Mixed Signals

B

BillyKoda

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am getting mixed signals from some players in the area about joining the APA. One day they will be complaining to beat the band and the next day they are trying to rope me in to joining a team. I play pool for fun and don't like the infighting I have heard about playing APA, on the other hand I have a chance to join one of the better teams in the area that is based right around the corner from my house. I have never played APA but from what I have read and heard I think I would probably play to a 6 rating in the league. Can anyone talk me into playing APA? my first instinct is no. I enjoy the local tourneys but just don't know about playing APA. I know this has been done to death here on the board but I would like to hear some positives about playing APA, I think I already know the negatives.

Thanks,

BK
 
Commit for a session, and find out for yourself. You risk very little, IMO.

People, including myself, have strong opinions on league play such as APA, TAP, BCA, etc.

I don't want to get into the details, since people are going to sing praises or mud sling.
 
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APA:Pool
Wiffle Ball: Baseball

That said, i play apa. it's a VERY amateur league. Lots of brutal players. KNow it alls etc.

If you like to play and can get along with people easily join the league and see if you like it.

I'd concern myself less with the teams proficiency at pool and more with their social skills.
 
BillyKoda said:
I am getting mixed signals from some players in the area about joining the APA. One day they will be complaining to beat the band and the next day they are trying to rope me in to joining a team. I play pool for fun and don't like the infighting I have heard about playing APA, on the other hand I have a chance to join one of the better teams in the area that is based right around the corner from my house. I have never played APA but from what I have read and heard I think I would probably play to a 6 rating in the league. Can anyone talk me into playing APA? my first instinct is no. I enjoy the local tourneys but just don't know about playing APA. I know this has been done to death here on the board but I would like to hear some positives about playing APA, I think I already know the negatives.

Thanks,

BK
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I play for fun with a little competitive edge, afterall it is competition not a garden party. My captain knows my attitude is that I want to win, but getting to Vegas is not particularly a goal in my pool playing. If that isn't competitive enough for him, he can cut me loose anytime he wants. I think you should just let the captain of your team know where your coming from and play pool your way. There tends to be arguments every week where I play, I just sit back and watch. If it is distracting my play I just stop and wait. You needn't get involved, just go to play pool and enjoy.
It's odd, but everybody in our league thinks I'm such a gentleman because I don't get involved in the BS. The other team often apologizes to me if they get in an argument with others on our team. They needn't know the real me. :o
 
The good thing about APA (for yourself) is that they allow coaching during a match. If you can get on a good team which has a very good player (like a master player) and this person will be coaching you during your matches, then it is well worth it.

This really helped me with my safety play. I just wouldn't see a safety, but my team "coach" would. So I learned what to do in sticky situations.

I no longer play APA, but I'm glad I did in the past. It can be fun if you are around fun people. Can also be nasty if you are around nasty people. But you will find a certain percentage of nasty people anywhere you go. Most people are OK.
 
If you're new to competitive pool, and want to learn something other than bar room pool then go for it. If you're just looking for a night out with your buddies and some beers then go for it.

If you're already an experienced player and want to play your best without being punished by a handicapp system designed to give even the worst players a chance then I say pass it up and join a BCA or other league where the handicaps don't preclude you from playing when you do well.

The APA (CPA in Canada) is a good organization for the average player that wants to get his/her feet wet and should be recognized as that.
 
Like an above poster said, hop in for a session and try it out. It's one night a week, tops, for four months. Not a huge investment.

As far as infighting - I would wager that it largely depends on the people in each division. You might have one division that's full of jerks, and the next one over is the opposite. You can probably get an idea of how the league is where you are by considering what sort of folks your friends are, the ones trying to get you to play.
 
This could be exclusive to the area that I live as pool is bigger in some locales than others. But, the APA by me is EXTREMELY competitve. Laughably so. I mean, these people take this game to such an extreme that I find it truly sad.

Once you join the APA, you are making a commitment. Your teammates will expect you to be there at that exact time week in and week out, from beginning to end. A lot of times, they will expect that you place that team at the forefront of your priority list which to me, is kind of stupid. I love to play pool and when I play, I play on a 9 foot table. Mostly 9 ball. Sometimes straight pool. Sometimes 1 pocket. Now, I play on one APA team but I told my team ahead of time: "I don't really want to be here so I may not be here all the time. If that doesn't work and you want to find someone else, by all means! I won't be offended!" Unfortunately, they kept me anyway.

The bottom line ism, if you are looking for something ultra-competitive and less recreational, by all means join. But if its a good time you're looking for, you may want to stick to playing for fun.
 
League Play

Just like anything in lfe, the more u do it, the better u get. I play in APA, TAP, and APL, 4 nites a week, my favorite being APL. Call your shots, win with an 8 on the break, and ball in hand rules. APL has a Vegas Qualifier, and a regional tournament for the top 2 teams after EVERY session. Unlike APA which only does it once a year. Less sandbagging as u must win every session if u want to go to the Vegas qualifier and regional tournaments. In APA, if u win your first session, u can win or lose the rest of the year and know u are still going. Plus it really gets the juices flowing at those big tournaments. :cool: Great for any player.

There are 8 players per team. So 10 teams (maybe more) will give u 80 different people. Just like most barrels of apples, u will probably find a few bad ones,:D but the vast majority are good. I say go for it. No matter what happens, u are bound to learn. It's a nite out, u can make new friends, and not spend a fortune having a good time. I was so happy with league play 1 nite a week that I now shoot 4 nites. My pool shooting ability has come a long way (for the better :D). After 3 sessions, which is a year, I did leave my original team due to a captain being somewhat of an asshole, nuff said. U only have to commit to one session at a time. If for some strange reason u find it totally intolerable (highly doubtful), u can quit. The way I c it, it's a win win situation.;)
Charlie
 
Thanks for the reply folks, I think maybe I will join the whiffle ball league for one session! (that was a good one degenrat). I get along with everyone, no-temper and I only get mad at myself. I would love to put my skills up against more people, I have had great success in my little world but it's time to expand my horizons. Okay APA, here I come and you get one session to convince me.

Thanks again,

BK
 
BillyKoda said:
Thanks for the reply folks, I think maybe I will join the whiffle ball league for one session! (that was a good one degenrat). I get along with everyone, no-temper and I only get mad at myself. I would love to put my skills up against more people, I have had great success in my little world but it's time to expand my horizons. Okay APA, here I come and you get one session to convince me.

Thanks again,

BK
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Good luck dude. Enjoy
 
go for the 7 in apa

Its a blast where Iam from to play apa go ahead and try to be a seven in eight ball or even more fun a 9 in nine ball play all comers play safe alot and you wont worry about going up but remind those few that go off a little that its still a game and tommorrow morn you still have to go to work it ain't life or death
 
pharaoh68 said:
...APA by me is EXTREMELY competitve. Laughably so. I mean, these people take this game to such an extreme that I find it truly sad...
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I've seen this in my area too. You would think some players are playing in a $1,000,000.00 Las Vegas tournament!
 
Billy_Bob said:
I've seen this in my area too. You would think some players are playing in a $1,000,000.00 Las Vegas tournament!
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Common advice that pros and instructors often give to people who are trying to improve thier game is to play every game like it's for the final in an important tournament. There's nothing wrong with that.
 
supergreenman said:
Common advice that pros and instructors often give to people who are trying to improve thier game is to play every game like it's for the final in an important tournament. There's nothing wrong with that.
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Except they don't play like it. They just behave like it.
 
thoffen said:
Except they don't play like it. They just behave like it.
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Excellent point.

I think the secret to enjoying the APA is to actively strive to have the highest handicap you can achieve, play every match to win, but more importantly to play the best and smartest game of pool you can play, and to think of advancement to regional and national levels as a secondary goal. I think some APA players and teams that get too serious about advancement end up acting like children because of it. And like any group of people doing any activity, you'll find some you don't like. Try to ignore them.

But I have a blast, and every time I go up a level in handicap I consider it an honor and an achievement, and not a "punishment" as so many posters have described it. It makes your matches into more challenging races, and I welcome that challenge. The downside is that you may not get to play as much because of the 23 rule. I don't like that limit and I wish they'd increase it.

-Andrew
 
Andrew Manning said:
I think the secret to enjoying the APA is to actively strive to have the highest handicap you can achieve, play every match to win, but more importantly to play the best and smartest game of pool you can play, and to think of advancement to regional and national levels as a secondary goal.
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This is great advice for playing in any league, including the APA.

I have played in a couple of different APA leagues. Each was different and what made them different was the people in the league. I'm sure yours will be different from mine.

Whether you like or dislike the APA will depend a lot on your teamates and the other people in your league.

I have a good team and we all get along. Some of us are trying to play the best pool we can play and some are enjoying a night out. We all respect each other and we all have fun. Unlike others, there are very few disagreements in my league.

As someone suggested, try it out for one session. The summer session is fairly short and will go by quickly. It will give you a taste and you will be able to tell if it is for you. If you don't like it, don't commit for another session.
 
Andrew Manning said:
Excellent point.

I think the secret to enjoying the APA is to actively strive to have the highest handicap you can achieve, play every match to win, but more importantly to play the best and smartest game of pool you can play, and to think of advancement to regional and national levels as a secondary goal. I think some APA players and teams that get too serious about advancement end up acting like children because of it. And like any group of people doing any activity, you'll find some you don't like. Try to ignore them.

But I have a blast, and every time I go up a level in handicap I consider it an honor and an achievement, and not a "punishment" as so many posters have described it. It makes your matches into more challenging races, and I welcome that challenge. The downside is that you may not get to play as much because of the 23 rule. I don't like that limit and I wish they'd increase it.

-Andrew
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This is one hits it on the head for me. I joined and ended up going through 2 captains in 2 sessions (new team) and finally in our 3rd session we had a team that got along great, had little or no drama and everybody had fun. Be the best you can be, don't strive to be mediocre and hold a low handicap, make yourself work at going up all of the time. Many people that are in/have been in the league complain about the handicaps and rules, but they neglect to mention they knew what these were before they joined (so it is their own damn fault). The 23 rule can make things a bit tricky sometimes, but they have their reasons for it.

If you haven't done league pool yet, go ahead and join an APA team for starters and get a feel of the play and such. Once the competition starts to become less difficult or the play not serious enough, look for one of the more advanced leagues (BCA, etc).

I've also gotten to go to many places I never would have without being in the league, including a more or less paid trip to Vegas, and I've met many very cool people.
 
pharaoh68 said:
. But, the APA by me is EXTREMELY competitve. Laughably so. I mean, these people take this game to such an extreme that I find it truly sad.

.
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I guess I must be either laughable or sad. Every time I step to the table, I take it seriously, whether it is APA, tournament, or just shooting some with friends. I guess some of us are just more competitive than others. I don't see any reason to knock someone for taking the game seriously. I will joke and laugh with everyone between shots, but every shot I take, I take with 100% effort to make it.
Steve
 
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