Our home arcade party rules are as follows:
All games on Free Play
All games on 5 balls
One game chosen for "end of night" high score prize - usually a bottle of wine. If mostly newbies, prize game is Eight Ball because straight forward rules that everyone can understand by their second game. Thirty minutes before party end time (midnight usually) top three scorers play off head to head for one last shot at high score
Owner not a contestant, just a coach/advisor/machine repairman