i like the bcapl format, but....

[lorider]

i like apa better.:smile:

its kinda cool playing round robin where you play all 5 opponents of the other team. it keeps you from sitting so much waiting on your match or hanging around after your match like you do in apa.

on the other hand i like how you match up ina race in apa, just like real pool.

my only real dis like of bcapl is the open break rule. let me use last night as an example. i played 5 matches and got to break 2 times. i won those 2 matches. in the other 3 matches i had 2 break and runs against me but in the 3rd match i was able to at least make all my balls.

open break just makes it too easy for a decent player to run out on you.

let me use myself as an example.

last session in apa i played 37 matches and had 3 break and runs. that is matches, i dont know how many racks were played or how many times i broke but a close guess would be about 6 racks per match.

under the bcapl format i have got to break 18 times in the 45 matches. i have 5 break and runs so far. that stat right there tells you how much harder is is to break and run in a slop league with closed break than in a call your shot league with an open break.

its kinda frustrating when you only face an opponent 1 time that night an he makes a break and run, you have to wait until your team faces his team again to get another shot at him.

in an apa matchup if a guy makes a break and run against me i still got a shot against him unless he runs a 4 pack on me or something to that effect.:grin-square:

 

[CreeDo]

I also like the APA race format. A single game feels meaningless in 8 ball. A C player can beat SVB in that format.

The luck evens out after a lot of matches between a lot of players, but why wait weeks for the luck to even out? With a race you can find out right away who's playing better. Though of course even the races sometimes don't work out for the better player, due to handicap etc.

There was a big debate about open after the break vs. take-what-you-make. I think open is the right way to do it, take-what-you-make adds too much luck to the game imo. But I see what you're saying... if you're only playing one rack and both players can break and run, the breaker has a huge edge and you increase the odds that you'll never leave the chair.

I think the ideal is open table, but with a race. The better the players, the longer the race.

 

[lorider]

I also like the APA race format. A single game feels meaningless in 8 ball. A C player can beat SVB in that format.

The luck evens out after a lot of matches between a lot of players, but why wait weeks for the luck to even out? With a race you can find out right away who's playing better. Though of course even the races sometimes don't work out for the better player, due to handicap etc.

There was a big debate about open after the break vs. take-what-you-make. I think open is the right way to do it, take-what-you-make adds too much luck to the game imo. But I see what you're saying... if you're only playing one rack and both players can break and run, the breaker has a huge edge and you increase the odds that you'll never leave the chair.

I think the ideal is open table, but with a race. The better the players, the longer the race.

your last sentence describes the napa league perfectly.

napa is my favorite league. it is kinda new here and has been slow to get going, apa has a pretty good stronghold here.

we start a new session tommorow and i look forward to it. last session they initiated a new format called " laggers choice." who ever wins the lag not only gets to break but also decides what game to play between 8,9 or 10 ball. if i win the lag i usually choose 8 ball because that is my strongest game.

there is a lot of strategy involved in just choosing what game to play.

let me give you an example using my last match last session.

i win the lag and decide to play 8 ball. my captain says whoa , lets talk about this. he says if i play 8 i have to spot my opponent in a 4-3 race.

he says if i play 9 ball my opponent has to spot me 4-3. i tell him 8 is my strongest game nd that is why i am rated higher. he says yea but you are good in 9 also and i think you can take him with him having to give you a game. i say ok we play 9 ball then.

i break dry an he runs out, 1-0 him. 2nd game he breaks an runs, 2-0 him. 3rd game 9 on break, 3-0 him. 4th game he makes an early combo winning 4-0 with me never getting to the table except to break the 1st rack.

so much for that strategy.

i dont think a perfect league exists but imo napa comes the closest.

it has what i think most higher level players look for in a league.

1. call your shot
2. open break
3. simple scorekeeping

and i have one of the best lo's around. :wink:

i was playing on his team ever since he started the league last summer and decided to put a team together mostly to help him grow the league.

he also plays on my apa double jeapordy team. it just proves different leagues can get along together. he also helped the apa lo in reffing some matches this past summer at the southern classic in tunica an also played on my team there also.

i guess we are pretty fortunate to have the lo's we have here when i see a lot of people on here complain about their experience in other areas.