Divisional "Pool" Play
By AlphaZealot | Published: May 15, 2008 10:31pm EST
 Larger Smash tournaments, usually with 64 or more players, will frequently run pool play prior to brackets. The entire field of competitors is usually divided in roughly equal-sized pools with the top players from each pool making it to bracket play. The size and number of pools depends on two factors: the number of competitors and the size of the desired bracket. A field of 64 entries could be divided into eight pools of eight players, with the Top 4 making it into a 32-man bracket or the Top 2 making it into a 16-man bracket. It could also be divided into 16 pools of 4 players each, with the Top 2 making it into a 32-man bracket. Pool play functions in round-robin format as every competitor plays every other player in the pool. After every match has occurred the results are tabulated and each player is given a rank within the pool based on performance and only a predetermined number of these players move onto the next round. The results from pool play are also used to seed players into bracket play. There are a few tricks for getting through pool play. - Not all pools operate using a procedure of who plays next; if you are fortunate to be in a tournament that is not defining match order during pools, then make sure to take caution and be an observer. If you can avoid going first in a pool, you give yourself the opportunity to watch the other players, whom they play as, what their counter stages are, and how good they are. These data can be vital and incredibly helpful when it actually comes time to fight these players. - Take your matches slowly. You’ll likely have to face seven other players, there is no need to play 14 or more matches in a row. Instead, pace yourself; if you experience a loss, maybe take a break and reevaluate what went wrong. - If the pool has a match list (ordering who plays whom and in what order), that doesn’t mean you still can’t observe the other players. It may be more limiting, not having control of when you play, but you can still watch the other players during their matches and learn some information. - If you are a strong player, use pool play as a chance to beef up your weaker characters or test strategies you might otherwise not employ. The best players at any given tournament usually use their secondary or worse characters during pool play. This move is done both to gain experience and to keep things interesting and more fun. - Check with the tournament hosts at the tournament or online before the tournament begins to understand how your specific tournament will do tie-breakers for pool play. |
