I have traveled around the upper midwest and have seen some things that disturb me. In my most recent venture I stopped in to see a B/C rated tournament. The first table I watched I saw one person win that game, and then proceed to break and run 4 racks in a row. I have never seen a "B/C" rated player run 4 racks in row without breaking. I know that some are going to slip through the cracks. I was curious to see who finished in the money. I looked up ratings to some of the people who finished in the money and I noticed that they were rated AA players. This begs the question. Is it fair or what does it prove for a "AA" players to enter a B/C tournament and beat up on "B/C" players. In my opinion the answer NO and nothing. I think that this is terrible for the sport and just turns people off to the game.

I call Minnesota my home but have this in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri. What do y'all think about this and what can be done about this issue?

When I say this I meen it in a nice way but Tournaments that aren't handicap will always have underrated players in it.

Just like at shooters on Wed night when you see Master+ rated as A players. They may have let my dad in that B/C tournament but they did tell him that he can't play in it anymore.

I agree with you though it isn't right for a Master to play in a B/C. That goes for anything but that's the pool world, for Minnesota anyway.

The only rated tournament that you consider rated is probably the Master Division because your either a master or your lower, but AA+ players that enter the Master division are just looking for an easy loss so that's their problem. Only other way it's not considered rated is if you for example have people like Beau R. playing in it.

Tim Jr

Part of the problem is there is no established ratings for anything but State tournaments. There is even variations in those. You might be a master at one buy allowed to play AA in another. There is no definition to what a b player is. Each pool hall makes up its own. Then there is the fact you cant compare a bar table rating to big table. If your talking about Billiard streets B&C. Then you will see plenty of state rated AA players. There is no one set rating system. Unless someone figures a way out to do it. There will always be a big difference to what one person calls B and what someone else does.

Those promoters who truly are interested in promoting the sport and running "fair" tournaments could spend a little more time and weed out the A, AA and Master's Players if they so choose. THEY CHOOSE NOT TO BECAUSE OF THE ALMIGHTY $$.

When you look at whose cashing in a B/C tournaments and these individuals are on published State lists as being an A, AA, AAA or Masters, it's obvious that they are not B/C players and the promoter has not taken the time to figure it out. SHAME ON THEM.

We can debate the bar box/big table handicap all day long, but the game still consists of angles/leaves and making shots. This would be an example of a promoter not taking the time to weed out the "cons" and allow "newbies" B & C players to compete against each other rather than watch a AA run 4 racks.

This is one reason I've crossed certain tournaments off my list. They have consistently proven that it is about the $$ rather than the fairness of play and equalling the level of competition based on what they have advertised and the published information available.

Happy Shooting.................

I agree with you Alan. Until there is a big table rating list, nobody will be quite sure what B/C means in this state. What if someone is rated a A or A+ at Shooters Wed. tourney? Does that mean that they can't play in Two Stooges B/C tourney? If everyone was on the same page, it would make these handicapped tournamnets a lot less confusing and more accurate.

Theres more too it than just comparing them to state rankings. Not counting anything for bar table etc..
A b/c player does not mean a b or less my state ratings. A player use to mean(Still does to some) basicly a good masters player. B/C ment those below that. It use to be a AND B/C was the same as saying Masters and open. While I agree some tournaments are horrible with this. You cant just compare this to state ratings. Just like you cant compare mens and womans ratings equally. Its not that simple.

I have never seen anybody, let alone a B/C player, run 4 racks in a row without breaking!

I meant just throwing the balls on the table and then shooting.

pfffhh! anybody can run a rack throwing 2 balls at a time on the table