SFPA

This season we are experimenting with a new format for the Bernie King memorial tournament, which raises money twice a year for the American Cancer Society.

Rather than have one bracket for players with a season winning percentage above .500 and another for players below .500, we will have a single bracket and use Fargo ratings to set up handicapped matches.

If the players are evenly matched, we will have the usual race to 3. However, for each 75-point difference, the lower-rated player will need to win one fewer game. For example, if Player A has a rating of 500 and Player B has a rating of 425, Player A will need 3 games to win while Player B will only need 2 games to win. If Player A competes against Player C with a rating of 350, Player C will only need to win 1 game to advance!

You can view your rating on the FargoRate iPhone/Android app or by clicking through to the Player List in the FargoRate League Management System.

We look forward to seeing you at Family Billiards. Full information can be found on the event page.

A few quick announcements as we enter the final month of the regular season:

Elections

Four positions are up for election this cycle: President, Secretary, Co-Head Referee, and Member at Large. Please let a board member know by May 15 if you are interested in running.

T-shirt design contest

We are again offering free dues for next season for the player who submits the winning 8-Ball Tournament t-shirt design. The deadline for submissions is May 31. Please email your designs to president.sfpapool@gmail.com or to webmaster.sfpapool@gmail.com in a PDF or other vector format.

8-ball tournament results

Last weekend 15 players battled it out at SFPA host venue Family Billiards for the yearly 8-ball championship. Congratulations to the top finishers:

1. Mike Maxwell, Happy Lounge Rawhides
2. Thayer McDougle, Pilsner InnDecisives
3. Guy Argo, Smoke & Rumors
4. Tim Potter, Route 101 Nomads

Bernie King tournament

Family Billiards will repeat as the venue for our next tournament, the Bernie King Memorial, on May 21. We are using a new handicapped format this year – please click through to the event page for more details.

Interdivisional scheduling

This season we have multiple rounds of interdivisional matches and an odd number of teams in two of the divisions, so don’t be surprised if an opponent doesn’t have the same within-division ranking. This is especially likely to happen if your team is near the top or bottom of your division. Our goal is to get competitive matchups while avoiding repeat matches and allowing players to visit a variety of different venues.

This Saturday at the Cinch we are excited to begin qualifying for the yearly 8-ball tournament.

The 8-ball tournament has taken place each spring since 1979, alternating with a fall 9-ball event since 1981. Eight qualifying tournaments will take place over the next four weeks; at each qualifier, two players will earn spots in the 16-player final and two runners-up will receive “princess points” which serve as tiebreakers in case any qualified players don’t show up for the May 7th final at Family Billiards.

An entry fee of $25 allows participation in as many qualifiers as the player would like to attend. Qualifier participants will also get an SFPA T-shirt at the season-ending awards party.

Please check the calendar for dates and locations and good luck to all entrants!

We had a massive 21 players show up for the Luby this season! In a marathon afternoon at the Cinch that ended up running into the night, Nenad Zagorac rose to the top after winning an amazing nine consecutive games to storm through the losers bracket. Congratulations to the top four finishers:

1. Nenad Zagorac, Hole in the Wall Howlers
2. Stern Montoya, Cinch Phoenix
3. Tamera Walters, Coyle’s Toil & Trouble
4. Will Huntington, Churchill Have Eyes

This weekend we are excited to invite new league members and players with a season record of .500 or below for the past 2 seasons to play in the Luby Invitational tournament. Participation is free for eligible players.

The event was created in the Fall 1997 season to honor Luby Pelletier, who helped found the SFPA league and was well known for his emphasis on teaching new players and bringing them into the game of pool. It is unique for its collegial atmosphere and the encouragement of coaching by more experienced players, many of whom attend each season to give advice and cheer on the participants.

Warmup begins at the Cinch at 11:30 am on Saturday April 1st, with play beginning at 12 noon. Please click on the calendar link for more information about the format and logistics.