I'm down to a 571 from my peak of 577 a few months ago. I guess I peaked at the right time for the big $1000 entry Vegas event I played in and cashed.
2 tournament updates: first was my own Afternoon Delight in Philly. I had a player from England come to Philly to meet his English buddy that already lived there, and made a fun post of it on FB.
Afternoon Delight PHL 6/5 was a hoot! 12 players met at Markley Billiards, including 2 who crossed the pond from England! Nigel Webb and Paul Morgan crossed the Atlantic Ocean and ended up playing...
www.facebook.com
Next update is I went back to Atlanta, and finally someone started a FargoRate tournament within the greater Atlanta area. It has been pulling teeth for anyone to do anything FargoRate here. I was so happy after 2 years of asking all the TD's to do one, finally one did. It's a brand new weekly 10 ball event at Mr Cues 2 Billiards, which is the main player's room in the area. It's been getting about 16 players, which has worked out perfectly to be done at a reasonable time. It's on 9' Gold Crown 4 tables, which is a great departure from the Diamonds in the Philly area. It's fargorated hot, and the TD has been experimenting with the race length to get it done around midnight. Its on DigitalPool brackets, which is also brand new to this area.
The format is one I've never seen before, but I like it. Every player is guaranteed 2 matches. It's a double elimination bracket, but it's not double elimination, rather "double play". If you win your first match, you advance on the winner's side, and if you lose from there, you go home. You do NOT go to the 1 loss side. If you lose your very first, you go to the 1 loss side and play from there. The winner of the winner's side and the winner of the loser's side play for 1st and 2nd. For the bracket, when a later winner's side match is finished, and the loser goes to the loser's side, the TD WD's that player from the loser's side, to advance the other loser's side player that advanced from the very first loser's side round.
It's some extra work for the TD managing the bracket, but I like the format a lot. It's almost single elimination, but gives everyone 2 matches to make their drive to the pool room worth it. It also doesn't go forever like a normal double elimination. The TD told me he knows the digitalpool guy, and is trying to get the format added to the software.
The balls are brand new Aramith Tournaments, which I found out a customer bought for the entire room, as he was sick of the old worn Centennials. I also found out the same person did the same at another room I go to. Wow, that was awesome of him.
I mention the balls as the rack were the delta 13 (the good one, not the cast one). Even with those conditions, making a ball on the 10 ball break I'd estimate tournament wide was maybe 1 out of 3 racks. It was hard as hell. It's nothing like the top pros making the balls 4 rails in the corner and no rails in the side.
Anyway, I'm super excited to have a tournament with a format I like, that I can focus on playing in instead of being the TD. I played in it twice thus far, and the first one has been updated on my fargorate. I didn't do well either time, but I'm looking forward to more.
Bracket:
Create and manage your own pool leagues and tournaments and challenge other players from around the pool world.
digitalpool.com