I've read through a lot of the thread and I think its funny how so many people have taken a perfectly good expanation of the ranking system and have used it as a vehicle to whine about how the game sucks because it doesn't accurately reflect their "real" skill level. Two points: 1. If you so convinced that your 'real' skill level is so much higher, how come you aren't consistently winning enough games against similarly or higher ranked players? You are great a dominating a room full of newbie friends but can't perform against people better than you. Man up and start winning. 2. I'm all about the kill/death ratio, but it isn't an accurate reflection of your 'skill' if you define skill as how adept you are at winning games involving people of equal or greater skill. If you want to define 'skill' as being able to mow down a room of 20's when you are a 40--then I guess you are the man. There is really only one explanation as to why you consistently place low in rooms with players of equal or greater skill and therefore have trouble ranking up--you aren't ready to rank up. The people you are playing with are better than you. The fact of the matter is that when all is said and done, if you are stuck on 20 and you think you are really a 30 it isn't because the system is flawed--it is because you are losing rather than winning. Develop your skills, watch the game replays, figure out where you are weak and get better.