THE STORY
Two weeks ago in Phillies Arno had an incredible night where he didn't miss any shots. He had an eight-ball run (win), a break and run (win), and an eight-ball run that ended with a tough bank that saw the cue ball go in too (loss). So he went 2 for 3 with two special games and went down 20 points in the IPL rankings. Clearly, he was a bit discouraged.
THE RANKINGS
The rankings we use are certainly good enough (even though they were designed for chess). I am not suggesting that they be overhauled. All I'm suggesting is that when a player gets a special game that player gets special points. I propose getting 10 points for a special game. You get an 8-ball run and it's plus 10. You get a Break and Run and it's plus 10. The normal points you would get plus 10. Pretty easy to add to the site. No drawback. As it stands now you cannot gain many points in a night but you sure can lose a lot. This will balance that out. Pool is the kind of game where anybody can win at any time. Look at the Goliath Winners.
THE COUNTER-ARGUMENT
Some of you will say that the divide between the good player and novice will widen. That may or may not be so. If a player's ranking is higher, that player will lose more points for a loss, so this may end up balancing out. Some of you will say change is bad. It isn't. It at least doesn't have to be. As Jeff Potter noted in one of his posts, "Improvement is simply the application of the right ideas."
THANKSThanks for considering this idea. Please reply with your support or other ideas.

Are you saying that a player loses more points when their opponent break and runs the table?

Charlie, Absolutely Not! I don't think the losing player should lose ANY points against a break and run (but that's another issue). I'm simply saying that a player should get a BONUS for any Special Games (Break and Run, 8-Ball run, and even 8-ball in on the break). It's a fun league and we should celebrate accomplishments.

I like the ideas and the example but I mightnotbe totally objective :-)

I am not in agreement with giving points for special games. The ranking system, as I understand it, was designed originally (in chess) as a win/loss measure. This is win/loss (win percentage) versus an overall performance. In America the APA (American Pool Association) uses a handicap system. I have never played under that system so I do not have first hand knowledge, but from reading about the system, it uses many factors of the game to come up with a "performance" based rating.

Among the facts kept about each individual game, in addition to the winner and loser, are:
Number of innings in match
Early 8-ball pocketing
8-ball scratch
8-ball wrong pocket
8-on-the-break
Break and run
Time outs taken
Number of defensive shots

The league does recognize the performance of an individual achieving the special games. This raises the question "Why should there be more recognition?"

As IPL is a social league originally conceived and built to provide "fun, organized, competitive" pool, expanding a simple win/loss measure would appear to be more than what has helped the league to grow from the original 6 teams. As has been pointed out, change is not bad and even change for the sake of change may provide useful results. Certainly the league has changed over the past 10+ years.

Since the introduction of the rating system, many players have asked the question, "Hey I won 2 of 3 games last week and still lost points, how can that be." Whether it was 1, 10, or 20 points did not stop the question. Arbitrarily adding points is not going to provide a real answer to that question.