PocketPoint
Banned
For some reason I've never liked the idea of joining a league. Don't you think tournaments are more fun?
Instead of having a league every week, why not just have a tournament?
- Thread starter PocketPoint
- Start date
Depends, I play in league with my best friends. So monday night is always fun because we can all get together and have a good time. But we are still very competitive. I think a tournament might be better to help improve your game though.
I like both. I look at league as a guaranteed night out with pool and friends, in a competitive atmosphere. Tournaments aren't a regularly scheduled event, unless it's a small weekly tourney...which is also fun, but typically not much $$$ is involved.
Lisa
Lisa
Tournaments can be more fun if run right, many leagues only are a way for LEAGUE OPERATORS to make Money off the Players, with little overhead compared to the Room/Bar Owner. Friend was in a local League, he said at season end the Operator Paid Back 42%.:angry:
My sentiments Lisa. Exactly why I love league play. My wife, one of our best buds, our future son in law (maybe) and once in awhile my stepdaughter spares in. We are pretty competitive but at the very least no matter what, we have a blast on our nights out.
We also have a regular Saturday 9 ball tourney at the hall. Pretty much the same people show up for that. Round robin format so for 10 bucks including green fees, you get your moneys worth. My beer tab always exceeds any winnings.
We also have a regular Saturday 9 ball tourney at the hall. Pretty much the same people show up for that. Round robin format so for 10 bucks including green fees, you get your moneys worth. My beer tab always exceeds any winnings.
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Agreed
I almost always enjoy tournaments. But there are good and bad to all things.
Ya gotta understand, at least for me, that there are (3) modes for me.
1.) Leagues are not real pool to me. They are played on bar tables, and lets just say to reach some goals it isnt about winning each match..:wink:. I think it is very social and I go to support local players and teams and seeing some friends.
2.) Tournaments. Well these usually are more of a marathon than good pool, I mean you play a match and then wait, then play and wait. Even if you go two and out, its still a long evening or afternoon. The advantage is you get to play some better players, most of which wont gamble cheap (which I enjoy) or gamble at all. For those folks that are pretty good, I get to play them at least a match.
3.) I much prefer just matching up playing by the game either 1 pocket, or 9 ball. I play cheap, and I can decide how long to play. I always play my best pool in these sessions and actually the guys I play, play their best too. I have given spots and I have got them, I have played even when I have had the worst of it and I have gambled where I have the best of it. For those who do not gamble cheap but want to play in leagues or tournaments baffle me.
Ken
I almost always enjoy tournaments. But there are good and bad to all things.
Ya gotta understand, at least for me, that there are (3) modes for me.
1.) Leagues are not real pool to me. They are played on bar tables, and lets just say to reach some goals it isnt about winning each match..:wink:. I think it is very social and I go to support local players and teams and seeing some friends.
2.) Tournaments. Well these usually are more of a marathon than good pool, I mean you play a match and then wait, then play and wait. Even if you go two and out, its still a long evening or afternoon. The advantage is you get to play some better players, most of which wont gamble cheap (which I enjoy) or gamble at all. For those folks that are pretty good, I get to play them at least a match.
3.) I much prefer just matching up playing by the game either 1 pocket, or 9 ball. I play cheap, and I can decide how long to play. I always play my best pool in these sessions and actually the guys I play, play their best too. I have given spots and I have got them, I have played even when I have had the worst of it and I have gambled where I have the best of it. For those who do not gamble cheap but want to play in leagues or tournaments baffle me.
Ken
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Leagues commit players to show up for x number of weeks. Either the player, or a sub, will be there. The more people that are in the room=the more money that is spent.
Tournaments do not get committments. One week you might have 14 players, the next you might have 26. You have to build that base in order to get a good weekly tournament.
I think leagues get more people into the game and bring more business to everyone involved...which makes more sense.
Tournaments do not get committments. One week you might have 14 players, the next you might have 26. You have to build that base in order to get a good weekly tournament.
I think leagues get more people into the game and bring more business to everyone involved...which makes more sense.
I just have to ask, what should the pay out be?
I run a league and my pay outs are usually between 50% and 55%. In my league, the room gets 25%, expenses for website and supplies usually run another 10% or so, money for the end of session party runs about 10% and what I pay myself for running the league works out, to usually less than 5%. (That's $30 per week for doing all the paperwork, managing the money, paying all the bills and putting up with player's cra.....I mean, assisting players in understanding the rules by reading them since they can't be bothered to do it themselves. :smile
That 42% doesn't sound terrible depending on the circumstances.
Brian in VA
You are correct, but personally I like my FREEDOM. If I don't feel like going out on a x night, I can stay home. If I am committed to a League I am stuck.
Honestly tried League ONCE, it was poorly run, disorganized, and I hate the Bar we played in.
Too many DRUNKS BUMP in to you while you were trying to play Pool,, Too many YOUNG KIDS, Too Much Loud Music, and that Sign A Long, Kerioke was the final STRAW.
That was enough of the League thing for me. My favorite place for a Tuesday Night Bar Tournament JUST SHUT ITS DOORS, so I am staying home at night for a long while.
I don't see anything wrong with a LO making a bit of money for their trouble.
There is a lot of leg work and commitment and any one that I've known wasn't getting stinking rich over it.
Our VNEA league has just changed hands.
The new owner also owns the bar boxes in many of the bars we play out of.
The league fees come back to us by way of cash and trips. The plugs belong to the LO.
He figures that even with a minimal amount of teams, he is going to top up the funds with money from his other business for the first year in. I'd say thats a pretty great commitment on his part.
CC, if you don't like your home bar that sponsors you, find another sponsor, pretty simple. In traveling around to play, there are good and bad places. You take the good with the bad, make the most of it and have fun. If you make it a chore and gripe about it, of course you're not going to get anything out of it.
There is a lot of leg work and commitment and any one that I've known wasn't getting stinking rich over it.
Our VNEA league has just changed hands.
The new owner also owns the bar boxes in many of the bars we play out of.
The league fees come back to us by way of cash and trips. The plugs belong to the LO.
He figures that even with a minimal amount of teams, he is going to top up the funds with money from his other business for the first year in. I'd say thats a pretty great commitment on his part.
CC, if you don't like your home bar that sponsors you, find another sponsor, pretty simple. In traveling around to play, there are good and bad places. You take the good with the bad, make the most of it and have fun. If you make it a chore and gripe about it, of course you're not going to get anything out of it.
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I really do not like BARS, it is a personal thing. If it had not been for Pool I would have never set foot in a Bar again after the 1980's. When I was a young guy Pool was played on Big Tables, in Pool Rooms. Those Pool room did not for the most part serve HARD LIQUOR, and most did not even serve BEER. The Rooms were about Pool, and only Pool. No Juke Boxes, just Pool like the houseman said in the Hustler when Fast Eddie first went to AMES looking for the FAT MAN. JUST POOL.
I have a nice PRIVATE POOL ROOM in my Community, 29 GC III's, open when I want to go play with friends. No Smoking, Clean , No Music, just most Pool. Me and my buddy play 5-6 days a week.
Someday I may venture out to play a Tournament again, but honestly today I am happy at home. League is not on my mind.
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Thats understandable, I know guys that dislike and won't go to bars for some of the same reasons you mentioned. I do dislike sloppy drunks myself.
I just have to ask, what should the pay out be?
I run a league and my pay outs are usually between 50% and 55%. In my league, the room gets 25%, expenses for website and supplies usually run another 10% or so, money for the end of session party runs about 10% and what I pay myself for running the league works out, to usually less than 5%. (That's $30 per week for doing all the paperwork, managing the money, paying all the bills and putting up with player's cra.....I mean, assisting players in understanding the rules by reading them since they can't be bothered to do it themselves. :smile
That 42% doesn't sound terrible depending on the circumstances.
Brian in VA
Low League Payouts has been a subject discussed, many times on this Forum. What is the correct percentage is, and has been beat to death.
29 GCIIIs. How come there are no leagues or tournaments within your community center?
29 GCIIIs. How come there are no leagues or tournaments within your community center?
People have ZERO interest. League Operators have come out, made the pitch in several of the Retirement Communities with Pool Room. THEY ARE ALWAYS TURNED AWAY BECAUSE AS I SAID NO INTEREST!
I'll bite...
With all due respect, the majority of the players who are new to the game and spending money to support the pool industry are league players. Not tourney players, not gamblers but just plain old league players.
League players buy cues, use them for a year and leave them in closet only to have their place on the team filled by a new league player who will buy a cue and use it for a while and then leave it in a closet.
League players keep the rooms that we have left running. They are loud, they drink beer and liquor, they play the juke box but all of that is revenue in the owner’s pockets. That will play the bills and keep the room open for the serious player who wants to drink $1 sodas and has a tab of only table time.
Players can mock the league player, hate the league player and try to hustle the league player but I think before they try to remove the league player consideration needs to be given to what exactly he brings to the table, and I mean one thing, money.
Get off your horse, Cowboy. Remember who cue and case makers are making cues and cases for. Remember all those tables that need new felt every six months and all those sets of balls that have to be replaced.
Remember that in many ways, your pool world rides on the backs of league players who settle for low paybacks because they want to have a good night out with their friends and show off all the new equipment they bought.
Jered Allan,
League Player
With all due respect, the majority of the players who are new to the game and spending money to support the pool industry are league players. Not tourney players, not gamblers but just plain old league players.
League players buy cues, use them for a year and leave them in closet only to have their place on the team filled by a new league player who will buy a cue and use it for a while and then leave it in a closet.
League players keep the rooms that we have left running. They are loud, they drink beer and liquor, they play the juke box but all of that is revenue in the owner’s pockets. That will play the bills and keep the room open for the serious player who wants to drink $1 sodas and has a tab of only table time.
Players can mock the league player, hate the league player and try to hustle the league player but I think before they try to remove the league player consideration needs to be given to what exactly he brings to the table, and I mean one thing, money.
Get off your horse, Cowboy. Remember who cue and case makers are making cues and cases for. Remember all those tables that need new felt every six months and all those sets of balls that have to be replaced.
Remember that in many ways, your pool world rides on the backs of league players who settle for low paybacks because they want to have a good night out with their friends and show off all the new equipment they bought.
Jered Allan,
League Player
So what do you guys do, have walker races and sit around discussing what brand of Depends work the best? Sounds way to retirementish for me.
Relive the good ole days and have no regrets.
My mom lives in a retirement community out in the desert and I've been in the billiard room on numerous occasions. The community has a men's pool club and they have their own in-house leagues and tournaments. The enjoy going to the club and playing with each other and I doubt many of them are interested in traveling to other places, including bars, to play league pool.
What we do is have fun, socialize, play pool, and deal with some of the same BS they younger generation deal with.
The single guy are being stalk by the horny old cougar, we talk about who had the what removed or by passed on the last trip to the hospital. We spend a lot of time talking about the guy who just died, and almost was killed off at the local hospital.
Have lots of WW-II Veterans who talk about their adventure with the ladies they liberated from the Germans. how they too a town, did every French women who was willing, and got nasty drunk. Can't share those stories with the grandkids.
Than you got the Korean & Viet Nam Vets who tell of their adventures, and the BS flows.
One a year the DAM SENIOR OLYMPIC come into our room for two day, and we ***** because the room is closed.
Since I'm home alone for most days (retired), I use pool leagues as a night out with my friends for socializing and sometimes playing a non-serious match (how can handicapped pool be taken seriously ) every now and then.
I once thought tournaments would be better, but then I thought of how all the waiting between matches is as bad (and sometimes worse) than it is in league play.
So, I figured if I was to ever trade my league for something else, that something else would be cheap action. I typically spend about $20-$25 on any give league night (fees, drinks, sometimes quarters for the bar tables). Why not take that $25 and challenge someone at the hall (or bar) for a race to 7 (any game that doesn't require long, drawn-out racks). Think about it. No waiting, playing probably more games than I would have in a league match, possibly more games that I would have played in a mini-tourney, and no scorekeeping, all for the same money I would have spent on league or a tournament.
Finding enough people weekly to play cheap sets is the issue here.
Maniac
) every now and then.I once thought tournaments would be better, but then I thought of how all the waiting between matches is as bad (and sometimes worse) than it is in league play.
So, I figured if I was to ever trade my league for something else, that something else would be cheap action. I typically spend about $20-$25 on any give league night (fees, drinks, sometimes quarters for the bar tables). Why not take that $25 and challenge someone at the hall (or bar) for a race to 7 (any game that doesn't require long, drawn-out racks). Think about it. No waiting, playing probably more games than I would have in a league match, possibly more games that I would have played in a mini-tourney, and no scorekeeping, all for the same money I would have spent on league or a tournament.
Finding enough people weekly to play cheap sets is the issue here.
Maniac