Snooker

[PSmitty]

So, I've got my first USDAA trial this weekend, and in typical fashion, I've waited until now to really try to figure out snooker. I'm not talking I just need helpful hints, I'm talking somebody please explain the whole dealio to me. I know I can ask for help from fellow handlers at the trial, but I'd like to not be TOTALLY clueless going in.

 

Enlighten me, please!

[MaryP]

Ha!

 

Get your map, find someone who has done it before, and ask them to tell you what your course should be. I read and read and read and still didn't understand it the first time. So, on the day of the trial, I asked my friend what I needed to do and she told me exactly what my course should be and why. Of course, I still got whistled off, LOL. But, I already told you that story.

 

Just remember that your "closing" sequence is set by the judge. You have to do them in the order that the judge has them ordered on the map. Your "opening" can be what you want it to be, but usually there aren't a lot of options, if you want to get your red-color-red sequences right without sending your dog over a jump that he shouldn't take. Most folks tend to pick very similar openings. In your opening, you have to do a red jump (single) followed by a color (your choice), followed by a red, followed by a color, followed by a red, followed by a color. You want to design a course where you can get your red jumps and colored jumps without the risk of sending your dog to the wrong obstacle (i.e., you don't want to accidentally do two colored obstacles back-to-back or you'll be whistled off). I wouldn't worry too much about points. You'll have no trouble getting your points in Starters. Remember, you ALWAYS have to take a red jump before you are ALLOWED to take a colored jump. If you knock a red jump down, you have to go find another red jump before you can take a colored jump (or obstacle). Also, you can only take a red jump once. Once you've used it, it's considered "dead."

 

So, just figure out how to set up your opening to get your required red-colored combo jumps and try to end close to where the closing starts.

 

I wish I could go this weekend, but money is just too tight right now. Plus, now I have dogs coming in, so while you are having fun with your Snooker experience, I'll be de-lousing, de-fleaing, and de-ticking dogs. No fair!

[airbear]

LOL!

 

Snooker is my very favourite game in the whole wide world! OK, maybe not, but in the agility world. I look at it thusly:

 

You need to "buy" a red in order to perform an obstacle of choice. You can only "buy" each red once. In StSn, you should have 3 reds out there. So ya do a red (which will be a single jump), and then ya find an obstacle of choice to do. In a perfect world, do this with each of the three red jumps, and then off to the closing. The closing are the obstacles of choice, each assigned a point value from 2 to 7. Easy, right?

 

Now for the exception management:

If you knock the bar on a red, you have to go find another red to take before you do an obstacle of choice. If you've done two of the red-obstacle of choice combos and you get to the third red and knock the bar, well, move on to the closing!

 

From a strategy point of view, I look at what obstacle will lead us most smoothly into the closing (not true, I only do the 7's but when I ran Bear, this is what I would do). So that will be my third obstacle of choice. I will take the red that leads most logically to that obstacle. Then I figure what is the obstacle of choice that will lead me nicely to that third red? I then decide which red leads to that second obstacle of choice. Finally, what obstacle of choice will lead me to that second red? And where is the last red? Does it make sense to take that first red, with that obstacle of choice? Chances are, it does, as this is StSn and they're pretty good about things like flow.

 

I don't know how many points you need to qualify - 37? 40? - but take that into consideration when you're walking the course. If you do three 2's in the opening, and the closing is worth 27 points (2+3+4+5+6+7), then you will have 36 points (1+2+1+2+1+2 + 27) which won't be enough points to qualify (unless I have the Q standard wrong, which is very possible). If you think that you might have trouble with an obstacle - say, the DW is the 7-point obstacle and there's a good chance you will miss the contact - then take that into account when you're walking the course.

 

Hmm. I just re-read this. I think I may have made things worse for you.

 

Maybe video will help. Listen to the judge calling the numbers (if you can hear her over the barking!).

 

[MrRipley]

I love snooker, and I love explaining it to newbies!

 

You probably know it's a point-based timed game. To Q, you need 37 points. The course time includes both the opening and closing -- there is no opening time/whistle like there is in Gamblers. Each obstacle is assigned a point value, and there are also 3 red jumps worth 1 point. You begin with a red jump, then move on to a colored (non-red obstacle). Then do another red jump, and another colored obstacle. Repeat until you have done each of the 3 red jumps (you cannot do them more than once), each followed by a colored obstacle. You CAN repeat the same colored obstacle after each red jump, if you wish. To Q, you need a minimum of 10 points in the opening sequence, so the colored obstacles you choose to do after each red ones need to be AT LEAST worth 7 points total (1+2+1+2+1+3=10). IF your dog knocks a bar on one of the red jumps, you must go immediately to the next red jump (that you haven't done already) or you will get whistled off. It is ok to knock the bar, but not ok to do a colored obstacle without clearing a red jump first. If he knocks your last red jump, go right to the closing. If he takes a colored obstacle in the opening without doing a red jump first, you will get whistled off.

 

Proceed to the closing sequence. That means that you have to do all the colored obstacles in number order. If you choose to do the 2-point colored obstacle after your last red jump, remember to repeat it again as part of your closing. The closing is worth 27 points if you finish it. Depending which obstacles you choose in your opening, it is possible to Q with at least 37 points even if you do not complete the last 7-point obstacle in the closing. If you go off course in your closing, you will get whistled off.

 

Does that make sense? Plan a nice flowing course for you and your dog and run it. Stick with your plan. Hopefully your plan will work You may need to think on the fly a bit if he knocks a red jump or takes a different colored obstacle in the opening than you had planned on. Try to stay calm, regroup and keep going.

 

Make sense?

[MaggieDog]

Z and I luuurve Snooker as well - you've gotten some great explanations above so I'll defer to those, but I highly second the suggestion to find someone in the walk thrus to give you the run down. IME USDAA competitors are *very* willing to help newbies, especially in Starters, so don't hesitate to ask for help. The judges in Starters are also generally quite happy to clarify as needed. Everyone remembers what it was like to be in your shoes!

[Rave]

Some more points to confuse you even more...

 

-when in your opening if your dog runs across the chute fabric or through the weave poles, your dog has chosen that obstacle as his next one, so you must now complete that obstacle as your "obstacle of choice."

 

-if your dog faults the weaves in the opening or closing, you must go back and complete them before moving on.

 

-if there is a combination (e.g. 7A-7B-7C) and your dog drops a bar in the combo, you must still complete the entire combo to move on. you won't get the points for the combo, but you'll get points after that.

 

-pay attention to the rules written on the course sheet and go to the briefing. Judges are usually really good at lengthy explanations for snooker for starters.

 

-common mistake I see, if you choose 2 as your last obstacle of choice after a red, remember to re-do 2 again to start your closing. ;-)

 

Good luck!!! I suggest watching a class if you can beforehand. If you don't understand why the judge blew the whistle, ask someone. :-)

[PSmitty]

You know, I think I just might get it now! Seriously, thank you all so much! But keep your fingers crossed for me, anyway. I'll still need it.

 

Mary, I wish you could have entered, too. Good luck with the new arrivals this weekend.

[Pat W.]

Good luck Snooker is my favorite of all games too if I could run only one class a day Snooker would be it. Its a blast and really makes you think on your feet. One extra point if you knock a red jump you must do a different red jump BEFORE doing a color. Run like heck when you finish your run whether you got through the "close" or not time counts as a tie breaker when two dogs have the same amount of points. Go for flow before going for points with a green dog, there is always another snooker course and another trial, but frustrating the both of you takes all the fun out of it.

 

Believe me once you've done it you're hooked

[agilityrunningdogs]

-when in your opening if your dog runs across the chute fabric or through the weave poles, your dog has chosen that obstacle as his next one, so you must now complete that obstacle as your "obstacle of choice."

 

In addition, at a trial last year in Master Snooker, there was a chute barrel against the side of the ring not in use. I was going for a Super-Q, and the 7 was of course at the back while the reds were in the front. I set Annie up in front of a red and lead out halfway into the ring. My goal was for her to jump the red, then we take the outside loop around everything to get to the 7. Released Annie, she's running to me, veers off to run through the chute barrel, we do the 7 and were whistled off. Why? Because according to the judge she chose the chute at her next obstacle, even though it wasn't even part of the course and the fabric wasn't attached. I was fairly upset but it will never again happen to me or my dogs. So, just be warned that equipment off to the side can still count.

[Anda]

OMG, I was trying to follow everyone's posts and I swear I understand more about working stock than agility - all just by reading it on the boards :D

 

"Buy a red"?!

 

Good luck, Paula

[Pat W.]

Its the first time I've heard it refered to as "buying a red" also and I've been doing agility for 14years! LOL So heres Snooker in a nutshell at the novice level:

 

1) all obsticles have a given point value

2) there will be 3 jumps either identified with red flags or red standard or in some other fashion identified as a "red" jump

3) Each red jump may only be attempted/taken once and must be performed successfully (no knocking bars) inorder to continue and take a colored jump. Should a red bar be knocked then a different red jump must be attempted before attemping a color (If your dog knocks the 1st red you attempt, the you run to another red before the dog takes a color -easier sad than done ) )

4)a different red jump must be taken each time prior to taking a colored jump

5)however a colored jump may be taken as many times and performed successfully (no missed contact or knocked bars) as there are red jumps for points. example aframe is worth 5 pts and there are 3 red jumps @ 1pt each, your sheet could look like this: 1 + 5 =6, 1 + 0 =1 (dog blew contact), 1 + 5 = 6

6)Once all red jumps have been attempted reguardless of whether they have been completed sucessfully or not you must begin your "closing sequence"

7) the closing sequence consist of the obsticles numbered 2 - 7

8) inorder to qualify you must have a finishing score of 37 pts or better

 

Now for the fun part:

If your dog in the course of you attempting to get to a colored obsticle commits to a DIFFERENT obsticle ie you want the tunnel and dog steps on the aframe, then you must take that obsticle.

If your dog enters the weave poles and then pops out halfway through you must complete the obsticle correctly but get no points for that attempt.

Be aware of combinations - obsticles that consist on one than one part, all parts must be completed sucessfully for points

and during the closing must be taken in a set order - obsticle 6 consits of a tunnel and a jump, in the opening you may take that obsticle either jump - tunnel, or tunnel - Jump, but in the close the judge wants the sequence of jump - tunnel.

 

As you move up in level the judge can increase the number of red jumps available to you and then it gets really interested as there are different rules for this too but I wont confuse you more with them at this time.

[PSmitty]

Thanks for the additional info, Pat!

 

I'm doing Snooker as part of a DAM team, so it's not going to be a Starters level course, unfortunately. Umm, it'll be interesting! At least now I have a much better grasp of what the object of the game is.

 

Thanks again, everyone.

[Stoga]

Good luck Paula! Let us know how you guys do...

[Rave]

Thanks for the additional info, Pat!

 

I'm doing Snooker as part of a DAM team, so it's not going to be a Starters level course, unfortunately. Umm, it'll be interesting! At least now I have a much better grasp of what the object of the game is.

 

Thanks again, everyone.

 

If you're running team, be aware the Gamblers will likely be a timed gamble and jumpers will have 12 weaves. This differs from normal non-team classes. Have fun! :-)

[Samantha J]

OMG, I was trying to follow everyone's posts and I swear I understand more about working stock than agility - all just by reading it on the boards

 

"Buy a red"?!

 

LOL, i am with Anda... actually i have never heard the term Snooker before now, well not connected with agility anyway.

 

Good luck Paula! I hope you have a great weekend.

[Rave]

It was originally based on the billiards game of the same name. ;-)

[Root Beer]

How did it go?

[lrayburn]

I read through the first 6 posts thinking this was a hoax like the agility lizard thread. Now I realize its true and I'm even more confused! Guess I need to study up since Pip is in an intro agility class.

 

Lisa

[Root Beer]

I read through the first 6 posts thinking this was a hoax like the agility lizard thread. Now I realize its true and I'm even more confused! Guess I need to study up since Pip is in an intro agility class.

 

Lisa

 

You'll only need to understand Snooker if you do USDAA or CPE. I don't believe that any of the other venues have the game. At least not in the US.

 

It's fun, though. It didn't make sense to me until I actually played in a run through. Once it made sense, it became a favorite of mine.

[PSmitty]

How did it go?

 

Thanks for asking! Let's just say we had fun and leave it at that.

 

I got the "whistle of shame" very early in my Snooker run, BUT, it was not due to my lack of understanding of the game. Thanks to you all, I totally understood it going in, but I just didn't think quick enough on my feet. My team did not have a good weekend, score-wise, but we did have a great time and can't wait to do it again next year (we only get 2 USDAA trials around here a year, and only one does the DAM tournament). I like USDAA, and will definitely enter any chance I get.

 

Thanks again for all the advice and well wishes. I'll do better at Snooker next time, I promise!

[bcnewe2]

Ok so I'm search impaired, where is this lizard agility thread???

 

Glad you enjoyed your snooker game Paula, I'm sure there will be no shamful whistles next time!

[lrayburn]

Ok so I'm search impaired, where is this lizard agility thread???

 

It's hiding under the title "Beginner Agility Questions". Just make sure you aren't drinking your coffee while you read it. I laughed out loud.

[Rave]

You'll only need to understand Snooker if you do USDAA or CPE.

 

And AAC! :-)

[Pat W.]

Glad to hear you had fun - its the most important part. I always say when you stop having fun its time to walk away. You were brave taking on not only your first Snooker course but a DAM tournament too!

[Root Beer]

And AAC! :-)

 

Cool!!

 

USDAA, CPE, or AAC.