What do you think would happen if there were no handicaps, in any leagues or tournaments, and all tournaments were Open to all skill levels?
- Thread starter vintagecollectibles831
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OP
That depends on which generation of players your talking to.
The land of hard knocks never did increase play much.
Stats/BCA.... USA averages were 20 mil players/Color of Money made it 30 Mil players for a decade, then back to 20.
Now, different era of mankind.
I don't mind handicapping the event, but NOT the entry fee.
I don't enjoy paying more entry fee$ as I got better.
What do you think would happen if there were no handicaps, in any leagues or tournaments, and all tournaments were Open to all skill levels?
That depends on which generation of players your talking to.
The land of hard knocks never did increase play much.
Stats/BCA.... USA averages were 20 mil players/Color of Money made it 30 Mil players for a decade, then back to 20.
Now, different era of mankind.
I don't mind handicapping the event, but NOT the entry fee.
I don't enjoy paying more entry fee$ as I got better.
I'm all for handicapping! I mean, without handicapping I have to say Shane beat me like a rented mule, a whitewash.
With handicapping I can say Well Shane did manage to get by me but I was giving him the crackles and the seven out!
A guy was talking about bringing AJ Foyt to race in our little weekly show when he was available in a car that cost a dozen times what mine did. As a local owner/driver the track owner asked me what I thought. "Hell yeah! If AJ beats me nobody will even notice. If I beat AJ I'll rent out a billboard!"
Hu
With handicapping I can say Well Shane did manage to get by me but I was giving him the crackles and the seven out!
A guy was talking about bringing AJ Foyt to race in our little weekly show when he was available in a car that cost a dozen times what mine did. As a local owner/driver the track owner asked me what I thought. "Hell yeah! If AJ beats me nobody will even notice. If I beat AJ I'll rent out a billboard!"
Hu
George the Greek
Well-known member
Somebody wins a new Predator cue prettywell at every event. Last season a lady broke in the 10-ball challenge and picked up $2505.00 by pocketing 3 balls at $835/ ball. They hold alot of memorial and charity events as well as a junior program.
You don't know me.
I'd probably play them 9B even up, at least until they got onto it.
That is not what is being offered--you play them at their game heads-up no handicap.
In my observations, those at the bottom of the pecking order in pool halls sometimes quit, but more often than not they just left the pool hall and went to bars where there were boxes to play on that are shorter, less wide, and With bigger pockets than the tables at the pool hall.
Pool just died off around me so bars it was. Bummer at first but without the jock crowd the genre of pool became much clearer.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
Well that would just be ignorant! I'd rather bring them down to my level and beat them with years of experience!
If this happened leagues would collapse. The truth is people are more interested in an illusion of competition and being good and less in actually trying to get better. Another hobby you mine is archery. Participation in amateur tournaments for archery is low because there is no handicap. They tried to handicap a league I was in. With the system they came up with I would have had to shoot a world record score to win. When I pointed that out everybody laughed.
Not everybody has the talent or ability to compete in pool at a high level. To think they consider their match against another level 3 or 4 an “illusion of competition” is a huge insult. Some of those people play in a league 4 to 6 nights a week. They truly get excited when they win. They truly get excited when they move up a rank. They are what pays the bills at the local pool hall, and keeps the money rolling in and the doors open at places like McDermott, Players, Joss, Meucci, and all the manufacturers. They pay the $$$ to fund the tournament you “egotists” play in. Without handicapping they would be gone. A few of them might still pick up a cue in a bar, but there would not be a pool scene as we know it now. I am always amazed when I read these pages and hear of people denigrating these players, or worse yet fleecing them instead of reaching out to them with encouragement or offering help and teaching. I’m extremely thankful we have handicaps to keep the industry thriving.
That really doesn't answer any of my questions. Its a stretch thinking someone will improve by going 2 and out every time they enter a tournament. Even if they did somehow improve they will most likely choke when the pressure is really on in the late rounds because they have never been there. By the same token that a lower ranked player should not be happy if he wins because hE GoT a CouPLe Of gAmEs On The WIrE does he get to brag and collect his "trophy" and exclaim "yippie" if he wins a straight up race to 1?? Is it just handicapped tournaments you don't like or is it also capped tournaments that are bad?? Just so I understand correctly you would rather play in a tournament with only 7 entries and win $50 so you can say "yippie", I won a few matches rather than win over a field of 120 where you make decent money from both the tournament prize fund and the calcutta even though you had to give up a game or 2 or heaven forbid get a game or 2?? Even pro's don't have too big of an ego to not give up or take a few on the wire when matching up, cause that's what it really comes down to is ego, right??
That reminds me of sometime in the 90's Earnhardt came up here (was hired in I believe) to run the Slinger Nationals at out local high banked 1/4 mile, its like a tint Bristol. He hops in one of the local's cars that he would drive for the night, runs a few laps, comes in and has them change the springs and shock settings to his desire then goes out to win the 100 lap feature in short order against guys that have run 1,000's of laps there.
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Going two and out is precisely how I improved at foosball in my twenties playing against nationally ranked players with no handicaps.
if i was gambling they would be just the perfect people to play with.
as i would know almost exactly how or what they would shoot.
so i would make the game that gave me the biggest edge. and take the money down.
against someone i dont know or is erratic it is much tougher unless he accepts a ridiculously low spot.