How do you start a game with handicaps?

[Shockerz]

I've had a query from one of the snooker organisers at the club about handicaps and starting a match.

If the first player has a 20 handicap and the second a 60 and it is first to 200 do you guys generally put both scores as a start on the board or do you subtract one from the other and put the difference on the board as a start for the lesser player?

I would have though every player would have had to score at least 200 as if a player had a 200 handicap the match would be over before it starts...

[LucLex3119]

I've had a query from one of the snooker organisers at the club about handicaps and starting a match.

If the first player has a 20 handicap and the second a 60 and it is first to 200 do you guys generally put both scores as a start on the board or do you subtract one from the other and put the difference on the board as a start for the lesser player?

I would have though every player would have had to score at least 200 as if a player had a 200 handicap the match would be over before it starts...

Why are you playing to 200?

If the standard between two players is a 40 head start then why not just play a best of 9 frames giving 40 head start every frame.
I'm a little confused by what your asking

[jrc750]

If both players had to score 200 points then where is the handicap lol ??
I would say both scores are added to scoreboard as you suggest, hence one needs to score 180, and the other only 140 to reach the required 200 total.

[jrc750]

Why are you playing to 200?

If the standard between two players is a 40 head start then why not just play a best of 9 frames giving 40 head start every frame.
I'm a little confused by what your asking

Err it's BILLIARDS

[DeanH]

he is talking about Billiards and this is in the billiards forum group

I would also like to hear what the answer is, as I have heard differing answers when I see the club competitions being played (both billiards and snooker); one day I will gear someone say "put up both" another day I will hear someone else say "so take your away from mine and we have ..."

[Shockerz]

he is talking about Billiards and this is in the billiards forum group

I would also like to hear what the answer is, as I have heard differing answers when I see the club competitions being played (both billiards and snooker); one day I will gear someone say "put up both" another day I will hear someone else say "so take your away from mine and we have ..."

That's exactly why I'm asking as there seem to be varied opinions. I generally take one score from another and give the lesser player the difference as a start.

An organiser got quite heated the other day and said that players who have an 80 odd handicap playing someone on a -20 should be able to put 100 up on the board so they only have to score a 100. The rest of us felt that that would lead to some pretty short frames.

Was hoping there would be an obvious answer, lets wait...

[DeanH]

I have a feeling that the answer will be "whatever the local organising committee agree on, and they must ensure that all competitors are informed as such."

[Londonlad147]

I think our local league used to put both scores on the board.

Imagine you've got A on a +60 handicap and B on -120, playing 150 up (and it's no far-fetched because we had that scenario in our local league). You can't put the difference of 180 on the board because A will have reached the 150 target. If you make A start on 0 and B start on -180 then that will favour the better player. A needs 150 and B 330 (ie B needs 2.2 points for every point A needs).

If A starts on 60 then he only needs to score 90 which is far easier than him scoring 150, but B needs 270 (ie B needs 3 points for every point A needs).

[LucLex3119]

Err it's BILLIARDS

Hahaha that will teach me for not reading where the thread was posted. Ha

[itsnoteasy]

We decided you have to play the full game, so if it's to 200 and one player has a fifty handicap it's added to the better players score so he starts on minus 50 and in effect has to play to 250, the reason being it felt like a double handicap if you just added it to the score board , first handicap is a fifty start second handicap is if that player wins ,the game is only to 150 not 200 so doesn't give the better player a full game to catch up.

[Shockerz]

We decided you have to play the full game, so if it's to 200 and one player has a fifty handicap it's added to the better players score so he starts on minus 50 and in effect has to play to 250, the reason being it felt like a double handicap if you just added it to the score board , first handicap is a fifty start second handicap is if that player wins ,the game is only to 150 not 200 so doesn't give the better player a full game to catch up.

That sounds right to me but I started the thread to canvas opinions and to see if there is a standard set of rules.

It'll be interesting if the responses from different clubs return a similar theme.

[DeanH]

I asked an EASB Referee Tutor I know, who's main passion is Billiards
His reply was for handicapped matches the actual handicap figures must be applied to the scoreboard and not to do any maths.
He did say this should be the same for snooker as well.

[Shockerz]

I asked an EASB Referee Tutor I know, who's main passion is Billiards
His reply was for handicapped matches the actual handicap figures must be applied to the scoreboard and not to do any maths.
He did say this should be the same for snooker as well.

Thanks for that Dean, at least it clears up this part of the question.

I guess I'll now have to look at the handicaps I set as there is only one minus handicap and I did read the following on more than one handicap system on the net:

For 200 up billiards, the maximum handicap will be +30 and all handicaps will be measured from this.
Everything + will be placed on the board at the start.
If a player has a -30 then they need to score 30 to get to 0.

Sounds ok to me....thoughts?

[Londonlad147]

He did say this should be the same for snooker as well.

I can only imagine this would perhaps be relevant in an aggregate scores match, which I've never ever been involved with. In normal matches I've only ever seen the net handicap put on the board: without a target number of points it really makes no odds.

[HIPPY147]

thats how i have always played person on -30 would need to score 230 to win game in 200 up