08/17/2026
**MONEYBALL PRODUCTIONS — HOW WE HANDICAP & ADJUST PLAYERS**
We want to make sure **EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE** about how we handicap and adjust players in our regular **Fargo Rated Split Bracket tournaments**.
Our handicap chart is designed with one goal in mind:
**FAIR HANDICAPS. COMPETITIVE PLAY. BETTER TOURNAMENTS.**
# # # 🎯 ESTABLISHED FARGO PLAYERS
All players start at the handicap that matches their **established Fargo Rating**, provided they have **200+ robustness**.
There is one exception: If a player's Fargo Rating is **grossly underrated compared to their known ability**, Tournament Directors reserve the right to handicap that player higher.
# # # 🔵 LOW SIDE — NO FARGO / UNDER 200 ROBUSTNESS
Any player deemed to be a **Low Side player** who has no Fargo Rating or less than 200 robustness, and whose level of play **CANNOT be verified**, will play as a **5 until established**.
# # # 🟢 HIGH SIDE — NO FARGO / UNDER 200 ROBUSTNESS
Any player playing the **High Side** who has no Fargo Rating or less than 200 robustness, and whose level of play **CANNOT be verified**, will play as a **7 until established**.
# # # 📊 WHEN CAN A PLAYER BE MOVED DOWN?
**NO PLAYER will play below the handicap for their established Fargo Rating** unless they have played at least **8 Moneyball tournaments without cashing** and their average Effective Rating over their most recent 8 tournaments qualifies them for a lower handicap.
We use **Digital Pool** to track this information.
Digital Pool shows us:
* The number of tournaments a player has played.
* The player's Effective Rating for each tournament.
* The data needed to evaluate how that player has actually performed over time.
We have been tracking this information since **January 2025**.
Once a player reaches 8 tournaments, we take their **Effective Ratings from their most recent 8 tournaments**, add them together, and divide by 8.
That gives us the player's **8-tournament Average Effective Rating**.
If that average falls into a lower handicap on our chart, the player can be moved down to that handicap.
**A PLAYER'S AVERAGE EFFECTIVE RATING WILL NEVER MOVE THEM ABOVE THE HANDICAP FOR THEIR ESTABLISHED FARGO RATING.**
Players are only moved **above their Fargo handicap** when Tournament Directors determine their known ability is substantially stronger than their rating indicates.
# # # 📚 WE HAVE THE DATA
This isn't based on guessing who we think should be moved up or down.
We currently have tournament data on **OVER 700 PLAYERS** who have competed in our events.
For example, since January 2025:
**Phillip Crechale — 16 tournaments**
**Brian Johnson — 15 tournaments**
**Josh Walker — 14 tournaments**
**Reggie Askin — 14 tournaments**
Digital Pool also allows us to see a player's Effective Rating from an individual tournament.
**Example: Boog Long**
Boog played in our **08/01/2026 tournament at Sidepockets in Shreveport, Louisiana**.
Established Fargo Rating: **647**
Tournament Effective Rating: **+2.19**
Effective Rating for that event: **649.19**
That is the type of information we use when evaluating players.
# # # 🏆 WHY DO WE DO THIS?
The purpose isn't to punish somebody for playing well or reward somebody for playing poorly.
The purpose is to use **Fargo Ratings, tournament history, Effective Ratings, and known ability** to make our brackets as **FAIR AND COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE**.
With more than **700 players worth of tournament data**, we're able to look at actual performance over time instead of making adjustments based on one good or bad tournament.
At the end of the day:
🎱 **PLAY FAIR. PLAY TO WIN.**
📊 **RESPECT THE GAME. RESPECT THE CHART.**
🏆 **FAIR HANDICAPS. COMPETITIVE PLAY. BETTER TOURNAMENTS.**
**Tournament Directors have final say on all handicaps and adjustments based on the information available and a player's known ability.**
