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Ranked Provisional & Placement (Summoner's Rift - Solo\Duo)

Vadelicet·10/9/2014, 11:30:34 PM·3 votes·27,868 views

Hey all,

I just have a question about how the placement system works, and what it all takes into account when placing an individual into their respective tiers. Awhile back, I had say maybe 500-600 normal wins - did my 10 Ranked Provisional matches. (8 Victory, 2 Loss) and was placed in Bronze 2. I'm now in Silver 4.

A friend of mine did his as well, with 400-500 normal wins, and was placed into Bronze 3. (7 Victory, 2 Loss). He is in Silver 4, as well.

Now recently a friend of mine as just completed his provisional matches. He possesses about 900 wins currently, and won 5, lost 5. He was put into Silver 2. None of those matches, save one, did he do exceptionally well.

I'm... somewhat confused. Are normal matches taken into account for ranked games placement? I thought it was an entirely separate system.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for my friend. It's great that he's so high now. I just feel a good bit confused, and to be honest, a little cheated.

5 Comments

Subdue10/10/2014, 12:18:35 AM2 votes

To understand how/why you're placed where you are, you need to understand how MMR works. MMR is a hidden value which rises when you win, and falls when you lose. How much it rises and falls each game is based on the combined ratings of both teams.

The first few games that each player plays in ranked, or in a given season, are weighted more heavily than future games, decreasing in value with each game down to an average, so that players can more quickly get close to where they most accurately belong. In terms of raw value, the first placement is generally worth significantly more than the last. Therefore, assuming two players start from the same rating, if a player wins 7 games in a row and then loses 3, that player will have a higher MMR than a player who loses 3 in a row and then wins 7.

Furthermore, if you've played ranked in a previous season, your starting value is based on your ending value from the previous season (adjusted by some calculation). Therefore, a person who was in platinum the previous season might also win 7 then lose 3, but still be rated much higher than the person who just started ranked.

Miss Fourtune10/9/2014, 11:51:09 PM1 votes

Hey there friend!

Your ranked MMR and normal MMR are completely separate. As for placement matches - it depends on your previous season rating (if you had one), and which matches you won. For example, beating a team that has a high average MMR will place you higher. It seems like your friend won the important matches. It could be luck; it is, after all, only ten games.

Thraesh10/10/2014, 7:03:25 PM1 votes

Yeah I was going to post a new thread on the matter asking my own question on this but I think it was sort of answered here anyhow. I have 2 ranked teams, one we play very late at night and we got pretty much demolished in provisionals and sadly ended up in Bronze 5. So our core member team went and did provisionals and we won 3 of 5 of our matches. Still got Bronze 5. Myself I was silver 4 last season and this season I started at Bronze 1 and have sadly declined a bit due to either team comps, connectivity or something just happens and I'm not Bronze 3. My team however has mostly bronze 5 players so all that as I told them does weigh on standings. I've beaten gold and platinum players before in solo but it's just how MMR works it seems, Have a bad couple matches in provisionals against the wrong people and you get low standings. I have watched platinum and up players in ranked play and I see them make the same mistakes as bronze players alot so sometimes its not entirely about your personal skill it is about your team comp and their standings as well

liljesus10/11/2014, 5:36:28 AM1 votes

How ever this MMR works... i dont like it I either play with idiots and lose really bad.. or play against Idiots and win within 25 minutes... i cant seem to get decent players at all... i get the its called ELO hell but... can we find some way to move up? I can win matches and get league points but then lose one and drop dramatically. I sick of teaching people who are playing ranked games where to place wards what items to buy who to target... why are they allowed to play ranked? there has to be some way to filter who can play ranked games beyond if u are level 30 or not.

CaliLegend10/13/2014, 10:54:47 PM1 votes

Normal wins have nothing to do with ranked placements. Also it looks like this isnt your first season of ranked, so while you didnt have a displayed elo/mmr at the beginning of this season, it started around where you where last season. Id assume your friend has never played ranked before, and going 5-5 on a fresh level 30 account will place you mid/high silver, where as being bronze last season and then going 5-5 in a new season will place you in bronze or low silver.