Quoted from IdahoRealtor:I'll be there Sat & Sun. Is the tourney at CAX fun? I see it's a big time commitment. Kind of on the fence between participating vs hanging out with no restrictions.
The tourney has it's pros and cons. You get to play on really nice machines setup super hard in a competitive environment. It's less crowded and noisy than the main halls. You can win some decent cash prizes and ranking points if you play well. You'll meet some of the nicest most dedicated pinheads around...
For cons you have to pay $50 extra on top of your Cal Extreme ticket, you have to commit to a full evening on either Friday or Saturday to qualify, you might get pissed off and ruin your day/night if you play shitty...
I think the pros outweigh the cons. The tourney organizers are great people and have been putting massive amounts of time and energy into making it a fun event worth your time and money.