Pool is now Handicapped

I get surprised when I read or hear people complaining about pool tournaments being handicapped. Whether that's State league tournaments, National tournaments, or Tours.

The one thing I keep hearing from players who excelled about 10-15 years ago is that most are adamant against handicapped tournaments. These top players (not professionals, but high-level players) explain they got good simply by playing better players all the time, and they put in the time and got beat for many years without a handicap system.

They see that they eventually excelled and became very good. So, in their eyes, they see it as why should there all of a sudden be a handicap system?  They had to play everyone even when they were younger and got better just by playing better players and getting beat - that's how they got so good.

Almost every sport has a handicap system. Chess, bowling, golf... I could go on and on with how many sports have a handicap system. And light bulb moment here:  they are all actually very successful and mainstream!

So, it confuses me when people complain about pool having a handicap system, when in reality every other sport has a handicap system. The only difference about pool is:  we are starting later in the history of the sport instead of having it all along or from near the very beginning like the other sports.

However, pool players from Arizona and Oklahoma hardly complain about any handicap system because they have had a tradition of a state handicap system for quite a while. But run into Texas players and many are still apprehensive, concerned, and vocal about it.

And as I wrote back in 2017, using the Fargo ratings helped me immensely when I ran the Omega Tour (read that blog post here). Just in one tournament, I had a new player from CA and from another country play who were already "established" in the Fargo ratings. This made it easy to rank them on the Tour instead of guessing what they should be ranked.

In the personal viewpoint of Melinda, my thinking is complaining about handicapped tournaments isn't going to stop pool tournaments from becoming handicapped.  That ship has sailed. So, why not simply stop the complaining and just play pool?

Hahaha.

Simple, right?

(Note: and see below for the updated worldwide golf handicap system, which still includes weekenders to pros [click image to enlarge])

click image to enlarge

Perceptions During a Match

I'm sure you have heard this before where two people see or hear different things even though they both saw/heard the same thing?

Similarity, when people witness one situation (like a car accident), they all kinda reflect differently about what they saw.

Another example is if you go to a doctor's visit with a family member.  You each hear something different from the conversation with the doctor.  It's really very normal.

And of course this also carries over into pool, too.

Case in point.  I remember distinctly playing against a friend a mine from Arkansas during the Champion Stop of the Texas Ladies Tour about 8 years ago or so.  I barely got to shoot!  I only had a few chances and the biaatch kept running out!  I was pretty agitated, lol.

Afterwards, I told her, "Man, you played so good - you barely missed!"  And she lamented, "Thank you.  I didn't think I played all that great, but appreciate the kind words."

I was kinda stunned - how did she think that when I hardly got to shoot the entire match and she kept running out?

Back then, one of the guys would attend the tournaments and video tape some of our matches (we affectionately called him "Video Mike").  And we happened to have that match recorded.  I bought a copy of the video and watched the match when I got home and I was STUNNED.

She didn't run out one game!  I had plenty of chances!  I just didn't play well and she played better, but she missed a lot too.  How in the heck did I think she ran out most of the match?

But, this happens all the time to players, lol!

As a Tournament Director, I not just run a tournament, but I get to watch a lot of the matches because of where the Tournament table is normally located.

And almost once a tournament, some player will come up after they lost and lament in a loud voice to me, "That guy never missed!"  And I stand there thinking to myself, "Hmmm, I just watched the match and you both missed quite a lot."

The player will go on, nipping at me about his opponents' handicap, "That guy shouldn't be a 5 - he was ran out every time I missed!  That's not a 5.  Fives don't play that good!"

But, I simply realize that they witnessed something different than what actually happened.  Part of the reason is emotions, as we don't see clearly or think clearly if we are upset.  But, the other factor is we all simply don't always see the same things, even if we are involved in the same situation.

So, I didn't usually rush to change someone's handicap based on one player who just got beat, because it's usually not what they really experienced, lol.

Must Do Well to Move Up

As a tournament director of a handicapped tour I hear a ton of complaints when a player finally has their first real good finish. 

I get SO FRUSTRATED!!

Not because I can't handle the whining, but because do people not really realize that in order to move up you have to have a few good tournaments first??

Seriously - we don't know to move some up until they have a good tournament or two.  And the data (like Fargo Ratings) wont have the stats to prove to move someone up if the player hasn't a few good tournaments.

People don't seem to truly grasp that in order to move up, you need to place well a few times or place real high one time to finally be moved up.

Instead, everyone complains and bitches about their handicap when they finally have a good finish, "They aren't a 6" I hear over and over when a player is finally having a good finish.  Further, people don't see that the player themselves are trying hard to move up, too.  They practice, read articles, watch videos, all they can to move up.  And then instead of getting compliments of their great finish, they get complaints instead of kudos.

It's such a crazy thing that people don't really recognize or comprehend you can't move up without first doing well, lol.

Complaints Can Be Validation

One thing I love is when players talk to me after their tournaments.  They share things I either hadn't thought of, can relate, or can't wait to blog about!  lol.

Here is one that came up recently in a convo that I thought was intriguing and interesting, and am very excited the player said I could share.

A player who was ranked a 4 was having his best finish yet in one of the Omega tournaments recently.  I knew he would move up to a 5 pretty easily after the event, as he was finally having a good tournament.

He joked with me that very next week, "I am going to miss being a 4!"  Then confided, "No, not really, it was kinda embarrassing."

A 4 is the lowest level of the handicap scale on the Omega Tour.  It's fascinating to me that some players who are 5s WANT to be a 4 while others who are 4s see it at embarrassing.  But that's a whole 'nother blog post lol.

As we continued our convo, he shared he knew making it into Sunday of this two day tournament was going to put him in 5 territory.  He added, "Just making it to Sunday was a huge personal accomplishment for me."

Then he confessed, "It probably sounds bad - but it felt really good that one of the players I beat complained about me after I beat him... I guess it just felt kind of validating (if that makes sense)."

It didn't make sense.  Ooooooh, what did he mean by that?

So I asked, "Validating what?"

He said, "Hmmm, I don't know, I guess that I belong."

I prodded him some more, excited where this was going, "Belong where?"

He shared, "That the work I've been putting in really is improving my game.  And that I belong in the tournament - I've been playing on the tour for so long and never made it into Sunday, and that's made me question myself a bunch of times.  I've felt like I've been on the cusp for a long time, but could never put it all together."

"Bingo!  There you go!" I exclaimed.

I loved our convo.  And I am SO happy for him to have moved beyond the cusp to valid in himself he should be ranked higher, just as he thought.

While a lot of people complain about handicapped tournaments, there is a sense of pride it can bring to oneself to move from different levels.  

I am so happy for him!!

Fargo Ratings Rule!

Although handicap tournaments are more difficult to run than Open tournaments, Fargo Ratings help me out so much!  And not just to me personally as the Tournament Director, but also for the players competing in handicapped events. 

Fargo Ratings allow for more accurate handicapping which helps all the players overall.  Further, as a Tournament Director, it saves us a ton of time trying to nail down someone's true handicap.  Accurate handicaps also lead to less complaints.  And a big thank you to Fargo Rate for that!

Btw, in case you are new to the term "Fargo Ratings," Fargo Ratings are world-wide pocket-billiard ratings designed to rate every player on the planet on the same scale based on wins and losses against opponents of known rating." Check this link for further details.

Below are two excellent examples from the Omega Billiards Tour stop just a couple of weeks ago that prove how effective and helpful Fargo Ratings are. 

We had two players enter the tournament who no one knew well.

One guy was from California.  He moved to the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area only a few months ago and it was his first time to play on the Tour.  In the past, I'd have to ask around, "how does this guy play, who does he play like?" in order to try and establish his handicap for the tour (we use rankings from 4 to 10).  But that weekend, I just type his little name into http://www.fargorate.com and there he was!  He was an established player and he had a pretty high Fargo ranking - so high he was automatically an 8 handicap.

Fargo Rating  -    Omega Tour Handicap:
Above 750     -    10 handicap
700-749         -     9 handicap
645-699         -     8 handicap
570-644         -     7 handicap
515-569         -     6 handicap
460-514         -     5 handicap
below 460      -     4 handicap

THEN - another player signed up.  He was from the country Jordan, and it was really cool - he also had an established Fargo Rating!  Took the guess out for me, reduced stress, saved time, and made my job easier for sure.  :) 

This player had an even higher Fargo Rating and he was a 9 handicap on the tour (one spot away from top pro level).

The point is, it is really helpful to have Fargo Ratings for players all across not just the U.S., but the world, as well.  Even a guy from California and a guy from Jordan had an established rating and we were able to set their handicaps accurately right from the get go!   So awesome. 

What a great data system!

When we Play Badly No One Complains

I have written before about how the Omega Tour is handicapped.  Because of that, that's where a lot of the complaints mostly are directed about.

I just recently wrote about how players who normally play well that are lower-ranked aren't getting cheered for and congratulated for high finishes, instead their ranking is questioned.

This happened again at the last tournament but the player it happened to gave me a really great perspective that I wanted to share.

He would end up placing in the top 3 in the tournament! And as he was moving through the winners side late on Saturday night, one his opponents questioned him.  “How can you be a 6?  You’re playing too good to be a 6.”  

(For reference the handicap ranges from 4 to 10 on the Omega Tour.)

Anyway, so the guy quickly defended himself and said, “Really?  Well, where were you the last three tournaments when I was playing like a 4 and you didn't say I should be lowered? Instead you're only pointing out when I happen to be playing good?”

I thought it was a really great comeback, great defense and a great reasoning.  Just because someone is having a good tournament seems to be the only time people complain. But yet when a player plays badly and under their speed, no one is quick to say, “Hey you should be moved down.”

LOL.

No one comes to our defense when we play bad, only complain when we finally have a good run. Ohhhh, the irony.

Please Praise Players for High Finish

I think it's very unfortunate and sad the way players complain about lower handicapped players.

Because the Omega Billiards Tour is handicapped, you can imagine that it is the number one complaint.  But, the complaints aren't just to me, but to the players, as well.

If the Tour wasn't handicapped, the comments wouldn't be quite as personal or rude to their fellow players.

BTW, the reason the Tour is handicapped is so all levels of players can compete.  This was the sponsor's biggest passion for the tour, and it has proven successful because we have full fields over 90+ players, 12 times a year.  Sure, a non-handicapped tour would also be successful, but it would not garnish 90+ players ever month, every year if the same players keep winning all the cash.

However, let's just ponder a moment IF the Omega Tour was non-handicapped.... I personally think the players who were lower ranked would not get "bullied" for performing well, instead they would be given praise by their fellow players.

On Sunday last weekend of the Omega stop, a few players were talking about a 5-ranked player and a 6-ranked player who were having a good day on Sunday (one placed 5th and the other placed 7th).  It was each their very first time to even make it to Sunday!  Yet some of the players were not happy for them or congratulating them, instead they were questioning their ranking.

I think this is in direct relation to the Tour being handicapped.

Unfortunately.

Dang it.

At some point, everyone's game improves and we have a few good tournaments before we become consistent.  And these out-of-the-ordinary-tournament-finishes are a gem in our journey where we finally finish decent.  And I bet you weren't badmouthed, talked about on the sidelines, or questioned.  I don't know if you were congratulated per say, but I bet your finish wasn't diminished by the whispering of "he's under rated; how is he doing so well; he should move up; he's definitely not a 5;" etc.

Again, every player who finally has a good finish should be given a pat on the back for their first-time-to-place-that-high for them.  Not to feel ashamed or embarrassed for their ranking, or felt they only placed that high because their handicap is too low.

Give these players some respect for their first-time high finish!

I have been harassed openly on social media for being an Open player.  It was NOT a fun experience and yet it's not the players fault for their ranking - it's the system being used or the Tournament Director's decision.  To harp on the player or about the player is just so unfair and ridiculous.

Why not PRAISE players for doing well?  HELP them in their journey.  Don't discourage them with snide remarks or even joke to them about their ranking.  Instead, pump them up and congratulate them for their great finish that they have struggled to achieve for years! 

Do good, not harm.

Moving Up in the World with Less Pressure

One thing I have learned from being a Tournament Director of a handicapped tour and also from my own experience moving up levels in different divisions of leagues, is pressure is relieved when we move up.

Players actually appreciate and thank me from the bottom of their hearts after I move them up.

Okay, okay, not everyone thanks me, lol.  Right?  A lot of players complain, too. 

But it's the players who were getting picked on by their friends that thanked me.  And, the ones who already knew they should have been moved up that thanked me.  Why would they thank me, though? Wouldn't we all want to play at a lower level and take advantage of the situation?

It's not just them being released from hazing anymore by their friends that makes them thankful - it's also because there is less pressure on their backs.  And what happens when we feel less pressure? Yep, we play better!

There are two particular players that were borderline between a 6 and 7 that I received a lot of complaints about the last few years.  More than most players.

And they would finish well several times in Omega Tour stops, but not capture the all-allusive first place prize.  But, a top 6 finish a few times during the year for sure.

Each time they would not place real high or win, they would of course always be upset.  Further, their friends would pick on them more:

• "You have this stop sealed being a 6."
• "You should win every one of them as a 6."
• "You know you should a 7."
• "Why aren't you capitalizing on not being a 7 yet?"

Crap like that.

At the end of these two particular years of these borderline players, I moved them up to a 7.  And afterwards, I heard SUCH sincere thanks from them!  They said they aren't picked on anymore lol but what they noticed MORE was they had less pressure on them (i.e, felt less pressure).  While hesitant at first how they would do now that they were moved up, they both noticed (and shared with me) that they felt so much less pressure that they happily discovered they still played well and finished well!

Being moved up is a mental status psychology thing we put ourselves through.  Friends (and enemies) really actually haze us for being where we are in the pecking order if they strongly feel it's incorrect, and when we get moved up, tho, we at first freak out a bit, but then see it's exactly where we belong; just as everyone said and just as we secretly thought.

It lifts the pressure and we play well.  And, we still finish well.

Even after the Omega Tour implemented using the Fargo Ratings to handicap players (in Jan of this year), several borderline players were moved up and several confided they felt like there was less pressure on them now.

Pretty wild, huh?

But let's face it - the mentally tough players feel less pressure.  The players who are strong and confident in their game still play with passion and gusto (eventually) after being moved up.  The scared and timid players falter.  Who do you want to be like?

Exactly.

5 Lives Matters

At the October Omega Tour stop one of the tour players stopped me and shared that he was looking around online for mental toughness topics about pool and ran across my blog.  I smiled and listened and was pretty pleased because he was giving me kudos about my blog and that he learned some things.

And then he halted my happiness in its tracks and said, "I saw your post about how you couldn't believe one of your opponents thought that you were at 5."

(The Omega Tour is a handicapped Tour and the rankings range from 5 to 9.  I am a 6 and I blogged that my opponent thought I was a 5.)

Back to the story....

I wondered where he was going with this and he tells me very serious, "I'm a 5.  You know, all fives matter."  And he and his friends start laughing, lol.

I told him I was going to blog about it which I am obviously right now.  :)

But I think it's interesting because I was pretty offended that one of my friends, my opponent, thought that I was at 5 when in fact that implies to other players that are fives that I was talking badly about them.  It's making me realize that I need to be careful no matter how funny I try to tell a funny story.  

And for the record, Casey, five lives really do matter!

Aren't You a Five?

During my first match of the Omega tournament last weekend at Pucketts in south Fort Worth, Texas, I'm playing against a friend of mine, who is a really good player.

As I mentioned, I played really sporty in this match!

The Omega Billiards Tour is handicapped and the rankings range from 5 to 9.  If you are a 6, for example, then you race to 6.

I am a 6 in this tournament and my opponent is a 7.  I race to 6, he races to 7.

I find myself up 4-2 and as I make the 9-ball he comes up to me to shake my hand.  I look at him funny and he says, "Isn't it over?"

I looked at the score and move my coin to 5, which puts me on the hill and I so needed one more game.

"No, it's not over yet."

He asks me gently but seriously, "aren't you a 5?"

What?!

Uh, NO I'm not 5!  OMG he thought I was a 5?  Don't I play better than a 5?  I thought he knew me!  lol.

I replied nicely, "No, Imma 6."

He says, "Oh, I thought you were a 5.  When did you move up to a 6?"  And he's serious!

OMG.... lol

"I've always been a 6....." I share with him, in disbelief.

At this point I'm seriously trying not to be offended and just trying to focus solely on the fact I need only one more game to win the match.

Luckily, I do in fact win the next game and yet still shocked and funny he thought I was a 5.  I swear I don't play that bad!

I told this story several times to friends over the weekend and they all laughed at me.   lol!

Setting Handicaps and Exaggerating

The toughest part of running a handicap tour is the complaints about others' handicaps.  The number of complaints have actually led to the demise of another handicapped tour in another state.

Being aware that complaints are part of the territory of running this type of tour, it's so important to me to be very transparent with decisions, and also to ensure I work hard to get the handicaps set right the first time a player plays.

How do I do this?

I have a core group of trustworthy people that I ask their opinions.  Hardly ever has there been a huge difference of opinion.  And you have to realize that the players wont ever lie - they WANT the handicaps correct.  They don't want to go up against a player who should be their same ranking but may not be.  So, it's a well-rounded system.

I did have one new player who complained quite loudly about his ranking.  I told him I had already asked a group of players who were well represented, and then he still asked me to ask his best friends.  Uh, NO.  Not only no, but hell no.  lol.  Nice try.

However, what does one do when it's a player no one from the core group knows? 

Yep, you search the internet!

I sometimes ask on Facebook if anyone knows a certain player. 

Further, with the new Fargo ratings, anyone can be looked up nowadays.  (Fargo Ratings general information from CSI is located here, and how to look up ratings is at this link:  http://fairmatch.fargorate.com/

But the internet can be a funny place to find information.  Before the February Omega Tour stop, we were trying to find out how to rank a new player that no one knew.  Someone did a search on the ole' reliable internet and found an article about him from his local town, that had interviewed him for a story about pool.

I was told he might be a 6.  Then I read the article, even showed it to one of the core members, and we agreed that the article led us to believe he should be a 7.  He was either bragging about hustling people, or exaggerating about being a master level player, or trying to show off for the newspaper, or something.  After his first match that weekend, I easily moved him down to a 6.

Be careful embellishing in your stories, peeps!

Playing for a Handicap

I mentioned I played in a little 8ball tourney last Wednesday, and it never fails how an outing provides blog material (which I love, btw).

I was set to play one of the bartenders who wasn't working behind the bar that night and had the evening off.  Up until this point, I had no idea he even played pool.

He comes up to me and says, "What would my ranking be on the Omega Tour?"

I reply, "I have no idea, never seen you play.  Who do you play like so we can figure it out?"

He mentions a couple of names and I inform him he would a 6 on the tour.  (the tour handicap system ranks from 5 to 9).

He then tells me very matter-of-factly, "When we play, if you win I get moved down to a 5."

WAIT A MINUTE!

"Then you'll dump!" I exclaim.  "No way, Dude."

He than adds, "how about this.  If I beat you, then move me to a 7."

LOL.

"No," I say, shaking my head.  "You are a 6 if I win, or if you win."

"Nope," he informs me laughing, "we' re playing for my handicap."

OMG LOL.

I have a heard a million things to play for in my 20+ years of playing pool.  I have been offered to play for drinks, for table time, for money (of course), to see if he can beat girl, for pride, etc.  Even asked a few times to play for sexual favors, if the guy is stupid enough to ask and think that would work.  But never for anyone's handicap setting lol.

It was a very close match (I am a 6) and after a couple of mistakes by both of us, I ended up barely winning, and he strutted away, smiling real big, being all funny, "now I'mma fiiiiiive."

LOL

Wanting Your Handicap to Go UP

I have run the Omega Billiards Tour for 2 1/2 years now and it's a very interesting thing to run a handicap tournament. 

Besides all the COMPLAINTS I get, there have been a few surprises.

Nice surprises.

I think I will see more of this as the tour gets older:

Some players WANT to move up.

The Omega Billiards Tour has a handicap from 5 to 9.

Almost all of the players are practicing more and getting more time in and want to improve IN THE TOURNAMENTS.

But there are some players that want to improve enough to where they get moved up with their handicap!

Wait, who does that?  Who wants that?

Man, I'd love to stay a 6 in this tournament the rest of my life.... but in reality, if I move up to a 7, what does that really mean?  That means I would be better than I am right now.  WOW!  However, I can't even fathom that.

But there are players who are rated as 5's that WANT everyone to see they are improving and WANT to do well enough that we have to move them up. 

It's an interesting concept really, because I don't know one single 7 or 8 that wants to move up to an 8 or 9.  Yes, they want to win a tournament.  Yes they want to do well and place well.  But they would rather not be moved up, lol.

The 5's that are improving, though, they want to improve enough to be FORCED to move up.

Interesting, huh?

KA

I mentioned I played in a scotch doubles tournament.  They listed no "Masters" or "KA"s could play.

KA.  Known Ability.

Boy, that turned out to be something else!

They weren't going to let several players play (including myself) but then someone came up with an idea that KA's could just add one game to their race.


I asked my partner about it.

He said, "well, what is the race."

"Uh, they don't know yet."

He said, "Let's play anyway."

I didn't want to!  I wanted to be defiant!  (Is that the correct word?)

I was miffed, I admit, because they were questioning my partner and wanted to have us go an extra game.

I told them that my partner didn't play as good as another guy that was playing.  But they said HIS partner wasn't that good (ouch), so they let them play together.

And then they told me I was Master/Advanced.  Ugh.  I had to point out I'm NOT a master in ANY league.  Advanced only in ACS (not even BCAPL).

But then when they explained that most couples were very amateur levels and that they just didn't want us to scare the other players, I calmed down a bit.

I decided to play and get some good practice in.

I show up and I see /several/ teams that should ALSO race to one extra game.  One team they already talked to, the other they hadn't considered and the consensus was they should, also. 

It was actually a very TOUGH tournament. 

So, even though there were suppose to be very amateur teams, it was instead quite tough!  Wow.

And the race t was 2 on each side, but three teams (including that of my partner Jesse and I) had to go to 3 on each side.

As I mentioned on my previous blog post, we placed 3rd out of 20 teams.  We played real well together.  TOUGH tourney and tough teams! 

Personally Handicapped

Oh the irony!

As many of you know, I run the Omega Billiards Tour, which is a handicapped tour.

Running a handicapped tour comes with headaches because so many people complain about either their handicap or the handicap of others. 

• I should be moved down
• Why am I this rank?
• Why hasn't "so and so" been moved up yet?
• You moved me up, they should be moved up.  We play even!
• I don't even play pool anymore, I should be moved down.
• If I have to give that person a game, I wont play.
•  etc....

Although it's part of the job, it can lead to many upset days for myself as people vent and bitch to me a lot.  But, I know it comes with the territory and I deal with it as best I can.

I love running the tour and I love that there is a tour in the Dallas-Fort worth area for the players to play in!  So, handicap bitching is just part of the package deal, and I am up for it.  But like I told someone via text recently, although I am trying to have thicker skin, I'm still a girl!  I.e. Please still be kind.  :)

So, imagine my surprise when I played in the ACS Texas State tourney and I complained about my handicap!

Yep, I sure did.

Here's the deal:

I am listed as an Advanced Player in ACS.  But for some reason ACS has Advanced AND Master Players in the same 8-ball category.  So, for all the Advanced players, we had to go +2 games in the ACS Texas State tourney.  AND, so did the Master players. 

So, Open players in the women's division raced to 4, and I raced to 6.  (men was 5/7)

This year a Grand Master entered the tourney.  She had to go +3.

So, it was 4/6/7. 

When it would make more sense to go 4/5/7.  Right?

I truly felt like Advanced male and female players should only go ONE game more, Master players should go 2 games more, and Grand Master players go 3 games more.

Instead, I'm playing tough Open players and having to go 2 + games extra.  And so did the men Advanced players (and yes they complained, too).  Actually, we have been complaining for a couple of years about it.

The other two Advanced female players thought that the Grand Master should at least go 2 + games when playing Advanced players (which I hadn't thought of), but were told no.

I actually felt bad I voiced my concerns over the handicap.  But I also felt it was justified.  I did this mostly via email and did not come across as rude, and if I did speak in person I never raised my voice and I always expressed my appreciation for their hard work.  (and trust me, I understand!)

Just the irony of it all!

I have to say I am very thankful they even allow Advanced and Master players to play in the singles event.  There isn't enough of those players to have separate events so at least we can still play.  (Click here to read how I did in the tourney).

Mis-Ranked or Not?

Because I run a handicap tour (the Omega Billiards Tour), when I play in league and weekly tournaments, I joke to the players all the time about their rankings.

So, let's say they make a really tough shot, I'll banter, "Well, I need to move you up to an 8 now," lol.  They always look at me funny, wondering if I'm joking or not, lmao.

Or if they miss an easy shot I may say, "Oh man, you are overrated," as they laugh with me.

So, it was funny the other day when I played an Omega player during league.

I had talked to him a couple of months ago about lowering his handicap from a 7 to a 6.  A 7 is kinda like an Advanced player, and he hadn't placed well so I talked to him about moving him down.  I saw a few of his matches on the Tour and he didn't play as good as I thought.  He said he wondered why he was a 7 but didn't want to complain.  I told him I had mis-ranked him and so we agreed together he should be moved down to a 6.

So, he was happy I brought it up to him.

But, during the league match I have against him a month or two later, he breaks and makes a ball.  He starts his run and makes a few more balls.

Then he makes a few more.

"Whoa!  Maybe this guy should be a 7 after all," I'm thinking to myself! 

He hadn't made a mistake yet and is about to run out - a definite sign of a 7-ranked player!

I'm already to joke with him after he runs out, "Yep, gonna have to move you back up, buddy."

He shoots another ball and gets perfect.  He only has two balls left and then the 8 ball.  He shoots and instead of having a shot on the two ball next, he HOOKS himself!

"Yep, you're a 6,"  I say to myself.  lol.

ACS State and Handicaps

I placed 3rd in the ACS Open Singles at the ACS Nationals back in May.

They have three divisions:  Standard, Open and Advanced.  The top 12% finishers of the singles, goes to the Next Higher Division.  That means, since I placed 3rd, I am now considered an Advanced Player with ACS.

The ACS Texas State tourney is upon me (in about two weeks) and I am proud to say I am the defending champion!  I've never been a defending champion before!

I don't feel any nerves, and haven't even thought about the tourney ahead of me.  I normally get VERY nervous before "title" tournaments, but I guess since I've won this one, I don't feel pressure to win it again?  Even though I have "defending" next to my name, lol.  I think if I was to focus on that word, it would be detrimental to try and live up to that expectation anyway.

However, I have even LESS pressure to win now.

The ACS State tourney's races are this:

          Singles                                     Race

         

          Women’s                                 4

          Women’s Advanced/Master    6

          Men’s                                      5

          Men’s Advanced/Master         7

And because I am now rated an Advanced player, I have to race to TWO extra games than all the other players.

I'm not exaggerating either.  No other female player playing in THIS tourney is listed as Advanced or Masters.  There was one Master player, but when she was told she would have to add two extra games, she decided not to play.

I can't NOT play - I'm the defending champion!  And, I love pool!  And I'm gonna be there anyway during that time because my boyfriend will be playing in singles.  Further - I'm playing pretty darn sporty right now!  ;)

I stated to one of the Board Members that I truly feel that the Men Advanced/Masters should race to two extra games.  But I feel in my heart that the females should only have to add ONE game.  It seems more accurate.

Further if they changed that rule from 2 to 1 extra games, I bet my fellow Advanced/Master friend would play in it after all.

The Board discussed it and while they like the idea, alas, they cannot change the ruling... for this year.  It's already been advertised and it's been in place a few years.  With less than two weeks away, I don't blame them for not changing something like this at the last minute.

While it was only a very fleeting thought that I not play, I instead immediately went to my half-full-glass.  I get to play in ACS State as an Advanced/Master player?!  You don't know how tickled that makes me!  You see, the BCAPL Texas State Championship does not allow Master players.  They allow Advanced players (and they race to ONE additional game), but Masters are not allowed.  ACS DOES allow Masters because they combine Advanced and Masters players into one division at Nationals.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to realize this!  Means I am not being penalized for being a good player!

How can I NOT play this year?  Sure, racing to two additional games will be B-R-U-T-A-L, but I'm all for it.  I get to play pool!

And I can't even begin to express how even LESS pressure I feel;  it's even more awesome.  How can I possibly feel pressure to win again with such a tough race, lol.  :)

Handicapping a Tourney

As I mentioned before, I started a new Tour in the DFW-area for the plethora of players in the area, called The Omega Billiards Tour. 

I am so excited that we already have confirmed two stops for this year!

Oct 6/7 at Rusty's Billiards in Fort Worth, TX and Nov 24/25 at Speed's Billiards in Arlington, TX.

And next year, we have 5 pool rooms already interested!  We *plan* to hold 6 stops, and then an end-of-season tourney with additional money added.  Right now each stop is AT LEAST $1,000 added.  We'd like to have the last stop be $2,000 added!  But, you can only be eligible for that stop if you play in at least 3 of the 6 events next year.

The Omega Billiards Tour is a handicapped tour.  The races are dependent on KNOWN ABILITY.  And the races range from 5 to 9.

Here is our known ability break-down:

9 (pros/grand masters)
8 (masters)
7 (advanced)
6 (open)
5 (trophy)

What is key here is, we are not going by any rankings list of any league.  It doesn't matter what you are ranked in VNEA, APA, BCA, or ACS.  What we are going by is the players known ability.

For example, my boyfriend (and fellow TD of this tour) is officially ranked as an Open Player in the BCA, but technically, he should be an Advanced Player in that league.  Therefore, we are ranking him as a 7 on this tour because that is his known ability.

From his proper labeled known ability ranking, we are from there figuring out the rest of the handicaps.  In other words, if you play Brian (my b/f) even, then you are a 7, also.  It's fairly easy to determine which players are a 9 or a 5, it's everyone in between that can tough, lol.  So, comparing skills to Brian's is making things simpler.

Of course, as to be expected, we are getting some flack for our rankings.  Just from a few people, luckily, but those few are pretty adamant they should be an Open player (racing to 6 on this Tour).  Well, when they go the BCAPL Nationals, they ARE ranked as an Open Player, but because they play Brian even when they gamble, they are going to be ranked as a 7.  So therefore, they are not an Open-Ranked player on the Omega Billiards Tour.

I appreciate them speaking up, as this is all a learning process for us and we did already have some errors, but I just hope they truly understand we are going by known ability and not official rankings of any leagues.  We want this to be a "true" tour, if that makes sense.  

The TDs decide the rankings, after we discuss it among ourselves (there are three of us).  And if we don't know their skill level, then we ask fellow players or league directors.  This isn't a dictatorship, lol.  However, if a player does not like their ranking, and we feel strongly they should be ranked a 7 or higher, then they don't have to play I guess.  We have plenty of people already on the standby list.




The first two stops are limited to the first 64 paid, and as of last night (Sept 24) we are FULL for the first stop!!  I am SO excited!  A new tour to the area FOR the players!

Click to enlarge the flyer

A HUGE Thank you to Michael Hoang and Darrin at Omega Billiards!  And to Tracie at Rustys' for holding our first stop!

The Omega Billiards Tour is brought to you by  Omega Billiards and  ACME cases - "the Pinnacle of Protection."