to rate me based on that because statistics say that over a long time, a player of my skill will do that eventually, with several 2-packs and maybe a 4 or 5-pack outlier that happened on the best day of my life (but it hasn't happened yet).
It's inevitable you'll get mad but I'm not doing it to be mean, just trying to give you some perspective.
Many times I've heard guys say something that sorta sounds like: "Just cuz I don't play by doing exactly what the so-called pros do doesn't mean I am not a winner! I just win using my own style! Let them try to be 'pro' against me and I'll use my unique technique to take em down!" It's definitely got a fishy C-player ring to it, and you hear it in a ton of different sports and even among competitive video gamers.
The majority of games may not be won by B&RO at your level, and of course a good player needs a safety game... but the dudes on ESPN will do it something like 25-40% of the time. By definition more runouts = more wins, and by definition more wins = better player. If you haven't run more than 1 or 2, it's not because you have a 'safety-using style', it means that either you fail to pocket balls on the break, fail to stick whitey so that you have a good opening shot, or fail to stay in line once you start running balls. These are all things you can improve to get to B-level.
Hope I don't sound like too much a d*ckhead here =) My own record is only 3 in a row, and I think it's fair to rate me based on that because statistics say that over a long time, a player of my skill will do that eventually, with several 2-packs and maybe a 4 or 5-pack outlier that happened on the best day of my life (but it hasn't happened yet).
so are all these tests done on a regulation 9' table or bar boxes, or does it even matter? I figure I am better than some, and worse than others. :grin-square: