At the Ann Arbor Pinball Show (May 15-17, 2015), we are always trying to find new ways to improve. One problem we have seen at pinball shows in general are tournaments, and how they suck good games away from the general game population.

Last year we had a solution for this, but it favored the general populous at the expense of hard core tourney people. We have come up with what we think is a better solution.

Announcing the EM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP tournament!

The May 2015 Ann Arbor pinball show tournament will be on Friday May 15th at 11am. Note this is *before* the show opens, so there’s no problems with games being used in the tournament while the show is open. The tourney will be in our new Annex facility.

The tourney will be a match play, three strikes style event. That is, no qualifying, rounds start right at 11am, and each round is 15 minutes. It’s a best 2 out of 3 style rounds (two names and a game are randomly drawn from a hat, you play best 2 out of 3 games to determine a winner.) If you loose a round, that’s a strike. Three strikes and you’re out.

We keep going until there’s just two people left, and that’s the finals. All play is on EM machines (possible early solidstate chime machines too.) Note there are no WPPR points, and there’s no money to be won. The winners (first and second place) get completely goofy trophies, and the ability to brag they are the EM World Champs!

In addition to the tournament, those that get three strikes also gain access to the main pinball hall early! (The show officially opens at 4pm.) So for the $20 cost of the tournament, you get tournament play plus early entry to the Friday showcase. (Note you must also buy a ticket for the Friday showcase too.) Tickets for the Friday tournament (limited to 64 players) are available on the ticket page.

Comments would be appreciated. thanks!
http://www.vfwpinball.com

I don't have the tickets up yet as I wanted to get some comments first before making them available.

Our food area will be open during friday. and depending on how many people participate, i may cook burgers and dogs on the grill.

the $20, no wppr, no payout, is to keep tournament money guys like silver_spinner away. no really, that's the reason... i'm not kidding... ok maybe i'm kidding a bit.

the whole purpose of the ann arbor pinball show is to raise money to fund the museum for the year. the place doesn't exist for free. the property isn't free. the taxes aren't free. the electric isn't free. the heat isn't free. the insurance isn't free. the games didn't restore themselves or buy themselves. the parking lot doesn't plow itself and the grass doesn't cut itself.

aside from that the $20 EM tourney gets you into the show before it opens. so if the tournament has 25 people, they have the run of the entire facility with them and only them in the building. in addition of course the fun aspect of playing your friends in EM pinball for fun (which a lot of tournament guys seem to miss that point) and a big goofy trophy.

My money is on rob cross the law. He's gonna bush whip everyone and make them say uncle. He makes my slap talk look like baby babble.

No rob high speed is not an em. But secret service and torpedo alley are! Hahaha. Nba fastbreak may be an em too, at least for you.

Awesome bring it and Cancer Rob will treat it as a challenge to his tourney man-hood.

Mick for Friday lunch that's a great idea, i like it!

First Place went to Mike Wiley.
Second place went to Rob Cross.
Mike was pretty happy with his win. Rob was pretty unhappy with his second place finish.

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Blah hahahaha you got beat like a rented mule. By Wiley too!!!!!
No one will forget this blunder by you. This goes down in history as a major fail! Wiley was probably drunk too.

Wiley, being Wiley.

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