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Thread: Doing the ABT against my better judgement...

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    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    Default Doing the ABT against my better judgement...

    I noticed a flyer that the ABT was having a tournament at my home center. I figured it being my home center I might have an advantage...despite my inflated 193-194 USBC average. I've been really uncertain about it.

    On the one hand, it's gonna cost me like $150 to do this thing. I think it's 5 games. And if I'm being honest...unless I'm entering with a 178 average...I don't have much of a chance. I figured I'd start doing the ABT if I could get my average up to about 216...and I'm nowhere near that....even on easy lanes I'm a best case 190-195 bowler. Not to mention, there are going to be 7-11 strike balls tonight at the Saturday nightly tournament...I probably have a better shot at winning money there than I do at this ABT tournament.

    But...there's a classic division and a Master's Division...so as long as I'm in the Classic division...I might be able to be a little bit competitive. It beats sitting around all day...bowling is better than most other things I could waste $150 on. It's next door, home center...who knows? So...time to jump in the shower and get my gear...and probably go get embarassed!!
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 186; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

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    good luck and think positive.....
    “There’s nothing like throwing a 16lb 8.5 inch sphere at 10 3.5lb wooden objects spaced 12 inches apart and having them all hit each other” proud member of Bowlingboards.com bowling forums and ball contest winner

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aslan View Post
    I noticed a flyer that the ABT was having a tournament at my home center. I figured it being my home center I might have an advantage...despite my inflated 193-194 USBC average. I've been really uncertain about it.

    On the one hand, it's gonna cost me like $150 to do this thing. I think it's 5 games. And if I'm being honest...unless I'm entering with a 178 average...I don't have much of a chance. I figured I'd start doing the ABT if I could get my average up to about 216...and I'm nowhere near that....even on easy lanes I'm a best case 190-195 bowler. Not to mention, there are going to be 7-11 strike balls tonight at the Saturday nightly tournament...I probably have a better shot at winning money there than I do at this ABT tournament.

    But...there's a classic division and a Master's Division...so as long as I'm in the Classic division...I might be able to be a little bit competitive. It beats sitting around all day...bowling is better than most other things I could waste $150 on. It's next door, home center...who knows? So...time to jump in the shower and get my gear...and probably go get embarassed!!
    Linbrook Bowl? Good luck

  4. #4
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    I'll post scores in my scores thread...but since this was my first ABT tournament, I figure I'll add some thoughts/impressions:

    Positives:
    - The people were really nice.
    - It's very well-run and organized.
    - It seems relatively fair, at least compared to the abta tournaments.
    - I didn't feel completely outclassed.

    Negatives:
    - It's not 100% fair. There is a system of "bonus pins" where each time you participate and don't make the cut...you get some amount of extra pins in future tournaments.
    - It's expensive. I'd say, with all the add-on money, it's roughly TWICE as expensive as the abta. You could get in the abta tournament for about $100 and be a in a couple brackets. I paid $140 just to get in the tournament with no brackets. Like the abta...you can get in for cheaper...but even if you run the table and dominate the tournament...you get roughly 1/3 of the maximum payout.

    Overall:
    It would be fun to do...almost like a travel league...if it was about 50% cheaper. I mean, paying $60 a week to take part and have a chance at real money...a handicap environment...it would be doable. But, it's like playing slot machines...sure, you can play for a penny...but even if you hit the jackpot you win $3. So, you end up making the max bet...and then if you hit the jackpot you get $2500 but it costs you like $3.50 per play.

    They have a free tournament coming up in August that I'll probably go to...even though it's over in MWhite's neck of the woods...which is essentially like the area of California where people who aren't cool enough to live in the Fresno/Bakersfield area live...like, Southern California's armpit...so it'll take a good 4 hours to drive 35 miles to go to this thing unless I leave at 4AM. But..."free" is "free"...and I like "free".
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 186; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

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    If the ABT there is anything like FL it's all about how good you can sandbag

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    As for entry, that's not horrible. PBA regional tournaments are 285 for non members and usually only pays 2-2500... I'm planning on shooting one next weekend that's $400 entry but it's a $20,000 guarantee first.

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    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by StormBowler13 View Post
    If the ABT there is anything like FL it's all about how good you can sandbag
    It's better than the abta. The abta in Orange County is run by a group of asians that are all related and friends/family. So, you get there and end up bowling against someone with a supposed 164 average and they shoot nearly a 700 scratch. And the same people almost always win.

    The thing I don't like about the ABT is they lower the participant averages each tournament and they give bonus pins if you don't make the cut. I understand the reasoning behind it...to allow everyone to be competitive. But, like today; I end up bowling against a guy who is easily a high 180s to low 200s average bowler and somehow I get 25 pins handicap and he gets 35 pins of handicap.

    Maybe someday I'll get good enough to just bowl in scratch tournaments. Then, there's no real way to sandbag.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aslan View Post
    It's better than the abta. The abta in Orange County is run by a group of asians that are all related and friends/family. So, you get there and end up bowling against someone with a supposed 164 average and they shoot nearly a 700 scratch. And the same people almost always win.

    The thing I don't like about the ABT is they lower the participant averages each tournament and they give bonus pins if you don't make the cut. I understand the reasoning behind it...to allow everyone to be competitive. But, like today; I end up bowling against a guy who is easily a high 180s to low 200s average bowler and somehow I get 25 pins handicap and he gets 35 pins of handicap.

    Maybe someday I'll get good enough to just bowl in scratch tournaments. Then, there's no real way to sandbag.
    I know all about that inflated handicap because of "bonus" pins. There's a guy at one of the larger tournaments in Orlando that booked a 214 but gets 44 pins a game in that tournament.

    Funny you mention Asians. Ours aren't ran by asians, but they are won by them quite often. The 20k handicap event a couple month again was.

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    High Roller Stormed1's Avatar
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    The idea behind the bonus pins is to get people coming back. If they fail to cash week after week they get tired of spending the money and quit coming However once you cash the bonus pins go away and it starts all over
    Still love the game but had to quit because of my left leg amptation
    High game 299 x 5 High sanctioned series 805 (1989)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stormed1 View Post
    The idea behind the bonus pins is to get people coming back. If they fail to cash week after week they get tired of spending the money and quit coming However once you cash the bonus pins go away and it starts all over
    It's the reverse of the Soon Henry handicapping system.


    Soon Henry:

    Mice race down a track and people bet on which one will get there first.

    The winning mouse gets a piece of cheese.

    If a mouse wins enough, it gets full of cheese, and runs slower.

    So poor Henry (the mouse) hasn't won yet, and looks up at the guy running the race as if to ask... when will I win?

    Soon Henry... all the other mice are getting full.

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