Handicapped vs Random - Was there a consensus? Posted on May 9, 2024 at 12:16:23 PM by Craig G
I don't remember whether past discussions covered this definitively.
But the issue is very simple.
Forget about boleto, the union, and what the players might want, and just focus on what the fans and bettors would prefer. Is it the old school handicapped post positions, or our current random assignments?
I should point out that even with random posts, the ideal of fairness of boleto is unrealistic and unattainable if you have game groups such as currently at Magic City. Eg, many big winners in the early group hit a wall when playing in the middle group, and would be 1 for 50 or worse in the lates. So, yep, the game group assignment is huge, as is the nearly-permanent partner assignment for the doubles games.
Another angle to consider is that I had a Dania souvenir booklet from way back that explained that the players' manager tried to make the line-ups as even as possible, in order to "make the games more exciting". Clearly, that was the belief back then.
So I would like to know which format the remaining aficionados think makes for better games and betting. Either personally, and / or for the good of the game.
And as a footnote, FWIW, let's observe that in today's AI era, an algorithm could easily make the handicapped line-ups. No extra brain strain for the PM.