Week 7

Before getting into this week's predictions, let's take a look at the Week 6 results:

X8B defeats UO 6-0 (Prediction: 4-3 X8B)
X8B bounces back vs UO with this season's first clean sweep.

SS defeats SPS 5-1 (Prediction: 5-1 SS)
The East proves to be too much for SPS as SS wins this one.

REG defeats DS 4-2 (Prediction: 5-1 DS)
The surprise upset of the week comes with REG beating DS.

SP defeats BNR 5-1 (Prediction: 4-2 SP)
SP powers their way through BNR with a big one-sided win.

FR defeats 8BC 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
FR gets the job done with their win against 8BC.

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Week 6: Correct (4), Incorrect (1), Exact (1)

Overall: 19/30, 63%

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Break and Run

Last week UO went up against X8B and got shutout, 0-6. The match was pretty much one big snowball effect: after the first loss, the losses just kept coming as UO couldn't get anything going for them. Surely UO would have liked to see the match go a different way, to say the least. Considering REG was able to pull off victory, this loss was a big hit to UO's standings as they've dropped down into last place. And they're season is soon to be in jeopardy if they don't figure it out soon. If it went badly against X8B, I can't say I like UO's chances very much at all going against a team from the East.

BNR played SP last week and took a big loss, 1-5. Jordy was able to pick up a win in Game 1, but after that, it was all one-sided, and not in BNR's favor. I'm sure BNR would have liked to make this one closer in hopes to knock down the top-seeded SP. But, it just didn't happen that way. With this loss, BNR falls into a tie for last place with SS. This cross-divisional match couldn't have come at a better time for BNR. A big win here will push them back up the standings as they continue to fight it out for the 3rd place spot. As long as BNR doesn't slip up majorly, they shouldn't have too much difficulty making it through UO.

Prediction: 5-1 BNR

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Simply Pool Souls vs Regul8ors

Prediction: SPS 4-3

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Sexy Poolerz vs Freedom

Prediction: SP 4-3

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Deadstrokes vs Xtreme8Ball

Prediction: X8B 4-3

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Straightshots vs 8BallCrushers

Prediction: SS 4-2

Why Was Craig Boxed?

If you haven't checked the Daily Buzz, Craig got boxed for a week with this as an explination: "Learn some respect and restraint before you end up boxed even longer." Clearly that wasn't good enough for him with his post in the shoutbox. So, here's a more longwinded explination which wouldnt fit into the Boxing or the Shout.

To start, what Steven said had nothing to do with your girlfriend at all. You and Kevin were going back and forth with each other, you both got booted, you both were invited back, you asked why the boot, Steven says it was because of the crap you both were causing. And I'm sure you know that, but found it entertaining to blast off about it. Even your captain realized you were joking, but showing immediate disrespect to a ref in any situation is hardly a laughing matter.

And after he explained himself on YIM after you messaged him, hopefully you realize that in no way were his words directed towards your girlfriend, but rather towards the headache you were causing for the ref, the watchers, and the players.

Which takes us to the next point. During Game 6, you and Kevin were both asked numerous times to stop with the chatter on the table. The ref asked you, your captain asked you, and even your own player asked you. Going against the refs request? Fine, it happens. But going against your captain's and your player's request? That's just disrespectful if you ask me.

You are not bigger than the team, Craig, no matter how much you might think otherwise. Your captain might not think much of it, but if you can't even listen to your own teammate asking you to settle down, what good are your problems doing to the team unity? You probably think it's all about the win, and that's fine, but at least show some respect to your team in the process even if it was a Game 6 that didn't affect the outcome.

It's not all about showing your team respect, though. Try showing it to other players on the table as well. Cussing at the ref, telling an Admin to stfu, calling the other team fucking scumbags is way out of line. It doesn't matter if you were "joking", because on the other end, they're not laughing. Do I have screenshots of any of that? Nope. Do I need them? Nope.

So, why did you get boxed you ask? It isn't just what happened at the very end revolving around that misunderstanding involving your girlfried. No, it's an accumulation of everything that I've explained above. You get away with a lot of stuff, Craig. And if you don't realize what you're doing, well the problem starts right there.

At this point, you've probably clicked close or are continuing to roll your eyes. All I'm asking is for you to calm it down. You don't have to completely keep quiet, just don't cause problems with your disrespect.

And why did I put this much effort into explaining the situation? Well, not just for Craig's sake. There are plenty of other people who fall into the same boat. Hopefully as you've read this you'll learn from it. Is it really too much to ask to leave the crap at the door? Show up and play the games without making it into one big clusterfuck. All of that extra stuff pretty much ruins the fun. Don't take the competition for granted. One day you'll regret it, as the headaches will cause an end to even bothering to run the interleague, a day which is soon to come.

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and a Merry Christmas.

Week 6

Here's a recap of the Week 5 games before getting into this week's predictions:

8BC defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 4-2 8BC)
The East again wins the weekly cross-divisional match.

DS defeats X8B 5-1 (Prediction: 4-3 X8B)
DS dominates X8B, taking the top spot away from them for now.

FR defeats BNR 4-3 (Prediction: 4-3 BNR)
It was no surprise this came down to Travis vs Daru in Game 7.

SP defeats SS 5-1 (Prediction: 4-2 SP)
SP nearly gets the clean sweep as SS had many falters in this one.

SPS defeats REG 4-3 (Prediction: 4-2 SPS)
SPS dodges disaster as they almost gave REG their first win.

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Week 5: Correct (3), Incorrect (2), Exact (0)

Overall: 15/25, 60%

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With 5 weeks already in the books, what have we learned from the first half of the season?

Well, we'll start with the East. We can see SP means business. Obviously it was the right decision to switch these guys over during the pre-season; the other teams of the West wouldn't stand much of a chance. With their comfortable 5-0 lead, will anyone be able to keep up and bring them down? The other teams in the division pretty much remain in a deadlock, with SS down in the bottom having a rough time competing with the rest.

Over in the West, it's not quite the same story; at least there's a battle going on for the top spot. X8B feels right at home again with their comeback into interleagues. But, they showed many signs of weakness against their divisional rivals DS, who has also been quite impressive in their own ways - and it shows in the record. And the other teams? Not so impressive. SPS, UO, and REG have fallen and find themselves in the bottom looking up.

All that being said, there's still time to turn things around. I hope you're comfortable because there are no more league switches allowed. Good luck in the final 5 weeks.

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Xtreme8Ball vs Ultimate Outlaws

Last week X8B went against DS and majorly came up short, losing it 1-5. Right after the first game turned out to be a runbreak again them, X8B surely realized things weren't going to be pretty. Loss after loss kept piling up as shots were missed and DS capitalized. X8B simply got outplayed as they couldn't get anything going. Only positive thing coming from this match was that David was able to salvage one win in the final game. With this loss, they've handed DS the top spot for the time being. X8B will need to regroup and come in wanting the win against UO as they try to keep ugly from turning into uglier.

Just like X8B, UO also picked up a loss last week, and in pretty similar fashion, going 1-5 against 8BC. It was a tough match for UO going against a team from the East, and 8BC proved to be just too strong for UO to do much of anything. Dawn picked up the sole win in Game 3, but other than that, it wasn't pretty. They'll need to figure it out in the second half if they hope to get into the playoffs. They're best chance is for SPS to stumble along the way. One big problem is that nobody is stepping up to shine, yet, so it's pretty much a mess. X8B showed some signs of weakness last week, so I wouldn't be too surprised if UO is able to make this one close.

Prediction: 4-3 X8B

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Simply Pool Souls vs Straightshots

Last week SS went up against SP, and let's just say it was pretty ugly. They ended up losing 1-5, and just had everything going against them. Scott had an early 8 ball in Game 1 after a perfectly place snook probably would have won it; Pita got ranbroke by Craig in Game 3; another early 8 for Nhan in Game 5; and Shell had an unfortunate scratch in Game 6 which cost her that one. It wasn't all bad news for SS, however. Pretty much everybody on the table, including myself, was surprised so see Ant making a comeback into interleagues. He instantly becomes the one to beat on this SS team as he tries to help turn things around. They're desperate for a win, and SPS gives them a great chance to do just that.

SPS played Regul8ors last week and put themselves in a position they surely didn't want to see themselves in. After Jason won the first game, SPS lost the next 3 and went down 1-3. Now, if they were playing any other team, that 1-3 would likely result in a loss for the entire match. However, REG kept their streak going and showed short-handed again; a relief for SPS as they picked up two more credits and Jason won in the tiebreaker. With this win, SPS now finds themselves in the middle of the pack. As long as they don't screw up royally, they should keep this spot all the way through the remainder of the season. First they take on SS, though, a cross-division match which I'm putting them in as the major major underdogs.

Prediction: 4-2 SS

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Regul8ors vs Deadstrokes

REG went 3-4 last week with SPS. They would have perhaps won it too if they didn't show up shorthanded. That's two weeks in a row now that REG has had a chance to win but ended up losing due to a lack of players. I have't figured out this team yet, if there even is something to figure out. Their wins make it seem like they have what it takes to make a comeback, but I just don't think REG has the depth to pull that off. On a brighter note, Brian has returned from wherever and I'm guessing he'll resume captain duties for the final half. Their chances against DS lies in his hands. If he can pull his guys together and show up with 6, a doubtful upset might be in the making.

Last week DS played X8B and dominated practically the whole match. After their run break in Game 1, the tone was set. Their opponents made a few mistakes and DS capitalized on every opportunity. They came in with guns blazing and that's exactly what they needed to do. After going up 5-0 quickly, they ended up losing the last. But still, this 5-1 victory is exactly what they needed to do to shoot themselves up into first place. Over the past 3 weeks, DS has only lost 3 games. They have certainly turned up the heat as they're emerging as favorites to win the division. As long as DS doesn't take this match easily, REG shouldn't cause many problems for them.

Prediction: 5-1 DS

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Sexy Poolerz vs Break and Run

Last week SP had a really fortunate showing with SS. They ended up winning 5-1, but besides Craig's run break, SS did all the hard work for them practically. With two early 8's and near-end scratch going in their favor, it was more bad luck for their opponent's then good luck for them. Anyways, a win is a win however you luck at it, and it was a win which pushed them even further in the lead. SP faces up against BNR this week, again. They won it 4-2 the first time around, and if SP's best show up in top form, I don't see why they can't repeat that Week 1 victory again tonight.

BNR faced off against FR last week and it wasn't so pretty. It was split after two games, lost the third and then picked up 2 wins going up 3-2. They looked to have it won in Game 6 quite easily, but with a missed fairly routine top middle shot right before the 8 ball, the match was dragged into a Game 7. It was Travis and Daru as expected, but Daru couldn't close it out this time around. Tough pill to swallow when they had the win in hand. If BNR can win this tonight with SP, they'll have a sure-win against UO. So if they want to get back in the hunt, now is the time to make their move.

Prediction: 4-2 SP

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8BallCrushers vs Freedom

Last week 8BC played UO and won it 5-1 without much of a misstep. After the score went 1-1, they picked up the rest of the games. 8BC has turned out to be the pleasant surprise in this division as they're doing very well to keep up with the bigger-named teams. They have 4-straight divisional games in line, so they're going to need to make sure to stay on top of their games before they slip down the standings. Niks has become the new captain as he replaces JJ's spot. I'm sure he'll give it his all to keep his team in playoff contention. They lost vs FR 4-3 back in Week 1, but maybe things will be different this time around.

FR played BNR last week and ended up winning 4-3. It was Travis who saved the day yet again in Game 7, beating out Daru. But, I'm sure they're secretively thanking BNR for faltering back in Game 6 which opened the door for a second opportunity for Travis as he had it lost in that game versus Ross. This tiebreaker match with BNR is FR's fourth for the season. Surely Petey would prefer not to stress himself out like that, but what can you do? With Matt in the box for non-reports, hopefully someone shows up to fill his spot, or else this match with 8BC could very easily be lost.

Prediction: 4-3 FR

Week 5

Minus the Monday night game, no big surprises for Week 4 (tack on more incorrect predictions for me, though). Here's how it all played out.

X8B defeats FR 4-3 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
The X8B boys make me proud as they take out the defending champions.

SP defeats 8BC 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 8BC)
SP proves they're a force to be reckoned with as they beat 8BC.

UO defeats REG 4-3 (Prediction: 4-2 UO)
UO barely sneaks out of this one as they win versus REG by default.

BNR defeats SS 4-3 (Prediction: 4-2 BNR)
BNR takes care of business in a close one against SS.

DS defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 SPS)
DS shows up big and muscles their way through SPS in their own home.

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Week 4: Correct (2), Incorrect (3), Exact (0)

Overall: 12/20, 60%

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Looking at the Eastern standings, SP is still comfortably locked into first place with their 2-game lead. However, beyond that it's a deadlock for 2nd place with three teams with identical records. I'm expecting to see a little more separation in the upcoming weeks, though.

Over in the West it's not quite as even. X8B and DS have pulled away from the pack as they're looking like clear favorites to lock in a playoff spot. I imagine SPS and UO will be battling it out for the third place seed all the way throughout the season.

As we approach the midway point, it's time to really start evaluating your team's playoff hopes. Learn from the beginning half and improve on it. The season is far from over, so good luck.

Remember: No more league switches after this week

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8BallCrushers vs Ultimate Outlaws

This week's cross-division match looks to again have the East as favorites over the West.

8BC took a loss against SP last week, 2-4. I had them predicted to win, but their opponent's showed up very strong and they got overpowered. It was one of the longest matches for WSOP so far, nearly hitting the 3-hour mark. There was plenty of chaos, particularly during Game 2 with some delayed game play. And if it wasn't for a missed 8 ball during that game, 8BC would have at least had a better chance to bring it to the tiebreaker. They were without their star player JJ and Raj got ran on by Cubby. Either way, they should have it easier tonight against a much softer UO team.

UO also had a slightly chaotic match last week going against REG. I wasn't there, but just looking at the match report, it was surely a mess. If I'm deciphering it correctly, UO went down 0-4 right out of the gates. However, a DQ saved them and received some free wins via credits since their opponents showed up shorthanded. With the score 3-3, UO then had it lost in the tiebreaker, but ended up winning after a tape timer ran out... got all that? Yeah, me neither. If UO struggled to pick up legit wins against REG, I have little hopes for them being able to get much of anything going against 8BC.

Prediction: 4-2 8BC

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Xtreme8Ball vs Deadstrokes

The top two teams in the West battle it out here.

X8B went all the way with FR last week. The match literally went back-and-forth: X8B wins, FR wins, X8B wins, FR wins, etc etc, until David sealed the deal for X8B with a win in the Game 7 tiebreaker. I wasn't there so I can't exactly speculate what went right for us and what went wrong for them, but a nice win for X8B to beat an Eastern team in the cross-division match. This match against DS does look easier on paper, but by no means can X8B come in with that mindset. They remain in the top spot for now, but DS is keeping it close.

Last week DS didn't have much of a problem taking out their opponents in SPS. They went up quickly 3-0, lost to SPS's best player Joe, and Jake clinched it in Game 5. This win for DS gives them a comfortable two-game lead over the 3rd place teams. However, surely they're not looking below themselves. The #1 seed is what they're hunting for and tonight gives them a good opportunity to snatch it. X8B should be a bigger hurdle to get over than SPS was, but if DS comes with their A games, they just might be able to pull it off.

Prediction: 4-3 X8B

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Break and Run vs Freedom

Weeeeeeee running out of time, 20 min to go before match let's see if I can ramble together a post here.

BNR won last week versus SS. Good job to Daru on doing what he does by clinching the Game 7. Um, what else.. guess that's it. Good luck against FR, you'll need it if they bring a stacked team like they have the potential to.

FR lost to X8B lost week. Upset city. They'll need to play better to make it through BNR. Simple as that. It looks like a few of them are changing ID's to match Nish's pro. prefix... yeah find me any other post that has ever used "prefix" in it before. Go get 'em tigers, rawr.

Prediction: 4-3 BNR

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Straightshots vs Sexy Poolerz

The bottom of the East will try to knockdown the top-seeded team.

SS got their third straight loss against BNR last week. They came close, but just couldn't get the job done in Game 7. Sitting at 1-3, SS is clearly in the bottom of the division as they're struggling to get anything going. Looking at their roster, nobody stands out as they've all had below par seasons thus far. SS certainly needs to turn things around if they have any hopes of claiming a playoff spot. They ought to have some sort of urgency tonight. If they some how make it out with a win tonight, they'll have a soft match with SPS next week which will put them right back in the race. But like I said, they need to make it though SP first, a feat which won't be easy.

Last week SP picked up yet another win, 4-2 against 8BC. It was a pretty long match, hitting over the 2-hour mark. But, SP stuck it out and won in the end. Just looking at who showed up on this night, I've certainly under estimated their potential to go the distance. SP has turned into a bit of a recruitment agency with not only the few PFN members we've seen, but now Craig from SS and Kevin coming back from no where... these guys are seriously deep with talent as any player can win in any game. This depth of skill gives them the edge over a SS team which seems to be struggling to keep up.

Prediction: SP 4-2

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Regul8ors vs Simply Pool Souls

Two teams looking to hopefully improve on their slow starts.

Last week REG had a wild match against UO, and they nearly won it too. However, due to some DQs, they ended up losing 3-4 when technically they didn't lose a game. Because they were able to put up some wins, it gives me hope that perhaps there's some sort of talent hidden in there. But, showing up short-handed won't get the job done - better than not showing up at all, though. I'm sure Spunky did all he could in that short period of time to get people together. I'd like to think they'll have a better turn out tonight, but probably coming up short as their losses continue to pile on.

SPS took another loss last week, this time at the hands of DS. I thought they had a better chance of winning that match, but DS proved to be too strong for them. With that loss, SPS finds themselves secured in the 3rd-place. Luckily for the, UO and REG aren't major threats for them to lose that spot. However, if they won't to move up in the ranks, the whole team needs to play better. Really simple as that. Joe is doing best so far with his 3-1 and a clinch, but no one else is above 50%. Tonight will be a good opportunity against REG for the players to pick up some wins and gain some momentum for the second half.

Prediction: 4-2 SPS

Week 4

One upset, two near blowouts, a no show, a match which should have been lost, and a partridge in a pear tree. Here's a recap for the matches of Week 3:

8BC defeats BNR 4-3 (Prediction: BNR 4-3)
8BC picks up the tiebreaker victory in an upset over BNR.

DS defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: DS 4-2)
DS clearly was firing on all cylinders as UO takes a big loss.

SP defeats REG 6-0 (Prediction: SP 6-0)
Another no show from REG gives SP a bigger lead in the East.

FR defeats SS 4-2 (Prediction: SS 4-2)
Tough loss for SS considering FR only showed with 4.

X8B defeats SPS 5-1 (Prediction: X8B 4-2)
X8B nearly gets the sweep, but SPS stopped that in Game 6.

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Week 3: Correct (3), Incorrect (2), Exact (1)

Overall: 10/15, 67%

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SP and X8B still find themselves undefeated after 3 weeks and on top of their divisions. Both teams drew tough match-ups this week, however, as the rest try to play catch up.

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Freedom vs Xtreme8Ball

Season 4 champions taking on the new guys. Will talent or beginner's luck prevail?

For this week's FR shpiel, let me start with an excerpt from the previous: "Showing up with 5 won't get the job done, or will it?" Well, Petey took it a step further against SS and one-upped me and got the job done with only 4 players this time. Adam and Matt both won, Nish picked up a DQ, and Petey clinched. A win's a win, but surely Petey must realize playoff chances are slim with a short lineup. He knows what X8B is capable of with fellow Fringles on the X8B team in myself and Trey. But if he isn't careful, the not-so-well-known guys could take him by surprise.

Last week X8B had a big win over what was expected to be their biggest division competition in SPS. But, X8B came out firing and didn't let SPS gain an inch all the way through as X8B went up 5-0 and eventually lost in Game 6. Trey kept his perfect record in tact going to 3-0, but it was the other guys who stepped up. David (ffgamer86) had a clean run after his opponent's break and looks to be one of the breakout guys for the team. Gino and Paul (wild) each won, and Faraz picked up the clinch... as you all say, "Who?" These guys haven't played against a high caliber team like FR yet, so let's see how they do.

Prediction: 4-3 FR

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Sexy Poolerz vs 8BallCrushers

Free pass for SP last week as their opponents pulled a no-show. It wouldn't have been out of the question for them to shutout REG. If both teams did show, I had confidence in SP that they would come out of it without a scratch. Well anyways, hopefully the team is well-rested because SP has a much more challenging match-up with 8BC today. If Brice is able to get his star players to show, this will be quite a match. They have the division lead for now, but 8BC is right on their heels. SP will need to do all they can to keep a comfortable lead in tact.

Last week 8BC had the upset of the week over BNR. They had to hold their breath for a bit as it came down to Game 7, but in the end, Raj (indian4life247) got the job done over Jordy. This win just shows everybody that 8BC has the goods to compete with the big boys. Now coming in with a two-game streak, they must be filled with confidence. I'll be expecting a bit of the same with JJ trying to keep his unbeaten record and Lost and Raj coming off 2-0 records. SP isn't going to just roll over, so 8BC will need to give it all they have to stay in it until the end.

Prediction: 4-3 8BC

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Regul8ors

Two teams at 0-3 here, who's going to get their first win?

I missed writing the UO prediction 2 weeks in a row now. Not intentional, but got it in this time. They played DS last week and got beat. Beat pretty badly, 1-5. It's hard to get anything positive from that, but it's important for these guys to stick it out together and just keep going. I expect they'll pull out a win tonight versus REG and not just because there's a chance REG no shows. I believe they're the more talented team and hopefully that shows tonight. It hasn't been pretty so far, but perhaps UO will turn it around here.

Back-to-back no shows for REG. Not such a great sign considering the captain was pretty excited to get going once his team joined. Well, that captain Brian has disappeared and left his team stranded. I found out last week that's the reason for the no shows: captain issues. I talked it over with one of the players and suggested he take over as captain and lead the team back into the picture. I have my doubt of this working out, but we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and wait to see what happens. UO will be the most equally matched opponent for them.

Prediction: 4-2 UO

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Break and Run vs Straightshots

A battle to stay out of the bottom of the East.

Last week BNR took a loss against 8BC. Croz started the team off in the hole, but Ross, Jordy, Daru cleaned up and got the team in a nice position to win at 3-1. Here was their downfall, however. BNR doesn't have much more depth to close it out after those 4 have played. I predicted it to go into Game 7, so not really surprised there. But unfortunately for them, Jordy couldn't get the job done in the tiebreaker. They'll need to regroup and hope for a better outcome against SS. If they can win tonight, BNR will be right there tied for 2nd place.

SS had a headache of a match with FR last week. It started off ugly and finished off uglier. Game 1 they lose, Game 2 they lose, Game 3 results in a DQ because the league ID and WSOP ID didn't match, and Game 4 they lose. And the worst part about it... FR only had 4 players. They only needed to win once of those first 4 and it would have been instant tiebreaker possibility at the least. After 3 weeks, SS finds themselves last place in the East. They lost Craig to SP which is kind of a big hit in my opinion. Let's see how they handle BNR in hopes of a recovery.

Prediction: 4-2 BNR

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Simply Pool Souls vs Deadstrokes

Two teams stuck in the middle of the East. Will DS add to their lead or will SPS tie things up at 2nd place?

Last week SPS got beat pretty badly against X8B. They pretty much got outplayed from start to nearly finish until Becky picked up a 6th game win putting the score at 1-5. Surely not what the team would have liked to see going against the 1st place team, but they just need to clean up the wounds and keep on truckin'. This week should be a little easier against DS, but surely won't be a walk in the park. Look for Jason and Joe to come in confident to boost up team spirits as SPS tries to keep up and not fall further behind in the standings.

After their free pass back in Week 2 against REG, DS played a near-perfect game with UO, winning it 5-1. These two big wins have rocketed them up to 2nd place after losing in Week 1. It played out pretty much in reverse of how SPS lost. DS lost Game 1, but bounced back nicely as the team swept the rest. DS isn't the strongest team, but they certainly have the goods to make this one close with SPS. They have a comfortable lead in 2nd place for now. If they lose, SPS will tie it up with them. DS'll need to keep their eyes looking upwards before X8B pulls out of sight.

Prediction: 4-3 SPS

Week 3

Week 2 started off rather blazay, but things got a bit more interesting towards the close of the week. Here's how the matches played out:

X8B defeats UO 4-2 (Predicted: n/a)
Newcomers X8B claim the 2-0 start as they beat UO.

DS defeats REG 6-0 (Predicted: 4-2 DS)
DS got to enjoy a free win versus a non-showing REG.

BNR defeats SPS 5-1 (Predicted: 4-2 BNR)
The bigger team flexed their muscles as BNR nearly shutout SPS.

SP defeats FR 4-3 (Predicted: 4-3 SP)
SP pulls off the comeback win in a wild match with FR.

8BC defeats SS 5-1 (Predicted: n/a)
8BC shows up strong at home against their last season rivals SS.

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Week 2: Correct (3), Incorrect (2), Exact (1)

Overall: 7/10, 70%

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As the start of Week 3 approaches, it's too soon to make out the clear divisional breakaway candidates. Though two weeks, however, SP and X8B lead their respective divisions with loss-free records. But, there is still plenty of time for the other teams to make up lost ground. Good luck.

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8BallCrushers vs Break and Run

#2 and #3 in the East face off here, and based on the start of the season, this one could be very close.

Last week (or rather yesterday) 8BC played SS. Most would think SS would have the upper hand in that one just through their experience. And, well, those most people would be wrong. 8BC nearly had a clean sweep against SS in that match, winning it 5-1 (and their one loss coming off a double DQ situation). Perhaps they just had a lot of luck on their side, but this big win surely boosts their confidence up quite a bit, a boost they will greatly need to ride going against BNR. If 8BC plays at their best, I don't see why they can't sneak away with another victory.

BNR played SPS last week and beat them badly with little surprise 5-1. Their one loss came in Game 1 as Croz messed up more than once, as I was told. Obviously that didn't effect the rest of the team, as Ross, Mina, Jordy, Daru, and Lisa all closed it out for the win. It was an expected easy win for them, but it gets a little tougher against 8BC. Dina and her crew shouldn't under estimate these guys. 8BC does have some hidden gems in the mix, but as long as BNR's best shows up in top form, they should be able to get the job done in what should be a close match.

Prediction: BNR 4-3

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Deadstrokes vs Ultimate Outlaws

[Yet another game prediction missed, someone should fire me]

Prediction: DS 4-2

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Sexy Poolerz vs Regul8ors

Top of the East versus bottom of the West. This could get ugly.

Last week SP had a bizarre match with FR. First, there was a mix up with the start time: FR thought 7pm, but SP followed 6pm. Brice allowed an extension so FR could get players eligible. 3 games in, FR had the clear lead at 3-0 and FR even offered a Re-Rack. SP stayed alive with a DQ in Game 4, got a free win in Game 6, and Cubby closed it out in overtime. Not exactly a sound win, but a win regardless. Brice is steadily building up a deep talented roster. They'll have a much easier time in this Cross-Division match going against REG, a team which didn't even show up last week.

Considering REG didn't show in their match with DS last week, I don't have much to say. But, let's see if I can squeeze out some sort of shpiel anyways. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but seems like the captain simply forgot about the match or simply forgot to tell his players to cover it. Either way, the 0-6 never helps and now they find themselves at the bottom of the division and going against their toughest opponent yet by far. Even if REG does show up with a full team, I can't say I like their chances here at all. Keep your fingers cross and hope for the best.

Prediction: SP 6-0

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Straightshots vs Freedom

These two teams here are virtually tied for the bottom spot in the East.

SS faced off against 8BC at the start of this week and lost it badly, 1-5, and their one win came off of a DQ. I wasn't at the match, so I can't exactly speculate what went wrong for SS, but I didn't expect that big of a defeat at all. Either they got outplayed or just sheer bad luck, whatever it was, they need to regroup, and quickly. It'll be tough to bounce back going against FR if FR does show up with a full lineup of the usual. However, I expect SS to produce while they try their best to stay out of the bottom of the division.

Last week FR lost against SP and a loss which surely didn't settle well with them. They went up 3-0, DQ'd in Game 4, loss Game 5, threw away the 6th game with no player, and ended up losing the tiebreaker. Ugly. Brutal. Lesson learned. Showing up with 5 won't get the job done, or will it? With Adam showing up, Matt back on the team, and adding an ex-PFN in Nish, this week's team was an improvement to Week 1's. Petey and his guys will need to put what happened with SP behind them and move on. Keep focused on the match at hand and don't let the past trip you up.

Prediction: SS 4-2

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Xtreme8Ball vs Simply Pool Souls

Two fairly evenly matched teams here, should be a good one.

Granted they've had the softest opening schedule out of anyone else in their division, X8B has started nicely at 2-0. Last week they went against UO and got off to a shaky start, behind 1-2. Their projected big three in Ben, Greg, and Trey sealed the deal though and got the 4-2 win. SPS should be a good challenge for X8B as SPS is probably their biggest divisional competition along with DS. The pressure is on for Ben (yeah that's me) and his crew to keep the perfect record "alive" at home in Alive.. see what I did there? :>

Last week SPS had a tough match up with BNR and got beat 1-5. Some how Joe won the first game against Croz, but the rest of them were slipped away as SPS just didn't have the oomph to match up well at all. Things should get easier here for Jason, Joe, and the regular bunch of SPS'ers.
X8B looks to be one of SPS's toughest division competitors, which is all the more reason they'll be fighting hard for this win. A victory, being the away team, breaking the 2-0 record, getting back in the hunt for top spot in the East? Yeah, a lot to fight for here.

Prediction: X8B 4-2

Week 2

Minus the last minute team replacements, Season 5 has started without much of a hitch and Week 1 is a wrap. Here's a look at the scores from last week:

FR defeats 8BC 4-3 (Prediction: 4-3 8BC)
FR starts right where they left off as 8BC stumbled this one away

SP defeats BNR 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 SP)
SP v2.0 impresses with a nice win versus a strong BNR lineup

SPS defeats UO 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 SPS)
SPS wins quietly versus what should be their division rivals in UO

X8B defeats REG 4-2 (Prediction: X8B 4-2)
X8B got the win as both them and REG made their WSOP debut

SS defeats DS 5-1 (Prediction: SS 4-2)
SS gets a convincing win in their cross-division match with DS

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Week 1: Correct (4), Incorrect (1), Exact (1)

Overall: 4/5, 80%

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With Week 1 behind us, everyone should now be settled in for the long haul. To those teams that won, congrats, nice way to start the season off. And for those in the losing column, shake off those first week jitters and fight your way back into the mix. Hopefully you don't find yourself in a deeper hole after this week. It's either time to keep the wins coming or time for a bounce back. Either way, give 'em hell.

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Xtreme8Ball

[Oops, totally spaced on writing this one, sorry wasn't intentional]

Prediction: ?

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Deadstrokes vs Regul8ors

Both teams here had a loss last week. Who wants to get on the winning side of things more?

Last week DS had a tough match up versus SS. It was easily the hardest start off match compared to any other team in their division. Because of this, DS didn't really have a chance to shine. Well, things get a bit easier for them here going against REG. I'll be looking for them to bounce back big tonight as they try to climb out of an ugly 1-5 start. And if anyone noticed, it was my fault for putting up Chele as captain over Thomas in Week 1. My apologies for the mix up. As long as Thomas sticks around, he should be able to do some good.

REG started off their WSOP debut with a loss versus another debut team in X8B. It was a very distracting match to say the least, as all of their opponent's players were being booted from the table. Perhaps this threw them off of their game a little bit, or perhaps they just got outplayed. But either way, they'll need to brush off the dust and get right back into the fight. It's a long season ahead and starting 0-2 won't be so good for the team morale considering they're new to the scene and all.

Prediction: 4-2 DS

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Break and Run vs Simply Pool Souls

Two teams who were in the same division last season meet up in a Cross-Division match here.

Last week BNR met up with the new SP for the first time and took a loss. It may have come as a bit of a surprise as they came with their typical quality line up. But anyways, the 2-4 loss puts them at the bottom of the division, not exactly where they were hoping to start I'm sure. Last season BNR got two wins against SPS, so they know they can do the same again. As long as the BNR key players do what they do, BNR shouldn't have too many problems going against SPS.

SPS got a nice win last week going against UO. They took the first 4 games quickly and went up 4-0. They lost the final 2 games, but a win is a win. A nice start for Joe and his team, indeed. But now they're put up against a more challenging test with the cross-division match against BNR. They ought to know they're coming in as the underdogs (even though some of them may not think that) and BNR being the home team surely doesn't help their case any. I wouldn't be surprised if they make this one close based on pure determination alone, however.

Prediction: BNR 4-2

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Freedom vs Sexy Poolerz

This one almost looks like a repeat of the finals from last season: the reigning champions take on half of the PFN team + SP = SPFN. (Yes, that's getting old by now, I'm aware)

Last week FR had a close match with 8BC. It was drawn out to the Game 7 tiebreaker, in which, yep you guess it, Travis clinched for the win. FR's opponents 8BC had quite a few mishaps in this match, and FR could have easily lost it, which I imagine might feel a little uneasy. Shaky start or not, they got the W. However, I can't help feeling like the season lays in the hands of Travis and Sid. Unless some others like Adam and Mike show up regularly, I don't quite think FR will be able to muster up another title, a reality which might very well strike tonight vs SP.

SP started off with a bang with a win against BNR. This surely isn't the same 0-10, 2-8 team from previous seasons. Even with the division switch, they came in confident and got the job done. OK, so one match is a very small sample size to start giving such praise to the newly modified team, but it's hard to deny the PFN additions were probably the off-season acquisition needed to turn this team around in a big way. Tonight, I wouldn't be surprised to see even more PFN players (namely Carlos and Brent) get some playing time. If FR's talent shows up, it's a very close match to call. If not, SP could take this with ease.

Prediction: 4-3 SP

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8BallCrushers vs Straightshots

Prediction:

Week 1

Welcome everyone to Season 5! With a new season comes a new setup. The divisions have been split based on talent and overall ability. Read all about the reason behind it here. Hopefully this brings in more competition and more enjoyable games for all.

Brice joins me with predictions this season. You can go read his blog here.

We have some good match-ups in our opening week, let's get right into it...

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Freedom vs 8BallCrushers

Going back to last season, FR and 8BC have a little bit of history going between the two. They were both in the same division and find themselves in the same one again. FR finished well-ahead of 8BC, but 8BC stung FR by ending their perfect streak two weeks before the end. By the end of it all, FR got the upper hand by beating 8BC in the semi-finals.

Well this is a new season, obviously, and both teams are coming in looking changed. Even though FR is the reigning champion, it seems many of the talented players aren't so reliable nowadays. Ben hadn't played at all during the finals. Trav, Adam, Sid seem to show up only when they remember. It could get ugly early on for FR until Petey and his guys get settled in.

As for 8BC, Niks has passed the reigns over to JJ to captain the team. This isn't such an extreme change as JJ is one of the more reliable players for the team, but lets see how he does keeping consistency throughout the team. 8BC has a tough hill to climb in this division, but they will surely put up a fight, starting with versus the defending champions.

Prediction: 4-3 8BC

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Break and Run vs Sexy Poolerz

Last season BNR finished 2nd in their division with a respectable 7-3 and SP was dead last in theirs with a 2-8. So, this match ought to be a blow out for BNR then, right? Wrong. This will be a lot closer than what the previous season's records might show. BNR may have remained the same, but SP is practically a revamped team.

BNR has a few key talented players in the lineup. I might even go as far as considering Croz, Jordy, Daru as the team's Big 3. But what I fear, however, is where do we go from there if any of those 3 slips up during the match? Ross finished out last season strong, Mina is pretty solid, and Saf can be good when trying. BNR will need to keep up their consistency to make it deep.

Last night SP was moved up with the Eastern teams, taking EC's spot. The move was made because any replacement team just wouldn't be able to compete with the big dogs. Brice knew this and Brice has a lot of confidence in his team that they will be able to hold their own in this division. And with the additions of a few PFN players, I don't see why this SPFN hybrid can't have a great season either way.

Prediction: 4-3 SP

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Simply Pool Souls vs Ultimate Outlaws

Looking at the results from last season, you might call this one the battle of the bottom feeders. Both teams had abysmal seasons with 1-9 records with their only win coming against each other. However, this is a new season and SPS and UO should benefit from this new division format. Both teams have new leadership, and it might get a bit heated seeing who those captains are...

Leading the SPS squad is the duo of Jason and Joe. With Monte passing the reigns over to them two shows he has confidence in them both. This Week 1 match-up has the captains watering at the mouth. You must be living under a rock if you haven't heard the drama behind the Jason-Heather ex-relationship. He has already warned me this could get ugly. Hopefully the team will be able to put that to the side, however, and focus on winning the match.

UO also has a new pair of captains with Heather and TJ. This was possibly the best move for UO because it gives them a star player in TJ and he and Heather can work at building up the team to solid form. I'm not so sure who will show up for the team, but it can't really be any worse than last season. Heather and TJ should both know this can get out of hand quickly, so hopefully they too will keep focused on the games and get the job done.

Prediction: 4-3 SPS

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Regul8ors vs Xtreme8Ball

It's awkward predicting for my own team, but here it is. The 4th match of the week features two teams new to WSOP with REG and X8B. It should be interesting to see how well they fare in the division because both teams will be using players unfamiliar with the interleague scene (for the most part).

Even though Regul8ors has been around since 2003, I don't know the last time they have been a part of an interleague, if at all. What I do know, however, is that the REG captain Brian is eager to have a great showing for his team. Having supposedly entered every interleague there is coming up, he has been pushing hard to make a name for his team. No idea who's all on the team, but whoever does show up they'll give it their all I'm sure.

Unlike REG, I do remember the last time X8B was in interleague (obviously because I was captain of it). That previous team won the final season of MLP and had a high caliber type team. However, this new X8B team coming in is nothing like the old and is a hodgepodge not-so-well-known league members. Hopefully that will turn out to be a good thing though. Bringing in the new players mixed with a few others can potentially catch our opponent's by surprise, right? Hey, I said hopefully.

Prediction: 4-2 X8B

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Straightshots vs Deadstrokes

The last of the week is a Cross-Divisional match between SS and DS. One down side of this divisional switch up that we should see if that the Eastern division should always have the upper-hand over the Western division in these Cross-Division matches. That doesn't mean the West won't put up a fight, though.

After winning their division in Season 3, SS had a fairly mediocre Season 4 with a 5-5 record and lost Round 1 of the playoffs. I'm sure Shelle and her guys will be hoping for a rebound and finish a bit better this time around. I assume the same team is returning for Season 5, and looks like Craig joins the WSOP team. Even if he might bring some negative energy to the team, there's no doubt he has potential to rise up and become a key player. I don't see any reason why SS shouldn't be able to start off in the W column tonight.

They were with us in Season 1, they made it to finals in Season 2, and tried to make a playoff return in Season 3. And now they're back for Season 5. Coming into the season, I figured Thomas was going to lead the team. But last night, Chele told me he's moving on (no big surprise) and she's taking over. DS has what it takes to finish top 3 in this division, probably with ease especially if they can return with their Season 2 playoff team. They have a tough match here versus SS, but I wouldn't be surprised if DS some how pulls it off.

Prediction: 4-2 SS

Season 5: Pre-Season

We're baaaaack! Ben (the_lvlag1cian) here again for another season of WSOP Predictions. Thank you to all of you returning readers and hello to the new ones :)

Season 4 ended with a great finals battle between two long-time rivals in PFN and FR. The two teams finished off on top of their respective divisions, but it was FR who took home the title after winning the series in Games 2 and 3. Congrats again to FR and a nice showing by PFN.

Here are the final standings for Season 4:

Eastern PFN  9-1 (39-21) BNR  7-3 (34-26) SPS  1-9 (22-38) UO  1-9 (19-41)

Western FR  9-1 (39-21) 8BC  6-4 (32-28) SS  5-5 (32-28) SP  2-8 (23-37)

In my opinion (and hopefully it's obvious to others as well), these standings are beyond lopsided.

Before the season even started, I (and I'm sure others) knew exactly how the standings were going to be by the end of the season. The best teams in the division rise to the top, while the lesser-talented teams naturally fall to the bottom as anyone would expect barring some luck.

I'm not trying to discredit the near-perfect records for PFN and FR; both were well-deserved due to nearly flawless game play. But, it was pretty much smooth sailing for the top teams to reach playoffs because the lesser teams in the division just couldn't compete.

And that, in my eyes, doesn't make it very entertaining or exciting not only for me to predict the games, but to watch as well. Wouldn't you rather watch a close divisional match between PFN and FR than watch PFN walk all over UO with ease? (Just using those teams as examples, sorry UO).

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is a heightened level of competition is better for an interleague. For previous seasons, divisions were formed by splitting up the top teams and mix in the lesser teams to fill the slots. Well, this time it's different obviously. I decided to introduce this idea of splitting the teams into divisions based on past-season records and overall ability.

This idea is taking a page right out of UIC's book basically. We have an upper division and a lower division. The returning teams were split based on their Season 4 records: FR (9-1), BNR (7-3), 8BC (6-4), SS (5-5) were all placed in the upper division and UO (1-9), SPS (1-9), SP (2-8) were all placed in the lower division.

This split left one more spot in the upper and two more spots in the lower and DS, EC, REG still had to be placed. Out of those three, I took what I predict would be the best team out of those (EC) and placed them in the upper with DS and REG going to the lower. I mainly chose EC based on how well they fared in the most recent season of PRO with a respectable 7-6 record.

(I don't know the following for fact, but just anticipating the negatives)

Now I understand that this new split is a little controversial and likely might upset a few of the top teams claiming it to be unfair that their team has been put up against the best. To that I would say to be the best you ought to fight against the best in order to claim a spot in the playoffs.

On the other hand, the not-as-talented teams in the upper division (say 8BC and perhaps EC) might be upset because their already counting themselves out and see their is a big hill to climb to make it up to the top of the division. And to that I would say take it as a compliment that I'm thinking you're good enough to compete against the best.

But don't fret, because although we will be keeping this new split idea in place for the next few seasons to see if my theory of heightened competition does hold up, the divisions for the next season will change slightly based on the final standings as follows:

The two upper teams which don't make playoffs will go into the lower division, and the two top lower teams based on record will move into the upper division.

So to wrap this up, I'm not trying to be unfair to the bigger teams and belittle the smaller teams. This new split idea will hopefully bring a sense of excitement within the divisions while evening the playing fields quite a bit. Two 1-9 records in the East and a 2-8 records in the West last season; surely no team wants to go through the experience of a bad season like that.

Please leave your comments here on the post. I'd like to hear all feedback: you're either for or against the idea. Just know that I don't mind any criticism, so let it all out. I'll further explain the reasoning if that's what you need. Thanks.

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Welcome back 8BC, BNR, DS, FR, SP, SPS, SP, UO and welcome to WSOP EC and REG.

I won't be doing pre-season rankings, just because I don't really like doing them. I'll try to do predictions every week, but just know that they're not always posted at the same time. I might do all matches a few days ahead, or I might posted 30 min before the game. Either way, they will be done :)

We're looking forward to another successful season. Best of luck everyone!

Playoffs

[insert epic introductory line here]. With another regular season down, playoffs have arrived. Eat your Wheaties, do your stretches, drink your Gatorade, and rub your lucky charms because now is the time to shine. But first, here's a recap of Week 10...

BNR defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 BNR)
Nothing terribly surprising here as BNR wins as expected

PFN defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 5-1 PFN)
Nearly a clean sweep as PFN gets another big win

FR defeats SP 6-0 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
FR ties PFN for the best overall record with this blowout

8BC defeats SS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 SS)
8BC reclaims the #2 seed from SS

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Week 10: Correct (3), Incorrect (1), Exact (2)

Overall: 34/40, 85%

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The All-Stars match comes before the playoffs and will take place this Sunday @ 5pm in Under Pressure. The division which wins this 6v6 carry match will claim the upper playoff brackets. You can see the teams for each side [here].

I don't have much of a prediction for the All-Stars match because both sides have some great players and really its up for grabs. But, if you'd twist my arm and force me into choosing, I'm going to give the East the very slightest of edges and say East 6-5.

Before I get into the playoff predictions, and on the other Admins' behalves, we want to thank all teams and players for another great 10-week season. Hopefully you've all enjoyed yourself thus far because at the end of the day, what good is this game if you're not having a bit of competitive fun? We're looking forward to the playoff matches ahead and hopefully we'll see you all back for Season 5 ;)

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I've decided instead of doing a prediction for each match, I'll give my thoughts on each playoff team separately and then include some predicted scores on the bottom. Best of luck everyone.

8 Ball Crushers
(Record: 6-4, Position: West #2)

Sitting at 6-4 and tied with SS in the Win-Loss column, 8BC has had an interesting season to say the least. They won 4 out of 6 of their divisional matches and picked up another two against SPS and UO. Filled with confidence, 8BC has potential to be the playoff surprise.

8BC are certainly the dark horses of the West and are probably the most underrated team out of everybody in these playoffs. Towards the close of the regular season, they had some very big victories, pushing themselves into that #2 seed. Niks and his crew must have all of the confidence in the world going against SS because they went 4-0 against them just last week, so why not just do it again? And with FR waiting in the wings, 8BC probably isn't too scared of them either considering they beat them not too long ago and went 3-4 earlier. If all 8BC players show up in top form, I don't see why they can't give these veteran teams a run for their money.

The two key players to watch for would be JJ and Raj (indian). They both toppled over the rest and ended up with the best records on the team by far, each only picking up two losses along the way. These guys may be good, but who else is going to show up? It worries me that 8BC only had 5 players back in Week 9. Hopefully that was just a fluke because they'll need a full 6 just in case any of their matches actually do go the distance.

Break and Run
(Record: 7-3, Position: East #2)

Entering playoffs at 7-3, BNR had an expected season. I expected them to lose both matches to PFN, and they also lost to FR. At least they were able to pick up the rest of their match wins and no big surprises came about.

Compared to the other division, BNR has an relatively easy Round 1 match-up against SPS so really only PFN stands in their way for back-to-back finals appearances. However, that's exactly what SPS is hoping for, to be overlooked as the underdogs. If BNR doesn't play carefully and secures this Round 1 win before looking ahead, they could be caught shaking their heads at the end and asking themselves exactly what the hell happened. Being the defending champions, BNR certainly has a target on their backs like they've had all season. Repeating won't be an easy task, but it's not impossible by any means.

Ask anybody who has faced BNR this season and they're likely to pick Croz and Jordy as the team's best players. Croz finished with a nice 8-3 record and is a very reliable starter. And Jordy, the back-to-back All-Stars MVP, is respected every time he shows up because everyone knows how deadly he can be. But, lurking in the shadows is Ross, who quietly finished the season with on a +5 hot streak. He alone could be the deciding factor on BNR's fate.

Freedom
(Record: 9-1, Position: West #1)

At one point not too long ago Freedom seemed unstoppable. Winning games left and right, steam-rolling through the competition, getting that 8-0 streak. But then Week 9 came along, and they lose to their Semi Finals opponents in 8BC. Perfect opportunity for redemption here.

Back in 1995, the classic movie of Braveheart was released; remember that one? Of course you do. One of the greatest scenes of all time when Mel Gibson's character William Wallace gave his epic speech to pump up his troops for battle. While pacing back and forth, he cries out "They can take our lives, but they can never take our FREEDOM!" Well, Petey is the William Wallace of this team. He'll need to put on the blue face paint and pace around on his pony to fire up his players. But, even if some of the key players lose and things don't turn out so good, they'll be alright because you may be able to take their lives, but you can never take their Freedom. (HA, Get It?!?) :)

So who exactly are going to be those key players for FR? Based on the roster, FR's optimal lineup would be something like Trav, Ben, Mike, Sid, Adam, and DJ. Well, from what I've been hearing, Petey would be ecstatic to have three of those 6 guys show up. Beyond those 6 it gets pretty bleak quickly and surely Dan isn't anywhere near playoff caliber (he wanted me to mention his name in this post, yw). Freedom does have what it takes to win it all, they just need to stay hot.

Pool Fiction
(Record: 9-1, Position: East #1)

Along with their Western counterpart, PFN has had the best season out of all other teams in their division by a long shot. Heading in at 9-1 while sweeping everyone in the East, you have to like PFN's chances of making it all the way to the big show yet again.

These guys are one of those teams where if you just mention the their league initials, you instantly think one thing: greatness. And P-F-N hasn't come short of showing us that at all this season. Coming into it, I knew PFN were one of the top candidates of winning the Season title, especially with Andy in my ear yapping up how good they were going to be. Well, I pretty much had no choice but to believe it with himself, Stu, and Chris forming their Big 3. After having the trophy snatched out of their hands in last season's finals versus BNR, PFN must be starving for gold. They won it all back in Season 1 and here is yet another shot for them to reclaim the glory.

Speaking of Andy, surely he never got tired of seeing his name on top of the leader board practically all throughout the season. The perfect season, quite impressive. He's on the top of his game and surely is the real backbone this PFN team. But, the key to success for any team is the star player's supporting cast, and Andy has a good one in Chris, Stu, Nish, Brent, Brian, Carlos. If Kerry can get 6 of those 7 players to show up, forget about it.

Simply Pool Souls
(Record: 1-9, Position: East #3)

The road SPS has traveled up to this point hasn't been pretty, but they're here and that's what counts. Since it's the NFL football season, I find it only fitting to liken SPS's playoff picture to that of the 2010 Seattle Seahawks.

Much like SPS, the Seahawks made it into playoffs with an abysmal record (7-9). And for their Round 1 match-up, the Seahawks faced the defending champions New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks were projected with zero chance going against the Saints, and to everyone's surprise, the Seahawks overcame all of the odds and beat them in a big way. SPS is without question the underdogs heading into playoffs. Will SPS have enough oomph to explode against WSOP's defending champions in Break and Run? The uproar from an SPS victory would surely register on the seismograph as it would be the biggest upset to date.

SPS will rely heavily on their team's all-star players in Joe and John. If either of them lose, who is left to step up to the plate? In fact, I think SPS's playoffs hopes lay in the hands of Jason and Monte. It's the middle men who will secure a victory and the pressure is on those two guys to do just that. And also, I wouldn't be surprised if the ladies on the team got some lucky rolls and managed to turn some heads; don't count them out until it's over.


Straightshots
(Record: 5-5, Position: West #3)

SS has had a middle-of-the-road type season, and didn't really make much noise along the way. They took over for EPC after Week 1, got some wins, got some losses and finished in an even 5-5 split in the number three spot.

After a mediocre season, SS has a lot to prove heading into playoffs. They didn't manage to win versus the big three (FR, PFN, BNR) and they even lost to 8BC in the final week. This Week 10 match must really be playing on their minds especially after losing a quick 4 games. But, today is a new day and SS will come in ready to win. Even if they haven't necessarily been on top of their game, these guys will make sure not to make it any easier than it was last time. After winning Season 2, SS came back and won their division in Season 3 but then lost in the Semis to BNR. So the question remains, will SS be able to reclaim their Season 2 title this time around?

Name anyone who plays for SS and Jon or Pita will likely be the first that come to mind. Well, neither of them had a grand season, Jon at 5-2 and Pita even worse with 3-5. Look down at the bottom of the roster and you'll see dwaechte... who? This guy has been something special for SS, going 4-0 after being added in Week 6. Hopefully his streak carries over when the pressures of playoffs are on because the usual SS stars have hardly been shining.

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Quarter Finals Break and Run vs Simply Pool Souls
Prediction: BNR 4-2, Result: BNR 4-0

Quarter Finals 8 Ball Crushers vs Straightshots
Prediction: 8BC 4-3, Result: 8BC 4-3

Semi Finals Pool Fiction vs Break and Run
Prediction: PFN 4-3, Result: PFN 4-1

Semi Finals Freedom vs 8 Ball Crushers
Prediction: FR 4-3, Result: ?

Finals ? vs ?
Prediction: ?, Result: ?

Week 10 - End of Regular Season

9 weeks down, 1 to go. Here's a recap of the matches from Week 9...

BNR defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 5-1 BNR)
UO had no chance as BNR wins a game which had no impact

PFN defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 PFN)
SPS nearly capitalized on PFN's stumbles, but no such luck

SS defeats SP 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 SS)
SS squashed SP's hopes of making a comeback

8BC defeats FR 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 FR)
8BC ends FR's streak as FR was all over the place

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Week 9: Correct (3), Incorrect (1), Exact (2)

Overall: 31/36, 86%

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Usually at this point in the season the standings are solidified. Well this time around it's not quite yet. PFN and FR have clinched top spots in their division, so congrats to those teams. Also, as mentioned before, BNR has locked in #2 seed in the East. As for #3 in the East, UO still has a chance to edge out SPS for it. Albeit a 0.02% chance, there's still a chance. Over in the West, SP has been knocked out, so thanks for playing to them. SS and 8BC are still battling for the #2 seed and this week will settle that seeing as they face each other.

The final week of the regular season is upon us and playoffs are right around the corner. This week mirrors the pairings of Week 5. Keep your game faces on, shoot straight, and pray the Yahoo Gods are on your side. Good luck.

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Break and Run vs Simply Pool Souls

Week 5 Outcome: 4-2 BNR

Likely a preview of the Playoffs Round 1 of the Western side.

Last week BNR got a big win over UO as I expected. The result of this match doesn't affect BNR's standings position at all. But they do play part in SPS's playoffs hopes ever so slightly. If they throw the match, then they'll get SPS in Round 1 no matter what. If they absolutely crush SPS and go 6-0, UO only needs to go 7 games with PFN to overtake the #3 seed. Well, neither one of these scenarios are likely to happen. BNR will give it their all and try to diminish any sort of playoff confidence SPS has. With only 8 people eligible for playoffs at the moment, either BNR gets Jim in the mix or they'll keep their fingers crossed heading into Round 1.

Last week SPS lost to the powerhouse PFN squad, but didn't make it easy for them. From what I heard, there were many stumbles along the way and SPS had a chance to take the match into 7 games. But, it never happened. SPS have been the underdogs all the way through. They have the potential to breakthrough and pick up some more wins. "But, it never happened". Their record is still tied with UO and they have a slight edge for the #3 spot. Even though this match won't change the standings, SPS won't simply roll over. They need all of the momentum they can get heading into playoffs because they'll be seeing BNR again very soon.

Prediction: 4-2 BNR

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Pool Fiction

Week 5 Outcome: 4-2 PFN

Last place versus first place, this could get ugly.

Last week UO got another quick 0-4 loss and now sits at -8. If they keep playing and join next season, could they be the team to topple SP's -22 streak record? Possible. Since SPS lost earlier in the week, the only chance UO has of making it into playoffs would be to conquer the beast and take down PFN. And the only chance of that happening is if the entire PFN squad comes down with malaria. But, I expect UO to go out with their heads held high. Even if they've been taken a beating, the team has left in good spirits and heals the wounds for next upcoming match. It has been nice having them, but better luck next season.

From what I heard PFN had a weird week against SPS as some games were stumbled away from both sides. No big surprise on the chokes with Cubby playing (heh jk), but hopefully they've gotten them out of the way now heading into playoffs. With FR losing last week, PFN now holds the best record. Will PFN be able to bring their all-star lineup into playoffs? Both Chris and Stu are great players and neither has played in the past 3 weeks. Look for Kerry to continue to use some fillers and get 2-3 more people eligible tonight, namely Cubby, Carlos, xlx_s_p_g_xlx (Scott?). Everyone be sure to show up with your confetti, Andy's perfect season is on the line ;)

Prediction: 5-1 PFN

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Freedom vs Sexy Poolerz

Week 5 Outcome: 4-3 FR

Another first place versus last place match up, only this one doesn't have much significance behind it at all.

Well, it was eventually going to happen sooner or later. Last week 8BC snapped FR's winning streak. But, it kind of felt like FR defeated FR. After a rough start, it seemed like the rest of the team imploded on themselves and gave it a less-than-usual effort. Dan's spin didn't catch and scratched, Petey attempted a crazy bank shot, Eba left a hanger for a tiebreak possibility... it wasn't pretty. FR lost the best overall record with this loss, but can snatch it back with a 6-0 victory since they beat PFN earlier in the season. Hopefully FR makes a strong come back against SP and adds some wind back into their sails heading into playoffs.

Last week SP lost 2-4 to SS. They're out of the playoffs now, so I'm wondering if SP will even show up tonight to play. Well, I'm sure Brice will want to get a piece of FR and knock them down another rung on the ladder, so he'll likely try to bring a full lineup. SP was kind of all over the place roster-wise. Throughout the season SP couldn't seem to get any sort of positive consistency going and that ultimately was their downfall. Because FR might come in with a "We don't care" mentality, I wouldn't be surprised if SP might sneaks away with this win. Either way, thanks for playing this season SP and better luck in Season 5.

Prediction: 4-3 FR

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Straightshots vs 8 Ball Crushers

Week 5 Outcome: 4-2 SS

A preview of the Western Round 1 playoff match.

SS picked up another win last week against SP going 4-2. SS has the upper hand for the time being and the Home Field advantage is their to lose. Even if Home Field doesn't exactly play a gigantic role, it's still nice to feel like you're in control, especially in playoffs. It looks like SS has been switching some things around in the past few weeks and it has been working out well for them so far. Top__Dawg__ and dwaechte (sorry, I don't know names) have been playing very well over the last 3 matches and might surprise everyone as the star playoff players for SS behind Pita and John. I assume the veteran team will emerge again on top tonight.

Last week 8BC won 4-2 over FR. And 8BC didn't even have a full lineup. Even if FR wasn't playing at their best by any means, 8BC must still be feeling confident as ever for ending the streak. But, showing up with only 5 players won't get the job done every time, especially when everyone is at the top of their game during playoffs. However, 8BC does have quite a few diamonds in the rough in their roster, especially JJ, who is now on a 6-game win streak. This match against SS doesn't necessarily matter much since they'll play again next week, but 8BC will be fighting hard for a win to prove that they shouldn't be taken lightly.

Prediction: 4-2 SS

Week 9 - On The Home Stretch

Relatively mellow games in Week 8. Let's get right into it and see how those finished up...

FR defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: FR 5-1)
Well, SPS did get one more win than predicted against FR. What more could they ask for?

BNR defeats SP 4-3 (Prediction: BNR 4-2)
SP nearly got the win over BNR, but just couldn't get it done in Game 7... again.

SS defeats UO 4-2 (Prediction: SS 4-2)
SS gets another win, UO gets another loss, and I get the only exact prediction for the week.

PFN defeats 8BC 4-2 (Prediction: PFN 5-1)
PFN adds on to their streak, now at +5, as 8BC couldn't add to their own momentum.

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Week 8: Correct (4), Incorrect (0), Exact (1)

Overall: 28/32, 88%

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The standings aren't quite totally solidified. PFN and FR still remain on top and have locked in those spots. In the East, SPS and UO are still battling for the final playoff spot behind BNR. In the West, SS and 8BC continue to flip flop for the #2/#3 seeds as SP is practically out of contention now.

With Week 8 in the books, only 2 weeks remain (yes, 10 - 8 = 2, I'm so smart). Week 9 starts our final 2 Revenge Weeks as it mirrors the matches of Week 2. We're on the home stretch now guys and gals. Good luck! :)

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Break and Run

Week 2 Outcome: 4-3 BNR

These two drew the match out to Game 7 in their previous meeting. Will it happen again?

Ever since Week 1, UO hasn't been able to get any thing going their way and find themselves on an 7 week losing streak. Over the past 4 weeks, SPS haven't won a single game during the first 4 in a match, including another quick 0-4 loss to SS last week. The team is in shambles. And yes, that 3-4 outcome versus BNR in Week 2 isn't a typo. Something needs to click together quickly if UO has any hopes of having a similar result to that. They currently find themselves on the bottom of the West and might not have what it takes to take SPS's #3 spot. They'll need some early game wins and also need SPS to lose bigger than they do over the next 2 weeks.

Near scare for BNR last week as they drew it out to Game 7 versus SP. Lucky for the team, Jordy didn't fall asleep during Daru's classically drawn-out game involving Daru in Game 6. And yes, Jordy got the tiebreak victory to win it for BNR. Because PFN also won last week, BNR finds themselves locked into the #2 seed which means they will either face SPS or today's opponents UO in Round 1 of Playoffs. All of the pressure is off for the team, but I don't expect them to let up at all. Perhaps Dina will try switching the order around to test out different scenarios, but BNR will keep their proverbial pedal to the metal as they look to drive right past UO.

Prediction: 5-1 BNR

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Simply Pool Souls vs Pool Fiction

Week 2 Outcome: 4-2 PFN

Top of the division battles it out against a team trying to stay out of the bottom.

Tacked up another loss for SPS last week. They lost 5 in a row, got a big 5-1 win over UO and now find themselves back on the losing side of things. Luckily for them, UO is cruising along in the same sunken ship. All SPS needs to do is not lose tonight 0-6 and they'll keep their lead over UO for the #3 spot heading into the final week. Anyways, they're in a good spot and just need to keep doing their thing. Kat is boxed this week which isn't great news by any means considering she is always a reliable player. But, hopefully Monte will be able to wrangled up the rest and give this one all they've got... just hope everyone has eaten their Wheaties.

You know, looking at the header of this match, I came to wonder... what does "Pool Fiction" even mean :/ So, me being the dork that I am, I looked up the precise definition of "fiction" and this is what I found: something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story. If anyone is able to put billiards and that definition together and make some sense out of this league name, please let me know, I'd love the hear it... (How's that for random prediction filler when I have nothing else to say? :D) PFN is better up and down the roster. PFN has their eye on the prize as virtual #1 seed. Oh, and I hope Andy loses at some point :)

Prediction: 4-2 PFN

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Straightshots vs Sexy Poolerz

Week 2 Outcome: 5-1 SS

Here we have a team battling for 2nd versus a team stuck in last.

Easy week last week against UO for SS. Got to love those kind of weeks where you just blow out your opponents in the first 4 games and not have to worry much after. SS has had a pretty good season so far, for the most part. But, they're kind of all over the place with the roster. With only 6 players currently eligible, two of which haven't played since Week 5, Shelle better hope she can rely on her team to show. They find themselves in a 4-4 pickle with 8BC, who face FR later on in the week. I like SS's chances to beat SP more than 8BC's chances to beat FR. Look for SS to carry their momentum into this one and try to stop SP from pulling off an upset.

Last week SP drew the match out to Game 7, as I expected, and lost it, as I expected. The team has been plagued with Game 7 losses: 3 over the past 4 weeks. If only they had won those tiebreaker games, they would be 5-3 and would have a nice lead at the number two spot. If only... Well, the time for "if only's" is over because SP's season is pretty much done for. But, doesn't mean they can't still cause some damage in these final two weeks. Beating SS tonight would give 8BC something to cheer about, and it would be quite a blow if SP ruins FR's perfect record next week (sorry for the jinx). Brice and company won't just simply throw in the towel.

Prediction: 4-3 SS

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8 Ball Crushers vs Freedom

Week 2 Outcome: 4-3 FR

8BC looks to regain some ground as FR looks to keep the streak going.

With SS winning last night, 8BC's only chance of getting the #2 seed back would be to win this week and next week. Impossible? Not at all. Improbable? Meh, all hope isn't lost. It all depends how well 8BC is on their game. Luckily for Niks, he has quite a few reliable players on the team. In fact, I think 8BC has the smallest roster out of all leagues, but there are still a few talented guys littered throughout. Raj, JJ, and Kron each have records clear over the .500 mark. And flipping ahead in the schedule, you'll see 8BC plays SS in the final week. It won't be easy getting through FR tonight, but if a few lucky things go their way, it might just happen.

Last week FR had a close match with SPS early on. It went back and forth: 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2. But, with Mike's clutch run break in Game 5 and yet another clinch game for Travis, FR pulled it off. Now 8-0 here in WSOP and 10-0 in PRO, these guys are on an all-time high. The most important thing for them, however, is to not even think about it. FR needs to make sure the pressure doesn't get to them or else all of their efforts would have been for nothing. 8BC isn't a team to just glance past. Petey and his crew have all cards in place, a stacked up card house. Hopefully for them the Ace of Spades isn't flicked and the whole thing comes tumbling down.

Prediction: 4-2 FR

Week 8 - Final Round of Cross-Division

Week 7 has come and gone without much of a splash. No terribly surprising upsets minus FR doing me wrong in the 2nd match. 7 is a lucky number for most, but not everyone can be a winner here...

8BC defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 8BC 4-2)
8BC was only one player away from getting the clean sweep over UO.

FR defeats BNR 4-2 (Prediction: BNR 4-2)
FR proved my prediction wrong as they step over their last big hurdle.

SP defeats SPS 4-3 (Prediction: SP 4-3)
In a match which went down to the wire, SP gets their 2nd WSOP win ever.

PFN defeats SS 5-1 (Prediction: PFN 4-2)
PFN flexed their muscles early on and came out the victors in under and hour.

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Week 7: Correct (3), Incorrect (1), Exact (1)

Overall: 24/28, 86%

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So, where are we at in the standings? Well I'm sure you all can look for yourselves on the main page, but standings babble is always good filler for these predictions :) Nothing much has changed for the top seeds, PFN and FR have both practically locked those in for their respective divisions. BNR doesn't need to worry about losing #2 in the East, and 8BC has just overtaken SS for #2 in the West. The lower half is all locked up in the East, and SP still sits at the bottom of the West.

There are plenty of "What If" scenarios to look at, but I'll spare myself the confusion and save that jibber jabber for some other time. The games will speak for themselves and as the Greeks say, "The balls will fall where they do". OK, the Greeks didn't say that, but you know what I mean. With only 3 weeks left, all of you playoff-bound captains better have your teams figured out by now. Hopefully no players get left behind and miss their 3 weeks of eligibility.

Week 8 features the final cross-divisional match ups. Every win counts, so don't slow down now. You'll need all of the momentum you can get heading into the home stretch.

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Freedom vs Simply Pool Souls

One team sitting comfortably on top and another barely staying alive - talk about lop-sided.

Last week FR won 4-2 over BNR and proved me wrong. I thought they would fumble the ball, but nope, they're still going. Freedom is firing on all cylinders. A high-powered steam engine going full speed, not making any stops for the passengers, and plowing through any road blocks on the tracks. Well, BNR was the biggest road block left on the tracks and now it's a smooth ride all the way to the main station. With FR's perfect season still intact, it seems no one will stop them now. They have secured the #1 playoff spot pending an unheard of disaster, which I'm 99.9% sure won't happen. SPS shouldn't cause too many problems as FR keeps chugging along.

SPS nearly got the win against SP, but just couldn't close it out in Game 7. SPS did have a 3-1 lead at one point and the last games didn't end in their favor. A win surely would have been nice, but they're not out of playoff contention just quite yet. Now they find themselves in a deadlock for the #3 spot with UO breathing right down their necks. Looking ahead in the schedule, I don't see SPS or UO winning any other match through the remainder season. That being said, I give SPS the upper hand because they won't just lay down and accept defeat. The key for SPS will be to keep it close against FR, if they can, before the match gets completely out of hand.

Prediction: FR 5-1

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Sexy Poolerz vs Break and Run

Last week SP got their second win over SPS, not such a great feat to celebrate over, but that win keeps them alive... barely. In order for SP to have a chance now in making playoffs, they need to win out, of course. And their hopes would seem a lot better if SS loses against UO (laughable, I know). But, I say it doesn't happen. I say SP's season ends tonight. Mr. Pakiz signed up for the team over the weekend. If I recall right, he's good, but good enough to push these guys through 3 more weeks? I want to see SP win and SS lose this week, which would make their match up next week so much more mouth-watering. Will it happen? Meh, doubtful. BNR's better.

BNR is coming off of a rough week against FR. They had plenty of bad luck going their way early on in the match as only Ross and Daru picked up wins for the team. Shit happens, just don't step in it because if you do, the stench will carry with you all the way through until the end. OK, so I don't really know what that's suppose to mean. But, what I'm trying to say is that even though they can cruise into playoffs as the #2 seed, BNR ought to regain some momentum by winning big here against SP. I see Steve joined the team yesterday. And that's huge for BNR; another big name will surely help considering three of BNR's top players have each lost 2 weeks in a row now.

Prediction: BNR 4-2

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Straightshots

Even though this is a battle between two #3-seeded teams, this match should be a whole lot more lop-sided than what first meets the eye.

UO... what can I say? 1-5 against 8BC is pretty rough, especially when that one win was a credit in Game 6. I wasn't actually there to witness, but I'd like to think things just didn't go their way. Perhaps the big loss came because it was a Monday, or perhaps it was because Petey was referee, or perhaps it is because these guys just aren't very good, and they're content with that. Well whatever it may be, if they lost 1-5 against 8BC, I can't expect too much with them going against SS. On the plus side, SPS sits below them in the standings. It's going to be a close race to the end to see who gets #3 in the East. UO just needs to hang in there.

Last week SS got handled by PFN, losing 1-5 in under an hour. They were out-muscled and everything was going right for their opponents. But, SS has a great opportunity here to bounce back in a big way. And seeing as they currently find themselves tied with 8BC in Win-Loss, every win counts. With SP's loss yesterday, SS can breathe just a little as the thought of dropping into 4th dwindles. SS does have two players boxed this week. But, I don't think Shelle's too worried about that. She has plenty of players in her arsenal ready to come with guns blazing. UO shouldn't cause much trouble as these guys push to overtake 8BC for that #2 spot.

Prediction: SS 4-2

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Pool Fiction vs 8 Ball Crushers

The final match features two playoff-bound teams. Will 8BC's momentum continue to carry through this week? Or will PFN crush any chances 8BC might think they have?

PFN practically steam-rolled over their long-time opponents SS last week, winning 5-1 in record time. They shouldn't have too much difficulty taking down 8BC in similar fashion. But, they better play carefully and play smart because 8BC won't be holding back and 8BC is on a bit of a warm streak themselves. PFN's in the driver's seat here and Kerry will know exactly how to use that Home Field to her advantage. Andy is going back-and-forth with Travis for top spot on the leader board. Surely he would like Kerry to keep giving him the best opportunity to keep his perfect season alive. A win tonight locks in the #1 seed for sure. Get 'er done.

Nice week for 8BC last week going 5-1 over UO with only 5 players and might have gotten the clean sweep if they had a 6th. The best thing going for 8BC right now is their momentum. The near-sweep over UO was nice. They beat PFN back in Week 8 of PRO, then beat LPL, and pulled their match FR earlier this week to Game 9. Even if those games were won with a little luck on their side, still not too shabby. 8BC will surely be coming in hungry for a win and prove that they shouldn't be taken lightly as playoffs quickly approach. I don't see them winning tonight, but 8BC better keep it close as the race is tight between them and SS for Round 1 Home Field.

Prediction: PFN 5-1

Week 7 - Switching Back to Cross-Division

All of last week's matches were fairly evenly matched in my eyes. We had two matches with top tiered teams and two matches with the bottom teams. Some were close, one was nearly a blow out. In the end, another clean week of solid game play.

8BC defeats SP 4-3 (Prediction: 4-2 8BC)
A near scare for Niks as this one ended closer than what he and his team was hoping for.

FR defeats SS 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
FR keeps the streak alive as SS too couldn't take them down.

PFN defeats BNR 4-2 (Prediction: 4-3 BNR)
PFN wins another one against their toughest divisional competitors.

SPS defeats UO 5-1 (Prediction: 5-1 SPS)
SPS gets a big win over the team they have been trying to pass up.

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Week 6: Correct (3), Incorrect (1), Exact (0)

Overall: 21-24, 88%

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Minus the PFN/BNR race in the East, the standings have continued to look the same over the past few weeks. In the East, PFN has overtook BNR for the top spot but with a one match win lead but only one game separates the two. As for the lower two teams in the East, that is all locked up: same match win-loss but UO has the slightest of leads for now.

Completely different picture over in the West. FR should feel very comfortable now with their #1 seed. And for the #2 and #3 seeds, even though it looks close because SS and 8BC have the same match records, their closing schedules highly favor SS this time around. As far as SP goes, well they'll need a miracle to sneak their way into that #3 spot.

Similar to last week, this week has some pretty even match ups. These cross-divisional matches can certainly shake up the standings a bit for both the East and the West. Good luck.

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8 Ball Crushers vs Ultimate Outlaws

The two #3-seeded teams face off in the week's first match.

Last week 8BC made their way through SP, barely. It started off very shaky considering the team was placed on a timer because no players were at the table. I thought they were going to time out, but lucky for Niks, his co-captain JJ showed up with 4 minutes left and got things going. And by the end, JJ also finished it off in the tiebreaker. 8BC is hungry to keep the momentum alive. These guys must be tired of sitting at #3 and this is the best opportunity for them to move up a slot. Either way, win or lose, 8BC will certainly be rooting for PFN on Thursday to beat SS. If 8BC beats UO tonight like they should, and SS loses to PFN, we'll have a new #2 seed in the West.

Ugly week for UO going against SPS last week. They desperately needed that win to keep a safe lead over SPS, but just couldn't get anything going. Ever since UO's first win back in Week 1, it has been a huge downhill tumble for them. Nothing positive is happening, I feel no momentum or drive, and again if my predictions come true, disaster will strike this week and they'll fall down to the bottom of the division. A win tonight versus 8BC will perk up my ears a bit because I don't expect it to happen. Steph is having a nice season at 4-1 and Badass started strong, but I need to see more from the rest of the team if there's any hope left.

Prediction: 8BC 4-2

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Break and Run vs Freedom

Here we have two teams who have had some heated, high-emotion games in the past. This shouldn't be any different.

Last week BNR lost their top seed to PFN. If I remember right, they were sitting on top ever since PFN lost to FR back in Week 4. Their match with PFN didn't turn out in their favor, again, and it must be playing on BNR's mind that they can't seem to get through PFN this season no matter what they try. PFN caused their two losses, and BNR will need to keep focused here to ensure FR doesn't cause their third. BNR has to go in with the mentality of a must win if they have any hopes of getting back the top seed. BNR's best chance of winning would be for them to close this out before the tiebreaker. I'm sure they would rather avoid trying to get through FR's closing player in Travis or Ben in Game 7.

Another week up, another opponent down. FR continues to roll through the competition. It's only fitting that BNR is the last team standing in the way of FR's perfect season (the last 3 weeks of the season shouldn't cause much of a fuss for FR). FR beat BNR in PRO last week, so they definitely have that bit of momentum going for them. If the team can keep their cool, back-to-back wins against BNR isn't out of the question by any means. It's quite impressive that 3 FR players remain undefeated: DJ 6-0, Travis 5-0, Ben 4-0. But it all depends on FR's supporting cast. Whoever shows up needs to make sure to win, because if any three of those guys lose, FR's undefeated steak rests on the shoulders of the middlemen.

Prediction: BNR 4-2

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Simply Pool Souls vs Sexy Poolerz

SPS had a huge win over UO when it mattered the most. I'm sure they realized that was their one opportunity to close the gap and they seized it in a big way. It's only their first win of the season, but it came at the perfect time. Fortunate for them, Joe is back after a two-week break. Becky is leading the team, going strong on a +4 streak at the moment. Whatever Monte is feeding her, keep the portions coming and maybe spoon some out to the other players too. SPS will need everyone at their best from now on to not only overtake UO's #3 spot but ensure they don't lose it in the final weeks. And I wouldn't be the least surprised if a few of them show up cheering for 8BC on Monday.

Tough break for SP as they lose yet another Game 7. Even though he is the best consistently available player on the team, if Brice had won the two past tiebreakers, SP and 8BC would be tied in the standings. But now SP is barely hanging on by a thread, or maybe more like a split portion of a thread. However, they're not dead quite yet. Go with me on this for a second. In order for them to make it into the playoffs, not only do they need 8BC or SS to falter, but they also need to muscle their way through BNR, SS, and FR in the closing weeks. Possible? As crazy as it sounds? Yeah ok, even crazier than it sounds. SP has a chance to beat SPS, but after this better start bringing out the clovers, horseshoes, and rabbit feet.

Prediction: SP 4-3

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Straightshots vs Pool Fiction

Unfortunate loss for SS last week as they really had a chance. Jon won the first game then FR tied it at 1-1 and won the next. SS came back and won the next two. Up 3-2 there was a chance to finish it off before the tiebreaker. However, after reviewing the tapes, Game 1 was DQ'd which put them down 2-3 and they lose Game 6 ending in a 2-4 defeat. Rough. On a positive note, they did add a very good player in Nick to their line up. If they can get him eligible before playoffs, he would be a great asset. Even though they'll have an opportunity to snatch it back, SS will need to win tonight if they want to safely keep the #2 seed depending on 8BC's game on Monday. Word of advice: don't let Stu run break you, don't get into a tap game with Andy, and get Chris distracted with WoW.

Very nice win for PFN against BNR last week. Stu started off with a run break, and then they won 3 in a row after Cubby lost his. I expect at least 4 or 5 PFN people to show up to BNR's Tuesday match to root for FR. Because if BNR loses that one, PFN can enjoy the little bit of cushion as they try to add to it. But, let's assume my predictions come true and BNR wins 4-2. Even if PFN loses tonight 3-4, the records would be tied, but PFN has the upper hand. Both PFN and BNR will likely win out the rest of the season after this week, so if the records do become tied, it will come down to who can get the bigger wins against weaker opponents in the closing weeks. Anyways, back to this match. PFN has more talent than SS does, therefore I predict they'll win. Simple enough.

Prediction: PFN 4-2

Week 6 - Halfway Point

Well, well, well... 5 weeks down and 5 to go. It has been a great opening half of the season and I'm sure the second half won't disappoint either. Last week was filled with plenty of big dog versus little dog matches. Let's see how those played out...

SS defeats 8BC 4-2 (Prediction: 4-2 SS)
SS locks in a second place position for now as 8BC couldn't get the job done.

FR defeats SP 4-3 (Prediction: 4-3 FR)
Nearly a huge upset for the undefeated FR, but SP fell short in the tiebreaker.

BNR defeats SPS 4-2 (Prediction: 6-0 BNR)
Ok, so it wasn't a blowout, but BNR still got the win before SPS even had a chance.

PFN defeats UO 4-2 (Prediction: 5-1 PFN)
Similar to the match above, the stronger team pulls off the win as expected.

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Week 5: Correct (4), Incorrect (0), Exact (2)

Overall: 18-20, 90%

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After the matches were complete, the standings didn't change at all. BNR still remains on top of the East and FR still remains undefeated sitting comfortably on top of the West. Will any of the other teams in these divisions be able to shake things up a bit?

I hope you are all settled in with your team because no more league changes are allowed. Time to stick it through until the end and keep fighting. To those teams facing a tough uphill climb, there are still plenty of games to be played. And to those teams on top, don't slip or you might find yourself lower down in the standings by the end of it all.

Week 6 is the start of what I like to call Revenge Weeks. These matches are a repeat of some earlier week only Home Field is switched. Week 6 mirrors Week 1, so let's see who will be able to get their revenge.

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Sexy Poolerz vs 8 Ball Crushers

Week 1 Outcome: 4-2 8BC

The bottom teams of the West battle it out here.

SP came very close to having the upset of the season. They managed to drag out their match last week versus FR to Game 7. It would have been epic to see the underdog SP team to knock down the undefeated team; close, but no cigar. I'm a little more confused as to where the star potential lies in this lineup. It has been a bundle of scattered wins and losses and no one besides captain Brice has more than two wins on their record. With that being said, the team is hungry for a comeback and if they manage to pull off a 5-1 tonight, SP is right back in playoff contention. In order to do that, though, SP needs consistency and needs their stars to shine.

Last week 8BC played SS and just couldn't get much of anything going for them. Game 1 was a runbreak, games 2 and 3 were lost. Even if Niks caught a break in Game 4 with Pita giving up Ball in Hand on his run, 8BC couldn't muscle their way out of the 0-3 hole and lost it 2-4. It's hit and miss, seems like Niks and Indian are the only ones with slight glimpses of promise. 8BC is good enough to take down teams like SP (Week 1) and SPS (Week 4) and perhaps UO next week. But they don't have the strength to make it beyond that. Well, this week is SP again. My theory should hold up, but I wouldn't be shocked to see 8BC let this slip away with a bit of bad luck.

Prediction: 4-2 8BC

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Freedom vs Straightshots

Week 1 Outcome: n/a (SS replaces EPC)

Two teams with identical win-loss records, but one remains undefeated. Perhaps that's about to change.

Scary week for FR last week, nearly getting beat by SP. But luckily for Petey, his clutch player in Travis was there to save the day, again. A win is a win, and it seems like that's all FR is doing at the moment: winning. They are on such a hot streak: 5-0 here in WSOP, 7-0 in PRO, 4 wins and no losses in WPA. A loss will eventually happen, but for now, these guys are firing on all cylinders. Petey will need to bring his best again tonight and use every ounce of Home Field advantage because SS will surely come ready to play, trying to make up some ground on that two-game deficit. But if FR wins tonight, a three game gap basically locks a top-seeded playoff spot.

Last week SS got a nice win being the away team against 8BC. Jon picked up the second run break of the season out of all teams and David and Tyson keep their undefeated records intact. These guys certainly have a solid core group, but if one of those top 3 stumble, who is going to pick up the slack? Shelle ought to know Petey is going to target those guys, so she'll need to be sure the rest are on top of their game. Things aren't going so well for SS in other interleagues, such as PRO, but they need to come in with the mentality that they can take down the undefeated beast. A win tonight will surely give SS a great boost which might be enough to keep them hot all the way through playoffs.

Prediction: 4-3 FR

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Pool Fiction vs Break and Run

Week 1 Outcome: 4-3 PFN

Lakers vs Celtics. Manning vs Brady. Yankees vs Red Sox. PFN vs BNR. Doesn't get much better than this.

Last week PFN practically destroyed UO. They went up 4-0 quick, but couldn't finish out the last two, so it ended 4-2. Andy continues to keep his perfect season alive as he pulled out the Game 4 clinch and the rest of this talented line up took their games with ease. Kerry isn't a bad player by any means, but surely she probably would prefer not to play this week. They do have Nish out of the box, so perhaps he'll come back well-rested and pick up a crucial win when it counts. PFN must be tired of seeing those B-N-R initials ahead of them in the standings. If they don't win tonight, PFN may never have another chance of claiming the #1 seed.

Similar to PFN, BNR also won their match last week without much of a hitch at all in almost identical fashion. They went up 4-0 quick and lost the final two. Croz is having a solid season at 5-1 with a tiebreak win and Mina is undefeated since he joined the team back in Week 3. And beyond that, BNR has players who can win in any situation. Well, Dina better hope everyone brings their A+ game tonight because this one is for the top spot in the standings and I'm sure they don't want to give it up just yet. PFN beat BNR on their home court in Week 1, so look for BNR to be itching for Good Times and return the favor as they head into Bad Times.

Prediction: 4-3 BNR

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Ultimate Outlaws vs Simply Pool Souls

Week 1 Outcome: 5-1 UO

The final match of the week features two teams who had no chance against bigger opponents last week.

UO is looking to recover from a quick 0-4 defeat against PFN. They were out matched and just couldn't get anything going. But tonight, SPS looks to be a much more fitting opponent. This may be the last decent shot for them to pick up another win before the end of their season. After 8BC next week, UO finishes off with SS, BNR, PFN... brutal. But, if they can manage to pull off a win tonight, that 3rd seeded spot just very well may be staying as theirs. So, what exactly do they need to do to win? Quite simple: don't lose. Badass has been carrying his (or her?) weight quite well, but beyond that, UO will need the other players to step up and shine.

Similar to UO, SPS also couldn't get anything going against BNR as they went down 0-4 quickly. What can I say for these guys to save their season? Well, on a positive note, they have added depth to the roster with 4 new players last week. Unfortunately for the team, none of those 4 players won. Even so, it's good to see SPS at least making an effort to show up united even as they currently sit in last place. That can all change very soon, however. All they need is a win tonight and for UO to falter later on and then that 3rd place seeding could very well be theirs. Tonight feels like life or death for SPS. Give 'em hell.

Prediction: 4-2 SPS