TABLE TALK 3/30/26:  Playoffs, Tournaments, Events & Table Talk

This week marks the Spring26 season midpoint.    Below are 3 important announcements.

 1.   Out At the Park:   SDPL will participate in Out At the Park, the San Diego Padres annual LGBT event on Friday, May 1 against the Chicago White Sox.   This year, we will sit and enjoy the evening together.   We encourage you to bring a date, family and friends.   Our seats will be on the top level between home plate and 1st base in Section 301.   The price is $50.   (This is a $19 discount off the online price of $69.)      At the bars this week, you will find a copy of the flyer  below.   Please take one home as a reminder to make your reservations.  Your order deadline is April 6.   We will order the tickets and give you instructions on how to collect your e-ticket.   If you order late, you can still attend, but your seats will be in a separate group.

     click image for full screen

2.   Stats Reporting:    In addition, starting this week, you will find this week's results, this week's 4-0s, and the Top 20.   The results are organized by each division.   I believe that it's been 10 years since we published a Top 20 report (listing the top 20 players with 50% of possible games).    Please take a few minutes to scan them.   I am interested in your feedback.   

click here to see the stats. 

3.   Board Changes:   This week, Brooke Hall resigned her position.  The Board appointed Niki Dolecki to be the Statistician.    Niki will prepare the statistical reports.   A big thanks to her for taking on this job.   I am also pleased to announce that the Board created the at-large position of WCC Representative with Ann Camonayan filling the job.   This position will sit on the WCC Inc. Board of Governors and will be the liaison between WCC and SDPL.   Please welcome and thank Niki and Ann for their service to the League.    

Curtis 
President,
San Diego Pool League

TABLE TALK 3/16/26:  Playoffs, Tournaments, Events & Table Talk

I am pleased to announce that we are renewing the weekly SDPL newsletter Table Talk.   Going forward, Table Talk will be the Board's primary news outlet, so you will see far fewer SDPL email and text messages. Tom King will be the "publisher."   The newsletter will contain league announcements, such as the tournament schedule and other events, the prior week's team results, each division's Top 10 list, financial reports, rule Q & A’S and other items of general interest.   We will post Table Talk to the SDpool.org/NEWS page on Monday afternoons. I encourage each player to take a few minutes every week to keep up to date on league news.

Thank you,

Curtis Moore
President, San Diego Pool League

Playoff Scheduling Challenges

Playoff scheduling has become more complex due to limited venue availability and their APA/BCA league commitments, and limited time between season end and the West Coast Challenge (WCC). You’ll note Women’s playoffs on a Saturday, Individual playoffs on Father’s Day, and final two team playoff matches on the same Sunday as Rising Star.  The tournament dates below are the best available and final; players pursuing WCC qualification via our team and individual playoffs should plan accordingly.

PLAYOFF TOURNAMENTS & OTHER EVENTS

I am pleased to announce the Spring tournament schedule and other SDPL events.  Please put them on your calendar and adjust your work/personal schedules if you plan to attend.

Eligibility reminder: To play in the playoffs, you must have played:

• Team playoffs: 25% of possible games
• Tournaments:50% of possible games as of tournament date

APRIL 26- (Sunday) Captains Meeting & Tourney @ The Break Room.  
10 am meeting followed by tournament.  ALL CAPTAINS or CO-CAPTAIN ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND.   We will discuss changes to the playoff schedule, status of our BCA membership, new scorekeeping software, and other Board plans.

MAY 1 (Friday) - Out At the Park   -
SDPL goes to Petco Park to see the Padres play the Chicago White Sox on Friday, May 1.  Plan to spend the evening with your league friends.   Bring your family.   All are welcome.   We will sit together.   We will post the ticket price once we've got it set.   You would then Venmo Russ Mortenson for your tickets.

JUNE 7 (Sunday)- Tops and Bottoms Tourney @Pockets  10 am  $10 advance registration/ $20 at the door.  WCC Qualifier

JUNE 20 (Saturday)- Women's Tourney @ Breakroom  11am  $10/ $20 at the door.   WCC Qualifier

JUNE 21 (Sunday)-  Open Individuals @ Pockets  10am  $10/ $20 at the door.   WCC Qualifier

JUNE 28 (Sunday)-   Rising Star AND Team playoff double header @ Pockets  10am   $10/ $20 at the door (Rising Star only)  WCC Qualifiers

Hello everyone,

The spring 2026 season is now in its 8^th week. I hope you’re enjoying some fun competition and improving your game.

As outlined in the SDPL Bylaw 4.6 – ELECTIONS, nominations are now open for three Board positions. Please submit nominations for the below positions by March 31 if interested. The current Board members in these roles—Jay Wunderl, Tom King, and Brooke Hall—assumed their duties in November and December and have indicated their interest in continuing to serve. Elections will be held during the week prior to the April 23 Board meeting if additional nominations are received.

• Vice President (Jay Wunderl)
• Secretary (Tom King)
• Statistician (Brooke Hall)

.

Our greatest need is for two at-large Board positions:

• New Player Program Manager - will oversee the intake and placement of new players, including outreach, communication, team assignments, and coordination with captains and sponsor bars. A proven process is already in place and ready for you to take it over.  It’s a fairly easy process but does require comfort communicating verbally, via text and/or email and importantly tracking people interested so we may contact them again when a team needs a player or for Fall 2026.  Jay will provide you the tools and training for success.

• Skills Training Program Manager - will develop and coordinate training opportunities for both new and existing members. Given all the new players, we see the need for a Skills Training program.  We expect to combine an existing training program, such as Dr. Dave's Zero - X, with in person, hands-on training by experienced league members.   The league will be a resource to help new and long-time members up their skills.    The board position will schedule, promote and organize skills events, keep track of participants and ensure that league resources are used wisely.   The manager does not need to be an expert or a trainer.

As I mentioned at the Awards Party, in the past year we added 8 new teams and 60 new players.   This season alone, we added 25 new players.  Supporting this growth requires dedicated leadership beyond routine league operations.

If you are interested in serving or would like to nominate someone else for any of the above roles, please reply to this email or contact a Board member by March 31. Your involvement is essential to the continued growth and success of the league.

Thank you,
Curtis Moore

President, San Diego Pool League

SDPL AWARDS PARTY - January 24

You are invited to the San Diego Pool League Awards Party at Stone Brewery! 

Join us to celebrate a fantastic season of competition, camaraderie and cue-ball mastery! The Awards Party is your chance to honor Fall 2025 seasons top players, meet other players, enjoy good food and unwind with the best company in town.

Stone Brewery is a perfect backdrop for this celebration- with its lively atmosphere, exceptional craft brews and delicious food, it's sure to make our afternoon one to remember. Come raise a glass with teammates, rivals and friends as we recognize everyone who made the season special.

Attached is the events menu. The league is hosting the event and will pick up the cost of the meal for all members. There will be a no-host bar. We extend the invitation to our new Spring 2026 members as well.

DATE: Saturday, January 24, 2026
TIME: 1:30-4:00p.m.
LOCATION: Stone Brewing: 2816 Historic Decatur Rd Unit 116, San Diego, CA 92106

ACTION REQUIRED - Invitation emails were send out.
RSVP NO LATER THAN noon January 23rd by clicking “Reply All” to that email & inform the SDPL Board:
     1.  If you will attend
     2.  Your meal choice (Wagyu Burger, Chicken Parm or Veggie Bibimbap)

The Board would like to thank Curtis Lamb and Patrick O’Connor for arranging this event at Stone Brewery! 😊

We look forward to seeing you there! Your San Diego Pool League Board PARTY MENU MEAL OPTIONS (Also attached)

STONE WAGYU LUXE BURGER Wagyu beef patty, marrow butter, French onion spread, dijonnaise, Gruyère cheese, arugula, served on a brioche bun 18 

STONE CHICKEN PARM SUPREME Crispy garlic-panko chicken, burrata, vodka sauce, basil pesto, Parmesan, served on a toasted seeded garlic sub roll 18

KOREAN VEGGIE BIBIMBAP Baked tofu, mushroom bulgogi, sesame-marinated carrots and bean sprouts, kimchi, candied sesame kale, sesame-gochujang glaze 16

Welcome to the SDPL Spring 2026 season! 

The League continues to improve your Monday night pool experience. We’ve grown by 2 new teams and 24 new players.    We will use electronic scoresheets, simplifying the match scoring.   All SDPL members are now BCA members as well. SDPL results will automatically update your Fargo rating. The West Coast Challenge will be held in Palm Springs and for the first time, the Palm Springs Pool League will participate.

Special thanks go out to Jay Wunderl, Brooke Hall and Josh Watson for the hard work of loading our teams and each player’s info into the BCA Pool League system. Please join me in thanking them for pulling off this significant accomplishment!  For anyone that has suffered through a software transition, you can appreciate that system changes are never easy and seldom go smoothly. There is always a learning curve and there will be questions no one anticipated. I appreciate your patience if you encounter problems.  We will work with you to resolve issues as quickly as we can. 

The SDPL provides a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to build camaraderie and skills.  We recognize that LGBTQ+ spaces are under assault by some who oppose our values, diversity, who we are and what we represent.  They seek to turn back the clock to 1978 when we formed this league out of fear and necessity. While we are a sports league, we are beneficiaries of a larger effort that saved us from AIDS, recognized our families, and ended much of the shame and ridicule heaped on us. I’d like to thank our Allies that join us every Monday for some competitive pool. And I encourage all our LGBTQ players and Allies to live your values not only in the safe spaces, but in all aspects of your lives. Let’s play pool and have some fun.

Curtis Moore
President, San Diego Pool League

Links / attachments included:

• SDPool.org  (Official website)
• SDPL Facebook page
• SDPL Documents page
  • SDPL-BCAPL Scoring App Guide
  • FargoRate Player App Guide
  • SDPL Match Play Guidelines & Rules effective 01-2026 (attached)
  • SDPL bylaws effective 01-2026
• Board & Captains contact directory (attached)

 WHAT’S NEW

1. The SDPL is now BCA Pool League (BCAPL) sanctioned.  Our players are members of the BCAPL and will begin to be ranked with a Fargo Rating.  All players are encouraged to download the FargoRate Player App from Google Play or the Apple App store.  Click this link for information about FargoRate scores.  The App’s are free.  A separate email will go out to all players with FargoRate App information.

2. SDPL - BCA Pool League scoring:    Instructions are attached.
   1. Downloading the FargoRate Player App (Step 1) that shows match play calendar 4 weeks out.
   2. Downloading the BCAPL scoring App (Step 2)
   3. Using the Scoring App to run the match and submit scores
   4. You can also confirm your team players via the scoring App.

3. SDPOOL.ORG:     We will no longer use League Republic.   While Fargorate provides an individual's information and some divisional info, League-wide schedules, results, histories and notices are located at sdpool.org.  
4. 1.10 SCOREKEEPERS – Both team captains (or designee) shall use the BCAPL Scoring App each night.  Both home & visiting teams use the BCAPL scoring App to manage match play and keep score.  Both verify score accuracy including wins/losses, table runs, etc. at the end of the match.  Both submit your results via the App at the end of the match.  
   1. Recommend you open the match while you have Wi-Fi.  If the bar doesn’t have Wi-Fi___33 you will still be able to score the match as opening in advance downloads the match to your device.  You then submit when you do have Wi-Fi.
   2. Consider having players on your team download and use the scoring App also.  This will take some of the pressure off you.

5. Break Rotation:   The break rotation changes from last year, to rotate by round, and not by player.    

1.11 ROTATION OF BREAKS AND PLAYERS - The break will rotate with home team breaking in the 1^st and 3^rd quarters, visiting team breaking in the 2^nd and 4^th quarters.  

6. Adding new players night of play – With the scoring App it’s important to have new players in the BCA system before they play.  And there’s a $20 fee for each player new to BCAPL.  To add a new player night of play you must:
   1. Call & Text Brooke Hall & Josh Watson to have them entered.  They’ll get to it as soon as they can given they are also playing their matches.
   2. Pay the $20 member fee with your $40 nightly dues.

Reminder: Team rosters cannot exceed 7 players.  If you have 7 players, you must identify the player to be removed before your new player can be added.

REMINDERS & HELPFUL HINTS

1. SUPER CRITICAL – DOWNLOAD THE APP’S AND READ/UNDERSTAND THE BCA SCORING APP GUIDE BEFORE PLAY ON MONDAY!
2. Contact your players and inform them where you play on Monday!  It is in the FargoRate App. for them to view prior to each Monday.
3. Key Phone Numbers:    Please save the Board members phone numbers on your phone, as well as those for your division’s captains.      See attached directory.
4. Table Fees:     Both captains are strongly encouraged to submit $40 weekly table fees and any $20 BCAPL new player fee in full via Venmo to the Treasurer (Russel Mortenson Boyd@Russm92107) at start of match & no later than end of match.  (Avoid the late fee!)
5. Team Fees:    One-time $25 Team Registration fee due along with the $40 weekly dues on January 12^th payable via Venmo to the Treasurer (Russel Mortenson Boyd@Russm92107).
6. Paper Scoresheets:    If you must use a paper scoresheet, the home team captain must text the score sheet to the Statistician (Brooke Hall) immediately at the end of the match. 
7. 1.2 MATCH POSTPONEMENT – Every effort should be made to avoid a match postponement.  A 24-hour notice must be given to the opposing team captain and the Vice President if a match must be postponed.
8. 1.16 DISPUTES – Team captains should amicably resolve disputes using the SDPL Guidelines and Rules of play.  Unresolved disputes may be submitted by both captains to the Vice President via email.  
9. 2.4 8-BALL POCKETED ON THE BREAK – Pocketing the 8 ball on the break is neither a win, nor a loss of game.  See rule 2.4 in the Matchplay and Amended BCA Rules.
10. BR’s – Break and Runs are table runs completed from the break.
11. TR’s – Table Runs or TRs are defined as a player legally pocketing all possible object balls in their first inning.  In the Scoring App use the TR button to record this event.
12. League Republic will no longer be used.
13. The full match play schedule will be posted on SDPool.org just as soon as we can create links between the League Management System and the website.  Please be patient.

Captains & Co-Captains

Monday January 12^th is the start of our new season.  Beginning Monday the SDPL will be using:

1. The FargoRate Player App to communicate to all players match scheduling and stats.
2. The BCAPL Scoring App to score our matches and replace our paper score sheets.

Before noon Saturday please:

1. Open and review attached SDPL-BCA Pool League scoring App Guide
2. Download the FargoRate App (Step 1) and set up your account  (See attached guide)
3. Download the BCAPL Scoring App (Step 2) and using the FargoRate login/password set up your account  (See attached guide)

Optional Event at Pec’s Bar to help you….if needed.

Date:                   Saturday January 10^th
Time:                   1 – 3pm
Where:                Pec’s Bar 2046 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104 

If unable to attend and still need help after going thru the materials, contact me directly.

More information regarding match play calendar, captains directory, bylaws and rules will be sent via email within the next two days.  

Thank you, 
Jay Wunderl
619-416-4718

OPEN
     FargoRate Player App Guide     

    SDPL - BCAPL Scoring App Guide

DOWNLOAD
    FargoRate Player App Guide     

    SDPL - BCAPL Scoring App Guide