CueSports International, Henderson, NV (February 3, 2016) – CSI is excited to announce that Fargo Ratings will be used at pool’s 2016 BCAPL National Championships for the purpose of placing players and teams in the appropriate divisions. We are confident that this will be a major improvement in making all divisions much more competitive.
Why use Fargo Ratings for the BCAPL National Championships?
With enough data, FargoRate is the most accurate and unbiased pool player rating system ever developed. Data from past events reveal an enormous range of talent within every division. The 2015 Men’s Open Singles division had a rating spread of nearly 700 and several players that could be classified as professionals. The 2015 Men’s Leisure Singles division had several players with skill levels equal to many in the Advanced division. These are just two of many examples but the typical player in most divisions had almost no chance of beating the top players. This problem, which exists in many national events, can now be solved.
Additionally, no player rated over 720 may register for amateur divisions. They must compete in the unrestricted events such as the 9-Ball Challenge, 10-Ball Challenge, 8-Ball Challenge, US Open 10-Ball Championship, or US Open 8-Ball Championship. This will prevent professional-caliber players from entering amateur events.
How to Obtain or Lookup a Fargo Rating
Although thousands of players already have established ratings (200+ games of data), many have fewer than 200 games of data or none at all. In these cases, CSI has assigned “starter ratings” based on previous rankings (see table below) or known ability. For those with some data but fewer than 200 games, the official rating is a mix of the starter rating and the computed rating. For those with no data, the starter rating is the official rating. Players with no rating may contact CSI to obtain a starter rating.
Old Ranking (Starter Ratings)
Grandmaster (male: 710 / female: 675)
Master (male: 675 / female: 600)
Advanced (male: 625 / female: 525)
Open (male: 525 / female: 425)
Leisure (male: 400 / female: 300)
Players may look up their official rating any of the following ways:
- Login to the member area of the CSI database. This will show the player’s rating only.
- Click the online registration link on the 2016 BCAPL National Championships webpage.
Players can view their own ratings and can search for potential teammates and see their ratings.
- Visit fargorate.com. Players can view anyone’s rating
FargoRate for Singles
Rather than registering for a specific singles division, players will now register for a type of singles event. As an example, assume a player registers for Mixed 8-Ball Singles. After registration is closed, the entire field will be divided into audcasinos separate divisions (Platinum, Gold, Silver, & Bronze) based on Fargo Ratings.
While women’s-only divisions are offered, women now have the opportunity to compete against men of similar skill level. Under Fargo Ratings, women rated 450 are the same as men rated 450. Therefore, women are encouraged to participate in mixed divisions.
Mixed 9-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 25% of field)
Gold Division (Lower 75% of field)
Mixed 8-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 15% of field)
Gold Division (Upper middle 35% of field)
Silver Division (Lower middle 35% of field)
Bronze Division (Lower 15% of field)
Mixed Senior 8-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 25% of field)
Gold Division (Lower 75% of field)
Women’s 9-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 25% of field)
Gold Division (Lower 75% of field)
Women’s 8-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 15% of field)
Gold Division (Upper middle 35% of field)
Silver Division (Lower middle 35% of field)
Bronze Division (Lower 15% of field)
Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles
Platinum Division (Upper 25% of field)
Gold Division (Lower 75% of field)
FargoRate for Scotch Doubles (male/female)
Scotch doubles teams will register for specific divisions which have team rating limits. The sum of both players’ Fargo Ratings may not exceed the division limit. The divisions and team limits are shown below.
Scotch Doubles
Platinum Division (1,300 rating limit)
Gold Division (1,200 rating limit)
Silver Division (1,100 rating limit)
FargoRate for Teams
Teams will also register for specific divisions which have team rating limits. Teams must specify “core players” for the purpose of establishing a team rating. The sum of core players’ Fargo Ratings may not exceed the division limit. Teams may also list “substitutes” on the team roster. However, a substitute must be rated the same or lower than the person being replaced in any round. The divisions and team limits are shown below.
Mixed 9-Ball Teams (3-player)
Platinum Division (1,950 rating limit)
Gold Division (1,800 rating limit)
Mixed 8-Ball Teams (5-player)
Platinum Division (3,250 rating limit)
Gold Division (3,000 rating limit)
Trophy Division (2,750 rating limit)
Women’s 9-Ball Teams (3-player)
Gold Division (1,500 rating limit)
Women’s 8-Ball Teams (4-player)
Platinum Division (2,200 rating limit)
Gold Division (2,000 rating limit)
Trophy Division (1,800 rating limit)
Individual Rating Changes
Because Fargo Ratings are updated every day, there is a 10-point “forgiveness cushion” for players rated 720 or lower at the time of registration but their rating moves above 720 before the tournament. If a player’s rating moves beyond 730, the player or team will have the following options:
- Play and accept a 1-game penalty in each match for every 25 points over 730.
Example: A player had a 703 rating at the time of registration but it moved to 735 (5 over the cushion). The player will incur a 1-game penalty in each match (opponents get a 1-game spot).
- Move into an unrestricted open event (singles), move up into the next division (teams)
Team Rating Changes (Scotch Doubles & Teams)
There is a 10-point per player “forgiveness cushion” if the team is eligible for a specific division at the time of registration but one or more members’ ratings move up to push them over the limit. If the team rating moves beyond the cushion, it will have the following options:
- Play and accept a 1-game penalty in each match for every 50 points over the cushion.
Scotch Doubles Example: A Platinum Team (1,300 limit, 1,320 with cushion) is rated 1,290 when they register but increases to 1,318. There will be no penalty in the match because the increase did not exceed 1320. If their rating increases to 1,352 (32 points over the cushion), they will incur a 1-game penalty in each match.
Team Example: A Gold Team (3,000 limit, 3,050 with cushion) is rated 2,975 when they register but increases to 3,093 (43 points over the cushion). They will incur a 1-game penalty in each match. If their combined rating increases to 3,127 (77 points over the cushion), they will incur a 2-game penalty in each match.
- Move up to the next division (not possible if already registered for the Platinum division)
- Replace one or more players to get within the team limit
Miscellaneous Eligibility Requirements & Details
Each division has its own specific requirements regarding membership, eligibility, format, etc. Those details and much more can be found on the entry forms which can be downloaded by visiting the official 2016 BCAPL National Championships webpage.