proud to be the official first entrant!

Amazing, congrats and thank you for taking the initiative to produce this! Will there be options available for people to test their skills against the mediocre players from around the world? I'm, uh... asking for a friend.

There is a B division for people with an IFPA rank lower than 2000.

There is a B tournament - the top 24 players ranked outside the top 2,000 who do NOT qualify for A will play in the B finals.

There's also women's tournament which will be qualified the same way.

Will there be games to play on site that are not part of the tournament?

I'm super excited for this, having just recently gotten into tournament play (from being a basic, lifelong, casual player), I look forward to attending and playing in this.

Any idea on cost of entrance?

Thanks in advance Tim and crew!

Thanks for the responses organizer dudes!

TBD. We do know at least a JJP POTC will be there to play but it's more of a tournament than a show at this point. We hope to expand quickly.

Not exactly 'earth-shattering' or whatever the superlative of choice was.....god, I hate marketing. This is why I can never have a job in sales. =Þ

Kind of odd the A/B cutoff being 2000th... that's pretty low for an intended major tournament, yeah? Is that due to the unknowns of attendance in the first year, and it'll be adjusted for subsequent years, or just that you expect attendees to be mostly from around the area and due to lack of other major tournaments nobody moves up very high? I won't be able to make it this year, but this is a pretty great excuse to plan a future vacation to NYC. It's one of the few places inside the country that I would actually care to go, I've never been... Every major city should really be able to field a large tournament at least once a year. Having to drive or fly for those kind of things is a real pain in the ass, especially longer multi-day events, so props to you guys for solving your local situation yourselves.

Just for comparison:

PAPA
Players ranked between 1 and 199 in the World Pinball Player Rankings are restricted to Division A.
Players ranked between 200 and 599 in the World Pinball Player Rankings are restricted to Division B or higher.

Pinburgh
A - Top 50
B - Top 200
C - Top 500
D - No restriction

TPF
A - Top 500
B - No restriction

*edit* Just a note of lulz here.. I'm totally sandbagging TPF 2019.. I'm going to be under 600th by the end of this year as a massive win streak I had in 2014 decays off my active record LOL! >

This sounds quite exciting and well planned. I hope it gains momentum better than my other hobby (high end audio) which had a show in a hotel in midtown NYC this past weekend which was much smaller than in previous years.

More donations to the "A" pot. Incentive for the "Pro" players to attend. Just taking a few guesses.

You should watch the trailer again if you not convinced of the Earth-shattering nature of this event!

Thanks for the suggestions, I think we are open to everything here. I do think we want to keep it simple, and attract as many people as possible.

And as you noted Frax, it's not just a pinball tournament, it's a vacation! Bring the family. Amazing location.

(sorry couldn't help myself...but this thing practically markets itself!)

That....makes sense.

Current financial situation is SHITE, but if I get unlimited overtime again anytime soon, and my Metallica sells, I could potentially afford something like a NYC vacation in 2019 haha. I refuse to travel solely for pinball unless it's a great deal on a game. That's why I've never set aside the money for Pinburgh... I have no interest in the city, and no expectation I'd do as well as I'd want to.

I'd love to visit NYC. I'm not much of a travel person, but when I do, it's usually to crazy cities. New Orleans, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Honolulu. NYC, Berlin, and Tokyo are all kind of on the bucket list though.

My GF's brother was in town this weekend and said the exact same thing - that the audiophile scene has shrunk dramatically and that there are fewer stores and the shows are tiny. I guess it's because people just want small shitty convinient speakers these days for their Iphones? He said the show used to be in a ballroom and now it's basically in a hotel room.

Although this is their first large event, judging by the caliber of the organizers, I think this tournament will be very well executed and run in a very smooth and professional manner.

This event can be a very important one, not only to NYC but to Pinball in general.

NYC is the birthplace of competitive pinball via P.A.P.A. through the dedicated and hard work of Steve Epstein and Roger Sharp.

This event may just be the rebirth of another major NYC event and another reason to visit the city.

Will the first time event be perfect? No, there might be hiccups as can be expected, but thats true of any new endeavor.

Even if you cannot make it to the tournament maybe we here at pinside can spread the word to non pinheads to help pinball in general.

Remember NY is the center of media, good or bad, its a fact.

Hopefully, with The NYC Championships, more attention to pinball can be shown to the masses and both will continue growing in the distant future.

For anyone interested - why it is a big deal a major pinball tournament is returning to New York City:

http://thisweekinpinball.com/nyc-pinball-championships-big-deal/

Come see what real pizza tastes like at the NYC Pinball Championships <bump>!!

Frankly I think having the cut-off that low will act as a disincentive for some players. It is for me.

I'm in the top 2000, but my average finish is 37th. Given the caliber of players in the NYC area, I know my chances of qualifying for the playoffs of A division are pretty slim. Knowing that I don't have a chance to compete in the B division leaves me wondering if it's worth taking time off work to travel when there are lots of other events I could use that vacation time for.

Maybe I'm in the minority (I'm a solid PAPA C-Division player who travels to play in tournaments I have no chance of winning), but if there are others who share my mentality, revenue for the prize pool will actually go down rather than up.

Very well stated.

It’s not THAT well stated, as it didn’t offer an alternative.

What do you think is a better cutoff? 1500? 1000? Nothing?

Do you really think top 100 or 200 people should be eligible for B?

Genuinely curious as to the thoughts here. Personally I think that someone who finishes 37th most of the time could rightfully aspire to qualify in a tournament like this. There’s also a classics tournament.

If you anticipate getting a field of players like a PAPA Main Event then a cutoff of 500 may work out. My belief is anyone ranked 1-500 puts in effort to play and has the game within themselves to qualify in "A".

Cutoff of 1000-2000 for classics (If run A & Novice) I can see as most people don't play or have access to them. Just my opinion, could be way off. Curious what others think.

Can't comment on Kryponite's 37th average finish without knowing events played in.

Anxious to see how the event goes.
Wishing you and staff the best.

I don't know what an appropriate cutoff would be. I would be happy with 1500.

But to come up with something less self-servingly arbitrary, looking at the 2017 New York State Championship IFPA rankings (https://www.ifpapinball.com/rankings/custom_view.php?id=99), no one in the top 50 is lower than 1255 overall. The average rank of those from 51-100 is 1474.64 today. Maybe 1500 is actually pretty reasonable!

There needs to be some sort of cutoff because otherwise you have a similar problem: players like me get demoralized because B division will just be A division playoffs part 2.

The trick is figuring out what's fair and/or meets your goals. Who do you think the B division should be for? Define that then come up with some sort of metric. You're never going to make everyone happy, but as long as you can defend your choice, hopefully you'll cut down on the complaints.

Sorry if I came off as being overly critical! I was just trying to give a perspective to consider.

Throwing in my 37th average finish was probably a mistake because it includes a bunch of small local tournaments as well as large events like PAPA and Pinburgh, so doesn't really give an accurate picture. Do I aspire to qualify in A division? Absolutely. But experience shows that I'm much more likely to eke out qualifying for B division playoffs, if anything. Especially if the event is going to draw top players from across the country. Based on that, I personally find a cutoff of 2000 to be a disincentive to travel.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Are they holding it in Chicago?

Deep dish for the winnnnn!!!

rd

The winner gets to choose from one of our many authentic Famous Ray's pizza parlors here in the city.

Fat Sal’s is right across the street and it ain’t bad.

Seems like there’s fewer original Ray’s than ever. It’s scary.

And Chicago deep dish is perfectly good but it ain’t “pizza.” It’s casserole.

Can we really believe someone from PUKE-kohe? Fake pizza news!

Also thinking 2000 might be too high (a ranking number) . But i'm sure someone analyzed this before coming up with that number.

I would concur with that. I was just saying to someone the other day, it isn’t really “pizza” ... it’s something different.

Casserole.. maybe not that though.

Ed! Don’t be so culturally insensitive! Haha

rd

I wish Detroit Style pizza was more famous. Similar to Chicago without the casserole part.

You talked - we listened.

We will be lowering the B-Division cutoff to 500 ifpa instead of 2,000.

Other news, including official announcements regarding the women’s tournament, room rate block, and t-shirt design, will be coming shortly.

NYCPCL (resized).jpg

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 29, 2017
Contact: Levi Nayman - [email protected]
www.nycpinballchamps.com

Discount Room Rate Announced, Women’s Tournament Finalized, B Division Eligibility Expanded

(New York, NY) - Never Beef Productions is proud to end 2017 with a trio of exciting announcements.
The discounted room block for attendees wishing to stay at the New York City Pinball Championships’ host venue - the fabulous Skyline Hotel - has been released. The discounted rate of $229 a night is among the best in the city for a quality room during the season, and gives attendees and their families a great reason to stay in New York City for a vacation along with the tournament. The discounted rate is available between May 17-21. Room quantity is limited, so attendees can book now through Never Beef Production’s Facebook page, www.nycpinballchamps.com, or at:
https://reservations.travelclick.com/98910?groupID=2083249#/guestsandrooms
We are also pleased to announce the finalized details for the Women's Division of the New York City Pinball Championships. Qualification for the Women's Division will run simultaneously with the qualifying for the main tournament. No additional entries will need to be purchased. On Sunday, May 20, the top 8 women players will have a chance to compete for great prizes including a signed Jersey Jack Pinball playfield for the champ. There will be no conflict between the Women’s Division and the other divisions, so players can qualify and play in any of the other division finals without having to choose. More details can be found here: https://www.nycpinballchamps.com/tournament-info
Also, based upon overwhelming player feedback, we have greatly expanded eligibility for the B division tournament. B division will now be open to all players with an IFPA ranking of 500 or above, instead of the 2,000 ranking initially announced. This will give far more players who qualify in the top 48 an opportunity to play in a championship final at the NYCPC.
Get more information on the NYCPC by liking Never Beef Production’s Facebook page, or visit the event’s website at NYCPINBALLCHAMPS.COM to view our event trailer, book a room, see a list of registered players, and more. It’s a new year and a new championship-class pinball event in 2018 - the New York City Pinball Championships. More news will be forthcoming in 2018.

Hey gang just a quick heads up -

We need to institute a player cap of 140 registered players. We have under 50 spots left.

So if you want to register, now is the time. Www.nycpinballchamps.com

We’ve also got our t shirt designs straight.

07B3D00D-88BC-4AA6-B68E-A2EDDBD25264 (resized).jpeg

EB926A27-98D4-4AC8-B4EA-290CCE1B45C2 (resized).jpeg

Glow in the dark stars?

Fck that’s a good idea

Might as well be assholes here start LED'ing them.

Thank you all for the astounding response! We are now SOLD OUT (at 140) but now is the time to get in early on the wait-list. No $ required for the wait list. Sign up now for the wait list and let the world know how big a NYC tournament can be! Waitlist link here:
https://www.nycpinballchamps.com/events/nyc-pinball-championships-2018

Registered player list is here:

https://www.nycpinballchamps.com/registered-players

Congrats on the sell out!

Maybe next year for me ...

rd

Will come with you Rotordave ! maybe with gin !

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2018
Contact: Levi Nayman - [email protected]
www.nycpinballchamps.com

Championship Sunday Tickets to Benefit Project Pinball Charity
Partnership With Project Pinball Will Help Bring Pinball to New York Area Children’s Hospitals

(New York, NY) - Never Beef Productions (NBP) is proud to announce a partnership with Project Pinball, a non-profit charity organization that places pinball machines in children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses to introduce therapeutic benefits to kids. Project Pinball currently has placed 32 pinball machines in 28 children’s hospitals across 16 states.
To kickstart the partnership, proceeds from all spectator tickets sold on May 20 to watch the Main Division Finals on Championship Sunday, when the New York City Pinball Champion is crowned, will benefit Project Pinball. Purchasing a ticket grants entry to watch the finals at the fabulous 9th floor penthouse ballroom of the Skyline Hotel. Seating and a large projector viewing screen will be provided so spectators can stay on top of the action. There will be live commentary and updates, all designed to create an engrossing spectator experience that will engage seasoned pinball fans and those enjoying their first live championship pinball experience alike.
A full bar will be available so spectators can grab a beer, wine, or liquor drink.
Project Pinball will provide door prizes, and there are plans to bring a vintage refurbished 1975 Bally Old Chicago pinball machine to raffle off. Tickets for Project Pinball’s popular ongoing New In Box Stern pinball machine raffles will be available on site.
“Project Pinball is an organization we all believe in, and we are thrilled to use the awesome power of the New York City Pinball Championships to help benefit this charity. It’s going to be an incredibly exciting day of watching some of the world’s best players battle it out to be crowned NYCPC Champion, and all funds from ticket sales will go toward placing pinball machines into New York area children’s medical facilities,” said Levi Nayman of NBP.
For more information about project pinball, visit projectpinball.org.

What: New York City Pinball Championship Sunday
Where: Skyline Hotel – 725 10th Ave. @ 49th St., New York, New York.
When: May 20th, 2018. Doors and finals start at 10:00 am, main event will run approx. 2pm-6pm.
How: $10 tickets will be available at the door, all proceeds benefit the Project Pinball Charity. All registered players for NYCPC will receive a free Championship Sunday ticket and are welcome to make donations on site.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 12, 2018
Contact: Levi Nayman - [email protected]
www.nycpinballchamps.com

Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA) Joins as Sponsor
Partnership Brings First-Class eSports Streaming Rig to NYCPC

(New York, NY) - Never Beef Productions (NBP) is proud to announce that the Professional and Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA), which is part of the nonprofit Replay Foundation, the organization behind ReplayFX, the pinball and gaming convention which hosts the world’s largest pinball tournament, is joining the New York City Pinball Championships (NYCPC) team as a sponsor. The partnership means that PAPA will be bringing its professional eSports streaming rig and streaming production team to the event, ensuring that first-class audio and video coverage of the championships will be available for pinball tournament viewers across the globe.
PAPA’s eSports streaming rig and production team have brought gaming fans high-quality, multi-camera coverage of such major pinball tournaments as the PAPA World Championships, Pinburgh, the Buffalo Pinball Open, IFPA World Championships, and many others.
“We couldn’t be happier that the PAPA production team will be on hand to stream this event so that tens of thousands of pinball tournament fans can watch live coverage of the New York City Pinball Championships Main and Women’s Division finals. PAPA has shown time and time again their commitment to elevating the home viewing experience for major pinball tournaments. With their gear, production team, and experience, we are going to provide viewers with a groundbreaking, next-level production to accompany the high-level, high-stakes play,” said Levi Nayman of NBP.
For more information about PAPA, visit papa.org, and check out PAPA’s YouTube channel to view the organization’s vast archive of pinball tutorials and tournament coverage (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp-cSoq5qVVyts7H8rQjV-w).
For more information about ReplayFX, being held July 26-29 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, visit replayfx.org.
In addition, NBP is excited to announce that professional broadcasting personality and competitive pinball player Jeff Teolis will be on hand at the NYCPC, lending his pro talents for on-air interviews and other segments during the internet streams. Teolis’ podcast – Pinball Profile – reaches thousands of pinball fans a month and has developed an impressive archive of interviews with leading tournament players, industry giants, and other pinball personalities. Listen at podcastgarden.com/podcast/pinballprofile

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2018

G FUEL Energy Drink Joins NYCPC Team as Executive Producer
Sugar-Free Energy Drink to Fuel New York City Championships

(New York, NY) - Never Beef Productions (NBP) is excited to announce that G FUEL Energy Formula, a powdered energy drink, is joining our team as the exclusive Executive Producer of the New York City Pinball Championships (NYCPC). G FUEL has become synonymous with eSports, sponsoring Major League Gaming’s Call of Duty Championships tournament, the HALO World Championship, and many of eSport’s top events, competitors and streamers. G FUEL’s line of sugar-free energy drinks has quickly gained a large following among gamers since the product’s launch in 2012, giving players the energy, focus, endurance, and hydration they need without the jitters and crash that accompany canned sugared beverages.
The partnership allows for a major expansion of the NYCPC in 2018 and beyond and will help expand the audience for top level competitive pinball.
“G FUEL joining the NYCPC team is a major, major boom, equivalent to a double super jackpot with 4X playfield scoring,” said NBP’s Levi Nayman. “Their product is awesome, and their experience in eSports tournaments and streaming brings tournament pinball to a higher level than anybody thought was possible.”
“Together, G FUEL, NBP, and the NYCPC are changing the game and launching the next era of pinball as a high-level competitive eSport, presenting the world under glass in spectacular fashion. This partnership will help dynamically expand the NYCPC now and in the future,” said NBP’s Tim Sexton.
“We are excited to support the New York City Pinball Championship and bring our experience to help them expand in the coming years. This continues G Fuel’s commitment to be everywhere that gaming is,” said Cliff Morgan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of G FUEL.
As part of the sponsorship, G FUEL will provide every registered NYCPC competitor with a free G FUEL shaker cup and plenty of G FUEL stick packs to power them through the tournament.
For more about G FUEL visit their web site at www.gfuel.com. In addition, for viewers at home, there will be special coupon codes presented during the live coverage of the NYCPC at the PAPA TV youTube channel.

G Fuel Presents the New York City Pinball Championships will be held May 18-20, at the Skyline Hotel at 725 10th Avenue in Manhattan. Over 150 of the world’s top players will compete for the title of New York City Pinball Champion. Spectator tickets will be available for $10 at the door on May 20, Championship Sunday, with all proceeds benefiting the Project Pinball charity.

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The Spectator Experience + Raffle Tickets - NYCPC

Spectators are invited to experience the climax of the NYCPC on Championship Sunday, May 20, when the world’s top players battle it out in the finals to be crowned NYC Pinball Champion. $10 tickets will be sold at the door, with all proceeds going to benefit the Project Pinball organization, a non-profit group that places pinball machines in local area children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses to introduce therapeutic benefits to kids. Project Pinball currently has placed 32 pinball machines in 28 children’s hospitals across 16 states.
In addition, all ticket buyers for Sunday will be automatically entered into a raffle for many awesome pinball-related prizes, from Project Pinball apparel all the way up to a gorgeous Wizard of Oz pinball playfield, an amazing art piece signed by Jersey Jack himself.
Championship Sunday takes place at the fabulous 9th floor penthouse ballroom of the Skyline Hotel. Seating and a large projector viewing screen will be provided so spectators can stay on top of the action. There will be live commentary and updates, all designed to create an engrossing spectator experience that will engage seasoned pinball fans and those enjoying their first live championship pinball experience alike.
A full bar will be available so spectators can grab a beer, wine, or liquor drink, and light snacks including chips and guacamole from El Original Tex Mex restaurant will also be available for purchase.

Purchase tickets in advance now at:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=6noeoQx5q3bI0nz48c806htV_xqia4fpbOvxI_J0F3_LcVCrUobq1gc2wBTsm0t6y9jb1G&country.x=US&locale.x=US

Tickets will also be available at the door, cash only.

What: New York City Pinball Championship Sunday Spectator + Raffle tickets
Where: Skyline Hotel – 725 10th Ave. @ 49th St., New York, New York.
When: May 20th, 2018. Doors and finals start at 10:00 am, final championship rounds will run approx. 2pm-7pm.
How: $10 tickets are available now online via Paypal, or cash at the door, all proceeds benefit the Project Pinball Charity. All registered players for NYCPC will receive a free Championship Sunday ticket and are welcome to make donations on site.

Is there a live stream for this??

Live stream:

What YouTube channel is that, Ryan? It now says unavailable. Will the finals for the main tourney be streamed? Thanks

Check out PAPAtv’s YouTube channel tomorrow and you can watch the finals. Tonight’s women’s finals was broadcast and I’m sure was archived.