Interplanetary Knockout Women’s Pinball Tournament

The Belles of Space City will host a three strike women’s pinball tournament at the Houston Arcade Expo, the Interplanetary Knockout.

Women of all ages are invited to a cosmic battle of skill that will test their mastery of gravitational fields over metal spheres. Battle-ready earthlings will target jackpots and nudge their way around the unknown terrors of outer space to avoid the deep black hole straight down the middle. If you have what it takes to be a space cadet, plan to play in the Interplanetary Knockout!

This three strike tournament will take place during the Houston Arcade Expo on Saturday, November 16. Check in will begin at 7:30 pm at the tournament desk, followed by announcements and the tournament. Games on the show floor and the tournament room will be used. 

REGISTRATION

Ladies may preregister online or register in person at the tournament desk during the Expo. We will limit the tournament to 32 players with a waitlist. We reserve the right to increase the number of players if suitable games become available for competition. Online registration will open at 8pm on Sunday, October 20. There is no cost to pre-register.

Because this tournament will run at the same time as the finals of the Space City Open, any woman qualifying for these rounds should notify a tournament director if they would like to withdraw from the women’s tournament and play in the finals instead.

While registration will be in the tournament area, some rounds may be played on the showroom floor outside of the tournament room.

ENTRY FEE & PRIZES

The entry fee will be $10 payed at the tournament desk during check-in. No refunds will be given. All players must also purchase entry into the Expo. Medallions and prize money will be awarded to the top four finishers. After expenses, the prize pool will be distributed as follows:

1st –  40%

2nd – 30%

3rd – 20%

4th – 10%

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS

The tournament director will be responsible for managing and organizing the tournament. The tournament director will also be responsible for making any rulings in the event of malfunctions and errors. The tournament director has the final say. If a game requires a ruling that the tournament director is directly involved, the ruling will be deferred to the assistant director. 

Director: Elizabeth Dronet 

Assistant Director: Raleigh Palis

TOURNAMENT GAMES & SOFTWARE

At the beginning of the tournament, the tournament director will select a set of games to be used. Selection will be determined based on condition of the game. Games that have key scoring features that are broken or are producing odd behaviors will not be used in the tournament. Any games on the Houston Arcade Expo show floor or tournament room may be selected.

Match Play Events will be used to organize the tournament. The software will assign groups and arenas (games) for each round. Players may submit results at the conclusion of a round after verifying with a fellow competitor that the submission information is correct. 

GROUP KNOCKOUT TOURNAMENT

Players will be placed in groups of 3-4 and will play on a random machine. The bottom two players (only bottom player in three player groups) of each game receive a strike. Players who receive 3 strikes are eliminated from the tournament.

ETIQUETTE

• If someone is playing on a machine on the show floor that you are scheduled to play, please politely ask for the next game and wait for them to finish.
• It is polite to wait until all players arrive before beginning a round. The first player should then add the appropriate number of games and begin. When the round is up on Match Play, arrive within 5 minutes or risk having your ball plunged.
• Never put drinks on machines.
• During tournament play, do not distract your opponent by talking to them (unless they talk to you or tell you it’s okay). Do not hover over their shoulders. Do not coach them or give them advice while they play. It is perfectly fine to talk/exchange high-fives between balls.
• Pay attention to the order of play. If you play someone else’s ball, you must take a 0 for the game.
• Lose with grace.

EXTRA BALLS

Extra balls will not be played in this tournament. If you are awarded an extra ball, you must plunge it. You cannot touch the flipper buttons before plunging. You may try ONCE for a soft skill shot. If the ball does not make it out of the shooter lane on your first attempt, you must plunge the second time at full strength. It is the player’s responsibility to ensure they do not play extra balls by accident. If a player plays an extra ball by accident, they must take a 0 for the game.

STUCK BALLS

If a ball becomes stuck during single-ball play, wait for 3 ball searches and then notify the tournament director for help. The ball will be placed on the right or left flipper, determined by the side of the game the ball became stuck on. If the flippers are unpowered, it will be placed in the shooter lane.

GAME MALFUNCTIONS

Pinball machines are mechanical in nature, and thus often produce unintended behaviors. Moreover, many of these machines are very old! If a game malfunctions in any way (e.g., flipper breaks, debris on field, game reset, etc.), please ask the tournament director for a ruling. The director will attempt to repair the machine without sacrificing the game. If this cannot be done, a new machine will be drawn and all progress in the original game will be scrapped.

WORLD PINBALL PLAYER RANKING (WPPR) POINTS

This tournaments is sanctioned by the IFPA. Participating in Belles & Chimes events earns points toward World Pinball Player Ranking (WPPR) system specifically designed for Women-only events. Visit the IFPA website to learn more. Note that players must email the IFPA to identify themselves as a woman to be listed in the women’s ranking. The value of the tournament will be determined by the number of rated players in the tournament and the ratings of those players. The estimated TGP for this tournament is 80%.  Visit the Houston Belles and Chimes chapter to learn more about women’s events in Houston.

SPONSOR

Space City Pinball would like to thank Dr. Brad Jennings for sponsoring the Belles of Space City and the Interplanetary Knockout tournament.

Dr. Jennings, the Rockin’ Doctor, has Slash’s original Monster Bash pinball machine and other arcades on free play in his waiting room! Need braces anyone?