Group A
So in the first group most of the sets have been played already. Two players have separated themselves from the pack at this time and there's a lot left to decide. JJ had a pretty good season. He's finished all his sets with a 4-1 record and has clinched a playoff spot. Carlos is also off to a pretty good start at 2-1. While he did lose to JJ, his 70% win percentage is hard to miss. He'll be in the playoffs too and has an outside chance at still winning the group. There's a group of 3 players on 3 points. Brad is in the best position as he's 1-0 with a win coming against JJ. Steven (Eagle) has a chance at making the playoffs but he's pretty much in must win mode. Steve (gb) has a slightly better chance as he's got 3 sets remaining. Amy gave it a go but didn't have much luck and will be looking forward to next season after an 0-4 start.
Two key sets to watch:
Punk_Lobster vs lvlr_l7ry - This should be a pretty entertaining set between the preseason favourites in this group. Brad always does well in the group stage but at this point he's only played the one set. Carlos is looking like a definite standout in div B with his great win percentage. Something will have to give. Should be much closer than the other sets Carlos has played so far because Brad can really shoot well.
gb.elite91 vs Eagle_Force - Battle of the Steves here. Not sure why people with the same name always end up in the same group but I'm never willing to reshuffle. This is actually a pretty important set for these guys as the winner might still have a chance to move on to the playoffs. The loser will pick up at least their 3rd loss and be put into a much tougher situation.
Group B
Lots of activity in this group also. AJ is the early leader with 12 points and still a set left to play. Naveen bounced back from an early loss and is once again in solid position, sitting in second place with 6 points. The next player I'm going to talk about is a little intriguing. Miguel has finally played and won a set. Alex tells me that he's definitely not div B so look for him to possibly make a charge for first here. Praveen and Brice are very much alive with one win each. Carl has finished all his sets with zero wins unfortunately. Will be a little disappointing after his playoff appearance last season.
ItsAJ vs un.conquered - Well if Miguel was looking for a respectful, quality set out of this one, he might get one of those wishes. Miguel is the last guy AJ will have to play in order to try to get his perfect record. I've been told that Miguel is pretty good so this should be a good barometer.
n_4_v_e_e_n vs _The_Leprachaun_ - The match between Brice and Naveen should be a pretty good one. Both players were in the playoffs last season. Neither guy's season is on the line here but it will be an important win. Brice doesn't really seem to be around pool quite as much lately, so we'll be able to see if he can live up to his high seeding from last season.
Group C (Ross)
A.K.A the group that no one wants to finish in third place. Matt has first locked up with a perfect record and one would fancy him to reach at least the semi finals of the playoffs as long as he can cuts down on the choking his runs can be lethal. Chad also has a playoff spot locked up but one would predict his game is far too risky to cause any real threat to pose a danger in the playoffs. The race for third place is where this group really starts to get interesting as Cody, Jon and Chris could all potentially end up with 7 points or Jon could win out the remainder of his sets and finish the season on 10 points. Due to Cody being inactive from pool in the last few weeks down to joining the circus according to Jose I’m going to say he probably loses his last set. I am also going to say that Jon will win out the rest of his sets as he has held wins over players of the calibre of Sergio in the past which is greater than any threat this group has left to offer him after pushing the big 2 close.
Two key sets to watch:
S_IC vs LyFe_eLiTe - All the remaining sets left involve Jon. His set against Cody won't be much more important than the other two but it's definitely still important. Jon is the only player left with a chance to hit the 3 win level but at the same time Cody can force a tie for 3rd place with a victory here. Cody's win % is below 50 but it's still higher than Joe's and Chris' so he's technically got the best chance. Cody hasn't really shown he can beat good players yet in competitions so I see Jon moving through here.
SideShot vs S_IC - Obviously another set involving Jon. Chris and Jon will have a little familiarity with each other from the early days, when the lg actually hosted trny. Chris might be a little more of a challenge because of that familiarity and also because he has been in the playoffs before. Look for this to be Jon's toughest test in his challenge to win his last 3 sets.
Group D
This is probably the group with the least activity so far with less than half of the sets played. Only 3 of the players have points so far which makes the playoff picture look pretty clear. Petey has been a wrecking ball so far at 3-0 winning each set 7-2 so far. Chad is also showing that he'll have no problems getting back to the playoffs with his 2-0 start and he'll be the biggest competition for 1st with Petey. Rees sits at a 2-2 record and at this point looks pretty good to advance as well. Bryan and Jose are both in pretty big holes with their 0-2 records, while Jason has only played one set which resulted in a loss.
Two key sets to watch:
ll_eskimo_ownage_ll vs hustle - The two favourites going into the group stage have lived up to expectations so far and are on a collision course for 1st place in the group. Petey hasn't been in the competition in a few seasons but is showing that he's one to watch in div B. Chad has always done very well in div B as well, coming off a semi-finals appearance last season. Look for an entertaining set here.
PSYCHOJASON vs pobody's nerfect - This is a bit of an intriguing matchup. Rees hasn't quite clinched a spot in the playoffs yet and his last match will come against Jason. Jason hasn't been around a ton so hopefully it will in fact get played. Jason used to consistently make the div B playoffs and was seemingly improving his game before he disappeared for a few seasons. Rees might not know Jason too well, but he'll definitely have to take him seriously because if good Jason shows up it'll be tight.
Group E (Tim)
This group is pretty competitive. Josh is in first place with 10 points and DJ is in second with 7, but both have played all sets (well done to both btw). Kerry and Derek are tied for third with 6 points a piece however, Kerry has two sets and Derek has three sets still to play. And in 5th place, Cris has 3 points with three sets still to play. Josh and DJ are both watching to see the results of the remaining sets in the group and hoping that their points will stand up by the end. BOL to my good friend Maria, but you need to step it up in those last two sets to have any hope of making playoffs. I've seen you play Maria... you have a good snooker game, now just back it up with smart shot selection. Anything can happen in this group! Kerry and Derek are both tough players that are going to be battling the rest of the season for points. But let us not forget the mystery man Cris. I have a feeling this guy is a shadow in the pool and could potentially come up with some big wins. GL.
Two key sets to watch:
deftvision vs KrazyKerry - Mystery man Cris is gonna be a tough match for Kerry. Kerry is 2-1 and, ideally, she needs this win to put herself in great position to make the playoffs. So I'm assuming she's gonna be on her A game. If she does indeed play her A game, I think she’ll get the win.
KrazyKerry vs sicc.stoned - The two powerhouses of the group in my opinion. Winner of this is in great position to make the playoffs. Derek I’m picking you to win this set. GL both.
Group F (Ross)
Phil has first locked up with a perfect record. While going 5-0 in any cam comp may be impressive, winning 4 of the 5 races by a single game suggests all of these sets could have gone either way and he may struggled against more experienced players who know not to make unnecessary risks during sets. The race for second is where this group really heats up with Thomas finished his sets on 10 points and holding a win over Tim but a loss against Eddie the 2 of the 3 players who can join him on 10 points. However it is Faisal who holds all the cards in this group as if he wins his remaining sets he will leave both Eddie and Tim fighting for a wild card and steal joint second for himself. Personally I don’t see someone who only one game against Thomas knocking off the reigning Division B 8BRCAM champion in Tim or the guy who claims he belongs in Division A in Eddie but prove me wrong.
Two key sets to watch:
xxl_champion_lxx vs _Eddie_2 - Once again a group where the remaining 3 sets involve one player, Faisal takes his turn. This is a pretty important set for both players. Must win for Faisal to stay alive and also must win for Eddie if he wants to clinch at least a wildcard spot.
handkrash vs xxl_champion_lxx - This is almost an identical situation to Eddie's situation. It's especially similar because both Eddie and Tim will be heavy favourites in these sets. Faisal was able to keep it close against Phil so maybe he's got a little left in the tank to pull out an upset here.
Group G (Tim)
Interesting Group. Adam (3-1), Moon (3-0), and Luis (3-1) have are in a three way tie for first, all with 9 points. Word on the street is that Moon is playing solid. She's the only undefeated player in the group but has two sets still to play. Make sure you play both and try your best to get 7 more points to take the group. Adam got a big 5-4 win over Luis, but Luis got a crucial win over Mike. Both Adam and Luis have one set left to play against tough opponents. Surprisingly, Sacha and Mike, both tough players, haven't performed well... however, Mike has only played one set. As for Jenni, she had a stellar performance in 8br cam but isn't doing so hot in this group. Make sure you bring your A game for the last two sets if you want to have any chance of making the playoffs, Jenni. Same goes for you Sacha. I know you're a good player, Sacha bro. Maybe you just haven't been playing as much lately but step it up in the last two for a chance at playoffs. As of now, unless Mike starts playing and winning sets--which is definitely a posibility cuz he's a good playa--it looks like the Moon, Adam, and Luis are fighting for top three spots. GL all.
Two key sets to watch:
rubiiiiiiii vs Xx_SaTaNs_MaSTeR_xX - I know Moon, I don't know Luis. Should be a good set, could go either way. I'm kinda going out on a limb here,,, but Moon I've been hearing good things about you. I say Moon wins this set.
uBlowMe vs Mr_Wonderful__ - The results of this set depend on which Mike shows up. The guy has had good showings in cam comps in the past, but I've also seen him play poorly. So, although I don't know him very well, I say Adam wins this set.
NEW GROUP
Group H
Kron_36 - Jay is someone who I've never seen in cam comps. Someone told me he was some kind of hider but who knows what that even means. I've seen him quite a few times playing on inter teams before so he's definitely got some skill. This is a tough group for you first cam comp experience but I also wouldn't be shocked if he held his own.
bad_luck_ - David is giving cam comps a try for what I believe to be the first time as well. The only thing I know about this guy is that he makes pretty cool graphics. I guess if you hang around yahoo pool lgs long enough you probably get a chance to play a fair amount of games. Most of the other players in this group have a ton of experience so it'll be hard for David to make the playoffs.
nevvf - Joey is an old school player who hadn't been around for quite a while. After having an average group stage in 8brcam he caught fire and made it all the way to the finals in div B in the previous season. While that's definitely an impressive feat this is still a pretty tough group. I can't imagine his play dropping off to a point where he doesn't make the playoffs but first place won't be a guarantee.
british_pool_wizard - Jason is a guy that has a ton of div A experience but is once again coming off a bit of a layoff. Early on he's sitting at 1-0 with a big win against one of his main competitors in Rob. At his best in this competition, Jason did qualify for the div A playoffs so if he's on form look for him to be the top guy in this group, with a great chance at going deep in playoffs.
thepr0fessor - I would have been more optimistic for Tate's prediction had this group not been added in 4 days ago. Not sure if anyone has gotten in touch with him yet but the lack of sets played isn't the best sign. There are guys in this group who I'm not sure on but with Tate I couldn't even begin to guess. Will have to assume the other guys are better.
t.wolves - Welcoming Rob back to the competition! This is pretty exciting as we have a player who was in the original SSCam Cup all the way back in 2008. Rob was actually the very first winner of div A back then. A lot has changed as the field has expanded in number and quality. So far so good as he's got some good wins in this group through 3 sets played. Look for Rob to be in the playoffs and on his way to potentially another title.
Pecking order - 1.Jason 2.Rob 3.Joey 4.Jay 5.David 6.Tate
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