FargoRate vs Skill-Based Testing in Pool: What Really Measures Your Game?

Excited at winning, someone teases him as "lucky"

How FargoRate vs Skill-Based Testing in Pool Impacts Your Skill Development

“He's not better than me—he just got lucky!”

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that at the pool hall, I’d be halfway to buying a new cue. That one line captures the eternal tension between FargoRate, the data-driven player rating system, and skill-based testing in pool, like Dr. Dave’s Billiard University (BU), which measures your actual shot-making ability.

In this post, we’ll dive into FargoRate vs skill-based testing in pool, examining how each works, where luck comes in, and which is right for your journey at the table.

What Is FargoRate?

When I first heard about FargoRate, I thought it was some kind of retirement plan for pool players in North Dakota. Turns out, it’s not about where you play—it’s about how you play over time.

FargoRate tracks your match results against rated opponents. It calculates the odds you’ll win based on your opponent’s rating and adjusts yours accordingly. It doesn’t know or care how you won—just that you did.

It’s based on cold, hard statistics. And it works surprisingly well—over time.

How Skill-Based Testing Works

Skill-based testing, like Dr. Dave’s Billiard University (BU) exams, doesn’t track wins or losses. Instead, it evaluates your actual skills through standardized drills. You’re graded on things like:

• Stop shots at distance

• Cue ball control on draw and follow

• Precision angle cuts

• Pattern play
  

The tests are transparent. You know what’s required, and you get immediate feedback. Think of it like a golf swing analysis—while FargoRate is your tournament score, BU is your form breakdown.

How Luck Affects Pool—and Your Rating

Let me set the scene.

You win the lag. Break strong. The solids scatter like they’re on Broadway. The stripes? Huddled in the corner like they’re holding a union meeting.

You take solids and run out like you’re Efren Reyes. Your opponent sighs and shakes his head. “That’s lucky.”

And he’s not wrong.

Or maybe you get the stripes and the layout is garbage—but your opponent scratches on the 8-ball. You win anyway.

Luck is real. In any single game, the layout, roll, or unexpected error can make or break the outcome.

What Does Fargo Do About Luck?

Nothing. And that’s the point.

FargoRate assumes that over hundreds of games, luck evens out. One lucky win? A fluke. Fifty lucky wins? You’re doing something right.

Fargo doesn't know who got the good break or who scratched on the 8-ball. It just tracks results and adjusts ratings slowly over time, smoothing out streaks and slumps.

That’s why robustness matters. The more games you’ve logged, the more accurate your rating becomes.

What Skill Tests Do That Fargo Can’t

Here’s where skill-based testing shines.

Let’s say your Fargo has flatlined. You’re stuck at 400. What’s wrong?

Fargo won’t tell you. But the BU exam might:

• You're missing long draw shots.

• You struggle with position on angled cuts.

• Your stroke breaks down under pressure.
  

That kind of diagnostic feedback is gold if you’re trying to get better—not just compete.

It’s also immediate. You don’t need to wait 200 games to find out you can’t shoot off-angle bank shots.

FargoRate vs Skill-Based Testing in Pool: Which Is Better?

It’s not either/or—it’s both.

FargoRate	Skill-Based Testing (BU)
Ranks you based on wins/losses	Measures your technique
Used in tournaments and leagues	Used for training and coaching
Reflects performance under pressure	Reflects pure skill execution
Affected by luck (short term)	Not affected by luck
Secret algorithm	Fully transparent

Fargo is the rating system of record—especially for events like BCA Nationals or league play. But skill-based testing is your mirror, telling you the truth about your form and consistency.

Luck Fades, Skill Remains

Here’s the good news: if you play long enough, the truth comes out.

• The player who always blames luck? Stays stuck.

• The player who drills their weaknesses? Rises.
  

I've been playing pool for only 2 years—and at 91 years old, I’m still slowly improving by training smart and tracking both my Fargo and my BU-style drills - and listening to my coach!

So, next time someone says you just got lucky, smile and nod. Then go home and run your 3-ball sequence until you don’t miss; then go to 4-balls; and so on. Let the numbers take care of themselves.

Your Turn

Which system do you prefer—FargoRate or skill-based tests? Have you ever felt your rating didn’t reflect your true ability? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your story.