What is league night for you?

[Kevin3824]

Hello Everyone,
As some of you may know from my past postings on here Im technically a member of the APA and an associate member of the BCA. I have never joined any specific bar league teams. I have never been ranked or handicapped as a player. I do however own a table and practice pool regularly. I have a general idea of how good I am and I think I would fall somewhere in the SL4 or SL5 range. I have not joined a team up to this point due to my current employment shift. However, I read a lot of negative thing on here about the leagues. I have never been a fan of handicapping systems that are prone to manipulation. The idea of playing a shot so that if you miss you do not leave your opponent a good shot is part of the game and doing so should do nothing but improve your rating but in some leagues that might be marked down as a negitive thing called playing defensive. Even though the rules say if you intend to make your shot then it is not defensive. Does the typical league night have a lot of people complaining about players no being rated or handicapped correctly? What are the chances of being able to leave the bar by 10 or 10:30 every night?

I honestly do not think the leagues are for me as I am far more interested in individual play than team play. I also have a strong desire to advance my game to the highest level I possibly can. What I would like to know is what is league night like? Is it simply a commitment to meet up with people at a bar and party and play pool with friends for hours at a time? Some of the things I read on here make league night sound like you go to a bar and hang out waiting to possibly get a turn at the table if your team handicap max is low enough to allow you to play at all. Then after you play most times you would hang out and bs with your new found friends. I don't know what to think of them.

 

[pocketsplitter]

Hello Everyone,
As some of you may know from my past postings on here Im technically a member of the APA and an associate member of the BCA. I have never joined any specific bar league teams. I have never been ranked or handicapped as a player. I do however own a table and practice pool regularly. I have a general idea of how good I am and I think I would fall somewhere in the SL4 or SL5 range. I have not joined a team up to this point due to my current employment shift. However, I read a lot of negative thing on here about the leagues. I have never been a fan of handicapping systems that are prone to manipulation. The idea of playing a shot so that if you miss you do not leave your opponent a good shot is part of the game and doing so should do nothing but improve your rating but in some leagues that might be marked down as a negitive thing called playing defensive. Even though the rules say if you intend to make your shot then it is not defensive. Does the typical league night have a lot of people complaining about players no being rated or handicapped correctly? What are the chances of being able to leave the bar by 10 or 10:30 every night?

I honestly do not think the leagues are for me as I am far more interested in individual play than team play. I also have a strong desire to advance my game to the highest level I possibly can. What I would like to know is what is league night like? Is it simply a commitment to meet up with people at a bar and party and play pool with friends for hours at a time? Some of the things I read on here make league night sound like you go to a bar and hang out waiting to possibly get a turn at the table if your team handicap max is low enough to allow you to play at all. Then after you play most times you would hang out and bs with your new found friends. I don't know what to think of them.

Wow, I was trying to look at your location to see if I could offer any guidance (I asked a very similar question a few months ago on the forum) and I saw you live in Scranton PA. I thought I was being punked because I was watching The Office at the same time...haha

 

[whammo57]

leagues

Hello Everyone,
As some of you may know from my past postings on here Im technically a member of the APA and an associate member of the BCA. I have never joined any specific bar league teams. I have never been ranked or handicapped as a player. I do however own a table and practice pool regularly. I have a general idea of how good I am and I think I would fall somewhere in the SL4 or SL5 range. I have not joined a team up to this point due to my current employment shift. However, I read a lot of negative thing on here about the leagues. I have never been a fan of handicapping systems that are prone to manipulation. .............with out a handicap system lower skilled players would just get their asses kicked every week and would soon quit The idea of playing a shot so that if you miss you do not leave your opponent a good shot is part of the game and doing so should do nothing but improve your rating but in some leagues that might be marked down as a negitive thing called playing defensive. lower skilled players normally do not play defensive shots.... or very few of them....... so defensive shots will rais you skill level over time because you are a better player because you use them Even though the rules say if you intend to make your shot then it is not defensive. Does the typical league night have a lot of people complaining about players no being rated or handicapped correctly?yes there are complainers as there are in every sport.... and there are sandbaggers as there is in all handicapped sports... golf... bowling..... but they are cheaters and I simply tell them so What are the chances of being able to leave the bar by 10 or 10:30 every night?most likely not very good........... we finish somewhere between 11:30 and 1:00 am

I honestly do not think the leagues are for me as I am far more interested in individual play than team play. I also have a strong desire to advance my game to the highest level I possibly can. join the APA masters league..... no handicap is usedWhat I would like to know is what is league night like? Is it simply a commitment to meet up with people at a bar and party and play pool with friends for hours at a time? Some of the things I read on here make league night sound like you go to a bar and hang out waiting to possibly get a turn at the table if your team handicap max is low enough to allow you to play at all. on my teams I make a schedule so that only 5 out of 8 players are scheduled for the night... so if you show up you will playThen after you play most times you would hang out and bs with your new found friends. I don't know what to think of them.and why would you not like to hang out with your newly found friends???? there are a lot of very nice people from all walks of life that play league pool................ we have mechanics, tree surgeons, medical staff, college professors, a few deadbeats that come and go .... and some older people that will kick your ass on the table every day

..............................................................................

 

[Qjunkie]

Sounds like you’re not a good candidate for league play, the horror stories you read about are all true. Chances you leave the bar at a respectable hour are slim to none depending on the type of league it is.

 

[Kevin3824]

Wow, I was trying to look at your location to see if I could offer any guidance (I asked a very similar question a few months ago on the forum) and I saw you live in Scranton PA. I thought I was being punked because I was watching The Office at the same time...haha

No I was not trying to punk anyone, I just want to know what it is like as I work third shift Sunday through Thursday. I can't be going in late simply because the leagues run late. I Have a diamond Pro-am at home and spend a lot of time these days trying to improve my skill set.

As far as options in leagues in my immediate area I have the following:

TAP and APA require membership fees and both run a minimum of 16 weeks each session.
TAP: costs $20.00 a year to join, and $6.00 a night to play, $116.00!
APA: costs $25.00 a year to join and $7.00 a night to play, $137.00!
SPL : $0.00 a year to join, and $7.00 a night to play, $98.00!

SPL - Scranton Pool League

 

[drv4]

League night can be whatever you want to make it.

I play in an APA double jeopardy (8 +9 ball on same night) and play in a BCA 9 ball handicapped league.

I've met serious players in the APA but mostly it's more social than my BCA league. If you truly are a 4 or 5, you would have a fun time and it can definitely help you make your play better. I started as a 4 3 years ago and playing one night a week have advanced to a 7,7. We have a fun team where everyone gets along and are very competitive but also have a good time and don't take it too serious. I think the key to APA is to play on a team with people that you enjoy being around and have the same goals as far as competitiveness in regards to pool.

BCA 9 ball league is played on 9 ft gold crowns, we have a few top 100 fargorate Americans in our league and have people who who be ranked a 2 or 3 in an APA league. The competition is generally better on average though. Players are ranked D through AAA and ball spots (last 2, the 7 etc) are given according to a matrix. There is very little scorekeeping which is nice and you spend more time shooting and less time sitting around. Teams of 4, everybody plays everybody from the other team 3 racks, for a total of 12 racks per person. This league starts at 7:30 and we are done by 10 most nights. Our APA league starts at 7 and we usually get done by 11, although it can go later. The whole team isn't required to stay all night so in APA you could potentially shoot first, maybe see if you could keep score for the 2nd match and then leave.

All in all, league has been very positive for me because it helps me be competitive, I get to play a wide variety of people of all different skill levels. I think the sandbagging thing is overblown, it's hard to judge a person based off of one single match. I just shoot, try to do my best, and try to continually improve. I look forward to my league nights and have met many new friends through the leagues. Bottom line it's been a very positive experience and I have definitely improved and unfortunately now have a pool habit ;-)

 

[chefjeff]

(snip)
TAP: costs $20.00 a year to join, and $6.00 a night to play, $116.00!
APA: costs $25.00 a year to join and $7.00 a night to play, $137.00!
SPL : $0.00 a year to join, and $7.00 a night to play, $98.00!

SPL - Scranton Pool League

That's cheap entertainment.

Why the exclamation points following the costs?

I assume third shift is graveyard, midnite to 8? If you pick a league, don't pick apa, imho,
as that can run late for one or two of the players. BCA or Valley and someothers get over
by 10ish so you'd have plenty of time to get to work.

Jeff Livingston

 

[Cory in DC]

No I was not trying to punk anyone, I just want to know what it is like as I work third shift Sunday through Thursday. I can't be going in late simply because the leagues run late. I Have a diamond Pro-am at home and spend a lot of time these days trying to improve my skill set.

As far as options in leagues in my immediate area I have the following:

TAP and APA require membership fees and both run a minimum of 16 weeks each session.
TAP: costs $20.00 a year to join, and $6.00 a night to play, $116.00!
APA: costs $25.00 a year to join and $7.00 a night to play, $137.00!
SPL : $0.00 a year to join, and $7.00 a night to play, $98.00!

SPL - Scranton Pool League

Most likely, you're not paying table time but you would be if you weren't playing league. So if you get 2+ hours of actual play in then you may be coming out ahead. For you, I would pick the league that let's you play the most--e.g., one at locations that offer a practice table.

You'll likely get beat up pretty bad for a while, but APA Masters is a pretty good way to learn. I've seen other 4s and 5s play it and nobody minded.

 

[Bank it]

Mines on the 12th of Never

 

[Kevin3824]

That's cheap entertainment.

Why the exclamation points following the costs?

I assume third shift is graveyard, midnite to 8? If you pick a league, don't pick apa, imho,
as that can run late for one or two of the players. BCA or Valley and someothers get over
by 10ish so you'd have plenty of time to get to work.

Jeff Livingston

For me 3rd shift starts at 11 pm and ends at 730 am. The pricing was a copy and paste from the spl page I guess it was simpy to show the cost difference between the scranton leagues. I have my bca and apa memberships coming up for renewal in a month or so and cannot even find the closest BCA to this area I think it is about an hour drive from here. From what I am seeing here so far it seems to me it will likely be SPL or TAP. The other option I have is to continue what I have been doing lately and simply setup to play against other people on a regular basis on different sized tables on my days off.

 

[DCS_SF]

You'll likely get beat up pretty bad for a while, but APA Masters is a pretty good way to learn. I've seen other 4s and 5s play it and nobody minded.

In our masters league you need to be at least a 5 to play. Also they only allow four players per team so finding one my be difficult, especially since you don't currently play league.

As for you other concerns they are somewhat valid and somewhat not. Every handicap system has it's flaws. Yes, some people manipulate it but it is honestly few and far between IMHO. It is usually obvious when someone is trying to sandbag because to do it effectively you are throwing whole games not just shots. Defensive shots do not count against you, the amount may be subtracted from the total innings it took to play the game, which can affect your handicap. However, both teams would need to be marking them as handicaps. If one team is erroneously adding them then it would be obvious.

As for money, well I try and look at it as cheap fun. It costs about a drink and a half to play a night of pool. In APA if your team does well you can win money back in tournaments, as well as paid trips to Vegas, and at least in our case Hawaii.

As for time spent on the table you need to simply find a good team captain. I have a team where everyone like to hang out with each other, so they all show up and generally stay. I have another where I only call the folks who will play. If someone has to do something early the next day, I try to play them early. So in theory you could be out as early as 7:30 depending on how long your match takes.

In my experience BCA tends to be over earlier the APA. Can't say about the others though.

 

[pocketsplitter]

From what I've heard TAP is way better than APA. I've only done APA and hated it. I think you won't be consistently leaving late. As captain I always told players who play early they are free to go and we usually rotate who gets to leave early or stay late. Also, if you're good enough you can probably condition your participation on leaving early most of the time. If you want to leave early all the time that's probably impossible for any team league you should join individual or keep working hard at home and just do tournaments


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums mobile app

 

[rjb1168]

I play apa 9 ball on sunday afternoon 4:00 in Pocono Summit. We have a good time and I am currently a SL-7 looking to go back to a 8. I play this league for the fun of it and the format is great. I wish they would allow a push and jump shots but it's still fun. The 7 dollars a week is nothing compared to the good time shooting. Try it and just enjoy it.

 

[TheBook]

I have been on leagues and no longer play on them.

It is a commitment to be there for X amount of weeks.

It is more of a social time of hanging out in a bar or PH.

Your playing time is limited as you may or not play depending on who shows up and the match ups.

The way that many teams are set up with the handicap rule is you are "penalized" if you advance in skill level because you may no longer fit in with your team due to not being able to field a team under the limit. If there is a 6 and 7 on the team and you advance to a 6 you will need a lot of low skilled players to be able to play every week.

Sandbagging is the game. Unless it is a very obvious safety many higher skilled players will play a safety by intentionally missing a shot and they will not win a game until they reach the amount of innings needed.

End of year payoffs are nil and if you do qualify to play in Vegas the money given doesn't cover the cost.

If you aren't looking to make a profit and like to socialize it can be a fun thing.

If you are looking for competition and trying to improve it would be better to play in weekly tournaments. Doing that doesn't require a commitment and unless it is a handicapped tournament there is no sandbagging.

You should give it a try and find out for yourself. It will cost a few dollars to join the league and then the weekly fee if you play.

I liked the TAP as they play at the SBE. BCA was next and then APA. I never played on a Valley League. Problem is not many areas have all of the different leagues.

 

[philly]

We have an 8 and 9 ball in house league played on 9 foot GC's. These matches are individual not team. They are handicapped. In 8 ball "C" players race to 4, "B" players race to 7, and "A" players race to 10. In 9 ball "C" players race to 7, "B" players race to 11, and "A" players race to 15. Modified BCA rules. We usually have 24 players for 8 ball and 12 for 9 ball. Each session is usually 12 weeks and then a season ending single elimination tournament for cash built up over the 12 weeks. Each session is $10.

 

[King T]

Its a great experience

1) You play $20 a week to play free the rest of the week, even if your not in the line up, you still get to practice for free all week.

2) You don't have to play every week if your on a team with enough players to rotate team members, so you can skip the nights when your team is playing the social, beer drinking teams and only show up to play the serious players.

3) You joining a team helps to promote the sport. If the APA and BCA went away, who would fill the bars? Look at the condition of the Pro game, Pool needs every form of support it can get.

Join a league, play when you can, match up with somebody from the other teams, buy a drink, TIP the wait staff, have a good time promoting the game.

 

[rellek]

I feel down right spoiled compared to some of you. I shoot in a VNEA league, $20 sanction, $6.50 in fees and quarters a night and no handicaps! Everyone plays their 3 games every night (I know that isn't a lot of games) and for the most part has a good time.

 

[Coop1701]

I must be in the minority reading all these posts. But I like APA and TAP. I probably am more partial to TAP. Our local TAP league recently closed up though.

APA and other leagues are what you make of it. I enjoy the competition and some people do things intentionally to maintain a Lower ranking. Some people go out for Drama and want to stir things on league night. Really I go to play and enjoy helping the lower ranked players on the team. I guess I am fortunate to be on a team with several people I work with. We have a great time and have won our last 4 out of 5 sessions.

There are bad things with any activity. But league play can be fun. If anything just to play some people you would have never gotten to.

 

[couldnthinkof01]

In my experience leagues are what you make of them.
If your joining to meet new people chances are you will find many you like and some will be lifelong friends.
If you are trying to better you game, handicaps dont matter, just take each outing as a chance to compete and play your best.
If you are looking for a night out of the house to do some drinking and socializing, you will find that too.
Depending on what is available, many of the leagues offer handicap and non, different games, rule sets, player levels, etc.
Finding "your" kind of team is important and can take a few tries.
Every night you will usually find those that complain, shark, whine, sandbag, get benched, get drunk, celebrate luck, etc. Same as tournaments and gambling.
It is what you make of it.

 

[goombavskoopa]

thrus & sun

I play APA on Thrus. nights for double jeopardy along with a team I captain on Sundays, also APA double jeopardy. We have playoffs next week on the 8th, made it into tier 2 for both. Playoffs should be easy, we drew a team that is AWFUL!

Last night didn't shoot as well as I should. Was up 2-0 ended up losing 2-3. Had opportunities that I didn't capitalize on. Just need to get out of my own head. Will let you guys know how we do at qualifiers when we get there.