Why trust NAPA's Handicaps
Pool League Information > NAPA Handicaps
Why Trust NAPA's Handicap System?
The NAPA handicapping system is a proprietary adaptation of the ELO Rating System. Each player's individual skill level and the number of games needed to win his or her match is determined using this time-proven method.
WHO CREATED THE ELO RATING SYSTEM?
Arpad Elo, a respected chess master and professor of Physics at Marquette University, created the formula.
WHAT IS THE ELO SYSTEM?
The ELO system is a method for calculating the relative skill level of a player in a sport or game based on head-to-head performance. In its most basic form, the ELO system is based on the following formulae:
More in-depth explanations, and just what the heck the above formula means, can be found HERE. Also, if you think the formula above is familiar, take a look at this video.
WHEN WAS ELO FORMULATED?
The ELO system was developed in 1960 and implemented by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1970. The ELO system has since been adapted to countless leagues/polls ever since.
WHERE ELSE IS THE ELO SYSTEM USED?
Most notably, the ELO system has been used to calculate rankings/handicaps for the following organizations: NCAA football's BCS (Bowl Championship Series) rankings, World Chess Federation (FIDE), FIFA (women's international soccer), and World of Warcraft (online roll playing game).
Perhaps most prominently, the ELO system was used as the basis for "Facemash" - the predecessor to Facebook. Do you remember the dorm room formula scene from the biographically-inspired movie... that’s why the above figures look so familiar!
WHY WAS ELO CREATED?
By definition performance cannot be measured absolutely; it can only be inferred from wins and losses against other players. A player's ELO Rating depends on the ratings of his or her opponents and the results scored against them. The relative difference in rating between two players determines a projection for the expected score between them and a handicap is assigned to each individual in order to make that matchup as "winnable" by each participant as possible.