Amateur tournament in Bournemouth

[The Statman]

Just to let you know that my snooker club, Greenbaize in Bournemouth, is holding its annual Summer tournament on Sunday 23 July.

£400 first prize, £200 runner-up, etc. if it's the same as last year.

Let me know if you're interested (am I allowed to advertise blatantly?) and I'll PM you the telephone number of the club.

[MattWilson]

What's the format? Handicap or Scratch? Pro's allowed to play? As much info as poss please.

Of course you're allowed to advertise tournaments!!

MW

[The Statman]

Scratch. It's advertised in July's Snooker Scene, page 34.

Telephone number is 01202 525061 – give them a ring for more details.

Another one on December 3 (though it does not have "Summer" in its title!).

[berolina]

What's the format? Handicap or Scratch? MW

Can anybody please explain the difference?

[The Statman]

Scratch means everyone playing off level – i.e. the score is 0-0 at the start of the frame.

Handicap means a system is in place to even up players' abilities.#
So if I'm a pretty good player I might play off "-28" and if you're not as good you might be "-7". So if we were drawn to play each other, I would give you 21 points' start.

If I was -42 and you were +14 I'd give you 56 points start.

[berolina]

Thanks. I sure would be more than +14! Or is that already considered as lousy player?

[The Statman]

If you improve or worsen, your handicap is altered accordingly.

For example in our weekly club competitions, if you reach a final your handicap moves down 7 points, and if you go three (or maybe it's four) without winning a match it goes up 7.

[Cessy143]

I've stopped playing in handicap tournaments at my club as the handicap system just got out of control. This is a true story, so just to give you all a little laugh I'll tell you it.

I appeared at my club to play a handicap league match against a (+21) player, thinking I would have to give him a 91 point start as I (thought) I was off my usual (-70). I was told, much to my frustration that I was now off (-84) and therefore have to give him a 105 point start.

Thankfully he was pretty dire and I managed to lose only 4-3, mainly due to me smashing the reds open when I broke off, and praying that he did'nt get a red. Two of the frames I won were actually won by me getting a silly amount of snookers when only 1 or 2 reds left. Anyway the funny part of it was that I hold the club record (likely a world record) of losing a frame after making a century!!

Yeap, I made a 115 and knuckled a slightly tricky final black which hung over the pocket.

I can laugh now, but it took me a while I can tell you !

[MattWilson]

Mate, we've all been there! I remember giving a fella at my club 100 start, having 104 and leaving the white in the jaws of the bottom pocket black on spot. I potted black but went in-off in the middle. Lost by 1!

MW

[magicman]

Ditto. I never had a ton and lost but I remember having a 90+ and losing a frame and giving a guy 55 start and he knocked in a 90 against me! For quite a while, it seemed the only competitions available, other than pro-ams or national events, were handicapped.

[Souwester]

Blimey, talk about resurrecting old topics!