Twenty-two players rolled up to Replay Bar on Thursday night for a great format combo — a tense strikes knockout to open the evening, followed by a group matchplay side event that kept everyone busy and in the mix long after they'd been sent to the rail. A fun, competitive night all round.
Before we get into the action, a huge shout-out to Replay Bar for being such an incredible home for the TAPP community. Andy has given us so much support over the years and we can't thank him enough — we're genuinely lucky to have such a great venue behind us. As a small token of our appreciation, entry funds this week were directed toward a gift voucher for dinner for two at Maria for Andy and his partner, rather than the usual prize pool. It's the least we could do.
The strikes knockout
The main event was a strikes knockout — every poor game pushing you closer to elimination, every great one buying you another round. The machines were firing all night, with Deadpool in particular producing some enormous scores, battles going deep into the hundreds of millions — we're talking 500M+ territory. The level of play was high enough that we had to tighten up Deadpool, Alice Cooper Nightmare Castle, and Metallica mid-event to keep things running on time. That's always a good sign.
As the field thinned out, Wes Keys finally got the better of Star Wars to punch through to the final two — a moment worth celebrating in itself. But it was on Iron Maiden where the title was decided, and it was Tom Fonda who held his nerve to take the win. A well-earned victory from Tom, who takes home the free re-entry for his trouble.
Matchplay side event
As players were knocked out of the main event, they flowed straight into the matchplay side event — effectively the B-division for the night. The built-in handicap here is elegant: the later you join, the further behind you start, which means early knockouts had the most ground to make up. Six rounds were played in total, and with the field joining in waves, staying consistent all night was the real challenge.
Kev Mills joined late — having made a solid run in the main event first — and only got through four of the six rounds. Didn't matter. He put together three firsts and a second across those rounds to storm home and take the side event title. A great performance under pressure, and Kev adds a free re-entry to his night.
Thanks to everyone who came out — it was a great turnout and a really enjoyable night of pinball. One important reminder: the next event is at a private residence, so you'll need to RSVP to secure your spot and get the address. Don't miss out — head to tapp.net.au/events/tapp-weeknight-in-the-valley to lock in your place.
Main Tournament 6 PM
This tournament is IFPA-endorsed and results are submitted for IFPA ranking points.
Knockout (Strikes)
Elimination format where players accumulate strikes. Includes Standard, Fair, and Progressive variants. Last player standing wins.
Matchplay Side Event 6 PM
This tournament is a non-IFPA exhibition event run for fun; results are not submitted for IFPA ranking points.
As players are eliminated from the Main Strikes Tournament, they are eligible to join this group match play event (starting as soon as 4 players are eliminated). This will be the "B-Division" of the night. Everybody is eligible to play, but the later you join the further you'll be behind, acting as a handicap system.
Group Match Play
Players compete in groups of 3 or 4 on a series of machines. Points awarded by finishing position. Scored by wins over multiple rounds.
We’re mixing things up a bit this Thursday night at Replay, kicking things off with a strike knockout where every game matters. You’ll be battling it out trying to stay alive as long as possible, with strikes building up until we’re left with one last player standing. It’s always a fun, tense format that keeps everyone on their toes — and yes, this one counts for your world ranking too.
As players start getting knocked out, the night is far from over. You’ll roll into our matchplay side event, which doubles as the B-Div for the evening. We’ll get groups going as soon as we’ve got enough players, and from there it’s a relaxed run of rounds earning points based on how you place each game. The later you drop in, the further behind you’ll start — a built-in handicap that keeps things competitive and gives everyone a shot at a winning the prize.
Whether you’re chasing that deep run in strikes or just keen for plenty of games and a good social hit, it’s a great format for all levels. Come down, grab a drink, and settle in for a fun night of pinball with the crew.