A 2 sided question?

Question

I will prob regret this .But why do you or do you not like league pool.

I get a lot of email on this so I will just ask Pro&Con.

Answer 1

I play bca league it gives me a chance to test out how I play against a lot of different skills I really like the companionship and friends I meet on league night we have a four man regular team with a sub when some one can,t make it and we don,t have any problems with the money side that,s the up side the down side is some times when we have a player improve and make a move up in skill level the other teams want to accuse you of sand bagging and some teams are always in some type of condversery and there is always a gray area about the rules but all in all I  take the good with the bad and enjoy the night

Answer 2

League pool has way too much opportunity for sandbagging...................anything with handicaps are going to draw those who have levels with players far superior to the number they are playing at................leagues are set up for the average player..................if your a better than average player your best bets are tournaments that are played in 1 or 2 days and you end up winning more money than it takes to win over 8 or 10 weeks and playoffs in a league

Answer 3

I play in a local pool hall league, unaffiliated with any of the national associations.

I like it because it gives you a competitive match every week.  Granted, in a tournament, you're going to have to play a lot more matches in a shorter time.  The team aspect can give you people to bounce ideas off of, like what shot to hit in different situations, and maybe learn some skills, if you have the right teammates.  The handicap system helps even things out a little bit, although there are always people mis-ranked.  I think this is good to get people to start playing.

As for cons, some people take it too seriously.  OK, I understand there's prizes at the end, but really, how much are they worth?  We're not playing for pro level added money.  Then you have your sandbaggers, which is different than being mis-ranked.

Hmm, probably some things I'm missing.  I'm sure other people can fill them in.

Answer 4

Only one thing....."commitment"...once you join you are stuck and you really are obligated to show up....problem with a lot of the other team members that I had....they did not show up and as the team captain I had to dish out their part of the "loot"....I would really enjoy it more with "true" dedicated members that show up.....don't care about the skill level....it also often turns into a "dog eat dog" situation as well.....as you have mentioned there is always some issues with rules and that also compounds the dislike....lots of nice guys but just a problem with interpretations....the "stacking" of some teams is also an issue at times....the same "stacked" teams wins it every time......the money can be significant and it does tend to bring the worse out of us!

Answer 5

Just to chime in....

I've played in The BCA and the APA and in different tourneys all of the US....

Here's what I would say....

Leagues give you the opportunity to play with a team, therefore getting help with your game, if you want it!  A lot of people just want to help.

Leagues usually allow for 8 to 10 players on a team (depending on the league) and depending on the captain you will know if you need to be there.  (To qualify for Divisional and National Tournaments, you typically only need to play a number of games, between 4 to 10)

BCA

Pros

Usually an in-house league but the level of play can range significantly, The rules are a little more of what you would find when playing in a bar so it's easier to get used to.

Cons

Handicap levels are subjective at the League level.  There is no REAL way to guage a player from one part of the country to the next.....

APA

Pros - handicap is maintained in St. Louis....You have nationally RANKED setting.  (I have played in leagues from DC to Florida and everywhere in the middle, ALWAYS had the same APA NUMBER and the SAME RATING).

Generally, if you see a rank, you know the caliber of player (unless they are sandbagging)

Cons-

SANDBAGGING

Some team captains FORCE the players to sandbag...that is simply Unsportsman like conduct....

However, ANY sport has a level of sandbagging....

Hope this is helpful.

Answer 6

This is one of the best questions I've read in a long time. In my humble opinion, "the next best thing to playing pool and winning is playing pool and losing".  I just love the game whether I'm playing with a team or just out playing to enjoy myself.

By and large though, the GREATEST reward I've received through playing in the APA Pool League is the friendships I've developed over the years. I can't think of a better reason to play.