League: The Diet Coke of Pool?

[SkippyFL]

So what does everyone think about league pool? I do not play league but there is an APA team that shoots out of the poolhall I play in. Most of the people here that play league pool are quite rude to the regular customers in the poolhall and seem to have an inflated sense of how well they play. The 6s and 7s come in thinking they are world beaters and make comments about how everyone in the place plays but are scared to play $10 sets.

Is this typical of how league play is in your area or is this a rare occurance? It seems like league was made for socializing and nitpicking rules not for playing good pool.

Just a pointless rant to start a discussion; not meant to offend anybody so please don't just flame me if you play league pool and aren't like this.

skippy

 

[the kirkwood ki]

Same here

I agree. Before anyone starts flaming me too, I'm not here to offend anyone. Some good friends of mine play in leagues more as a social thing. I have attended several nights and I agree. Heard several of the "better" players knocking other players who they deemed unworthy to play the game. Only got one to put his money where his mouth was (wouldn't go higher than 10 a game) and beat him 26 straight games before he finally quit. His massive ego wouldn't let him quit any sooner, but he was used to playing people who just played for fun and really believed he was the best player around town. I most certainly am not, but I do alright.I told him if he really wanted to find out how bad he sucked to go to the main action room in town where he would find out pretty quick. Have seen this way too much, not only with league players, but people who bang around once or twice a week talking shit, beating people who truly suck,and suddenly they are a great pool player, but wouldn't dare go to a serious poolroom cause they know they would get their asses handed to them.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

So what does everyone think about league pool? I do not play league but there is an APA team that shoots out of the poolhall I play in. Most of the people here that play league pool are quite rude to the regular customers in the poolhall and seem to have an inflated sense of how well they play. The 6s and 7s come in thinking they are world beaters and make comments about how everyone in the place plays but are scared to play $10 sets.

Is this typical of how league play is in your area or is this a rare occurance? It seems like league was made for socializing and nitpicking rules not for playing good pool.

Just a pointless rant to start a discussion; not meant to offend anybody so please don't just flame me if you play league pool and aren't like this.

skippy

The APA rubs a lot of poolroom regulars the wrong way. You're really not the first. In general, leagues will vary as much as they possibly could (it's almost like the multi-verse theory). I play in a BCA sanctioned league where we play 9-ball. Our best players are some of the best players in the world and they really have no need to talk about it. The magazines do it for them. I like leagues because overall they're cheap and they provide regular competition. It's also nice to see other serious players in a casual setting (not the US Open).

 

[Raodwarior]

I have played in different leagues for the past 20 yrs. Most league players are out to have some fun and mingle with friends. You do have the small percentage that are as you described, and I find most of them are APA players. Why this is I am not to sure, but the few around here tend to tone it down when most of the regulars relieve them of their cash.

 

[Jerry Yost]

So what does everyone think about league pool? I do not play league but there is an APA team that shoots out of the poolhall I play in. Most of the people here that play league pool are quite rude to the regular customers in the poolhall and seem to have an inflated sense of how well they play. The 6s and 7s come in thinking they are world beaters and make comments about how everyone in the place plays but are scared to play $10 sets.

Is this typical of how league play is in your area or is this a rare occurance? It seems like league was made for socializing and nitpicking rules not for playing good pool.

Just a pointless rant to start a discussion; not meant to offend anybody so please don't just flame me if you play league pool and aren't like this.

skippy

Have you ever had a diet coke with a slice of lime. Really very refreshing!

 

[Jack Flanagan]

played APA, didn't like the sandbagging,,,local operators not keeping records correctly
(e.g. asking his team that's going to Vegas to lose all games til Vegas to lower their rankings),,,also, playing a road player as a 4 (he's easily a 7+) to get them to Vegas in the first place,,,and the list goes on and on, just like the Energizer bunny,,,,,not IMHO,
but My Honest Observation (in otherwords; FACT)..........jflan

 

[Boro Nut]

Have you ever had a diet coke with a slice of lime. Really very refreshing!

I'm sure it is, but in blind testing most people taking the challenge preferred diet Pepsi with a slice of lemon.

Boro Nut

 

[Sweet Marissa]

I don't play the league here anymore because it's just a bunch of old grumpies who have bad shit to say about everyone. If someone missed a shot against me, it was "Well, there ya go! Run out!" no matter what the table looked like. If I won, they'd be a little bitch about it or say they gave it to me. And I don't talk when I shoot; I'm concentrating on the game at hand. People here know this, and even when I have earbuds in for my mp3 player, they will sit there and talk and talk and talk. I'll say "I'm sorry... I can't hear you with my music playing" and they'll just keep on talking.

 

[the kirkwood ki]

That's what's needed here

The APA rubs a lot of poolroom regulars the wrong way. You're really not the first. In general, leagues will vary as much as they possibly could (it's almost like the multi-verse theory). I play in a BCA sanctioned league where we play 9-ball. Our best players are some of the best players in the world and they really have no need to talk about it. The magazines do it for them. I like leagues because overall they're cheap and they provide regular competition. It's also nice to see other serious players in a casual setting (not the US Open).

That's what is need here.If there were several of the best playing in these leagues, I don't think the egos would get so big. Maybe it's the difference between the BCA and APA. Good point about it being cheap and regular competition, but I think that a 7 (or whatever ranking they have) playing a 2 isn't going to help you with your game. To get better you have to play better players, not people you can beat in your sleep.

 

[SkippyFL]

That's what is need here.If there were several of the best playing in these leagues, I don't think the egos would get so big. Maybe it's the difference between the BCA and APA. Good point about it being cheap and regular competition, but I think that a 7 (or whatever ranking they have) playing a 2 isn't going to help you with your game. To get better you have to play better players, not people you can beat in your sleep.

Thats part of my problem with it too... they aren't trying to improver thier game and play thier best... they just want to work the system and keep the lowest handicap they can.

skippy

 

[Jerry Yost]

I'm sure it is, but in blind testing most people taking the challenge preferred diet Pepsi with a slice of lemon.

Boro Nut

If I close my eyes and use my imagination, I can almost taste the Captain Morgan?

 

[Koop]

but I think that a 7 (or whatever ranking they have) playing a 2 isn't going to help you with your game. To get better you have to play better players, not people you can beat in your sleep.

This is absolutely correct and I believe the weakest part of the APA. It drives me bananas when an opposing team puts up a 2 or a 3 against me when there are 6's or higher who are eligible.
Win or lose I like to play the best on the opposing team. I really wish we had the BCA set up here but for now the APA is all we got. I'd love nothing more than to be playing players of Jude's caliber on a nightly basis.
To the question about players acting that way, some do but at least in my area, most don't. We all pretty much realize that if we were that much better we wouldn't be playing APA pool.

Koop

 

[rayjay]

I played APA for one season and didn't like it much. Every other week the match was in a different bar playing on bar boxes. Pool got in the way of the drinking game. I don't drink. There were lots of arguments, sandbagging and a lousy handicapping system. I watched a couple of fights break out over arguments over rules. Since I started BCA last year, I'm seeing the more serious players focusing on their game instead of nitpicking other players and rules. We play on full-size tables and the fun is the more serious competition. The better players in town are scattered throughout the league. There are a couple of really good players that have been mentioned in magazines, but not too many. I like my team and the league for the comraderie and sportmanship, and the handicapping system isn't an issue.

 

[the kirkwood ki]

Amen Southern Angel!!

I don't play the league here anymore because it's just a bunch of old grumpies who have bad shit to say about everyone. If someone missed a shot against me, it was "Well, there ya go! Run out!" no matter what the table looked like. If I won, they'd be a little bitch about it or say they gave it to me. And I don't talk when I shoot; I'm concentrating on the game at hand. People here know this, and even when I have earbuds in for my mp3 player, they will sit there and talk and talk and talk. I'll say "I'm sorry... I can't hear you with my music playing" and they'll just keep on talking.

I hate it when they do that. They act as if you couldn't beat them unless they gave you that gift and then cry about it and talk shit. They shouldn't have missed. But when you miss and leave them and easy run (most of them never do), it's a different story. When that starts, I immediately tell them BUCK UP OR SHUT UP and then it ends.

 

[NewGuy]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about the APA and I'm very lucky that I haven't experienced much of it. A few rules arguments here and there, but nothing that didn't get resolved quickly. Also, none of my captains have ever asked me or any other players on the team to take a dive. If they had, I wouldn't be playing on their team.

As for arrogant players, you're always going to have a few. But in general, most of the higher ranked players I have met are down to earth and know where they stand in the grand scheme of things. Then again, most of them have played in the Tri-State tour so they're reminded every time they play there.

Personally, the APA in Hoboken and NYC has been a very good experience. I've met a lot of great people and I also picked up a thing or two about pool . I used my time in it as a stepping stone. If I had joined the BCA 9-ball league in Amsterdam two years ago, I would have been laughed out of the place. I literally couldn't even hold a cue back then, let alone pocket a ball.

 

[a_susie_cue]

I have played APA for just a little over 2 years now. It is more of a social thing in our area. Actually, I have played in 3 different areas and see a big difference in handicaps from county to county. For example, some of the Chicago 3's would be 4's-6's in Kenosha, WI! Chicago is more competitive and Kenosha is a lot more fun and partying with friends. I rarely see APA players at the big events like the upcoming Orlando Open unless there is an APA members only event. I have heard all the barking too and the excuses. Sometimes, you just have to grin and bear it. There are going to be negatives and positives with everything. The money in the APA is not bad. I know one person who won 4 tournaments in one year and won $500, $450, $1200, and $7500 in cash $7500 in prizes. Many players play APA for the team events like "Shootfaced in Chicago" and "Krazy in Kenosha" and you must be a league member to play. There are other leagues in the area that have more serious players who are run out players, but most of them are not in the APA. If you decide to play APA, take everything with a grain of salt and just enjoy it! If you want to get better, practice, practice, practice.

Hope to see all of you at the Orlando Open where there will be very serious pool players there and some great matches!

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

That's what is need here.If there were several of the best playing in these leagues, I don't think the egos would get so big. Maybe it's the difference between the BCA and APA. Good point about it being cheap and regular competition, but I think that a 7 (or whatever ranking they have) playing a 2 isn't going to help you with your game. To get better you have to play better players, not people you can beat in your sleep.

I can't tell you how it happened but over the years, the league has been able to recruit some really talented people. I mean, here's a list of players that either currently play or have played (that I can remember and you've probably heard of):

Tony Robles
George "Ginky" SanSouci
Mika Immonen
Jennifer Barretta
Kim Shaw
Tiffany Nelson
Romana Dokovic

There are also several players that are high caliber that don't tour or have yet to make a big splash. Really, every week is a challenge and with coaching allowed, it makes for some exciting play.

 

[MaryD]

I think that a 7 (or whatever ranking they have) playing a 2 isn't going to help you with your game. To get better you have to play better players, not people you can beat in your sleep.

Why would you assume a 7 can beat a 2 in his/her sleep in a handicapped match?

It's true that playing against a less skilled player you won't get the same leaves - they won't be as able to safe you deliberately or to avoid accidentally leaving you an easy shot. So your first shot after their turn will be affected. But if you're really at a level where you're stringing that many balls together, that's a low percentage of your shots.

IMHO it's a very enjoyable aspect of the game to successfully get out of a safe or difficult leave, and it's true that that's something you don't get to practice against a less skilled player - but there's more to the game than that, such as your own shotmaking, position play, and your *own* ability to leave your opponent in a bad spot.

If you don't bring those aspects to the table - if they're "sleeping" - you may not beat that 2 after all.

Mary

 

[ARM9BALLER]

That's what we need. BCA VS. APA and the loser hangs it up for good. BCA would even have to give up the 8 and a game on the wire...Let's set it up. What do you say guys? My money is on the BCA.

 

[NewGuy]

I can't tell you how it happened but over the years, the league has been able to recruit some really talented people. I mean, here's a list of players that either currently play or have played (that I can remember and you've probably heard of):

Tony Robles
George "Ginky" SanSouci
Mika Immonen
Jennifer Barretta
Kim Shaw
Tiffany Nelson
Romana Dokovic

There are also several players that are high caliber that don't tour or have yet to make a big splash. Really, every week is a challenge and with coaching allowed, it makes for some exciting play.

I can attest to that. This is my first season in the league and I'm really enjoying myself even though I'm not winning yet. I feel that my game can only improve competing against players that are much better than me.