I have a new goal to try and make this - although CA is a tough state!

I think some folks are over thinking the subtleties of how games change etc.

I have no problem with P&D format although personally I feel like it might be nicer with a limit, but then I have never really thought it out aside from the general "if someone is rich and plays enough they probably can have a good qualification" but thinking that out, they probably would get weeded out in the first round of finals if they got in based on their 'lucky' scores from massive amounts of entries.

Having played in a several of these type tourneys I don't have a problem with them, like phishrace.

Also for the points basis and all I think the system can be improved, but it's also pretty damn good for what it is. I feel like a bunch of us folks who enter tournaments aren't as worried if we're mis-ranked by a few spots. After all, pinball is a bit wild and hopefully we're all playing for fun. I am not sure there's that many folks, no matter how good, that could actually make a living from competing in pinball tournaments. (At least not with the cost of living here in SF

Yeah I think the only thing with the games played is that if there's a tourney with single matches (you play head to head on one machine per round) then as the tourney progresses the #s will average out so it's not so bad to have single vs best 2-of-3. The reason I bring this up is that a 2-of-3 format can take forever if you have a certain # of people. I know at a lot of the tourneys I've been to at the end the only people left are the people in the finals and a few mega pinball nerds since no one wants to stay that late. I think that's unfortunate for a variety of reasons, and though I agree that best 2-of-3 is a better way to judge a player there's factors like time etc.

Some players might not be able to stay for 6+ hours for a tourney and just drop out if they take too long and that's not good for growing the pinball base. Since I would guess 95% of the folks ranked in the IFPA are more casual and play for fun, competitively, it's important to remember that as well as what applies at the top of the rankings.

Dammit, my old home state of AL needs to represent. My parents will be happy if I visit them, even if it's just to play in a tourney so I can try and qualify for this next year #WarEagle

Lemme know when the next tourneys are happening in AL - my parents would love it if I visited more than one time a year