What is happening?

The simple answer:  

We are having a pinball tournament.

Where?  

Rob's Arcade, tucked away in zip code 23225 (e-mail if you need the address).

When?

Warmups will start at 11:30 AM with tournament play starting at noon.

Zen?  Pin-Memorial?  What are you trying to tell me?

Zen was the sweetest, most incredibly chill dog that ever existed.  She had an amazing run, estimated to be 19 years old when she recently crossed the bridge.  If you were one of the incredibly lucky humans to have known her, you know exactly how cool she was.  Since she especially loved to socialize with pinball people during events, we are hosting this charity tournament in her honor.

All proceeds from the tournament, merchandise, and outright donations will be forwarded to the Richmond SPCA, from where Zen was adopted.  You can learn more about that organization here.

You know you spelled "Fren" wrong, right?

Indeed.  Local pinball mogul and all-around kick-ass guy Dan Farrell created this situation several years ago.  He showed up at the Forest Hill Pinball Crawl one year with koozies imprinted with the Zen Is My Fren logo.  We sold them with all proceeds going to charity, a thankless and gracious effort on his part.  The saying and logo stuck from that point, and we are using it here (with Dan's permission, of course...wait, did I get Dan's permission?).

Ok, so what about the pinball?

The plan is to have 5 rounds of Group Match Play qualifying.  Each round will consist of 2 games in a pre-defined bank.  We will play in groups of 4 whenever possible.  Scoring will likely be IFPA style (7/5/3/1 in 4-player groups, 7/4/1 in 3-player groups).

At the end of 5 rounds, the top 8 qualifiers will play an Amazing Race final.  Players will be seeded based on total points earned during qualifying.  Ties for qualifying spots will be determined by strength of opponents played.  If there are remaining ties after applying that method, they will be broken by a 1-game tiebreaker on a predetermined machine.

How many people?

The field will be limited to 32.

Extra balls?

No.  Any earned extra balls can be skillfully plunged but not played.  The only exception is Iron Maiden '82.  If earned during the game, there will be a timed bonus ball awarded to the player at the end of ball 3 -- you can play that one!  

Sounds like it could take a while...any plans for food?

The hope is that qualifying will finish by late afternoon, with the final finishing early evening.  Last year was the first run at this one and we indeed finished just into the evening.  There might be a bag or two of chips on the counter, but this is definitely a bring-your-own food and bring-your-own-drink event.  If we aren't anywhere close to finished by dinner we can convene between rounds and figure out a plan if needed.

Are there WPPR points available?

Yes.  The tournament has been approved by IFPA.

How much, and how do I register?

Entry fee is $20.  This covers IFPA fees, prizes, and a charitable contribution to the Richmond SPCA.  Registration can be found here.

Prizes?

Yep.  Cash payouts and perhaps an award.

What happens if I don't make finals?

You are welcome to hang out, socialize, and play any machines not being used for tournament play.  Video games are also available for play, so there is more than just pinball.  As always at Rob's Arcade, the main goal is to have some fun!!