🏆 Tournament Overview 🏆

Who can play in these tournaments?

Any player with a Fargo rating less than or equal to the rating caps is welcome! The current caps are 445 in 8-Ball, and 430 in 9-Ball for Coed tournaments. For Ladies Night tournaments, the caps are 475 for both 8-Ball and 9-Ball. These caps are subject to change during the first few weeks as we find the right balance for fair competition. Thank you for your patience!

Who is this tournament for, and why is the Fargo cap so low?

This tournament series is designed to give lower-rated players a competitive and welcoming environment to play and improve. The Portland and Vancouver areas already offer many open and uncapped tournaments (see below), so this event is specifically for those who often find themselves outmatched in higher-level competitions. It's time to give the underdogs their own spotlight!

• Portland Tournaments (Shark Shooter)
• Vancouver Tournaments (Shark Shooter)

Note: The Shark Shooter website may show a "connection is not secure" error. You can safely continue past that warning to access tournament information.

📝 Registration & Entry 📝

Do I need to sign up ahead of time?

Sign up is highly recommended but not required! You can sign up for the River Tournaments on DigitalPool (links below). DigitalPool syncs with FargoRate - if you don't have a DigitalPool account or a FargotRate account, one will be created for you automatically as a result of playing in the River Tournaments; If you have an APA account, your ranks will be converted to a comparable FargoRate by the tournament director at registration for the purposes of the tournament.

• 8-Ball Tournaments: River 8-Ball Series
• 9-Ball Tournaments: River 9-Ball Series
• Ladies Night 8-Ball Tournaments: Ladies Night 8-Ball Series
• Ladies Night 9-Ball Tournaments: Ladies Night 9-Ball Series

How do player ratings work?

In general, FargoRate will be the source of truth for all players in the River Tournaments. Because these tournaments are aimed at low-ranking players who may not have a FargoRate or have very little robustness (FargoRate-reported games), rank conversions may be done at the Tournament Director's discretion to maintain fair play and balanced competition.

If you have:

• A FargoRate Profile with more than 50 robustness: you are not eligible for a conversion review and River Tournaments will use your existing Fargo for tournament eligibility/entry.
• An APA profile with at least 12 matches in the last 2 years but no FargoRate profile: you can request a conversion review. Conversions are at the Tournament Director's discretion.
• A FargoRate profile with less than 50 robustness, but you have not played 12+ APA matches within the last two years: you are not eligible for a conversion review.
• A FargoRate profile with less than 50 robustness, and a Fargo no more than 100 points higher than the cap: you can request to be entered at the FargoRate cap for that tournament. Requests will be considered at the discretion of the TD.
• Neither a FargoRate profile nor an APA profile with 12 matches in the last 2 years: you will be entered at the maximum eligible rating (445 for 8-Ball, 430 for 9-Ball in Coed tournaments; 475 for both formats in Ladies Night tournaments) and monitored for future eligibility. Your scores will be submitted to FargoRate to create a profile and rating for you. FargoRate estimates 2-3 weeks to process scores and create new player profiles; once processed, you will be able to claim your profile via the FargoRate mobile app.
• If you have multiple Fargo accounts: the highest rating will be used. Players rated above >430 in 9-Ball and >445 in 8-Ball are not eligible for Coed tournaments; players rated >475 in either format are not eligible for Ladies Night tournaments — please email support@fargorate.com to merge accounts beforehand.

About conversions: River Tournaments are primarily geared toward players that are new to Fargo reported events. As such, it is expected that many players will be "unestablished" (less than 200 robustness). Conversions are intended to help bridge the gap between unestablished players and "default/starter" Fargo ratings that have been assigned and not earned.

Conversions are meant to more accurately rate new players who, for example, may have been assigned a starter rating of 500+ at their first Fargo reported event. 50 robustness is the cap for requesting a conversion because we believe this is a reasonable number of games to "even out" the Fargo of an unestablished player in this position enough that it can be considered the source of truth of their ability and eligibility for River Tournament.

If the TD accepts a conversion review request, the player's APA profile and FargoRate Profile (if available) are run through an AI engine specifically designed for realistic rating conversions to standardize the process for all players and remove any ambiguity or bias from the TD. The conversion is done by analyzing the player's available profiles/stats in comparison with the Billiard University Rating Comparison chart.

Conversions DO NOT alter a player's Fargo rating. Conversions cannot be used to manipulate a player's rate up or down. If a Fargo rate is manually assigned to a player within a tournament bracket, it is taken into account by FargoRate's algorithm along with other factors when FargoRate processes the tournament scores.

Note: Players with a FargoRate or APA account may need to present a photo ID at registration. DigitalPool syncs with the FargoRate system. Your rating will be available to the tournament director immediately upon your registration (if you have one). If you are in the OPAL APA system, the tournament director may find your profile and convert your rank. Please bring your APA app/account and have it ready at registration if you only have an APA rating and no Fargo. All River Tournaments are reported to FargoRate, and once processed, you'll be able to claim your official profile.

What if the bracket and/or waitlist on the home page is full?

Even if the bracket and waitlist are full online, the final player list will not be determined until registration. Swing by River or text the tournament director before 6:30pm on Thursdays to check for any last-minute spots. We start shooting at 7 PM sharp; while showing up does not guarantee a spot, players who show up in person will always get priority over anyone not present, even if they're listed online.

How do you determine where players start in the bracket?

At registration, players will draw from a bag of adorable miniature pool balls. The number ball you draw is your starting position in the bracket. This ensures a totally randomized bracket and player matchup.

What are the entry requirements and deadlines?

Entry fees must be paid at time of registration. Your spot will not be held without payment. You do not have a spot in the bracket until your entry fee is paid, your Fargo rating has been verified/assigned, and your match requirements are confirmed. Your rating at registration on tournament night will decide eligibility and race lengths. Any confirmed player who does not show up by the time matches are being assigned may be forfeited and replaced with a Bye.

What happens if I'm called to a table but I do not show up?

If you're not at the table within 5 minutes of your match being called/texted to you, your match may be forfeited at the tournament director's discretion.

How do I create a FargoRate profile?

You do not need to/you cannot create a FargoRate profile for yourself. After you play in a FargoRate-reported event (such as the River Tournaments) FargoRate will automatically generate your profile. Scores are submitted weekly, and it may take a couple of weeks for your profile to appear. Once it's live, you can claim it in the FargoRate app and start tracking your progress: