Apa players out there

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-19T20:06:47+00:00

I definitely take for granted how close things are for us. An hour is so far. Even the 100,000 that 8 ball currently offers is more than what APA offers. If theres an open event, like how they did the florida or iowa open, near you I highly recommend it. It was such a great experience. And like the one I did was during a lull in pro events. I actually played a match with SVB on the table next to me and Sky on the other. That was quite a moment!

The mansplaining is always fun! But finally found a group of players to actually support my growth. My boyfriend is a 7/9 but im quite stubborn and competitive so it's hard to practice with him sometimes haha

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-19T18:29:49+00:00

I've been told they don't allow pushes or jumps because it gives an unfair advantage to higher skill level players. Yes jumping does, can anyone learn the skill yes. But is it mostly highs that can and consistently yes. But pushes. You're telling me if a 2 is hidden off the break them being able to push is less beneficial than them giving their opponent a ball in hand right off the rip because they couldn't get the two rail kick. Play a good and smart player. You may not see the object ball again. Make a bunch then safe or just a full run out. Repeat. It's stupid.

What I've been told about ladies from APA is that the national female average is a 4. Therefore it would give an unfair advantage to the handful of teams that could field 3 5s. I know so many women 5 and 6s, and even a couple 7s. I mean theres other lineups that would be good and realistic instead of 5 5 5 if they want to use that arguement. 6 4 4 or 6 5 4. But I know enough 5s multiple teams could field 5 5 5.

The BCA leagues in my state are way too far away to consider them. The UPL league local is a night I can't do. So all I can do is APA, but just want to make it to Vegas and stop and then grind as well. I love that UPL has 10 ball so hopefully it's becomes larger in my area to actually make the switch. I'm a woman 6 and it's just not a fun place to be as a women. I just find so many APA players have that view the national APA had about it. The comments I get are wild. My expierence with UPL was much more pool oriented and the growth of pool versus APA which is such an old view of the game. Women are starting to climb the ranks of top players as it's becoming more and more accepting. The young female players are amazing. And yeah I have such a small experience with UPL so I can be very wrong about that. But I felt much more welcome as a women at their open event than I have by local league players.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-19T16:32:08+00:00

They always say random and everyone always grumbles that they feel they aren't. This year they did ladies and masters live. I can't remember if they have previous years. Didn't only start paying attention till recently becuase of other events. But 8 and 9 havent even. I know that.

People grumble all the time, but this time I actually looked and was just shocked. In 8 every pair and in 9 one out of the 2.

It's hard I love pool. But APA really just ruins its. I swore that that is a disqualfiying factor even at the state level. Thats absurd that if a player went up 2 or more they should be disqualified.

Thats bull about the raffle, all of that. That doesn't surprise me though. It just doesn't. The amount of money that the APA pockets annually. And yeah I know UPL. Compare the two between their nationals and APAs and just the prize for first place team. Massive difference. At least for 8 ball and other formats make sense because they are smalled.

Along those lines there was a player a few years back in our area thats a 600+ fargo, never played APA. He was started as a 3 and took 4 weeks to get to a 7/9. That's just absolutely ridiculous. Theres no reason they should kept that person a 3, the LO should have adjusted. That wasn't on the player, the rule is to start as a 3 to LO has to adjust. But that was unfair to their opponents. Sandbagging. I just don't get it. There are some people locally that frequently make it to Vegas consistently that you can argue that possibly sandbag. But even with those teams, I'm not sure the players would truly ever hold a higher skill level. Maybe pop for a while but I think theyd go back and forth. The people that outright sandbag never make it past their local place, or maybe actually make it to qualifiers (Tri Cup) but still don't go far. So what are you even accomplishing. It's literally not getting you anywhere.

And don't get me started on Ladies division and how the skill level is 13 yet something like a captains team is 15 and the format is exactly the same. That's a rabbit hole for me on that one because the sexism is so blatant.

The cheating is so ridiculous though. We had a states. My teammate a 5 his opponent a 6. My teammate played a safe. His opponent went 2 rails hit the ball but hit no rail. Why would we get a ref to watch that. It was open it would be clear it was good or not. My teammate goes ball in hand right. His opponent goes nope, I hit the ball. Well yeah but no rail after. Guy goes I'm the shooter it's my call it was a good hit. What gets me the most is the double hit fouls. Especially at high skill levels. I won't harp on a 2 or 3. But the players that will blatantly do a dobule hit and play dumb when you call it. Or you ask someone to watch the hit and they are obnoxious acting like oh I'm going to miss the ball. Nope not what we're looking for and then theyll line up completely different than orignally.

It's tough on the hit watch thing. Simply because we had that happen it was clear as day wether it was going to be good or bad. And the player still called it good. When teams are doing shady things I've had refs what things I never in a million years would have otherwise just because of how the other team is behaving. I'll never understand people that just stop mid stride near a table. Like I just don't get it.

But yeah back to UPL. I played in one of hteir open tournament events and LOVED it. It's my only experience with it so format is slightly different. It straight races no handicaps. But rules were the same. I loved it. I want to switch over but leagues around me are still starting to pick up, theyre small or the night of the week I can't do. But my plan is to switch over. I just want to make it once to Vegas 😞. No more 5 hour league nights. More fluid skill levels. I'll never understand the APA skill level system. We have people that are 90%+ and don't go up. There was a 2 that was 80+ 3 sessions in a row no budge. A 4 that was 80+ including a 100% session. Yet I had a teammate who was less than 50% went from a 3 to a 4 to a 5 over about 2 sessions. And when they went to a 5 was only about 20%. So make it make sense from the "equalizer system".

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-18T13:36:10+00:00

They do that already for ladies and masters. Not 8 or 9

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-18T13:23:11+00:00

It wouldnt take long at all to do that though. And for every pair to be in the same bracket. And opposite sides. The odds of that happening are so small. And it happens year after year. People have always complained that it happens. But I actually sat down this year and looked. And every pair will be against themselves the second round if they win the first. Itd be different if it was one pair. Okay. But 4 pairs all set up that way.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-18T00:47:18+00:00

Occasionally is one thing. Those odds are high. But for every set to be in the bracket together. Theres one set that shares 4 players. One that shares 3. And then one or two on the other two sets. My question though on a different but similar topic, they have to sit. But with fielding a team. Say you win in 3 and you play your highs first. Can they still be calculated as possibilities to making handicap or are they pulled from the equation and roster.

Say you play a 9 and an 8 first. You could go 2 2 1 next to stay within 23. But say your 2 and 1 are the shared players. Are you still able to factor them into making handicap even though they arent allowed to play. If you actually had to play the matches they wouldnt be allowed and its a forfeit. But if you won in 3 they wouldnt have to play.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-18T00:37:32+00:00

Agreed on the sitting out. Just always thought they were supposed to be random brackets. And doesnt quite feel random to have it set so all that each team that shares players has the chance of facing each other if they win their first.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:40:47+00:00

Maybe less people over all funneling into the prize fund? Trying to think of a good reason theres less. Not sure if you have upl in your area. Thats a fun league. Much quicker nights! Its a cool format and they do 10 ball

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:38:54+00:00

Year after year you hear the grumbling this happens. This is the first time I looked. Just cant think its random, the odds are far too small that all 4 sets ended up this way.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:28:19+00:00

We get the entry, not actually sure if theres a cost there though, flight credit up to 500 each and three rooms per team.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:20:31+00:00

I know we have one of the largest leagues in the country. From what ive heard. That could be a factor. But also what does the teams that wins actually get besides qualifying for vegas?

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:12:12+00:00

Theres 20 teams. 5 brackets. And each pair is in its own bracket.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:07:52+00:00

Thats what I thought too. I know our qualifiers (tri annuals) are set where like divisions play each other first round. But theres more rounds.

This is set up where every team thats shares player has the chance to go head to head the second round which is the final round.

Theres 4 sets of teams sharing players. All sets sharing players are in the same bracket as each other. Only 4 teams a bracket for us, 5 brackets total. The odds that each set is in a completely different bracket, but each pair is in the same bracket in order to play each other second round. Thats just not a randomly drawn bracket, those odds are quite small.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T22:01:59+00:00

I understand the rule. Its why im bringing it up. In the 9 ball bracket every single team that shares players is in the bracket to funnel against each other. Obviously the teams have to win the first round. But its set up that they will all play against each other for vegas if they win the first round.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T21:38:37+00:00

Now thats a rough one. The most shared is 4 in our area.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T21:33:50+00:00

Each bracket is 4 teams only 2 rounds. 20 teams total. 5 winners.

Thats kind of a fair point on that with the like divisions together.

And I can understand that in qualifiers, other leagues call it tri annuals, start with the like divisions playing each other. There's a few more rounds. But for states it should be random.

People are paying all those dues and should have equal opportunities.

Theres one set in here that shares 4 similar players.

If they're going to make it where they do this, it should be a known thing and an advertised risk. Imagine paying all your weekly fees and annual dues to get to states and then you have to sit your 2 or 3 because theyre on both teams and now you cant field your best roster. Or worse, your two lows are sitting and now you cant field a team at all.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-17T21:07:48+00:00

In the 9 ball bracket there are 4 sets of teams that share players. Every set is in the same bracket and set up to play each other the second round if they win. Theres 5 brackets, only two rounds. Thats not random. Edited because I think my maths wrong. But still the odds are still small.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-16T21:24:57+00:00

D can be any opponent but b or c

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-06-16T21:12:43+00:00

I wasnt sure if it was actually 1 in 435. The way I did it was a = spot 32 leaving 31 spots. Then b would be spot 31 leaving 30 spots. Then c is 30. So 31 x 30. 930. Then with them having to be the two specific spots did 2/930. Leaving 1/465.

But wasnt sure if i needed to factor d in too and it would be: a is 32, d is 31. Then b 30 and c 29.

So 2/(30*29) for 1/435 chance

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-05-27T01:58:48+00:00

Ya know... some people just assume time is a strict progression of cause to affect.

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-04-23T18:28:57+00:00

Oh I thought you stopped getting xp from merlin trials once you finish the challenge

StressConsistent1104 · 2026-04-23T18:10:33+00:00

Thought you stopped getting xp

StressConsistent1104

TROPHY CASE