Quoted from MikeS:Even if you take cheating out of the equation, it's still impossible to make two games play exactly the same to make it "fair" for competition. Players need to compete on the same machine during the same time period to make it as even as possible. That's why players at tournaments always compete on the same exact game vs. competing on seemingly identical games placed side by side.
It would still be fun to compete, it doesn't have to be taken serious like there is a million dollars on the line :/
Even if players play on the exact same machine, the same machine doesn't always play the exact same from game to game...rubber changes, flipper could weaken, target could get out of adjustment, kickout hole could start rejecting...etcetcetc...