I'm getting ready to cancel my TPF discounted reservation at Hilton Garden Inn Frisco. Not sure if they'll let you, but PM me if you want to see if you can get them to convert it to you. It is for Friday and Saturday nights. I ended up at the Hyatt House right next door.

Typically, you would need to add the second person on to your existing reservation and change the credit card on file to this persons. Then, on checkin, the other person can have your name removed (just say he couldn't make it). Has worked for me in the past, but YMMV.

Get in line...

I was able to transfer mine to someone, just by logging in with my confirmation number and changing the reservation name and email, I then had that person update the credit card info. Was surprised it was that easy.

So I am going to play in the tournament and I just read the rules for the first time. To date I've only played in smaller match play / strike tournaments.

What is the strategy here? 12 pins available, you have to play at least 6 pins (in 3 different era groups), only your top 8 scores count (must be on different pins), and you get 20 total plays. Also top 98 scores gets points and there are 160 players.

So clearly you play 8 pins at least once. The strategy comes in how do you spend your other 12 plays. Should you play all 12 pins or focus on 8? Try to improve bad scores after your first 8 plays? Replay pins you feel you can do better, even if your first score isn't bad? Focus on one pin and try to get a top score? Give up and go to the bar!?

Watch out, I'm gunning for the novice trophy!

That's my go-to strategy.

rd

Last year when Frax made Nationals and we went to Vegas instead of TPF, all I had to do was call the front desk at the hotel and give them the name of the person who I was transferring it to. Had no problems at all with it, and the person was able to confirm that the reservation was in her name right afterward. (Had no problems checking in, either.)

I am an average player. I make sure the games that I know how to play best are in my eight. After I've played them I'll watch the board and if my score doesn't look like it will be in the top thirty and I think I can do better I'll play that game again. Often I have an average game on an unfamiliar machine and I don't think I can improve. Then I'll save a few plays for late in qualifying and try a game that I've learned something about from watching and talking to others.

There will be some great players in the tournament. Ask how they approach the game! Most are happy to share strategies.

The primary goal of qualification is to qualify for finals, so I personally wouldn't play all 12 pins and instead, focus on the 8 pins that you think give you the best chance of qualifying. Definitely ask how pins are playing from other players before you step up to your first attempt: how's the tilt? are there any squirrely kick-outs? etc.

But don't be afraid to ditch a pin you thought would be part of your 8 pins if you don't play well on it, and you don't think that you'll be able to figure out how to play it better in 1-2 more attempts. I did that with Torch last year.

Or: go to the bar, and THEN play

sadly, I am late to the party and can't get in the tournament

Or ask your lazy wife to bring drinks from the hotel bar during happy hour, then wonder why they haven't shown up an hour later, only for her to show up right before Classics finals with three rum and cokes that are EXTREMELY heavy on the booze. You can probably figure out how that turned out real fast. No effs given!

IMO best strategy is to voulenteer to assist with set up and tweaking of games so you can learn feeds and general feel fo each game prior to using your entries. The limited entry format provides an advantage for those that set up. We run a similar style event in the Madison region and have gone to a change where all games are available for a warm up period prior to actual event qualifying start. Without that leveled playing field of warm up opportunity before qualifying, then best chance is to get an inside dig on each game by helping with setup.

Aside from that, I woudl focus on the games you know best. I see nothing wrong with playing them all and then using your mulligans on the ones you liked best. For TPF your time is best spent not fretting over the tourney too much IMO. Lots of other fun stuff to do and see. You could also wait and opt to use a few mulligans till later once you see how others are panning out and play what you think provides your best chance to put up a ringer.

The TD should keep this in check. Personally I don't think anyone playing in the tournament should also be running it or setting up games, but that's how things go in the sport for now. This is somewhat equalized by the difficulty of running the thing, but if your only involvement is "helping" to get a feel for some of the games, that's just shitty.

I really hope the organizers don't allow anyone that's come to "help out" at unload time to play games willy-nilly.

I also wouldn't trust the way a game was playing at setup to be that close to how it's playing 2 or 10 or 20 hours later. Watching the stream before your attempts is a better idea.

Good luck with that... I've made this argument for years and given up on it. Fact is, the people willing to be TDs are limited to start with, and every last one of them is a consistent tourney player. So if you remove their ability to play, why are they going to just waste their time playing?

If you REALLY wanted to discuss something about this specific event (and I suppose past ones), why doesn't anyone ask if people are being paid to run the tournament, in addition to their playing in it. I know it's happened before. No idea about last year or this year. That's the part to me that makes no sense...TD wants to play, and is capable of winning a large tournament, they're running? Great....but when they also get paid TO run the tourney...that's when it's crossed into an ethical grey zone for me personally, after ~6 years of playing in tournaments and running them. And no, I don't expect to change anyone's mind and I'm not lobbying to tell TPF or any other large venue what to do. I'm just saying that beyond some predictable compensation, like free passes and maybe a room, it bothers me that one or two people are picking the games, dealing with setup of said games, getting paid to do it, AND participating in the tournament with inside knowledge of how the games play and are set up. But it's also not my decision, at all, and I know I can't sway the minds of the decision makers, and clearly IFPA's never had a beef..so..I consider my opinion just my opinion, and leave it at that.

Also, I figure if I can beat someone on games they've set up, that's just more bragging rights for me. =Þ

last year what i thought was funny was we did not get a chance before the finals to test feeds or anything and it was asked if we could. the response was "we've been playing these games all weekend you should have it down by now" but in reality you probably only played the games you qualified on once or twice and never actually learned them all lol. I crushed a few qualifies on game 1 so I never played them again until the finals.

It doesn't matter to me one way or the other cause I just want to have fun with it but I thought that was a rather humorous response

I always think the best way to level the playing field it to allow 2 hours of open play on all the games for tourney players prior to actual qualifying. It is a great way to level the field and help take away the inate advantage from TDs that set up and play in these limited entry type events.

Best case scenario is to pay a TD and coTD to setup all the games, test them all, and then they dont play in the event. Unfortunately, I have to think it is tough to be able to pay out a TD for that amuont of work. It also does not work when a TD cant earn as much $$$ in pay as they can my winning (plus the added bragging rights, IFPA points, and trophy).

Comes back to a few hours of open play testing being a really good way to run these for profit/ pay out events.

Tournament rules say All entry money is to be paid out to the players.
So is TPF paying the TD's?

There was an issue with several thousand dollars in tournament entries being unaccounted for publicly few years ago. I think one thing they want to be clear on now is that entries go to prizes and not into someone's pocket.

The TDs have been changed since then and I don't believe they're being paid, but I could be wrong.

Turns out the TDs get a free show pass in addition to the normal volunteering t-shirt and food vouchers for x hours worked. That's all.

Thanks again to everyone that puts time, effort, and money into making this thing happen. It's one of the highlights of my year!

I'm pretty sure I said that I don't know.

Thanks for the clarification, Law. It's going to be awesome either way, just like it has the other times I've played in it. Glitches and such are frustrating, but ultimately they didn't kill my desire to play in the tournament.

You said to ask.

You quoted me, so I figured the question was directed at me as well.

I can bring a few of my Batman66 TV style batsignals to Texas pinball festival if anyone is interested in buying one. Matches the style of the game much better than un-modified version Stern uses on the SLE.

20170113_152452 (resized).jpg

Hi. I'm new. (Didn't see an introductions section)

I'm going to the festival. Looking forward to playing some of the pins that aren't around here, and possibly some better conditions of ones which are.

Is it usually pretty easy to play on machines there? Or are they line-heavy? Thanks.

In past years the only real lines have been for the new releases or ultra rare games like big bang bar.

Otherwise there's not usually a line-if you're willing to wait for the current player to finish you're up. Don't be afraid to say something if people try to pretend you're not waiting and start a second game or multiplayer game.

I concur with Law. Games like Dialed In will have lines but for most pins you likely only need to wait for the current player to finish.

Ah, okay, thank you. Most of my favorite games so far are the 80's and early 90's (not really a fan of Stern), so I should get to play a ton thanks.

Is there anybody going to be there that will work on boards during the show?

Borygard posts here and I believe he does. PM him for particulars.

LTG : )

There are always lines at the prewar History of Pinball booth. Be sure to show up early. Be loud . Stay late

-Jeff

"Oh baby youuuuuuuuu,
you got what I neeeeed,
But you say he's just a friend,
Oh you say he's just a friend,
Ooooohh baby youuuuu,
ya got what I neeeed"

IMG_4937 (resized).JPG

Met is ready.

20170310_021952 (resized).jpg

Nice. Did you damage your right side powerblade?

Yep. My cabinet is super tight, sucks ass....I don't know if it's just these older Mets or what, but I really wouldn't recommend them for anyone that has a "wood head Met" if that's the case. I never had mirror blades or decals in this game before the powerblades, so I really had no way to know at all.....there's just not a big enough gap between the side of the playfield and the cabinet side. They still work fine, it's just cosmetic, and the protective layer on top that's scuffed. Doesn't bother me, there's nothing I can do about it... There's a small scuff on the left side too. Had I known they wouldn't fit, obviously I wouldn't have spent the money on them, but it's not Pingraffix fault I didn't check clearances before ordering, and that the way I raise and lower the playfield while shopping it out pushed the playfield to one side. It's what it is.

Damn. That sucks.

I don't install pinblades until I have a game shopped and modded to what I like. Minor stuff happens from then on, but I slowly slide out playfields from that point on.

Well, to be fair, my Met hadn't been really shopped in over 2 years. I was careful the other night for the most part but really the only way I could have MAYBE prevented this was if I had actual metal rails instead of the pegs. I've never, ever felt like I actually needed those rails until now. That would have solved about 60% of my problem of not being able to situate the playfield where I needed it. I need more room to work on my games. Cut up my hands real good too. Have never been cut to the point of bleeding FOUR TIMES working on just one game before..

I'm not planning on purchasing any more blades of any kind...this was the first set and likely the last. I don't care to have to be THAT careful just doing routine things to my games....wife wanted it, Met is basically hers, so powerblades were "our" anniversary present.

Frax looking forward to seeing your power blades. Contemplating them for my Met.

As for the Free Beer TPF Challenge. The bar was just raised on Baby Pac-Man. Good luck ladies and gentlemen.

IMG_4939 (resized).JPG

Speaking of beer, Craig are you bringing ice cold beer? Love that one... and No, I'm not riding in the elevator with you LOL

Will anybody have PDI glass at the show? I could use a sheet for my JD.

FTFY.

Depends on the day and the time of day that you're there. The best shot you have at playing without dealing with lines are early and very, very late Friday, Saturday, and early Sunday morning. Out of the options, it's quietest late late Saturday night and even better Sunday morning. I normally avoid the hall during most of the middle of the day on Saturday, just because of the noise and the lines and the kids and the people. It's a great time to take a nap, just to get you ready for happy hour.

I'll probably skip out on drinking, and may bring ear plugs lol. If I get a headache, the chances of me enjoying pinball go to 0%. Debating on playing mostly at night, or playing during the day and enjoying my hotel in the evening lol.

Booked a room at the Westin 5 miles away, so if they don't shuttle, I'll probably be uber'ing back and forth lol

Highly recommend the earplugs, in that case. You can always stash them in a pocket. It gets pretty damn loud during peak times.

I've got some sweet noise cancelling earbuds!

Must be the Top Secret version.

**/-*-*/-*-- -***/*/*/*-* ***/-/*-/- !!!

Niiiiice!