#Status q billiards professional

And a new rating optimization, coupling everybody together around the globe, is performed every day. Games are added to our dataset every day. A group of players who are well coupled to one another, like in a local league, can become coupled to the rest of the world by a few players or even a single player playing outside the group. That is, the two win games in a 2:1 ratio and thus are separated by about 100 points. For instance, a new player who consistently wins 2 out of 3 games against a 350 is performing like a 450. A 50-point gap predicts a 5:7 win ratio.Ī new player can establish a rating by performance against an opponent of any rating. Two players with a 34-point gap, like a 530 and a 564, will win games in a 4:5 ratio. When two players are 100 points apart, say a 300 versus a 400, the ratio of game wins will be near 1:2, as in 5 games to 10 games, or 50 games to 100 games.Ī 200-point gap leads to a game win ratio of 1:4Ī 300-point gap leads to a game win ratio of 1:8Ī 400-point gap leads to a game win ratio of 1:16 If the two players play multiple games, they will tend to win them in a ratio of 1:1 (one to one). Two players with the same rating, i.e., a 300 and another 300, or a 600 and another 600, have equal chances of winning a game between them. The rating difference between two players determines the chance each will win a game. There is no top and no bottom to the scale. Most people who play pool in leagues and tournaments are between these ranges, i.e., between 200 and 700. A random company holiday party might have many players rated between 50 and 200.

#Status q billiards professional

Professional players generally have ratings between 700 and 800. We compute the optimum set of ratings-also known as maximum likelihood ratings-as those that best predict the outcome of all of the games amongst all of the players.

Skill at pool, like skill at chess, must be based on relative performance-upon who beats whom.įargoRate rates pool players worldwide on the same scale based on games won and lost against opponents of known rating. It’s an industry that’s finding itself behind the 8-ball.Unlike high jumpers, who have height, swimmers, who have time, and javelin throwers, who have distance, pool players –pocket billiard players-have no absolute measure of performance. “I’m afraid that after COVID, it’s going to fade away even worse.” “This is an industry that’s kind of fading away,” says Thomas. Hall of Fame Billiards in Bay Ridge closed before the pandemic. Only two dozen or so or left in New York. Pool halls have already been under stress in the city, in part because of high rents. In response, the state says with hot spots popping up across the country, they are continuing to monitor how and when higher-risk activities like billiards can safely reopen. That creates a lot of distance”, says Thomas. “A pool table is 9’ x 4’, and they’re spaced five feet apart. Thomas at Status Q points out the restrictions on pool halls are especially baffling because pool is a distance sport. Playing pool is a very calm sport,” says Buckley. There’s no strenuous activity of any kind. In a pool hall, walking around the table is your only exercise. “In a gym, there’s a lot more exercising, a lot more heavy breathing. He says there’s also no guidance for when pool halls can reopen. I’m lucky if I’m still paying all my expenses and the salaries of the people.”īuckley says he’s frustrated the state gave the green light to indoor businesses like bowling alleys but not pool halls. “When I come back at 50%, I’m not making money. He figures it will take years to cover the cost once he’s allowed to reopen. Paying the rent is a real challenge right now,” says Thomas.Īt Gotham City Billiard in Gravesend, owner Kevin Buckley invested $8,000 on a new air filtration system and other safety measures. We can pay the electric, we can pay insurance. “With our little outdoor dining setup, we could pay a bill or two. Thomas says his only lifeline came with outdoor dining was permitted and he started serving drinks and bar food outside. The problem is pool halls have been excluded from the states re-opening plans. The 3,000 square-foot hall can accommodate 58 people, but without customers, owner Brian Thomas says he hasn’t been able to pay the rent. We don’t know if we’re going to get to the end of September.“ And a lot of us are not going to make it, us in particular. “The billiard industry is very small in New York City.

“We need to open,” says Status Q owner Brian Thomas. It’s been a Bay Ridge fixture for three decades, but like other businesses, it’s closed because of the coronavirus. It’s been months since anyone shot pool at Status Q Billiards.