SSCam Season 5/2011 Playoffs B

Top half of the bracket was prediccted by myself and Kerry did the bottom half (thanks).

Finals

#17 Mr_Goodman vs #7 sampler_43 - Ok so we're onto the last finals of the year with the 5th div B season of 2011 wrapping up with an intriguing final set. Both of these guys have seemingly been playoff players for a while in this competition but this is definitely the first sign we've seen that either could really win it all. Starting with Niks, he was the last player to make it into the playoffs and barely had a group stage to speak of when you really look at it. He's always been good enough to qualify for the playoffs but not much more. His win in the preivous round against Naveen was fairly impressive and his run might not end there. He's been an underdog for so many rounds but this is it and if he can pull off one more upset he'll be the champ. Brad has been one of the stronger players the last couple of seasons and seems to be playing at his best of late. It's not as much of a surprise to see him here but it says a lot about how far his game has come as well with being able to find ways to win against strong opponents. Brad is the more dynamic player in my opinion and he can definitely run tables better than Niks. If this ends up being a bit more of a sloppy set though and sometimes finals tend to go that way then the title is really up for grabs. Despite all of the wins so far by Niks, this is really his toughest opponent and the run should end here.

9-6 Brad

Semi-Finals

#17 Mr_Goodman vs #5 ml2_wolverine - Ok well neither of these guys received predictions in their previous round matchups so its time to revisit with both. This is foreign territory for both of these guys in a cam comp making it so far but maybe it shouldnt be such a huge surprise. Niks had to win 3 close sets to get here taking out the top seed in Nigel and probably the favourite in Sergio in the previous round. Naveen is making his best run in the playoffs after taking out Bubba and Kerry in his sets. This is a rematch from the group stage where Naveen did win with a fairly comfortable cushion. These guys are fairly familiar with each other and that should lead to a fairly close set. Niks has shown that he can raise his level of play with the quality wins he has pulled off so far but Naveen is going to be gunning for a rematch with Brad and that is how I see it playing out.

9-6 Naveen Result - 9-5 Niks

#7 sampler_43 vs #3 lol_lmfao_rofl - no pred

Result - 9-4 Brad

Quarter-Finals

#17 Mr_Goodman vs #9 o0_GoKu_0o - no pred

Result - 7-5 Niks

#4 xl_bankqueen_lx vs #5 ml2_wolverine - no pred

Result - 7-5 Naveen

#2 sa_c_h_a vs #7 sampler_43 - This could be a bit of a polarizing set for many reasons. First it's important to talk about the pool. And both of these players have had to win a set to get here with Sacha taking out Adam and Brad dispatching of Chris. So no huge surprises there as they took care of business against weaker opponents. So who is the stronger opponent in this matchup. Sacha is the #2 seed and had his most impressive group stage in his history in the competition. Normally I'd say Brad definitely has the more refined game but Sacha has been really active lately and he might be playing well enough to live up to that high seed. Brad also had a great season with his only loss coming against Nigel. Brad got down pretty far in the last set and had to rely on a pretty big comeback to get through. I don't see that working against Sacha as he'll be more likely to capitalize on any mistakes. This is a really tough one to call but I'm going with Sacha making his first semi-finals.

8-6 Sacha Result - 7-5 Brad

#3 lol_lmfao_rofl vs #11 shelle4461 - While this is definitely the farthest Shelle has gone in any competition Bryan really hasn't gone that much farther so both players are wandering into unknown territory. There shouldn't really be too many nerves as Shelle and Bryan are definitely familiar with one another as they've had many encounters in tournaments over a long span of time. Shelle is coming off her biggest win in the competition, beating Jon in the last round and her game is looking stronger than ever. Bryan had a little trouble but was able to handle Prakash in his previous match. There are going to be a lot of chances for both players in this set and it's going to be important to keep a level head throughout. Bryan probably has a little better skill set as far as finishing tables is concerned but Shelle has improved a ton and this set will be close.

7-4 Bryan Result - 7-5 Bryan

Rd 2 Matchups

#1 en_dk #17 Mr_Goodman - Ok so Nigel went deep into the playoffs last season but I don't think anyone really expected him to come off that and have the best group stage out of everyone in div B. However here we are and the last player to get involved in this season's playoffs is Nigel. He's coming off a perfect 5-0 season and that earns him the right to play the lowest seeded player left in the tournament. Niks is coming off a marathon 12-10 win over Jordan where staying online was only half the trouble he was having. Definitely Niks will go into this set as an underdog based on how well Nigel has been playing lately but if this matchup came a few months ago it would have been more debatable. Just to illustrate that Niks definitely has a chance to compete here and possibly even pull off the upset. Niks has some skills but he'll need to play his best and get some help from the top seed curse to advance here.

7-4 Nigel Result - 7-4 Niks

#8 TlNO_NICA vs #9 o0_GoKu_0o - Two former div A players meeting up in the first round of the playoffs. A little surprised that these guys are having to play each other so early on as I'd have called both of them top favourites to take this half of the competition. Should be a fairly entertaining set to say the least and the winner will like their chances at making a run all the way to the finals. Tino and Sergio had one loss apiece throughout the group stage putting together pretty nice 4 wins seasons. Sergio is coming off a late season loss against Shelle which was a bit of a surprise after he dominated all his other opponents. Sergio probably has the stronger game at the moment still based off those earlier results but Tino will definitely stick around in this set and it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him win.

7-5 Sergio Result - 7-5 Sergio

#4 xl_bankqueen_lx vs #13 oh.talent - Another pretty interesting matchup here in round 2. JJ is pretty lucky to be here because he's only played 2 sets but at least both of them were wins to put him into a tie for second place in his group. Kerry is coming off one of her more impressive seasons in a while where she was able to go 4-1 and get this high seed. She hasn't really been given any favours with the seeding having to play JJ first. Last season they did meet in the group stage where Kerry took a close 5-4 win. JJ hasn't really been heard from in a little while so it's possible that this set might not even get played, but if it does then Kerry definitely has the edge to advance to the quarters.

7-5 Kerry Result - DQ win for Kerry

#5 ml2_wolverine vs #12 lawbubba - Did Bubba really qualify for the playoffs this season? Well after you've gotten over that shock it's important to give him a pat on the back for a pretty solid season. Naveen's season was about proving that the last one was no fluke and he did a fairly admirable job coming out of the most inactive group to get a few wins and another high seed. Bubba managed to win a couple sets but he might be a little in over his head in a set against Naveen. Bubba has definitely shown some improvements throughout the seasons but Naveen has simply established a higher level of play. No first match upset for Naveen this season.

7-3 Naveen Result - 7-2 Naveen

#2 sa_c_h_a vs #15 dr_papsmear_at_your_cervix - Well Sacha didnt disappoint in the grouping. I had him predicted to be in the top 3 and he came First with a very good 5-0 record. Adam did pretty much what i expected and went 2-2 in his games, DO i think you can beat Sacha here ? No i dont sorry. Sacha is the much stronger player here and while he can run a good table and can play some good snookers i dont see it even comparing to adams game. Adam rushes more and bangs more and i think he might win a few games here but certainly not enough to take the win. I hope you can win some here adam and vgl.

7-3 Sacha Result - 7-5 Sacha

#7 sampler_43 vs #10 SideShot - Well in group preds i had Nigel to win the group and Brad to come 2nd and thats exactly what happened. Chris did pretty well in his group going 3-2 and taking out some good wins. Going by stats here you would think ok there pretty even. 4-1 vs 3-2 but when you look at the players i think you really have to give the edge to Brad here. Brad has a pretty good run and snooker game and chris just seems to improve every set he plays, and even though i think chris is getting alot better im still going to have to give brad this win.

7-4 Brad Result - 8-6 Brad

#3 lol_lmfao_rofl vs #14 ActiveKC - Bryan had a great season going 5-0 and certainly deserves to win this set. Prak went 2-1 and even though didnt do that good, when you look at the set between him and bryan in the group stage there really wasnt that much in it . Bryan got that game over prak 5-4. Do i think score will be this close again in this playoffs set ? Hmmm i think will be close but i wont say that close this time. Both are good players but i do have to give the edge to bryan here and i hope prak can keep this close.

7-4 Bryan Result - 8-6 Bryan

#6 dead.bang vs #11 shelle4461 - Jon did very good going 4-1 and got first place in his group. Shelle went 3-1 and even beat the predicted winner Sergio and she came 3rd. The set i watched shelle play vs sergio was a very good set and if she can take that same game into this set she could easly win. She seems to have some good seasons and not so good seasons but vs jon here im not sure if she will keep up with him. In my opinion jon had a time where he was having problems winning sets but that time seems to have gone now and hes back to playing how he used to and thats very good pool. I always said hes a hard one to beat when on his game and i dont see it being any differnt now.

7-3 Jon Result - 7-5 Shelle

Rd 1 Matchups

#16 JordanPunk vs #17 Mr_Goodman - The only first round matchup happens to feature the two lowest seeded players in the div B bracket. Usually there's a little luck involved in getting into these seeds as was the case again this season. Jordan picked up a couple pretty good wins to finish towards the top of his group butthe inactivity from the rest of the group definitely helped. Niks only had one win but happened to be one of two players from his group with points which gave him the winning ticket. Both of these players have been into the playoffs before but usually their runs have ended early. Pretty good opportunity for both of these guys to make a little noise in the playoffs. It's a tough one to call because Jordan can definitely play well but Niks probably has a little more experience and should take this one.

7-5 Niks Result - 12-10 Niks

SSCam Season 5/2011 Playoffs A

Finals

#17 dwaechte vs #10 scott22883 - Ok so even though it appeared to be a struggle at times we have finally made it to the final set in this season and the year for sscam. We have two first time finalists but both of these guys have solid reputations to back up their performances from this season. Last season Dan made it as far as the semi-finals before getting knocked out and it appeared that his season wouldn't go past there getting matched up with Trav but Dan pulled off one of the bigger wins at least that I'm aware of in his short cam comp career. He's overcome a number of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and at this point it's time to just say he's that good. Scott is definitely a player who fits the role of finalist quite well. His past success within this competition has been limited, only qualifying for the playoffs one time before and that ended in a first round defeat. Along the way Scott has beaten a former finalist, the #2 seed and last season's champ. It's important to acknowledge the 9-3 beatdown that Scott laid on Ben in the semis as that was probably the biggest blowout in the history of div A playoffs at this point. Going into this Scott is definitely the more aggressive player and that did end up helping him out quite a bit in the last set. Dan is able to run tables and is almost as good of a shooter but he's also on the lookout for safety opportunities. Somewhat of a clash in styles hopefully both guys are on their games when the set actually gets played. Dan seems to have improved quite a bit but it looks like Scott is on a big tear so I'm going to with him.

9-7 Scott

Semi-Finals

#17 dwaechte vs #12 Travis - no pred

Result - 9-7 Dan

#10 scott22883 vs #11 fhm_champion - Hey look it's finally a prediction! So after a long and seemingly arduous wait for Scott we finally have our second semi-final set up here. Scott is in foreign territory as far as sscam is concerned anyways as this has so far been his best run in the playoffs. He's got easily his toughest challenge coming up next having to play against last season's winner Ben. Somewhat of a clash in styles here as Scott will try to run just about any table as long as there's a little hope and sometimes when there's none. Ben is more of a patient player who does have great shotmaking ability to go along with it. Ben can sort of lull you into thinking you're only going to get safeties from him but he's usually just waiting for things to open up enough for his comfort level. Scott's aggressiveness won't be a bad style to try to take down Ben as long as he's finishing tables. It's hard to bet on someone maintaining a really hot running streak over the course of a race to 9 but if anyone can do it might be Scott. Even with that in mind Ben should get a chance to defend his title after a win here.

9-6 Ben

Quarter-Finals

#17 dwaechte vs #8 BrewersWin - no pred

Result - 7-4 Dan

#4 adambuddy vs #12 Travis - No one should be too surprised by the matchup we have here with a birth in the semi-finals on the line. Adam has always been a successful player in the competition but he's taken his game to another level this season, grabbing the high seed for the playoffs and dispatching of a legit in opponent in Joey by a wide margin. Travis is someone we've definitely seen here before but he hasn't really gone deep into an sscam playoffs in a while and his best showing was a semi final loss to Ant last year but that was his only time making it that far. Travis was a finalist in the prize tournament that went in the middle of the season so he's definitely shown he can do well in this and other cam comps. This should be a very entertaining set with seemingly both of these guys near the tops of their games. I'm picking Trav to win just because Adam really hasn't had a victory this big in a while, but if there was any time to do it, Adam is on form and he'll at the very least push Trav here.

8-6 Trav Result - 7-5 Trav

#2 spc_shogun vs #10 scott22883 - Well for me this is probably one of the best potential sets possible remaining in the playoffs. Neither player has really been known to have their best performances in sscam (although this is only Brian's second time) but both look to be on top of their games as of late. Brian is coming off a pretty easy previous round where he jumped out to a big lead and wasn't made to close his opponent out as JT gave up. Scott was facing David in the previous round and managed to get by in a much closer set. Both of these guys have been factors in cam comps and really should be considered contenders here again. Brian usually plays a little more under control than Scott but Scott is probably more of a threat to run any given table to you have to always be careful with what you leave him. Scott has been long overdue for a deep run in this competition and it looks like that might come at the expense of Brian's great season. Picking the upset slight upset here.

8-6 Scott Result - 7-4 Scott

#3 l1_stephen_1 vs #11 fhm_champion - no pred

Result - 7-2 Ben

Rd 2 Matchups

#1 Skills_ vs #8 dwaechte - Welcoming the #1 seed Craig to playoff action, his opponent is no longer a bye and he'll be facing off against Dan to start things off. Dan is coming off a pretty strong showing in the first round where he proved he was the better player in a decisive victory against JD. In previous seasons Dan has made quarter-final and semi-final appearances but he's never gone through an opponent of Craig's quality before to make it there. Craig would be unwise to take this match lightly as Dan is definitely a strong runner as well as being able to play safe when he needs to. Craig has been doing very well of late after turning in a great group stage that didn't have a set loss and included some good wins. Craig is going to have a pretty good chance of going all the way to the finals with no overpowering opponents on the way but he'll need to take everyone seriously starting here. Dan has impressed me with his play but Craig should take care of business here.

7-5 Craig Result - 7-3 Dan

#8 BrewersWin vs #9 haters - Here we have a re-match from the group stage where Nick took care of business with a 6-3 result. Both of these players are enjoying somewhat of a bounce back season. Ryan and Nick both missed out on the playoffs last season and their performances were rewarded with first round byes. Unfortunately that means that it'll be right into the fire right away with tough opponents. A 6-3 win seems decisive but anything can happen in a best of 9. This set should be closer because both of these guys can shoot and safety. If Nick shows up on form for this set he should win against Ryan and that's how I see it happening.

7-5 Nick Result - DQ win for Nick

#4 adambuddy vs #20 witheaze - This should be a pretty good round 2 set here. Adam has always been a playoff player in this competition but this season his group stage was a little better than usual and he's been awarded one of the higher seeds here. Joey is coming off of a first round victory where he was paired up against another player who had a bit of an incomplete group stage. Now he's got Adam in the way who is definitely playing well lately. Haven't really seen much of Joey's game yet still but based on his results he should at the very least give Adam some trouble. Adam can be very good and almost unbeatable when he's on his game but usually what you see from Adam is some great games mixed in with some pretty bad ones. As long as he minimizes those bad games and makes everything tough on Joey he can come through this set as winner.

7-5 Adam Result - 7-3 Adam

#5 AzN_PrIdE_LuVa vs #12 Travis - no prediction

Result - 7-3 Travis

#2 spc_shogun vs #18 jt.jester - no prediction

Result 7-0 Brian

#7 l3_lvl_x vs #10 scott22883 - This is a match between two of the better regulars in the league. These guys are fairly active members and cross paths in trnys all the time so they're definitely aware of each other. Scott is probably the better shooter, when he's hot he can run just about any table. David seems to play a little more under control and knows when to ease up on the gas pedal. David had a really strong season coming second in a pretty tough group after just one loss. Scott overcame a slow start to finish with 3 wins and another impressive group stage showing. Scott is playing a ton lately and he seems to be into it a little more so he probably holds the edge in this match. David has beaten Scott in a set before so don't be surprised if that happens again too.

Scott 7-5 Result - Scott - 7-5

#3 l1_stephen_1 vs #19 nhanxx - This entire little section for the first two rounds all came out of the same group in the previous stage and here we have another rematch. Stephen is coming off his best season in the competition where he only had 1 loss against 4 wins to give him this high seeding. Nhan just barely scraped into the playoffs with archive wins but once you're in that's all that matters as he won his first round match against Jon in a pretty close one. Both of these players have fairly similar styles of play in that they like to run first and that should be the main skill on display in this set. While this could develop into a macho run fest to see who the last real man standing is there could be some benefit in slowing down the pace a bit with some safeties for either of these guys. Stephen did win the first matchup 6-3 but Nhan is coming off reversing the result in his last rematch. Stephen should move on here but it will be close.

7-5 Stephen Result - 7-2 Stephen

#6 X_STRIKE_X vs #11 fhm.champion - Well well, here we have another rematch from the group stages and it's hard to tell if Andy will be looking forward to some redemption or if he'd prefer someone a little easier. Unfortunately he doesn't get too much of a choice as Ben is going to be the opponent. Ben is the defending champion and had a pretty big win against Andy in the group stages winning by a 8-1 score. Hard to believe that a rematch would end with such a large disparity once again but Ben definitely has the mental edge. Andy is a really tough matchup for anyone but it seems like Ben is an even tougher matchup. Pretty sure Ben's championship defense won't end this early.

7-5 Ben Result - 7-3 Ben

Rd 1 Matchups

#16 Oh My God! vs #17 dwaechte - The first round one matchup is a fairly interesting one. JD got off to a great start with his sets this season managing to win his first two before eventually losing his next two and winding up in 3rd place in his group. This is only JD's second playoff appearance but in his first one he did manage to win a set so definitely one to watch here. Dan on the other hand has been in the playoffs every season he's played so far. This season was a little more shaky for Dan as he had to rely on an archive win to make it here. Now that we're into the knockout phase though it's only going to take one good set from either of these players. Dan has proven in the past that his game is more consistent and he should continue to prove that here.

7-4 Dan Result - 7-3 Dan

#13 x_i_am_me_x vs #20 witheaze - Here we have a couple very solid players who have shown with their results that they can definitely hang with the best. Alex is coming off a less impressive season this time around as he was only 1-2 in real sets played. Two archive wins are what managed to get him up to this seeding and into the playoffs. Last season Alex was highly seeded coming into the playoffs and went out in the first round. Joey goes in here as possibly an underdog from looking at his seed. He managed to get in on just two wins but one of those wins was against Trav so he could also do really well here. Alex is definitely a tough player but Joey should pull through here.

7-5 Joey Result - 7-3 Joey

#12 Travis vs #21 pro.ch0ker - Guess who the last player to make it into the playoffs was? Nish! Came through at the last second submitting a couple archives where the first one was no good. But he came through in the clutch and the second set of archives got him a win to push him into a wildcard spot. Travis looked shaky early on losing his first set of the competition but has since stormed back with 3 decisive victories. If he's on for them he'll definitely be a favourite to win the whole thing. This is a pretty big mismatch but Nish has been around long enough to be able to put up a fight.

7-4 Trav Result - 10-8 Trav

#15 ImThatGood vs #18 just_a_martyr - This should be one of the more entertaining first round matchups. Really not too sure if either of them have much of a history of playing but both should be coming into this ready for test. Matt is seemingly improving every season after once again qualifying in div A. His season was once again pretty strong with a win against Scott being key to advancing. JT has had some pretty bad seasons lately and it looked like it was going to go that way again after he started with some losses. He managed to turn it around with a couple good set wins to get here. Both of these players have strong run games and if this was at the start of the season I'd probably have said Matt was clearly the stronger player. But with JT looking like he might be back on track he gets the edge in this match.

8-6 JT Result - 7-2 JT

#14 Drunk_Canuck vs #19 nhanxx - Here We have another re-match from group play where it was a pretty good match with Jon winning 5-4. Nhan is a solid overall player who has become well known the past year playing with a great boost of confidence and skill. Jon has always been a smart shooter and knows when to try and run and when to play it slow and let the table unfold to his advantage. Since both players were 3-2 in their respective group this could be a very entertaining matchup. Both players have a good opportunity to come out on top in this match. However, If both Nhan and Jon bring their average game, I think Jon will come out on top and win a hard fought battle with Nhan.

7-4 Jon Result - 7-5 Nhan

Div B Week 2 Power Rankings

The exciting release of the first version of the sscam's div B power rankings is finally here. Thanks to the 8 pool experts who provided their top 10 players so far this sscam season to form this list.

1. sa_c_h_a (5-0) - Well as you can see by his record, he's definitely earned this spot. Will this translate into playoff success though?

2. en_dk (4-0) - Nigel is back and showing that last season was no fluke. Looking to be the second to achieve 5-0 this season.

3. lol_lmfao_rofl (4-0) - Bryan is getting respect from his peers here and his record looks a lot better than last season's

4. o0_GoKu_0o (3-0) - If Sergio blows out any more of his opponents he'll surely rise here.

5.TlNO_NICA (3-1) - If Tino hadn't lost to Sacha he might be topping this list. Showing that he's a top player in div B so far.

6. xl_bankqueen_lx (4-1) - Another successful group stage for Kerry. She's counting down the days until the games that matter.

7. sampler_43 (3-1) - Brad is proving that he's a contender for the second season in a row. One of the underrated shooters in the competition.

8. ml2_wolverine (1-1) - Naveen is still riding a wave of success from last season. He's got one great win so far but still has a loss to go with it.

9. PxYxRxO (0-0) - Sure DJ hasn't played a set yet but his last appearance resulted in a finals appearance. I guess people haven't forgotten.

10. ActiveKC (2-1) - Prakash has done well so far but he still has work to do.

Others receiving votes : JJ, Jon, Thieu, Leanne, Shelle

Div A Week 2 Power Rankings

Ok so this is a new feature to sscam. These particular rankings were done by 7 pool experts who ranked their top 10 players so far in sscam. Current records and past achievements came into play in the voting so here's the first version. Enjoy!

#1 Skills_ (4-0) - A lot of people might have seen this coming. Craig is once again off to a great start in the competition and is looking like a contender for top seed.

#2 allstar_soubanh (4-0) - Another player who has jumped out to a fast an excellent start. Good place to be in for the first ranking but he'll be looking to do his damage in the playoffs.

#3 l1_stephen_l (3-0) - So far Stephen is showing that he's an elite player, knocking off Jon and Alex already.

#4 spc_shogun (4-0) - Brian is playing like we know he can finally and he might be a threat to win the whole thing.

#5 Travis (1-1) - Definitely one of the picks that's based on potential and takes into consideration his past results. Always a force in the playoffs.

#6 witheaze (2-1) - Apparently actually having beaten Travis isn't enough to garner a higher ranking. He still has time to make a better impression.

#7 l3_lvl_x (3-0) - Was expecting more love for David as he is a past finalist. Definitely shows here that it takes a large body of work to get top level respect.

#8 fhm_champion (1-1) - Still riding the wave of last season's title. His ranking will improve as the season progresses.

#9 Drunk_Canuck (0-1) - Did someone mention last season's finals? Definitely some sucking up going on here as Jon hasn't even won a set yet.

#10 adambuddy (3-1) - Adam is getting a little love here but he probably deserves more with his results so far.

Others getting votes: X_STRIKE_X, ya_maybe_bro, BrewersWin, dwaechte, scott22883, Oh My God!, mike_the_champion.

Div B Mid-Season Report 5/11

Alright time for the second half of the midseason report. Div B has been slightly more busy to start than div A as usual and there are a lot of interesting races going on for the playoffs. Here we go..

Group A

The first group is proving to be a fairly level playing field with a few surprises so far that's helped keep the field close together. No one has managed to get 3 wins yet but we have 4 players tied on 2 wins at the moment. Right now the early edge looks like it goes to JJ who hasn't lost yet and sits at 2-0. Although he hasn't played any of the other 2 win players yet he's got no losses. Thieu and Jon come in behind with 2-1 records and they look like they've got at least one easy win each to reach their 3rd. Adam has put together a better effort this season but it looks like it's going to come down to his last set vs JJ to see if he'll make the playoffs. Dawn did have a win through 3 sets but she's since withdrawn from the league. David has been giving the competition a try for the first time but no luck so far sitting at 0-3.

Two key sets to watch:

oh.talent vs dr_papsmear_at_your_cervix - This is a rematch from last season's group stage where JJ took the set 6-3. Adam is in a little better position this time around with a chance at the playoffs on the line but it will be a must win. This is also pretty important for JJ because this might be his easiest remaining set and his best chance at grabbing a 3rd win. Adam has shown us he can compete with good players this season with his win against Thieu so it wouldn't be wise to overlook him here.

dead.bang vs oh.talent - Just guessing that this will be the set that determines first place in the group. Jon hasn't made quite the same splash in the group stage that he made last season but that's mostly due to not having all his sets played in the first week this time around. He's still left with a pretty good opportunity to win the group despite the early loss to Thieu. If JJ can win this set he'll probably have a pretty good look at going 5-0 in the group and grabbing a great playoff seed. Should be a good set between two playoff players.

Group B

Lots of action has taken place so far in group B. We have two players who have so far seperated themselves from the pack in Sacha and Tino. Sacha is having his best group stage in what seems like forever as he won all 5 of his sets in the first week and in impressive fashion winning twice as many games as he lost. Second place right now goes to Tino is enjoying the friendly confines of div B and actually is getting a chance to win some sets. He's basically a lock for the playoffs at this point. Behind there it gets really fuzzy as two players sit on 3 points in Jordan and Brian. Jordan has beaten Brian already and he's got 3 sets left to play so he's looking a little better for 3rd place right now. Rich and Amy still have a few sets left to play and have shown before that they can win so they're not out of the picture just yet.

Two key sets to watch:

TlNO_NICA vs JordanPunk - Tino will be looking to cement his playoff spot while Jordan is going to need to bring his A game to grab a second win. Tino has been a div A level player for a while and this isn't exactly an opponent that should make him nervous at all. Jordan on the other hand has shown in the past that he can rise to the occasion in tough situations. This isn't must win for Jordan but it would help separate himself from the field.

cheeto_sandwich vs G_O_D99 - This is a battle of players on the outside looking in but both have a real chance to save their seasons. Brian was expected to do a little better this season and his last chance to salvage that will be coming up with a win against Rich. Rich might actually be in the more enviable position despite his lack of win yet he does have 3 more opportunities to get points. Rich really only shows class in his game about once every 3 seasons so I'm not sure if he's overdue here but you never know.

Group C

This group is actually the one with the least amount of activity since our start date with only 4 sets played so far. On top of that the player who's in first place with half of those wins has said she's quitting. Gosh! Well I guess there are a couple other wins to talk about. Both Niks and Naveen have picked up one win each and are sitting in an alright position. Marco only has one loss so far while Jan has picked up two. Adam was the replacement added into the group in Moon's place and he definitely has the ability to make some noise. Hard to say what's going to happen with the rest but with Leanne dropping out it makes things a little easier.

Two key sets to watch:

Mr_Goodman vs ml2_wolverine - These are the two other guys who have picked up a win so far so I suppose that makes them favourites to advance right? Still lots to play out in this group but both of these players have been playoff players in the past. Naveen was the #1 overall seed in last season's playoffs so he's definitely become a tough match. A loss here for Niks wouldn't be the end of the world but a win would pretty much clinch a playoff spot.

A_D_A_M_ vs c.marcoo - This set might as well be labelled the outsiders. Marco and Adam have been in the competition before but it was a while back so it's hard to say how they measure up against this current level of competition. Both guys have been active enough in other cam comps and have been playoff players in 8brcam. I like Marco's game a little more in this set but Adam has been around and he can surprise.

Group D

About half of the sets here have been played so far and the point distribution hasn't been very even. Only half the players actually have points so far and that leaves a fairly defined top 3. Sitting in first place as no huge surprise we have Kerry who put together yet another solid group stage not to mention completing her sets in record time. She's sitting in first but the set she did lose was to Sergio and he's been a wrecking ball so far in this group. With over 70% of his games won so far he's sitting at 3-0 and looks like he'll probably be one of the 5-0 guys this season and get a good playoff seed. Shelle is in the mix once again after losing her first set she went on to win the next two, notably winning against Sterlo. There are 7 losses combined throughout the last 3 players. Sterlo is in the most trouble because he's lost 3 already. Doesn't get that much better for Rahul and Graeme though as they basically need to win their remaining sets to have a chance.

Two key sets to watch:

Shelly_05_09 vs TheGreatOne41 - Two playoff spots have pretty much been taken and the third one is definitely in play in this set. Shelle already won one of her key sets against Sterlo which put her in this great position needing one win out of her last two. Unfortunately one of those sets is against Sergio. So that leaves Rahul as the potentially easy prey. Well he's not always easy. Last season he went' 0-5 and this season's 0-2 start isn't a good indication but he's been in the playoffs before so look for this one to be a good set.

o0_GoKu_0o vs Shelly_05_09 - This is what I'll refer to as a measuring stick game. Shelle has been a borderline playoff player in this competition just about all year. Sergio here has gotten dropped into the div B mix and is dominating so far. Sergio is one of the favourites to win the whole competition so Shelle is about to get an up and close look at what it takes to be near the top. Sergio's game isn't the prettiest all the time, but he knows enough about english and is a good enough shot maker to clear some tables. Shelle will have to play her best game to keep this close.

Group E

Another fairly active group to write about here. Group E just got a whole lot tougher too, and it's a guy who hasn't even played a set yet who is bringing the heat. Dan was one of the early favourites but unfortunately had to be replaced by DJ. DJ's last season in div B was a finals appearance so that makes him an instant target. But lets talk about what has actually happened already. Bryan is out to a great start this season with 4 set wins and no losses so far. He won't be fighting too hard for the playoffs this time around. After that we have a couple players who are tied with 2 wins. Prakash has the edge with only one loss so far but he needs to pick up another win to advance. Chris is having a much better season this time around but he's got a tough task needing a win against DJ to grab his 3rd. Dorie and Kris are both having disappointing seasons with them both sitting at 3 losses so far... probably not good enough to get it done.

Two key sets to watch:

lol_lmfao_rofl vs PxYxRxO - Bryan has already clinched his playoff spot and DJ will no doubt be planning to punch his ticket too sometime in the next two weeks so this should be a match to determine playoff seeding. Definitely going to give the edge to DJ here as Bryan might be a little more relaxed knowing that he's already moving on. Should be a good one to watch as these two have proven in this season and seasons past that they're probably the two most skilled players in the group.

PxYxRxO vs SideShot - Well well looks like Chris is all grown up and has found himself in one of this seasons key sets to watch! Now this could be a tough task considering he's facing a proven vet of the competition in DJ but there are some things going for Chris. This shouldn't be a must win set for DJ so maybe he'll be a little more lax and Chris has definitely improved his game so as long as the improvements keep coming the sky is the limit. This might have already been mentioned but this is a must win set for Chris to punch his ticket to his first playoffs. No pressure man.

Group F

Here we have yet another interesting group with plenty of exciting pool drama left to unfold. Nigel so far has quieted doubters and once again proven that he's for real as he's already clinched first place in the group after 4 set wins. I personally wouldn't have called him the favourite but maybe that's who he is now. For me the guy to beat was Brad but and he's done a pretty ok job living up to that. He's comfortably got his 3 wins with one set to play to improve his playoff seeding. After that we have a whole lot of question marks. Brice and Praveen are the other two players who have points so far and Brice's win against Praveen should be mentioned to give him the edge. Really either of these two could step up though in their remaining sets. The other two players in the group, Bubba and Jenna, aren't out of it yet as they each have 3 sets left to play and have both shown before that they can win sets.

Two key sets to watch:

en_dk vs praveen_cs04 - Of course we'd like to see Nigel play some pool, he's been on fire lately. He's making an effort to get his first 5-0 group stage in his time in sscam and that would be a pretty neat accomplishment. Standing in his way is a playoff qualifier from last season in Praveen. This is basically a must win set for Praveen while Nigel is basically looking to pad the stats. Praveen is definitely no slouch and could take Nigel by surprise here but only if he really wants it more.

HoT_CaNdY_69 vs Dopey_69_ - There's going to be a whole lot of 69 going on in this set and that's reason enough to tune in. Yet another set featuring two of last season's playoff competitors but probably only one of these two will have a chance to get back. Jenna hasn't won a set yet and basically has to win the rest of hers. Brice only has two sets left to play and also will be needing to win his remaining sets. It's definitely a tough situation for both players but this is the place to start something positive. Look for a fairly close set to take place here.

Div A Mid-Season Report 5/11

Well so far it's been a pretty interesting season that started out with a wide open field. There have been some surprises and some things going according to the script. Plus we've just seen one of the top contenders get replaced at the first set deadline in two time champ Chris (mr_camtasia).

Group A

Starting things off with group B where things are going along somewhat as expected except for of course Brent's ugly 0-3 start. Brent was probably the favourite at the start of the season to take this group but now he'll have to win his last two and get lucky to have a chance at playoffs. David and Brian are both sitting out front with matching 3-0 records. With that early start both of these guys will be moving onto the next round and they'll be looking to win even more to grab a higher seed for the playoffs. Nish and Derrick are both sitting on 3 points each but Derrick does look like he has the inside track on 3rd at the moment as Nish is left with some pretty tough sets. JT isn't completely out of it as he only has 2 losses so far but he's not really looking all that great.

Two key sets to watch:

l3_lvl_x vs spc_shogun - Well obviously this is the one to watch. David is showing some pretty good form in his best start ever in the competition while Brian is also showing top form after a little time off. Both these guys should be making the playoffs but the winner of this set should win the group.

disclosure vs pro.ch0ker - Both of these guys definitely have some hope of making the playoffs as they have sets remaining but this is pretty much do or die time. Should be a pretty interesting contrast in styles as Nish will try to slow down Derrick's run game. This set might be a little more important for Derrick but Nish will have a really tough time advancing after a loss too.

Group B

Fairly interesting group here as a lot of sets have already been played. The favourite (Chris), has been replaced by another dangerous shooter in Matt. He's already looking up at a few of these guys as a lot of points have been won. Adam is sitting up top with 9 points and a 3-1 record, if he can pull off a win in his last set he'll win the group. Ryan and Nick have both grabbed a couple wins so far to sit in 2nd. Nick has the inside track as he's played one fewer set and one of his wins came against Ryan. Steven isn't completely out of it as he's managed to get 3 points with 2 sets left to play. Should be interesting to see how Matt does as the last time he played he was a finalist in the competition. He should make the playoffs and we might see 4 people qualify from this group.

Two key sets to watch:

adambuddy vs ya_maybe_bro - These two guys know each other fairly well as they often play together in inters. Both of these guys can run the table pretty well and it should be a pretty good one to watch. Matt doesn't have any points yet but he's sure to be near the top by the end of the group stage. Adam needs this win to seal first place in the group and a top seed in the playoffs.

haters vs ya_maybe_bro - Not sure if these guys are familiar with each other very much at all but hopefully they are or there could probably be some pretty neat chirping going on at this table. Matt is definitely going to expect to win this set but Ryan is no pushover. This is Ryan's last set and it pretty much looks like it's a must win if he's going to advance to the playoffs.

Group C (by JT)

Probably one of the more interesting groups that I can see in the competition. There hasn't been a whole lot of action so far with Stephen leading the way with an impressive 3-0 record. Stephen has gotten tough wins against probably the best players in this group, so look for him to coast into the playoffs. The only other person in this group to play more than 1 set is Alex, who right now is sitting at 1-2, but with 14-13 record, he still has a chance to make the playoffs. He'll likely have to beat both Jon and Jammy though, so it will be tough. Nhan is basically in 2nd right now, having only played 1 set but winning a close one against Alex. I saw Nhan play recently and he looked pretty solid, so look for his sets against Jon and Stephen to decide whether he can qualify for playoffs. Jon is 0-1 but he was last season's finalist and he's had slow starts before but almost always bounces back. Jammy is 0-1 as well, but honestly I haven't really ever seen him play, so I can't say a whole lot about him. I've heard he's good though, and an old school player, he only lost 5-4 to Stephen, so could cause some trouble still. There is also Derek, who won div B last season still in the mix with his only set being a loss to Alex. Honestly I think this group is going to be tough on him, but you never know. With few of the sets played, it's hard to tell who else will make playoffs here besides Stephen. Basically all of the sets left are important, and I imagine 4 people finish 3-2 or better, so games w/l should be important.

Two key sets to watch:

Drunk_Canuck vs x_i_am_me_x - Alex likely needs to win both of his sets to make the playoffs, so this will be an important set for him. Jon is solid but I've seen him have some off days, so if Alex shows up to play, he has a chance to win. Jon is 0-1 so it will be important for him as well. I think both players need this win, and it should make for a close set.

nhanxx vs sicc.stoned - Nhan has a good shot at playoffs if he can win this set, as Derek is arguably the weakest player in a very tough group. If Nhan wins he could be sitting at 2-0, so he would only need one more win to make playoffs. Nothing really against Derek though, I just think even after winning Div B, it's a huge step up. This will be an important match for him as well, as Nhan plays a very aggressive game (from what I've seen), it's possible he gets some breaks and pulls out a W. Both players have something to prove in Div A, so it could make for a good set!

Group D

This group is a little bit of a ghost town with only 4 sets played so far. Two players haven't played a set yet but Safdar has promised that he's back and Chris could magically appear or might be replaced. What drama!! Well so far in those 4 sets played the two wins have been split down the middle with JD grabbing 2 and Andy as well having 2. Andy did beat JD though in one of those wins so he's got the edge for first place. Ben is a sleeper in this group as he's only played one so far which was a loss. Hope isn't completely out of it yet but the two losses weren't the best way to start. This group will really need to start getting some sets played as any amount of points could lead to a playoff spot if things stay this lean.

Two key sets to watch:

X_STRIKE_X vs fhm_champion - Well it's hard to say how important this set really is with Ben not seeming to be overly concerned about getting sets played yet. His 0-1 record isn't really a big hole to dig out of and we are talking about last season's champ so he's still the favourite in his 4 remaining sets. Andy so far is leading the group with a 2-0 record and he's got the kind of skill to at the very least give Ben trouble and maybe win outright. Should be a fun battle to watch.

safdarbandali vs Oh My God! - Hoping that Safdar is actually back to make this set happen. JD is off to a great start this season after coming off the not so good season 4. So far it looks like he's in pretty good position with the 2 wins especially at the rate everyone else seems to be playing. While there are definitely some other challenges in this group for Safdar this one looks like it might be a key one in his efforts to clinch a playoff spot.

Group E

Here we have a group with lots of sets played and there's a clear outlook on how the group might shape up. The clear number one right now is Craig who has raced out to 4 wins with still one set remaining to play. Behind him there is still a lot to be decided. Scott has second place so far with 2 wins with only one set left to play where he's expected to get the win. Among the 3 players tied on one win Matt and Steve look like the standouts who really have a chance as they both have 3 sets left to play and were playoff players last season. Chad isn't completely dead yet but he'll need to win his last set to have any hope. Jason has said he won't finish his sets after losing his first 2.

Two key sets to watch:

Skills_ vs mvp_n00b - These two guys are consistently good in this competition as they've both made several playoff appearances. Craig is looking to possibly finish with a perfect 5-0 record which might put him into the #1 overall seed for the second time. Steve only has the 2 sets played so far but he's coming off a great playoff performance where he went all the way to the quarter-finals. He'll be the underdog but a loss to Craig won't give him much wiggle room with the rest of his sets.

mvp_n00b vs ImThatGood - This one is going to have huge playoff implications. Both players sit with identical records at 1-1 and are expecting to make a return trip to the playoffs. Matt's road is a little bit easier with exception to this particular set. Steve is an experienced player and will put up a pretty good fight as he'll need this win. Tough one to call the winner on so it should be good to watch.

Group F

This group has a little over half the sets played already and there are a lot of big players who haven't made their moves yet. Pita is out to an early lead and could take 1st place as he's got 4 wins still with a set left to play. He's handled all the challenges very well so far and the results have been impressive. Joey proved he's for real with his win against Travis and has 2 wins with 2 sets left to play. Dan has only played 2 sets so far and has the other 3 points in the group. Should be interesting to see how Travis and Mike finish the competition as they each have 4 sets left to play including one against each other. AJ looks dead in the water as he's already picked up 3 losses with only tough sets left.

Two key sets to watch:

dwaechte vs witheaze - Pretty important set for Dan here as he almost has to win two of his last 3 to be comfortably into the playoffs. Joey has proven he's got some game with his two wins so far but the loss to Pita shows there are some weaknesses. Dan will definitely be aware of the importance here and we should see a strong showing. Will it be enough though, should be a good one.

Travis vs mike_the_champion - Two guys who generally do pretty well in the competition. Mike is coming off a great group stage last season where he grabbed the #2 seed and Travis has basically never missed the playoffs. Eventually they'll have to play each other and the loser will be on two losses which isn't quite as comfortable of a position to be in. Both are pretty strong players who have versatile games which will make for a good show.

SSCam Season 5/11 Group Preds Div B

Group A

Dark_Soul_1801 - Well David might be making his first appearance in the competition here although this particular ID is nowhere to be found in the lg, maybe there was a change that I missed. Anyways this guy definitely thinks he's pretty good and I base that entirely on the amount of aimer accusations that he dishes out. Now there are no excuses as all games in this competition are cammed so it's really going to be a sad day if he plays any sets because I see him coming in last place in this group.

oh.talent - JJ is playing in his second season of sscam after having a pretty good time in the first season making the playoffs as a reserve. This time around he's once again been placed in a fairly competitive group with 4 of the 6 players being previous playoff participants. JJ definitely has the inside edge on a playoff spot but he'll need to take care of business and beat the lower ranked players in the group to hold off the challengers.

Smartassbitch - In Dawn's first sscam season she was given a tough group and really didn't seem to have very much trouble with it on her way to a solid playoff spot. Since that first season we haven't exactly seen that same Dawn and there haven't even been many set wins to speak of. She's come back each of the past two seasons saying that she's going to improve and this might be the season we actually get a chance to see that. The talent is definitely there and it's not like you forget how to be an effective player. She really just needs to make sure she's on form going into sets to give herself her best chance of coming up big in clutch situations. She's shown good stuff before but this might not be the ideal group to be drawn into. Playoffs are possible but unlikely.

x_manchesterunited_x - Adam is back and active in the league once again... but for how long. Adam had previously enjoyed some pretty good success in div B and was showing himself to be one of the stronger players until last season happened. He went through the group stage with only 1 set win and all those sets happened within the first week or so. Finished so fast that I had to double check to make sure he was actually in the last season. Adam definitely has some skills but based on last season it's pretty obvious that he's not always playing with those skills. He'll want to come back with a stronger season this time around as it's a long wait in between seasons if there's no playoffs in between.

dead.bang - Jon is another guy who is playing in his second season. One of the top contenders to win the whole competition as he's well known as a fairly skilled shooter now and he backed that up by going 4-1 in the group stage where he was able to pick up a win against last season's winner Derek and ride that to the 2nd seed in the playoffs. Didn't exactly have the kind of success in the playoffs that he might have hoped for as he lost in the quarter-finals by a few games to Chad. He's probably the favourite in this group to win and he's definitely a lock to make the playoffs again even if he doesn't go through 5-0.

yah.brah - Thieu is a guy who's not all that easy to predict. Yet another player who has been impressive in ss tourneys but how does that translate to sets. He's pretty much been given a spot on most inter teams and hasn't disappointed too much yet anyways. He'll be one of the stronger players in div B just because he's willing to safety and won't always risk difficult shots when a little patience will make them easier. His skills will definitely be tested in this group as top to bottom there's talent with every player. Pretty confident that Thieu will be in the playoffs but we'll have to see how it plays out.

Pecking Order - 1.Jon 2.Thieu 3.JJ 4.Adam 5.Dawn 6.David

Group B (Kerry)

sa_c_h_a - Last season Sacha went 3-2 in groups and i must admit,i expected him to have done better since he hpyes himself up so much bout being the best. Sacha did make it through to playoffs though and got to round 3 where he lost to Nigel. This really isnt a tough group your in and i only see you losing maybe 1 or 2 sets here. If Sacha keeps his cool and dosnt shit talk whole game he will pull these wins off. I see you in the top 3. Best of luck.

Jordanj11 - Seen lots of Jordans games and must admit hes a pretty good player. Lately he seems to win more games than he loses so i think he do well in this group. I feel Jordan does like to run early in a game, but sometimes cant always finish the run and that might cause a few losses vs Tino and Brian. Just take your time and dont rush and you will do fine. Best of luck.

TlNO_NICA - Well Tino has come back to B after being in division A last season. For some reason he only played 2 games and that ended up going 1-1. Either the group was just to hard for Tino or he just didnt bother playing the rest, but i doubt thats the case cause i always see tino playing his sets. Now your in a group that i think you will win tino. Your a good player and i just think B is where you excel at. Only 2 players i really see you haveing close games with and thats brian and sacha. Tino dosnt rush his shots and he takes his time and can really play some great sets. Best of luck.

G_O_D99 - Rich didnt fare too well last season going 0-5 and sorry to say i dont think this season will be much better for you. This isnt the hardest group to be in but there are some very good players you have to beat and im just not sure you will. I know you can if you play slow and not rush like ive seen you do before but in the end its all down to you how you play these games . I hope you win a few sets cause id hate to see another 0-5 this season when i know you CAN do better than that. Best of luck.

Mr_Rescue - Last season Amy went 2-2 in groups BUT he did have close sets in those games. 6,6,4,4. I remember a few seasons back Amy wasnt doing to well in sets then last few seasons hes improved alot. Amy did get into playoffs last season and won round 1 and lost to prak in round 2. Like ive said before this isnt the hardest group to be in but im going to put you for a w/c to make the playoffs this season. Play like you have been lately and you mightnt even need the w/card :) Best of luck.

cheeto_sandwich - Cheeto is underrated in my opinion. He can play some great games and doesn't seem to rush anything . His shots are pretty precise and accurate and hes a player that doesn't take a shot if feels wont go. I can see a great set coming up vs sacha and i think will be a lot of trash talk in this but i dont see that talk coming from Brian. Only one i think will be a close set for you is vs Tino. Best of luck.

Pecking Order - 1.Tino 2.Brian 3.Sacha 4.Jordan 5.Amy 6.Rich

Group C

pissy_bitch - What can we say about Leanne? Well as far as a player is concerned she's a relative unknown on the cam comp circuit anyways. So far based on her league record she doesn't really appear to be a top contender to make a ton of noise with only 40% of her games being wins so far. Definitely seen some decent trash talk from her that wasn't really game related so we'll see if that can be a positive for her somehow. This group isn't overwhelming so she might be able to win a set or two at most but she should finish outside of the playoffs.

Nikhil4 - This guy is always drinking... and right in the middle of the day too. I guess it's possible that there's a time difference between here and India but still... we're dealing with a definite alcoholic. Niks has been in the competition for a few consecutive seasons now and he's usually been a playoff player. The most recent season was a little bit below his normal standards without finishing all his sets and not really winning enough to advance. Definitely wouldn't attribute that to rust or any kind of drop off in play because he's still an active guy in inters. Based on that past success Niks should finish somewhere in the middle of this group but on the happy side of the playoffs.

weedphreak - A guy who asked for div A so he definitely thinks he's got the skills to dominate here. Haven't really seen Marco around cam comps at all and he's sort of come out of nowhere to do fairly well in the league. He's has fairly impressive stats in the league winning more than 60% of his games but now we're talking about slightly better competition top to bottom in these games. He's been grouped with last season's top seed from div B Naveen so that set might be a telling sign as to where this guy stack's up in the group and div B as a whole. I haven't been a witness to back up these upcoming words but Marco should make the playoffs finishing first or second in this group.

w_o_l_v_e_l2_i_n_e - Naveen is coming off a season where he had the best group stage out of everyone entered in div B. Unfortunately the #1 seed has been cursed lately and Naveen became the latest victim after he lost his first playoff set to Brad in rd 2. Naveen definitely showed that he is a good and improving player but does he have what it takes to duplicate last season's group stage? Not really too sure what to expect out of his set with Marco but Naveen should have an edge in skill over everyone else in the group. He won't dominate like last season but he's still a lock for the playoffs.

ll_pool_hustler_ll - One of my favourite guys to have in the competition.. John is back for yet another season. John always finishes all his sets so he's guaranteed at least one point anyways. Hasn't exactly been one of the better players lately but last season did finish on a bit of a high note when he got his second win and barely missed out on the playoffs with 7 points. He's definitely a player who is interested in improving his game and has made some decent strides. Will have to keep looking for ways to improve through trny play and especially in these sets as the level of play does step up a notch with this field. Not an easy group once again to qualify for the playoffs but there are definitely potential wins for John and he could surprise us.

rubiiiiiiii - Another player that we see every season in the competition is Moonie. She's had her fair share of mixed results in sets but for the most part they've been pretty positive. Last season she advanced out of one of the tougher groups with 3 set wins which was good enough to get her a wildcard spot. Once she got in she was once again able to pull off a playoff upset before losing in the second round. Moonie should once again be right in the thick of things in this group and if she doesn't manage a top 3 spot then she might once again be up for a wild card. All of this assuming her lack of play of late doesn't make her game take a step back.

Pecking Order - 1.Naveen 2.Marco 3.Niks 4.Moon 5.John 6. Leanne

Group D

Shelly_05_09 - Pretty sure that Shelle has been in every single sscam season since we started back in 2008 so her experience level is just off the charts. Through the course of all those seasons she's transformed herself from being a doormat to being in the conversation for the playoffs fairly consistently the last year or so. Last season was her best group stage after she pulled off 4 set wins which turned into a top 10 seed in the playoffs. She hasn't quite mastered the group stage yet but it's safe to say she'd take a season with 3 wins if it meant that she'd get to win a set in the playoffs too. Shelle is still always improving and has the opportunity to talk with the best players in the lg while captaining the inter teams which can't hurt. This group is pretty challenging so she won't be able to take any sets off.

TheGreatOne41 - I don't think I've actually seen Rahul in the ss lobby in many many months but according to the sscam shoutbox he does appear to be getting sets played. Rahul is another guy who has been in the competition countless times and he should be knowing what to expect here. This group is going to be very challenging for Rahul especially after coming off the poor showing in last season. Rahul has put together a good group stage before a couple seasons ago so it would be silly to count him out right away but success here would be even more of a surprise.

o0_GoKu_0o - After playing a couple disappointing seasons in div A, Sergio is being given a break and returning to a more comfortable environment in div B. Sergio is still a guy who has a ton of skill with his shotmaking an knowledge of english so he'll be the favourite in this group and is one of the better players in the competition. Sergio will dominate some of his sets here by wide margins and it's hard to say who really has the skill in their game to step up and give him a challenge. All I can say is that if he magically transforms into the Sergio of old then it could be an easy 5-0 and the rest of the group should watch out.

Top__Dawg__ - This is the moment Sterlo has been waiting for. It has been a dominating theme in his dreams ever since he lost his first round playoff set to Chad last season. It's important to not read too much into what Sterlo says about himself because you might get put in the unfortunate situation of believing that he truly is the best there ever was. Sterlo is definitely a good div B player and he should be able to avoid disaster most seasons and advance to the playoffs. His real goal by now will lie beyond just making the playoffs and hopefully making some noise. A higher seeding should help out possibly giving him an easier road in the playoffs so this is the place to get it done. Should be a fight between him and Kerry for second in group.

no_wuckin_forries - In Graeme we have yet another one of the all time troopers in this competition. He's only made the playoffs one time out of countless seasons but he still comes back for his beating every time. While he has a history of losing most of his sets he also has a history of being fairly competitive in those set and not losing by huge margins. If there was any season for Graeme to make it back to the playoffs this probably wouldn't be it with the quality in this group. He definitely could pick up one set win but 3 seems a little too unlikely.

xl_bankqueen_lx - Yet another playoff mainstay, Kerry is back and looking to continue her impressive streak of qualifying for the playoffs in every season she's entered. While getting into the playoffs hasn't been a problem it's been a while since we've seen her go much there since her finals appearance at the start of the year. This season she's been put in not the easiest of groups so while the playoffs aren't a guarantee, it would be a pretty big surprise to see her not advance here. She'll probably contend with Sterlo for second place and should be able to fight off Shelle to secure her spot in the playoffs. It's an old story by now but her season will be defined by how those playoffs go.

Pecking Order - 1.Sergio 2.Kerry 3.Sterlo 4.Shelle 5.Rahul 6.Graeme

Group E (Kerry)

lol_lmfao_rofl - Last season Bryan did pretty good going 3-2 and making playoffs only to lose in round 1. This is another group thats not too hard to be in and i see him doing well this season. Only 2 i see being close sets for you are Prak and Dan but i think you can win the rest of your sets. Best of luck.

SideShot - Chris had a pretty dismal season going 0-4 last season, but i think this season will be much better for him. Chris has improved alot lately in his game and hes getting more confident in his playing and i think he might just cause a few upsets here. Im still going to put you 5th chris cause i really have to look at last seasons records BUT i know you have it in you to do much better and grab that playoff spot or even a wild card. Best of luck.

tw.ista - Havent really seen Dan play lately but i do remember him being a good player. Dan doesn't seem to rush his shots and from what i can remember can play a good snooker game. I think be a good set between you and Prak and one i hope i get to watch. Best of luck.

ss_x_prakash_x - Heres the guy i pick to win this group. Last season prak had an impressive season going 4-1 in groups and losing in round 3 of playoffs to Hope. Prak is a pretty good runner and snooker player and i dont see him losing many sets here if any. Good set to watch out for is vs Dan and Dori. Best of luck.

kalsonlong - To be honest i dont really know Kris playing style. I dont think in all this time in SS ive played against him. Last season Kris went 1-2 and didnt play rest of sets, so i hope this season you get to play them all. Best of luck.

ho_li_schitt - Well heres my suckier than me parnter in 2v2s ;) Last season dori did pretty good in groups going 3-2 and making playoffs only to lose in round 1. Sometimes its very hard to predict dori. One season she kicks asses and does great in playoffs then next season doesn't make the playoffs. But in this group im putting you to make the playoffs again. I dont see you beating Prak or Dan but i dont see you losing to the rest. Dori is another i find a little underrated but then again if she was more consistant in her playing she wouldnt be. Just take your time and play like you did last season and you will do fine . Dori can also make some mean banks so watch out for those guys. Best of luck.

Pecking Order - 1.Prakash 2.Dan 3.Dorie 4.Bryan 5.Chris 6.Kris

Group F (Kerry)

MrsBoogie - Jenna went 3-2 in groups last season and made playoffs only to lose in round 1 to me cause of a no show :( . Jennas alot better player than most give her credit for. Ive seen her make some impressive shots and she does take her time and not one to rush anything. Im putting you to make playoffs or get the wild card here. A few tough opponents you have to go up against but otherwise i think you will do pretty good. Best of luck.

praveen_cs04 - Last season praveen went 3-2 in groups and lost round 1 in playoffs. Praveen is another one i find hard to predict in these. He can have some great games and then some pretty bad ones. Another i dont think is consistent enough. I am putting you in top 3 here cause i dont feel this group is gonna be to hard for you. Just take your time and dont rush :) Best of luck.

en_dk - Heres a player that suprised even me last season. Nigel went 4-1 in groups and got to playoffs and lost the semis to Chad. I think that was the best season nigels had in sscam and theres no reason why he cant do it again. Only one i see you having a close set with is Brad who also had a good season. I have to admit though nigel can get very very lucky in this game lol and i wouldnt count on that to win these. Can nigel win the group stage again ?????? I think so. Best of luck.

lawbubba - Sorry to say i dont really know to much bout bubba. Never seen him play before but i do see played last season and wasnt a great season for you going 0-4. Im not really sure how your going to go against these players this season but i really hope you win some sets. Best of luck.

Dopey_69_ - Brice only went 2-2 last season and still made playoffs and lost that game in round 2. I have to admit brice is getting better lately and ive seen him play some excellent games and some nice runs. Im not really sure where to pred you here brice. If i say you will have problems you come out and prove me wrong and if i say easy games for you, you let me down and lose lol:) Brice isnt a bad banker and can play some snooks pretty well but as you know im gonna predict you low brice cause i know thats what you like me to to. Just gives you more incentive to win :) Best of luck.

sampler_43 - Brad had a pretty good season going 3-1 in groups and losing to derick in round 3 of playoffs. Another player i find underrated here. I see brad going along way this season and i see him taking 2nd spot in groups right behind nigel. This guys pretty good at all aspects of the game so one for you guys to watch out for. Best of luck.

Pecking Order - 1.Nigel 2.Brad 3.Praveen 4.Jenna 5.Brice 6.Bubba