The purpose of this analysis is to provide a data driven perspective on the impact of the IFPA’s recent announcement to charge $1.00/per player for every tournament submission. My approach was to examine the 2016 calendar year as a proxy for determining the impact in future years. The data for this analysis was obtained directly from the IFPA via their API. Analysis code and data files are available at my github repository. Readers are encouraged to report errors by contacting me directly or by submitting a pull request in github.

The full report can be viewed here.

The best beer league in Houston will be returning for its 5th season at the Eighteen Twenty Lounge on March 6. There will be a 7 week season, followed by finals.

The Space City Pinball League offers friendly competition for players across a wide range of skill levels, from complete newbie to seasoned star. Our host, the Eighteen Twenty Lounge, provides a fresh array of new games each week. The league is a great opportunity to meet new friends, learn the rules to the latest games, and pick up some sweet flipper skills.

If you are interested in learning more about the league, please email phil@spacecitypinball.com or visit us on facebook!  The full schedule can be found on our Calendar page. 

The Space City Pinball League will be hosting a “Critical Hit” charity pinball tournament on Saturday December 3 at The Game Preserve!

This tournament will follow a standard “three-strikes” group match-play format. Players are placed in groups of 3-4 and play on a random machine. The bottom two players of each game receive a “strike”. Players who recieve three strikes are eliminated. Importantly, the format has a special twist: it incorporates card-based “role playing game” elements. Players can earn and buy “spell cards” that grant them special powers, which they can use to their benefit in the tournament. Some example spell cards are:

• Confusion. Change you group’s selected game to one of your choosing
• Darkness. Play entire game with score displays covered.
• Forbiddance. Swap a specific player from your group with a random player from a different group.

There are 20 different cards in total. All players with a world ranking between 1-250 will receive one random card at the beginning. All other players will receive two random cards.

It costs $10 to enter the tournament. Additional donations are encouraged.

Phase 1: Match Play / Earn Spell Cards – 3pm-5pm
Players placed into random groups of 4 (sometimes 3). The top two players after each game will earn a random spell card. Upon the conclusion of Phase 1, any remaining spell cards will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity pool. Games and positions will be randomly assigned during this phase. New players can join any time during this phase.

Phase 2: 3-Strikes – 6pm. 
Players placed into random groups of 4 (sometimes 3). The bottom two players after each game will receive a strike. In the case of a 3 player group, only the 3rd place player will receive a strike. Players are eliminated from the tournament once they receive 3 strikes.

All money collected during the tournament will be donated to one of the following local charities, which will be chosen by the champion:

• Houston Area Women’s Center. Ending sexual and domestic violence.
• Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston brings people of diverse faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration, and service, as a demonstration of our shared beliefs
• Houston Food Bank. Filling pantries, filling lives.
• Houston Habitat for Humanity. Building homes, community, and hope.
• Healthcare for the Homeless, Houston. Promoting health, hope and dignity for Houston’s homeless through accessible and comprehensive care

Can’t make it to the tournament but still want to contribute? Contact Phil at phil@spacecitypinball.com.

Special Thanks to Karl DeAngelo, who created the “Critical Hit” concept, format, and playing cards.

Facebook Event 

Join the Space City Pinball League on November 26 for an afternoon of friendly pinball competition! Players of all ages and skills are welcome. It costs $5.00 to enter, and entry fees are paid out in cash prizes. Registration at 3:30 PM. Up to 8 rounds of group match play from 4pm-7pm. Top 16 players qualify for finals at 8pm.

Join the Space City Pinball League on October 22 for an afternoon of friendly pinball competition! Players of all ages and skills are welcome. It costs $5.00 to enter, and entry fees are paid out in cash prizes. Registration at 3:30 PM. Up to 8 rounds of group match play from 4pm-7pm. Top 16 players qualify for finals at 8pm.

The Space City Pinball League’s 4th season will start again this October! The league meets at 7PM every Monday at Eighteen Twenty Lounge in Houston, TX. The regular season meets will be followed by finals on 12/5 (see calendar for all events). Players of all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to attend. If you’re interested in playing, all you need to do is show up! Play the newest pinball machines, drink some beer, and hang with the biggest nerds in Houston!

Want to learn how the league works? Check out our quick start guide for a quick overview. For in depth rules, see the “Weekly League” tab.

Join the Space City Pinball League on September 17 for an afternoon of friendly pinball competition! Players of all ages and skills are welcome. $5.00 Entry, paid out in cash prizes. Registration at 3:30 PM. Up to 8 rounds of group match play from 4pm-7pm. Top 16 players qualify for finals at 8pm.

The monthly tournament at The Game Preserve will be on August 27th. Registration from 3:30- 4:00PM. It costs $5.00 to play, in addition to standard entry fees. The tournaments are fun for players of all ages and skills! Hope to see you there!

The Summer 2016 League of the Space City Pinball League starts on Wednesday June 8 at Joystix/Eighteen Twenty Lounge! For the uninitiated, the league consists of an 8 week season followed by finals. Each week, players are placed in groups of four and play on 5 machines. League nights are a fantastic opportunity to play pinball on the newest machines, drink some beers, and meet local pinball nerds. Players of all skills are welcome and encouraged to join!

It costs nothing to play. Please arrive by 7PM to ensure that you are placed in a group. Hope to see you there!

The next monthly tournament will be on Saturday May 28 at The Game Preserve! We will start a 4PM sharp. See the “Game Preserve Tournaments” tab for more info.