Decoding the language around tournament formats can be difficult for beginner players. Even more experienced players come across tournament formats they might not be as familiar with. For a list of common tournament formats in Utah and how they work, you can check out our previous article. For this month, we’ll cover some less common formats and how they work.
How do I know what format a tournament is?
There are a few ways to find out in advance what format a tournament is going to be.
Tournament Directors (TDs) typically list what format the tournament is going to be in the event description. Those descriptions, along with other key information, is listed on our tournament page.
Sometimes TDs post event flyers or event announcements in the Salt Lake Area Pinballers (SLAP) group on Facebook. Tournaments are also announced on the new Utah Pinball Tournaments Instagram page.
You can also look at the IFPA calendar to see what tournaments are going to be in your area. Each tournament listed has the format included. If the TD didn’t list it in the description of the tournament, it will be in the “Format Details” section of the event.
If you don’t check the format in advance, the TD will explain it before qualifying begins. The TD will also describe the finals format, if there is one, and how many people will qualify. Finals formats are typically different than qualifying formats.
Less common tournament formats:
There are a few formats that you won’t see as frequently, but still pop up in Utah on occasion. They are: Max Matchplay, Best Game, and Pingolf.
Max Matchplay
Max Matchplay is sort of like Flipper Frenzy 2.0. (For info on Flipper Frenzy, check out our last article.) The main goal in Max Matchplay is that everyone in the tournament will play the same number of head-to-head matches. Both your opponent and your machine will be assigned by Matchplay, an online tournament manager. As with Flipper Frenzy, specific scores don’t matter, just your win/loss record. If you win a game, you add +1 to your record, and if you lose, you add -1 to your record. For example, if you played 10 games and won 7 of them, your record would be +4.
How Max Matchplay differs from a Flipper Frenzy, in addition to it being about the total number of games played instead of a time limit, is that there isn’t a specific rhythm or rounds. The format automatically tries to minimize how many times you play the same person. After you play a match, you’ll go into a queue. When a certain number of players are in the queue, the TD will use Matchplay to start more matches. Depending on who you have played previously, who else is in the queue, and how many games you’ve played, you might get pulled into a match or you might still be in the queue. This format, like with Flipper Frenzy, is one where you should pay close attention to Matchplay to see when you get pulled into a game. But unlike Flipper Frenzy it’s hard to predict how long the tournament will last. Plan for 2-3 hours to be safe.
Best Game
In best game tournaments, it’s quite literally all about you. Instead of playing against other players, your objective is to play the best games that you can.
Each Best Game tournament will have a set group of games that all players have access to, commonly referred to as a “bank of games” or “game bank”. After playing a solo game, you’ll record your score. After your score is recorded, your “best game” score will be compared against the best game (or the scores) of the other players in the tournament. How many points you are awarded for each game depends on how your score compares to the scores of the other players.
Sometimes in Best Game tournaments you choose a certain number of games from a larger game bank. In other Best Game tournaments you’ll play every game in the bank. In still other tournaments, you might play all games and are allowed a couple “redos” where you can play a limited number of games in the bank again to try to improve your score. The specifics for the Best Game format you’re playing in will be described by the TD at the beginning of the tournament.
Larger national tournaments, like INDiSC, use Best Game as the qualifying format. The time commitment for the larger tournaments can last days. Fortunately in Utah, Best Game qualifying usually lasts a couple hours. If you make finals it will be a longer time commitment. Best Game tournaments also might vary on the cost – some versions have a cost for each entry that you put in and other versions have a one time fee to participate.
Pingolf
Pingolf is a format that is very different from other formats. There are two types of Pingolf – score based and objective based.
Both types of Pingolf are very similar to golf. (Surprise to probably no one.) The object of Pingolf tournaments is to reach a certain score or complete a certain objective in as few balls as possible. The machines in this case count as the “holes”. Depending on how big the tournament is, you might get assigned into a group of people to play in the tournament with. You might also be able to choose your own group.
For score based Pingolf, there will be a tiered list of scores that determine how many strokes that you get. For example on a game like Volley, a list might be something like: 0-20,000 is 5 strokes, 20,001-45,000 is 4 strokes, 45,001-60,000 is 3 strokes, 60,001-80,000 is 2 strokes, and 80,000 and up is 1 stroke. You’ll play as many balls as the game allows to try to reach the highest score you can and take the least amount of strokes possible. The good news is if you reach the highest score threshold on your first ball, you don’t need to play the rest of them.
For objective based Pingolf, the number of balls you play counts as your strokes for the hole. Because of this, most games will be set to five balls if they aren’t already a five ball game. Each game will have a specific objective that you will need to reach or complete. Most TDs will have instructions on how to reach/meet that objective available for players’ reference. For example, an objective on Monster Bash could be to start Frankenstein Multiball. If you start Frankenstein Multiball on your first ball, you’ll take one stroke. If it takes you three balls, then you’ll take three strokes. Again, you’re trying to complete each objective in as few balls as possible.
Typically in Pingolf tournaments, you’ll be given a scorecard to keep track of what strokes you get on what games. The reason you play in a group (at least a pair, all the way up to four players) is because others in your group should write down your score for each “hole” to minimize cheating. Just like in golf, the less strokes you have, the better. Pingolf usually has a time limit for qualifying. Plan on an hour or two to complete all your holes. If you qualify for finals, then you’ll be there longer.
How do I know which one is best?
Each tournament format plays to different players’ and locations’ strengths. One format isn’t definitively better than the others. Being familiar with how different formats work, even the less common ones, can help you be mentally prepared to move through the tournament effectively.
Making an account on Matchplay in advance will help make sure that you can navigate the tournament and track your standings. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or clarification from other players if you’re confused. We all started somewhere and are happy to support new players as this community grows!