I was always under the impression that APA SL is based solely on the number of innings you spend at the table, independent of how strong your competition is.
What skill level are you?
- Thread starter Chadk
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I was always under the impression that APA SL is based solely on the number of innings you spend at the table, independent of how strong your competition is.
Yes the rank is relative, but not solely on innings. If you play in an area where there are a lot of strong players its harder to be a higher rank. If you're way better than the players in an area but they generally are terrible your rank may be a 9, but in reality it would be a 6 or a 7 in a more difficult area.
SL Phooey
Aahhh, since this appears to be a survey of APA 'rankings' I can't imagine any sandbagging going on with the poll, eh. :dance:
Only 2 leagues here, BCA and local County Leage, both 8 Ball. I do play BCA and am a 9 but then again the player base is not all that strong either.
The County League (a Beer League) dosen't handicap or rank its' players.
Gerry S.
Aahhh, since this appears to be a survey of APA 'rankings' I can't imagine any sandbagging going on with the poll, eh. :dance:
Only 2 leagues here, BCA and local County Leage, both 8 Ball. I do play BCA and am a 9 but then again the player base is not all that strong either.
The County League (a Beer League) dosen't handicap or rank its' players.
Gerry S.
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TAP 8ball SL6 + 9ball SL6 (only played one session of 9ball)
CPA (canadian apa) 8ball SL7 somehow - started CPA as I was peaking in my shooting and went 14-2 or something silly like that and was crushing people. On 'average' I should probably be a 6 but I definitely was shooting 7 scores at the time.
Haven't played league in almost a year since I moved. Miss it a ton.
CPA (canadian apa) 8ball SL7 somehow - started CPA as I was peaking in my shooting and went 14-2 or something silly like that and was crushing people. On 'average' I should probably be a 6 but I definitely was shooting 7 scores at the time.
Haven't played league in almost a year since I moved. Miss it a ton.
I didn't respond to the poll because I don't really have a clear answer. Mine would be "other" I guess.
I played one session in the APA (9 ball) a few years ago. I had been playing pool for two years at the time. I was ranked a SL 7 by the end of the session but was still winning most of my matches.
That was three and a half years ago, been playing just over five years now. I don't have a current skill level, but there are a few APA 9's that play in weekly tournaments/gamble and I would be comfortable giving many of them weight if we were gambling. Of course this is relative because the levels cap off at 9, so while every skill level has guys that are close, SL 9's can vary a great deal.
I played one session in the APA (9 ball) a few years ago. I had been playing pool for two years at the time. I was ranked a SL 7 by the end of the session but was still winning most of my matches.
That was three and a half years ago, been playing just over five years now. I don't have a current skill level, but there are a few APA 9's that play in weekly tournaments/gamble and I would be comfortable giving many of them weight if we were gambling. Of course this is relative because the levels cap off at 9, so while every skill level has guys that are close, SL 9's can vary a great deal.
Man I wish some of you guys lived close by. I'd love to invite you over for Dinner and drinks while we play a few games.
:thumbup:So envious
I have no skill level according to your chart.All i can tell you is im the guy they call when you come to town.
Yup, and your rating also depends on whether you're right- or left-handed. For one thing, the poll is biased because the ratings all have "SL" in them, for left-handed players. I was like, "what, no 'SR' skill levels for right-handed players???"
-Sean
This is a very accurate statement!
When I played APA, I was a SL7 in 8-Ball and a SL9 in 9-Ball, but that's here in Virginia. The level of players in this area (Hampton Roads) is somewhat watered down. We play mostly on bar boxes and when we run into someone from let's say Florida that plays on 9 footers and have the same skill level, they are normally considerably stronger.
I think the reason I was even able to achieve those skill levels is because in the area that I play in, these people have either never heard of a safety or just choose not to play them. Everyone goes for the run out, and most of the time they sell out!
So when I play, I look at the rack and if it's runable I'm off to the races, but if it's not, I will look for the safety. I'm pretty good at safety play and they usually give up ball in hand or sell out. Then I just run out. That's made my inning count very low and in turn made me go up in skill level.In reality when I step up to a 9 foot table, I'm a weak "A" player or a strong "B" player. Which is FAR FAR FAR FAR from pro level!! Hell, the shortstops in this area are A+++'s, and I'm FAR FAR FAR from them!!
There are still players playing in the APA that are pro caliber players (not in this area), but in most cases, APA skill levels are not an accurate reflection of your actual playing ability. Unfortunately there are people that believe that because they are 7's or 9's that they are the King's crown. Some people just find it impossible to be humble!:frown:
rankings
Skill level in leagues vary greatly from area to area and even from division to division within an area. I play both tap and apa and have seen players come from one division and join our division and be 2 skill levels over rated. If you play in one division which plays on 8 footers with buckets for pockets then come and play in an in house division that plays on 9 foot olhausens suddebly everyone in that division looks like they are sandbagging. SAme holds true in tap our tap league is very strong. Then we go to tap nationals and always have a few players get disqualified for being under rated but we go from our regular league play on 9 foot olhausens to nationals and play on bar boxes and suddenly everyone thinks we spend our session time sandbagging. But when you go from tight pocket 9 foot tables to huge pocket bar boxes you look like a world beater.
Skill level in leagues vary greatly from area to area and even from division to division within an area. I play both tap and apa and have seen players come from one division and join our division and be 2 skill levels over rated. If you play in one division which plays on 8 footers with buckets for pockets then come and play in an in house division that plays on 9 foot olhausens suddebly everyone in that division looks like they are sandbagging. SAme holds true in tap our tap league is very strong. Then we go to tap nationals and always have a few players get disqualified for being under rated but we go from our regular league play on 9 foot olhausens to nationals and play on bar boxes and suddenly everyone thinks we spend our session time sandbagging. But when you go from tight pocket 9 foot tables to huge pocket bar boxes you look like a world beater.
See, I was leaving that out because I'm left-handed and it automatically gives me a 10-point advantage. If I lose that, I'll have to move to a smaller town so my rating goes back up.
So if we put you on a 9' Diamond and made you play Fargo, I fully expect, after 10 racks, your score to be 120-138. No if's and's or but's.
I've never heard of A+++, but roughly that equates to running 221+
That is pro level.
I don't get where these meaningless rating systems come from but I feel bad for anyone who loses sleep over their ranking in them since, hey, it's pretty ambiguous. Screw it, I'm A+++AAA!~!!!one11!!AA! rated. MWHGAHA!
These "meaningless rating systems", I thought were quite common. I guess they are just used in this area. When Shannon Daulton hosts a tournament here, every player has a skill level. From C all the way up to A+++ (A triple plus). If an A+++ plays against a C level player, the A+++ has to win 13 games to the C's 7. Pro's aren't allowed in these tournaments, but A+++ are the highest level you can be at and still play. I hope this clears it up a bit.
Since you obviously hadn't heard of the rating system I was talking about, how were you able to put number totals to it. I don't pretend to know everything so maybe you can teach me something new.
Chopdoc you ever play some one that beat you out of a little,didnt make you pay and payed your time?Some guys are just nice.OK wait......can I like.....make it up?
Is this with or without Kamui?
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I left your name off of the quote because I can't blame you, or anyone else, for following what you are told. If you are told, or expected to play within these rating systems, then it's what you know and understand.
I do have a problem when someone some says, "well around these parts, you'd be x rated, but over in that other city you'd be xy++A rated." Why? Because, it makes all of these "systems" ambiguous. I might as well make up my own since I live in a different country. When we have to add symbols to the ratings, it becomes a joke or at the very simplest, a sign of poor planning.
The number totals come from a rating system designed to test your ability to pot balls and play position. It is a variation of Straight Pool and Hopkins Q-Skills, but adapted to allow for weaker players. The A+++ rated players (we have wonky ratings here too) often get humbled by Fargo.
I posted it before, but it got buried in a thread but I think a combination of PAT + Fargo is a much better way to rate a player.
Since I'm already long in this post, I'll go further, but only a little. According to Accu-Stats, Dominguez shot an average of (I think) 68% on the TAR table. Shane was around 84% (I don't have the stats handy but this is close enough). If Shane is A++++ then what if I shot 96%? What is my rating? A+++++++? This is where these weird systems fall apart because they can't handle even moderately better players.
No matter where I am, or what city surrounds me, I shoot the same. However, in Vegas, I'm roughly an APA 5, in Florida I was rated a 7. There are badges that say, "I beat an APA 7!!" If you get a badge to say you beat me, the standard's pretty low. If people here are 9's (probably are) then I expect to see you kicking Shane's ass up and down the table. Of course, he's an APA 24. I hope you get 3 badges for it. Unless you play him in New York. There you just get an angry stare and a chilli-dog.