This Weekend! A Taste of Denmark! Saturday!

DID YOU KNOW the average tax rate in Denmark is 49%?  It’s true!  The money goes to pay for Denmark’s world renowned heath care and social subsidy programs.  In their “No Pinballer Left Behind” program, citizens who find themselves down on their luck or otherwise unable to pay for pinball games are guaranteed emergency access to pinball to stave off the shakes of withdrawal.  After an initial period on the usual Williams games, players are put on a strict diet of Bagatelle, and then video pinball games are used as a methadone-like replacement.  Unfortunately, the program has had limited success, and recidivism is near 100%.

On Saturday January 11, there will a Danish Culture Festival* at the Pacific Pinball Museum.  Mads Kristensen and Mikkel Sjolin will be on hand to answer all your Danish Culture Questions.  Come learn more interesting facts, and ask questions about Denmark.  For example, “Aren’t those wooden shoes uncomfortable?” and “How do you make those cool pocket knives” and “Why did you name your country after a breed of dog?”  Afterward, Mads and Mikkel will don their speedos and sun bathe topless on the Alameda Beach, according to Danish custom.

Also there will be a pinball tournament.  Entry to the tournament is FREE with Museum admission.  This is a fun, friendly format perfect for first-timers and seasoned competitors alike.  If you’ve ever been curious, this is a great event to give it a try.

When: Saturday 1/11/2014, 2PM Start Time

Where: Pacific Pinball Museum, 1510 Webster Street (By BART, exit 12th Street and take the 58A Bus to the Santa Clara Street stop.

How Much: Entry to the main tournament is FREE with regular Museum admission ($15 for adults).  Please no Groupons for this event.  Annual Memberships and Club Cards are okay.  There will also be a side tournament for a small additional fee.

Games: To be announced the day of the tournament, however, they will consist of Electro-mechanical (EM), solid state (SS) and dot matrix display (DMD) game eras.

Format: Players will be assigned a bank of three games and will play each game one time each.  The top score on each game will automatically advance to the playoffs.  The next 6 – 18 players (depending on total attendance) will qualify for the playoffs.  There will also be a special novice playoff for those who qualify**

The side tournament is top secret and will be described at the event (meaning uh… we haven’t worked out all the details yet!)

Prizes: Our good friends at STERN pinball are donating some prizes.  Plaques will go to the top 3 players in the Open division and to the winner of the Novice division.  Cash prizes will be paid out to Side Tournament winners as follows: 1st: 40% of total pot, 2nd: 30%, 3rd, 20%, 4th, 10%.

WPPRs: This tournament will award full World Pinball Player Ranking points, as well as half-WPPRs for the Side Tournament. Win or lose, by the end of the night you will be a world-ranked pinball player.

Food: Potluck!  If you bring something to share you get free entry into the side tournament, but no worries if you can’t. If nothing shows up we’ll order pizza.

*Limited to Danish Pinball Culture only

**Novice – 1) You have never finished top 3 in an open division pinball tournament that awarded full WPPR points. 2) You have never won a novice tournament. 3) You have an IFPA rank no better than 300 4)  You have never finished top 3 in a bay area pinball league that awarded WPPR points.