(Topic ID: 104676)

WPPR formula change for 2015!

By ifpapinball

9 years ago

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443 posts
65 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 8 years ago by desertT1
Topic is favorited by 13 Pinsiders

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Quoted from desertT1:
I think it was in a TPF thread, but somebody suggested that you don't get to buy unlimited tickets for events. Instead, you get a card and have 3 chances on each machine. Before you play a machine, the card gets punched, and then the scorekeeper submits your score. That would be more appealing to me since a friend of mine who did Zapcon's event last year said he spent close to $200 in tickets for him and his son. I was pretty shocked because I had no idea that you could pump and dump until you got a score you were happy with. Maybe up the overall price of a ticket (good for 3 plays on each machine) so that the pot doesn't go down too much. If you can't get there in 3 games, I don't think you should be able to keep chasing that magic game in the hopes of buying your way into contention.

FYI, this was the format of this past weekend's Fraser Valley Flipout in Canada, which was a PAPA Circuit event. Looks like it was well run and fun for a lot of players.

Quoted from John_I:
And what is the cash prize for the winner?
Sorry, had to ask. I am not a fan of the buy your way in formats, but on the other hand I probably would not have made it into the finals at Southern Fried if I was the guy who spent $360. If somehow I did get there I would have ended up 16th. So your racing analogy is not really true because I have seen the top players hardly spend any money qualifying and still win the tournament along with the huge pot that the people trying to buy their way in dropped in entry fees.
To me I would prefer a much more controlled number of entries so we might actually see some of those tournament players out on the floor at shows enjoying the company of others and playing some friendly games of pinball. The serious players don't really get a chance to enjoy the show until they are eliminated. That's why I rarely play the tournaments at shows any more.

This format has become popular in the US over the last 10 years because of the prize pools it builds. An event could double or triple its prize pool by moving to an unlimited-qualifying system. This format hides its true costs very well ... hey, it's only $10 to play 3 or 4 games!

There are big problems with unlimited qualifying, both on the high end of players pump-and-dumping to a qualifying position, to long lines for players who are required to play a large number of games to get through.

I think we're going to see more and more events built on match play and on limited qualifying. Ideally we can move to a situation where we're not relying solely on players' entry fees to build the prize pool.

Quoted from limelime20:
It seems the same way, just keep paying until you qualify...., should not be like this.
I have seen top players, repeatedly playing machines that they have ALREADY qualified on,
continue to play, JUST to keep other player's off the table.!!
SO WRONG IN SO MANY WAYS.......a re-vamp is needed.! Bowen where are you?

I don't agree with this about the PAPA format, because it requires a solid "run" of consecutive games. It is not best-game qualifying.

There have been instances of players making 20, 30, or even 60 qualifying attempts at PAPA who did not advance to the final rounds, and other instances of players making a single $20 run and getting through.

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