| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Matt |
Posted - 06/13/2005 : 9:21:59 PM
I've been pondering this question for a long time, but following some of my friends through the recent regional tournament has made me want to post this question here:
What's your strategy for winning the most matches out of five every night?
That is to say, with the handicap system shouldn't most matches be essentially a coin flip because "The Equalizer" makes them equal? Over the course of a season, I think it is a pretty fair system, but in the playoffs it seems like any team can beat any team. Winning 3-2 is really not much different than losing 2-3, and with everyone being handicapped it seems like your chances are about 50% to win or lose.
(NOTE: I'm not trying to start any discussion about sandbagging. In fact, for the sake of this post I'm pretending that such a thing doesn't even exist and that the handicap system works as it should, nor am I trying to manipulate the system in any way.)
Anyway, it seems like the best strategy might be to consistently improve your game. That way, in the playoffs you will be a better player then you were during the regular season and may have a better chance of winning. Then again, maybe you get bumped up right before the playoffs and it makes it harder on you. Or maybe the best strategy is just to treat the playoffs with more importance and make sure you get enough sleep, eat healthy, focus more, etc. But what about in regular season matches? If you start winning a lot, won't you just get moved up until you stop winning a lot? I guess my essential question is, what makes a good APA player?
It's probably obvious from my post, but I've been on several teams that have made the playoffs, even finishing first in the division, but never made it to regionals.
Matt |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Torsten |
Posted - 06/21/2005 : 4:06:31 PM
You know, I feel I have missed pointing out one very important thing. The proof is not always in the pudding. Someone could play an awful strategy and through sheer dumb luck, everything could work out. Conversely, a captain could do all the homework and preparation and develop the perfect strategy and still not come out on top. Sometimes, none of the bounces go your way.
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| trhxke |
Posted - 06/21/2005 : 1:23:15 PM
I for one feel like I have learned something from this post.
We have had moderate success as a team but have yet to make the regionals and maybe these tips can make the difference.
Thanks for sharing.
Wish I had some good tips for you but honestly it would be a wild ass guess and would probably be about as useful as such.
Maybe someday I'll know enough about this kind of thing to give some GOOD advise and I will be happy to do so then.
How bout it Richard Haydt..you should be able to contribute to this thread...since you are probably one of the most successful team captains I know of. Throw us a bone!
Tom Hardinger
www.BigRigToys.com
Your Internet Source for pool cues, darts and colletibles. |
| Phil |
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 3:59:20 PM
This is an interesting point, and one where regular session play will be different from playoffs and higher-level tournaments. During the session, you don't necessarily know by the fourth match who the opposition's last two players are going to be, but in the playoffs/HLT scenario, you almost always know. Since Matt started this thread as a question about getting through playoffs, maybe, just maybe, he has found his answer...
Phil
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| Torsten |
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 3:21:48 PM
Glad to see you are coming around from the dark side, annakin. 
You are right, by the way, that often times, the opposition still has a couple of players to choose from. This shouldn't discourage you, however, from putting up first. Generally speaking, the captain will play the strongest of the remaining players he has available in the final match. If they choose not too, it still works out as you may have an easier match than you anticipated. What I recommend you do is give it a shot. If you find that after two weeks or so this particular strategy does not quite fit with your team (a possibility) then you can always change back to what you did before. If you do decide to give it a try, let me know how it works for you. |
| Matt |
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 3:11:53 PM
Hey, I appreciate you sharing your stragedy [sic] with us, hopefully it won't come back to bite you. It doesn't seem like a really large percentage of the league reads this message board, though.
Your strategy makes perfect sense if there are 5 players on the other team. I never thought of this because it seems like most of the teams I've played tend to have more than 5 players available to play. Even with the 23 rule, I've played teams (including my own teams) where there are 3 or 4 players left to choose from to play the last match. Then again, I've played teams where they send players home early when they know they won't need them. Still, I think you may have sold me on putting up first from now on.
Matt |
| Torsten |
Posted - 06/20/2005 : 11:17:04 AM
Matt
You pose a good question. But you must remember, a successful night is most often made in the last two matches. Keep in mind that when you put up your player for the fifth and final match, it's not a blind put up. You should know by then who your opponent is going to put up. If I may reiterate, putting up blind for the first match of the night, gives you control over the final two. You get to respond in the fourth, therefore setting up the fifth match, which often will feature one of your opponent's strongest players. It gives you flexibility to change your strategy as well. Lets say your team wins two out of the first three matches. You can virtually assure yourself of taking a third match because you get to decide how the final two line up.
I am also fortunate in that I have a team where most of my players show up on time. I can't tell you how often my opponents only have two or three players present at starting time. I'm sure you have seen this as well. Here is where knowing your competition pays off. Win the flip, put up first, and select the player that will cause the opponent the biggest pain in the a$$ to respond to. The response to your post that came after mine also made a great point. If at all possible, you must ensure you take at least one of the first two matches. You don't want to find yourself behind the  . Sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist.
Believe me, Matt. I am not trying to drill you into employing the strategy I have found to be most successful for me. You are a fellow APA member, the league we both enjoy, so I will gladly throw you a friendly tip or two. That being said, my nine-ball captain (yah you lisa!) already gave me grief (jokingly of course...i think) about sharing our stragedy (intentional typo) on the message board for all to see. You are, after all, still the competition! |
| Matt |
Posted - 06/17/2005 : 5:11:44 PM
That's really interesting to me because I've always assumed the best strategy is to win the coin flip and have the other team put up first. That way, you get to choose 3 out of 5 matchups and you only have to put 2 players up "blind".
I agree with you that it's no fun to match a 2 against a 6, a 3 against a 7, etc, but there are some teams that like to do this because they think it gives them some kind of advantage. ("If we put our 2 against their 7, he/she only has to win 2 games!") I know most higher players I know really hate this strategy, and I've rarely seen it work. However, if you put up first, aren't you allowing the other team to match their players against yours? And they could conceivably pull the ol' "my 2 against your 6" routine as mentioned? Why not let them put up first and then you get to pick your best suited player to match up? Especially if, as Torsten said, you've done your homework on the other team?
Thanks,
Matt |
| ApaMVP |
Posted - 06/15/2005 : 3:55:57 PM
Having participated on 2 national championship teams (1 each in 8-ball and 9-ball), I would first and foremost agree with Torsten's suggestion that "WE" put up in the first match. As he mentions, it allows us to dictate how the final couple matches will be matched up, depending on the outcome of the early games which could come back to haunt you, if your team fails to win at least 1 of the first 2 matches, which leaves me to my next suggestion. After putting up first, Make SURE you get out of the first 2 games with at least 1 victory. Also, as torsten mentioned, when you have 2 equivalent teams (lets call them A1,B1,C1,D1,E1 VS. A2,B2,C2,D2,E2) where each highest skill level player is 'A' and lowest is 'E'. We could say it would be a coin flip on who wins, if that matches are A1 vs A2, B1 vs B2, etc... However, if you were team A, and you had E1 vs A2, and then subsequently matched A1 vs B2, B1 vs C2, C1 vs D2, and D1 vs E2, you would have 4 matches where your players were skilled higher than your opponents. Now, we all now the equalizer is suppose to make a match even, regardless of skill levels, but even if ONLY on a psychological level it occurs, your team will believe you have an advantage. Also, be aware of players on your team who may be borderlining on being raised to a skill level. This is usually nothing more than a guess, but you can sometimes get that gut feel on who is overperforming at their current level. SAVE them, if needed for fifth and deciding games. In our last regional semi-final, we had a 4 we knew was likely going to be a 5, and in considering so, elected to NOT play him, unless a fifth and deciding match called for it. Having won 3 out of 4, we were able to play him in the finals, as a 4, which he not only decisively won, he was also IMMEDIATELY bumped to a 5 afterwards, but already done, after we'd secured our national entry. Also remember, the tournament can last a long time so staying sharp, positive, and keeping the team cohesively together can all give you that extra advantage. |
| Torsten |
Posted - 06/14/2005 : 11:29:54 AM
Matt. Many disagree with my strategy but here is what I think. It is quite possible to maneuver for three out of five. It takes a little homework (checking the website to see who is on the top shooter board, therefore shooting at least reasonably well) and knowing the capabilities of your own players. Try to match up three of your players favorably with your opponent's players. (this obviously requires one or two unfavorable matchups) It's far from foolproof because every player has good and bad nights and the equalizer system, even with its flaws, is extremely fair. Another good 'side effect' i have found from this strategy is that even on bad nights, my team rarely gets buried. (losing 4-1 or 5-0) That usually only happens to me when I get greedy and try to take all five matches. Taking only two out of five on occasion will not kill you in the standings, and it will happen that way sometimes. Back to the unbalanced matches for a moment. Although it works out that way sometimes,I do not like the idea of putting my lowest player against the opponent's best player. The number one priority of the APA is for our players to have a good time and nobody likes to go to the table and just get obliterated by somebody they had very little if any chance of competing with. Lastly, if I win the coin flip, I always elect to put up first. I believe it gives me an advantage because I have an element of control over the last two matches of the night. Please keep in mind that while I believe my strategy is relatively sound, I have captained teams that have finished tops in the division as well as close to the bottom. Sometimes, things fall under the category of best laid plans of mice and men. Good luck to ya! |
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