I'm a league newbie, help???

rackmsuckr said:
I have to comment on your remark. You are doing a great disservice to the thousands of league players in the world. The BCA and VNEA national championships are actually international competitions. If you are a beginner, the league system is a great way to get your feet wet in competition. Even though I have played on the pro tour, I still come back to leagues, because short of the Mosconi Cup, it is the best way to feel the camaraderie of team play. It is grueling at the regional and national level championships and the singles level master and grand masters has some of the best bar box champions playing in them. I know many people look down their noses at leagues, but if you are really good, the monetary rewards are fairly high for the input.
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Ok. I won't speak for the whole world but I will say that where I live, league is a lot less fun and a lot more headache. It isn't about competition. Its about a bunch of idiots who don't understand the game getting together and drinking on a Monday or a Tuesday night. This inevitably leads to the presence of individuals who know oh so little, act like they know oh so much, and thus, an overly competitive nature arises. Soon, you have a room full of a-holes (that word will force Wilson to delete this post within 5 minutes!) who all think that theres nothing more to pool than 8 ball on a bar box!

But if its not like that where you live, join. It might be fun. :o
 
rackmsuckr said:
I have to comment on your remark. You are doing a great disservice to the thousands of league players in the world. The BCA and VNEA national championships are actually international competitions. If you are a beginner, the league system is a great way to get your feet wet in competition. Even though I have played on the pro tour, I still come back to leagues, because short of the Mosconi Cup, it is the best way to feel the camaraderie of team play. It is grueling at the regional and national level championships and the singles level master and grand masters has some of the best bar box champions playing in them. I know many people look down their noses at leagues, but if you are really good, the monetary rewards are fairly high for the input.
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Ditto Ditto Ditto

Playing in a league is the fastest way to meet better players and become familiar with what is available for you out there. You are always going to find people in a league whether it's on you team or not that are going to be willing to hook up for some practise matches or travel to singles tournaments locally or out of town.

I'd say league play is the fastest way to get yourself in the scene and is a great stepping stone if you care to push yourself to other levels of compitition.

While you may be playing on a team, individual achievements are recognized in a league environment.
 
MacGyver said:
Ah, i didn't know that(in regards to waiting, I'm not super social in that I don't drink(but also I'd have no problem just hanging out depending on the crowd) and just wanted some competition for cheap)...

Anyone want to play in st.louis sometime, I'll cover table time :)
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Mac,
There are a bunch of really good players that hang out at the Billiards Bullpen in Collinsville, Illinois (just across the river).

Here is a link to the thread describing the Bullpen:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=15750&highlight=Billiards+Bullpen

If you are considering becoming a serious player - this is the place you should start. If you are considering becoming a serious alcoholic, then league 8-ball is a good place to start.
 
Macgyver- There are plenty of places to play in the St. Louis area! Where exactly are you from?

If you can't find a league that you are interested in joining or after joining a league, find it to be full of B.S., then start your own League. That's what I did, http://www.zimsrack.com/8Ball_League.html and it's going very well.

I'm from O'Fallon, Illinois, about 15 minutes East of St. Louis on I-64.

Good luck,
Zim
 
MacGyver said:
Hello,

Can anyone tell me how you typically join a league?(or how you guys joined?) I want to become a better player, but most of the places I play seem to be cash-game only(I cant afford it) or the better players seem pretty closed off on the only good table...

Anyway, so I wanted to join the APA league, but I'm just wondering how APA is structured or rather if I am being given the runaround....

I contacted the local APA head and gave my name and whatnot and he told me to come to a players meeting(about a 50 min drive for me).... I got there and talked to him and he said hang out, so I sat through like an hour of trophies being given out and rule changes and whatnot, and then a tournament started that I wasn't able to play in(as I'm not a member of the APA). Finally at somepoint he announces my name(which he already had) as a player looking for a team, then I ask if there is anything else I need to be around for, he says no but contact him later(...).

I ask how to join, he says there is a member application I need to fill out that my team captain will get(but I am solo and have no team)....

Perhaps I'm just venting due to wasting like 3 hrs and still no farther on joining, but is this typical??? How the heck do you join a league without having a team put together?

Do you just hound the head guy with calls, or show up at a local place screaming "HEY LEMME JOIN YOUR TEAM" to anyone at league???

Anyway, any advice on joining a league or the common joining procedures would be appriciated as I don't want to pester the guy with calls that go nowhere....

-macgyver
ps if you are in stlouis apa league and need a teammember, lemme know :)
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I found the teams I've been on by word of mouth. I think the first APA team I was on I was introduced to somebody via the net (maybe "The Monk's" board), but I'm not sure. I still play on an APA team and enjoy it despite the nonsense that sometimes goes on in barroom leagues. If you drink you might try hang around bars with APA teams on the nights they play and talk it up with the captain. You could even try dragging together a bunch of friends and forming your own team. If you do that bear in mind you absolutely must have low handicap players. That means including some friends who don't shoot so great. A smart 3 is a very valuable commodity. At any rate, I think unofficial channels are your best bet.
I would suggest thinking about a non-affiliated pool room league too. I play in two of those, they're unhandicapped and that has improved my game some.
Hope that helped.
 
Not knocking league 8-ball, but if you are having trouble finding a league, then maybe league 8-ball is not the way to go. There are other options.

Not sure what it is like in your area, but around here every poolhall runs at least one weekly tournament, most run two or three. For many of these places, they will not charge you table time to warm up before the tournament. You just show up about 45 minutes before the tournament starts and ask about the tournament. In practically every case they give me balls and say the practice time is free if I am playing in the tournament. Weekly tournaments seem to never start on time and most of the better players never seem to show up until the very last minute, so I typically have a table to myself for at least a half hour and often a full hour. Even if you never win a game in the tournament you get practice time and two matches for your entry fee of $8-10. Not a bad deal. You will also get to know some of the better local players and may find you way onto an 8-ball league that way.
 
Ah yes, Mark is great, I took one lesson with him on my stance/stroke and it's payed off 10fold... insane amount of difference.

Anyway, I'll contact him to see about picking up someone to play against or any leagues... I'll stop by Brenden's(local league place) too tonight or tommorow(league nights) and schmooze a bit...

I guess I just need to spend more time out getting to know locals, but my school(college here, lebanon, IL) has 2 free tables that are usually empty, so when it comes down to it I am usually on the free tables rather than spending money on gas+table time going out to a place that I don't have a guarenteed chance to play with someone.(making a trip to bullpen or brenden's or teachers, ect is honestly too expensive for me when 90% of the time I end up playing alone anyways which I could have done on free table).

I wanted the league because it is guarenteed opponents and playtime for reasonable cost(APA is like $6-$8 I've heard per night plus $20 yearly).

Anyway thanks to all for the advice!
 
try the poolroom owner / manager

MacGyver,
Gotta be leagues of all varieties in St. Louis I would think. APA / BCA / VNEA / TAP, whatever.
I got into APA by just playing at the local poolroom. Lter on, we quit and joined TAP.
In either case, the poolroom operator has a vested interest in increasing the league membership since they get a little cut of course for table time. One thing does vary - some leagues play entirely at one poolroom, some rotate play around to a number of bars / locations with (usually bar box) tables. Often the one-location leagues are in actual poolrooms with 9' tables. To me, that's better: 1) I like the big table and 2) the poolroom operator now has weekly reason to get you into the league. He'll even ask around for you, hook you up.
However, one caveat - no matter what, it is tough to join a team during a "season," you probably need to be there opening night - so again, ask the poolroom owner/manager when that is, and can he get you on a team?
 
rackmsuckr said:
the monetary rewards are fairly high for the input.
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Yeah, the money isn't too bad, all things considered. My APA team placed 2nd in the money tournament held at the Parlor just recently. $1,600 for that ($3,500 for first place). Although we did have to divide by 8 players on the team, so $200 a piece. Also our team will be in the city playoffs, dunno what the financial prizes are for that.
 
Ummagumma said:
Yeah, the money isn't too bad, all things considered. My APA team placed 2nd in the money tournament held at the Parlor just recently. $1,600 for that ($3,500 for first place). Although we did have to divide by 8 players on the team, so $200 a piece. Also our team will be in the city playoffs, dunno what the financial prizes are for that.
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Good going, Umma! I know one time I went to BCA Nationals in Vegas and made $2000 without putting even a quarter into gambling....er on the gaming tables. I did make over $200 gambling with someone who really wanted to play me...for $5/game 9 ball. I think the winner was actually the table, altho she paid for the games - loser paid.

Also, MacGyver, you should experience BCA or VNEA Nationals in Vegas in May with 5000-6000 pool players all in one place!
 
MacGyver said:
Hello,

Can anyone tell me how you typically join a league?(or how you guys joined?) I want to become a better player, but most of the places I play seem to be cash-game only(I cant afford it) or the better players seem pretty closed off on the only good table...

Anyway, so I wanted to join the APA league, but I'm just wondering how APA is structured or rather if I am being given the runaround....

I contacted the local APA head and gave my name and whatnot and he told me to come to a players meeting(about a 50 min drive for me).... I got there and talked to him and he said hang out, so I sat through like an hour of trophies being given out and rule changes and whatnot, and then a tournament started that I wasn't able to play in(as I'm not a member of the APA). Finally at somepoint he announces my name(which he already had) as a player looking for a team, then I ask if there is anything else I need to be around for, he says no but contact him later(...).

I ask how to join, he says there is a member application I need to fill out that my team captain will get(but I am solo and have no team)....

Perhaps I'm just venting due to wasting like 3 hrs and still no farther on joining, but is this typical??? How the heck do you join a league without having a team put together?

Do you just hound the head guy with calls, or show up at a local place screaming "HEY LEMME JOIN YOUR TEAM" to anyone at league???

Anyway, any advice on joining a league or the common joining procedures would be appriciated as I don't want to pester the guy with calls that go nowhere....

-macgyver
ps if you are in stlouis apa league and need a teammember, lemme know :)
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I went to a local pool room on the second week of a session, checked out some balls and told the gal behind the counter to ask around to see if anybody needed a player on their team. Within 30 minutes I had two teams ask me to join.
 
As of this week most of the leagues for the APA are in their 4th or 5th week. If your lucky you will be able to locate one that is in the 4th week which is the last week to make additions to the roster.

If you don't have any luck getting on a team but you have found the location just continue to go to that spot and get to know the people there. When the next session starts you will probally get picked up by someone, or at a minimum it will give you time to put together your own squad.

Now as for playing for money it never hurts, that extra pressure does wonders for your concetration since you really have something to loose even if it's a dollar.

League is definately about the TEAM, stick with it try a few different spots be open and social. It'll work out. Good LUCK

BLACK CAT:cool:
 
There was just a players meeting 4 days ago(sat) that gave out trophies and whatnot and talked about the upcoming spring session, would this week not be the start?(I'll admit I dont know and it might have already started, but I just thought I'd ask if the players meetings are usually at the beginning or if they are 4 weeks in already)
 
Some league operators are more slack on the 4th-week rule, so I'd check it out in your area just to be safe.
 
MacGyver said:
Ah, i didn't know that(in regards to waiting, I'm not super social in that I don't drink(but also I'd have no problem just hanging out depending on the crowd) and just wanted some competition for cheap)...

Anyone want to play in st.louis sometime, I'll cover table time :)
Click to expand...

Have you checked to see if any of the bars or poolhalls in your area run tournaments? Thats usually a good way to get some competition without commiting to every week being there. If you have a good APA league operator he should be able to offer a way for you to play. All guys start out as 4s and you move up or down depending on how you play a computer program takes care of that. Make sure you play out of a place with a few tables so that you and the other players can also be playing when it is not your match. Because as someone else posted there is some down time. There can be 8 people on the rooster but only 5 play in the match each week.

I played in my local money pocket league tonight. Did a 3 and 0. there is 5 guys on each team. You get 1 game each against 3 of there players. We play 8-ball 3 option ball in the kitchen rules. We have two dvisions every bar in town tries to field 2 teams so you always have one at home. Tonight was position week 1st is home against 2nd and so on. We were 4 in front now we are 9 out front. I LOVE THIS GAME!! Heck put up a flier at your school try and get a tournament going there. I have heard plenty of stories about guys putting themselves thru school playing pool. GOOD LUCK STRAIGHT SHOOTING!
 
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Sounds to me like you showed up on Finals night. Walk in on Opening session night and I am sure you will find a spot. There is never enough lower level players where I play and the good players get better and it is more diffacult for them to all play. I would walk around to the tables and talk to each team ask a few questions ie like how many players do you have and ask what Skill Level they are. A few Questions like this will help you get on a good team.
A good team IMHO is one that is well balanced with all skill levels. If you get on a team that is top heavy with high players you will get to play alot!! And you will have lots of good advice. I have leard soo much from this types after leauge just playing all my team mates.
I have gotten better and I might need to look into BCA or Valley or TAP leauges. I am not real good a Skill level 5 and my playing time is down because we have three S/L 5 on the team.
A team in APA can only field 23 points of Skill per night for Five pool matches.
So a low level player is easy to fit in and lets the team play a Higher S/L player like a 7.

Don't give up I know it is uncomfortable going in and introducing yourself, but you will meet a lot of good folks from all walks of life that love pool ans are willing to share all they know as fast as you can take it in!!

Have Fun!!! Lets us know how its going for you OK
 
Another good source (at least in my area) are the local veterans or social clubs. If you have access to the American Legion, Elks or the VFW there are usually several pool players there. They will know how to get you fixed up.
 
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