Quoted from RyanClaytor:FWIW, I just uploaded an exhaustive picto wrap-up post on my website:
http://www.elephanteater.com/12531
Thanks, Clay and crew, for the great show.
Thank god my ugly mug didnt show up in your write-up. I know you snapped me to help J_M_ find me.
Quoted from Meegis:Thank god my ugly mug didnt show up in your write-up. I know you snapped me to help J_M_ find me.
ryan plans to use that photo for something far more sinister 
Quoted from bob_e:Just in from Clay....
Next years show will be: May 4-6, 2018
Hopefully enough notice to not conflict with Allentown for those who want to do both. I choose VFW if they conflict again, looking forward to it.
Quoted from j_m_:ryan plans to use that photo for something far more sinister
I was wondering why I had to remove my pants for a face shot.
Yall will have to deal with me all 3 days and all tournaments next year.damn!!!! A whole year!!!!! Who do you need to blow to join the club?
Quoted from TheLaw:Sergeant of baby arms reporting for duty
Puff Danny's wife reporting for duty....
Quoted from bob_e:Just in from Clay....
Next years show will be: May 4-6, 2018
Quoted from roar:Hopefully enough notice to not conflict with Allentown
Isn't the Allentown show historically the first weekend in May? What a bummer to have to choose. 
Here's hoping Clay and Allentown can work out some dates that don't overlap.
Quoted from TheLaw:Sergeant of baby arms reporting for duty
hey! your brother's gotten pretty famous now 
baby legs (resized).jpg
I should have had the worst losing hand
but since it was so bad,
after I failed to draw a straight in the last round,
I folded and threw it in the pile;
before it was announced that there were additional prizes for lo-ball hands.
Eventual winner in lo-ball (worst hand) had an eight high,
I had a seven (of hearts) high hand, along with 2,3 & 4 of clubs and 5 diamond.
So close yet so far.
I tossed a pair of aces out when I left early. I was just exhausted and had to drive back to my hotel.
What was the winning hand?
Quoted from Meegis:I tossed a pair of aces out when I left early. I was just exhausted and had to drive back to my hotel.
What was the winning hand?
That is a good question. From what I heard it depends on who you ask. LOL
Quoted from aalucero:That is a good question. From what I heard it depends on who you ask. LOL
?
Quoted from aalucero:That is a good question. From what I heard it depends on who you ask. LOL
Im asking about the winning 'poker hand'
Im not worried about the 'five card 21', I was there for that part 
Quoted from Meegis:Im asking about the winning 'poker hand'
Im not worried about the 'five card 21', I was there for that part
I was not at the poker tournament. That was the name, correct? Poker tournament? Or was it poker and/or blackjack?
Quoted from wizard_mode:Or was it poker and/or blackjack?
Yes.
Oh interesting! Too bad I missed it. The EM tourney was awesome though!
So, were there 2 winners? One for BJ and one Poker? Are the results posted somewhere?
Quoted from wizard_mode:Oh interesting! Too bad I missed it. The EM tourney was awesome though!
So, were there 2 winners? One for BJ and one Poker? Are the results posted somewhere?
There was actually a few gift cards that I saw, and first to 21 was given one, and there were still others left for the poker hand winner(s)
I really liked that trophy. Even though it's in 14 pieces now...
On a serious note. For next year, do you guys want to do the Poker pinball again? Obviously that "21" rule will need to be modified (or that feature just removed.) Also will probably trim the number of people down so it moves faster. But was that a good/interesting format, or not so much??
Was also thinking of trying to figure out a way to incorporate bluffing into the rule set. I mean poker has a big bluffing element to it. Just not sure how to do that...
Quoted from cfh:I really liked that trophy. Even though it's in 14 pieces now...
On a serious note. For next year, do you guys want to do the Poker pinball again? Obviously that "21" rule will need to be modified (or that feature just removed.) Also will probably trim the number of people down so it moves faster. But was that a good/interesting format, or not so much??
Was also thinking of trying to figure out a way to incorporate bluffing into the rule set. I mean poker has a big bluffing element to it. Just not sure how to do that...
I thought the tourney was awesome,and def would enter again.
Lowering the number playing to move it along would be helpful.
You can also keep the 21 rule, just have a secondary trophy or some type of award to recognize it. That way first to 21 gets something, but the rounds don't stop and best hand is still the 'big win'
Going for a 21 hand vs going for a poker hand adds risk vs reward element that normal poker can't adjust for. I thought it was a great trick, just needed a better ruling.
Change to make to Saturdays Poker Tourney>
Issue initial cards at player check in. Will save loads of time compiling results for round #1.
Many players left due to the delay of issuing everyone cards and getting round results at the same time.
Later rounds progressed real well.
I had a very good time at both EM tourneys,
despite some of the controversy and long into the night play.
The Poker/21 was good in that i always thought i had a chance even up until last round.
Have all the card decks pre numbered prior to the start
and maybe have initial two cards given out at sign up/check-in and tallied
onto players entry card as mention earlier.
Liked the idea of lesser prizes for worst hands and the least and most head to head wins.
Only thing that i would do different next time
when i attend this or any show
is bring my own anti-fatigue foam mat, and/or stool
as my feet were killing me.
the only reason the saturday thing happens at all is basically for campers. In prior years the non-main hall building(s) were open all night for play. That was too stressful on the staff being up all night. So we came up with the saturday night tourney idea to give campers (and others) the ability to play until midnight (or even 1am). We thought that was a good compromise, and it got the staff to bed at a more reasonable hour.
the main hall is closed because we spent hours in there after the saturday show closing cleaning and fixing things for the next day. Obviously that can't happen if there's people in there. so no, the main building will never be open after "closing time." The tourney was run only on EM machines because frankly, they're just more durable than the solidstate stuff. The lower coil voltages and no multi-ball and slower ball speeds means less stuff breaks. And since the saturday tourney is run with a skeleton staff, that's what is needed.
My gut reaction is to just abandon any saturday night play (tournament.) Especially after the 2017 saturday night fiasco. The staff is exhausted from the saturday show, so it's hard to get people to want to help with the saturday tourney (and even harder go get people with clear heads.) We're still weighing the options as to the viability of the whole saturday night affair, and if it's worth doing at all. It generates a little money for the club, but it really makes for one long day.
I think the best format for Saturday would be a non-stop head to head match play tournament.
Rules are simple: First round you are randomly paired against someone and you play 1 match. Winner walks back to "the chair". Waiting in the chair is another player, the loser plays the person from the chair and the winner sits in the chair and waits for the next loser.
This way people are rarely waiting more than a minute to play. You set a time limit like 3 hours and after the 3 hours you calculate the finals based upon the winning percentages.
I wouldn't abandon the Saturday tournament yet (if you can find the help) but I would change the format.if you did it again tmontana's format works great as I played one similiar before.the one I was in went just like described but after the timed event it went into a head to head playoff for the top 8.it seemed well received and can help control the length of the tournament as a majority of players are done after the set 2-3 hour qualifying. That said if you need a volunteer to help during the tournament I would gladly sit out and help any way needed.I'm a night owl and can have a clear head.I used to host poker tournaments so I do have some experience organizing and running something similar.I'm also available to volunteer for 1 day of the event any way needed.
Quoted from cfh:the only reason the saturday thing happens at all is basically for campers. In prior years the non-main hall building(s) were open all night for play. That was too stressful on the staff being up all night. So we came up with the saturday night tourney idea to give campers (and others) the ability to play until midnight (or even 1am). We thought that was a good compromise, and it got the staff to bed at a more reasonable hour.
the main hall is closed because we spent hours in there after the saturday show closing cleaning and fixing things for the next day. Obviously that can't happen if there's people in there. so no, the main building will never be open after "closing time." The tourney was run only on EM machines because frankly, they're just more durable than the solidstate stuff. The lower coil voltages and no multi-ball and slower ball speeds means less stuff breaks. And since the saturday tourney is run with a skeleton staff, that's what is needed.
My gut reaction is to just abandon any saturday night play (tournament.) Especially after the 2017 saturday night fiasco. The staff is exhausted from the saturday show, so it's hard to get people to want to help with the saturday tourney (and even harder go get people with clear heads.) We're still weighing the options as to the viability of the whole saturday night affair, and if it's worth doing at all. It generates a little money for the club, but it really makes for one long day.
The Saturday night play was the biggest reason the four of us made the trip and camped three years in a row. And we were sorely disappointed once we arrived on Friday and learned that it wasn't an option this year without being in the tournament. A tournament that we didn't sign up for ahead of time since we were unaware that was the only way to play after hours, and then were not able to get in since it was "sold out". If there is no longer going to be a Saturday night play option, I doubt we'll come for a few years at least. Even having something until 11 or midnight would be fun. Aside from the pinball playing, getting to chat with some of the "orange shirts" without them having to babysit all 360+ machines (or getting yelled at by Clay for talking to us and not baby sitting the machines) was a ton of fun!
In all respects I would call the show a success (except the club member who inadvertently pulled the plug on my game of Aerosmith. But hey, at least when the game went dead it didn't blow out my ear drums with a sceam). That said, it was a bit of a let down to find out upon arrival that there was no overnight on Saturday. I do understand that it is taxing for any staff to do the overnight thing and that in past it may have been a little much. This is only the third year of the show so it is understandable that some tweaks will be made. It was the highlight of the trip though, to hang out with the club members after hours to talk, play pinball and let their hair out (so to speak). I miss talking to Dubbs and after two years his absence still saddens me. It is your show and yours to run as you see fit, but the tourney in which only the EM tourney machines could be played (per the person running it) paled in compairison to the past two years with the whole annex on free play. It is a privledge to camp out on the lot and be among friends and it is apprieciated (the 8 hour drive isn't exactly fun) but the exclusive night of hanging out with fellow pinheads kicking back and relaxing was something pretty special. Maybe one day that will come back albiet not as late as I couldn't pull off either one of the all nighters myself. Thanks again for putting on the show.
Dubbs and Gary and Pat were the overnight crew. Dubbs, RIP, obviously isn't going to help anymore. Pat has some work issues so his time is limited. Gary unfortunately, has some other problems. Basically we've lost the people that handled the overnight thing. In addition, the overnight thing was basically a "freebie". That is, we didn't charge for it, and it was taxing on the system. The upside of it, from a business prospective, was zero. The compromise was the saturday tournament, which had an entrance fee, and ended by 1am. This provided some revenue and got workers home at a reasonable hour, and gave the campers play time after hours. It was the best we could come up with.
The other problem, which we didn't have in prior years, was there's now *two* annexes to cover. It's too much physical space for 3 or 4 guys to handle overnight. So if both were to be open, we would need more orange shirts. It was already a long day and other than the 3 or 4 guys that volunteered this year, no one else wanted to do it. It forced our hand to make it close at midnight or so.
The simple solution for us is to just not do anything saturday night after the show closes. If that decreases campers, so be it. That whole situation is probably more headache than it's worth. Camping spots, up to 6 people, are $20 per spot for the whole weekend. That generates about $200 yet costs us in personnel and game stress. It's just not worth it. We did it to be "nice" and we thought it would be fun. But with Dubbs passing, it's not the same. He was our eyes and ears of reason, and managed the time well. Gary is a bit too crazy to give that task to, and Pat is not a manager type. There's too much invested in the facility to let just anyone manage that time. And i sure can't do it myself overnight (after being there all day.)
People need to remember that our show is unlike any other show on the planet. We own the facility. We own all the games. We limited the attendance numbers to keep ensure a good experience. We make sure if the show starts with 365 unique games working, it ends with 365 unique games working. We did that this year. There were *zero* casualties (every game got through the show working.) I don't know of any show that can say that. And next year, we'll probably have 400+ unique game titles, and we'll have that same commitment. Who runs a show like that? Banning? Replayfx? Texas? I don't think so...
The point is, we have a lot invested here. To just give the "keys to the Ferrari" to anyone for saturday night, is not something that sits well with me. It has to be a trusted individual. In the past that was Dubbs. But he passed away last summer, shortly after our show. There was no one else to step into those shoes. We tried something this year with the saturday tournament, and all that did was cement in my mind, that the saturday night option just isn't worth continuing.
We still have 6 months to think about it. Maybe something will change to make it an option. But right now, the saturday night thing does not look like it will continue...
I hope to attend the show someday I am from Michigan.
I know the banning show out here in California would like to be open more. It is also a personal collection.
The city is the blockage I believe and thier restrictions. They would open more but are restricted. I believe.
Anyways I hope to see this amazing collection someday, indeed. The problem is my trips to Michigan. They usually revolve around weddings And funerals. Not pinball shows.
Ann arbor is amazing. If it was in California I would live there. Cheers.
Quoted from cfh:blah... blah... blah... give the "keys to the Ferrari" to anyone for saturday night... blah... blah... blah
unfortunately, all I heard was the above
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Milford, MI
Hamilton, ON