zyu81 said:
Without knowing specific details, it seems likely you just ran into more sandbaggers or rising juniors after getting to California and/or had a run of bad tournaments. I find it hard to believe it took two years (if you are playing tournaments consistently) that you couldn't dodge the under-rated folks and recover your points. Additionally, your initial rating after getting back from Korea could have been higher than it deserved to be - this happens when ELO ratings haven't had time to stabilize. What you think may explain all of this could have just been some of the flaws of the rating system or changes in your game that didn't reflect immediately.
I believe my results on my first tourney back were true. I did a lot of matches, I think 14 or so that tourney. I did another tourney a week later in CT, and I think I did 15 or 18 matches. My rating changed by only a few points form the second tourney a week later.
In DC area, there were a few players you always run into that will win vs you at that level, but they always stay rated upper 1800s or 1900s. had to advance in ratings playing vs them in tourneys... but eventually, you break through. I had 1.5 years there and never really broke through.
In Cali, I did enough matches for the results not to be small sample size things. In Cali, some upper 1700s players are 1900s east coast level. Some 1700 can simply have a good day too. 1700 level player on east coast are nearly all very easy for a 1900 class player to handle, unless they are improving junior player... that is different situation everywhere.
I did enough toruenys to show upper 1700s or barely 1800 was my true rating for that region. I had to do a LOT of improvement to break through.
like Next level mentioned in a different area, sometimes it takes a while to improvement to show in ratings. mine sure took some time. 6 months or so later, improvement began to show in ratings.. showed almost zero improvement in two tourneys, then BANG, showed big time in 2018 LA Open... and the following toruneys showed I was a low 1900s Cali player... until LA Open 2019.. and BANG, big tourney big improvement... and the following toruenys, I finally showed I could compete and win vs established 2000s class players, some wins had to fight, some just dominated.
My improvement curve wasn't an error or random ting, it was real improvement, and like Next level mentioned, sometimes difficult to immediately show in ratings, which are supposed to reflect tourney performance. Liek any stat, more dat is better. Finally, the last tourney, Walnut Creek 4 star, a huge tourney, I showed I could beong in that class - more than enough matches vs that class to know.
Too bad USATT makes you pay money to see ratings.