Straight up or handicapped ?

Would you rather play a Straight up or Handicapped tourney ?

  • Straight up

    Votes: 46 73.0%
  • Handicapped

    Votes: 17 27.0%

  • Total voters
    63
I voted handicapped....

I'd be 2-and-out in every non-handicapped tournament I entered. Hell, 2-and-out in MOST handicapped tourneys too :embarrassed2:!!!

Maniac
 
Straight up is the only true test of your game against your opponents game. Because of the nature of the game of pool not having physical interaction, you should really only judge yourself against your own benchmarks.
 
I voted straight up but if it's a tournament with the caliber of the TS i wouldnt mind a spot :cool::lol:
 
Straight Up or handicapped

I actually like to play in both but I am a realist and I think it will be harder and harder to get people to play in tourneys that don't have some handicap.
I liked the AZ format they used at Kolbys . I won a match vs one of the best players and lost a match to a young lady who was a beginner.
There will always be sandbaggers and people who play great one day and horrible the next. But overall I thought it was the fairest setup I have seen.
I do think a handicap should always favor the better players though.
That will keep it more honest and give people incentive to improve.
 
Even if I'm "dead money" in a tournament I would still rather play straight up. I know I have to play as smart as I can and really focus to have any chance and I think that can only help your game. When I do beat someone that I shouldn't then I like that there is no "asterick" attached to that win :thumbup:
 
Even if I'm "dead money" in a tournament I would still rather play straight up. I know I have to play as smart as I can and really focus to have any chance and I think that can only help your game. When I do beat someone that I shouldn't then I like that there is no "asterick" attached to that win :thumbup:

You're absolutely right about the "asterick". It's almost like playing poker for fun money. It just isn't the same. A victory or a lose in a handicapped game just isn't the same as beating someone on a level playing field.

We all know why we have handicapping and it isn't going to ever go away. So, there will continue to be a mixture of handicapped and non-handicapped tournaments.

What will never happen is handicapping of any sport at the highest level. Could you ever imagine The World Series or The Super Bowl being handicapped?
 
Could you ever imagine The World Series or The Super Bowl being handicapped?

I can imagine if the College of the Ozarks baseball team was pitted against the St. Louis Cardinals, or the University of Southern Louisiana football team was pitted against the New Orleans Saints, they'd prolly want a spot, don't ya think ;)??? At least they would if they had ANY expectations of winning. I don't care so much about the winning and losing, but............going 2-and-out in every tournament would get old pretty quick.

Maniac (plays W-A-A-A-Y below pro speed)
 
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I can imagine if the College of the Ozarks baseball team was pitted against the St. Louis Cardinals, or the University of Southern Louisiana football team was pitted against the New Orleans Saints, they'd prolly want a spot, don't ya think ;)??? At least they would if they had ANY expectations of winning. I don't care so much about the winning and losing, but............going 2-and-out in every tournament would get old pretty quick.

Maniac (plays W-A-A-A-Y below pro speed)


are you kidding, EVERYONE is beating MY Cardinals right now :sorry:

as for tourneys, I'll play in both, but handicapped tourneys are a coin toss (someone might sneak in WAY under-capped, and everyone is playing for 2nd), and really not a true gauge of who are the better players (like a non-handicapped tourney is).
 
handicapped

we guys i have played in both, and it depends on your game level. i also own a room and have been running a handicapped tournment for 13yr now and it seem to be doing o.k. but i will say it is mostley local people that play range of 50miles summer 15-20 players winter 20-35 players, have had 62players one:thumbup: christmas!!!!
 
are you kidding, EVERYONE is beating MY Cardinals right now :sorry:

as for tourneys, I'll play in both, but handicapped tourneys are a coin toss (someone might sneak in WAY under-capped, and everyone is playing for 2nd), and really not a true gauge of who are the better players (like a non-handicapped tourney is).

When I go into a room and see a clock like this on a wall -- I look to see who's drinking it.

sandbagger.jpg
 
handicapped tournaments actually PROMOTE so much bs. i wont even go into it all. this, combined with the fact that there is no real incentive to improve. i am a BIG proponent of strait up tournaments.
 
I voted handicapped, I like to know the skills of the guys I'm playing against.
While I agree that you get better by playing better players you still have to play, with some guys all your going to get better at is racking, assuming it isn't rack your own.

Not a big issue around here since always the same people playing and as far as I can tell there isn't any sandbagging.
 
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