Fun tournament! It was very dark and loud; I was happy for my earplugs. I did make it to a few other Magfest events but mostly stayed in the Arcade when not playing pinball - great stuff there.
Favorite moment was watching the claw machine tournament on video screen (from the pinball queue) - one player had two or three toys on the hook and was almost home when they slipped off and there was a huge gasp from the crowd - just like a ramp reject in PAPA finals. I also learned some pro techniques for Ice Cold Beer and got to play Taiko-no-Tatsujin a bunch.
FYI my beau and I got a hotel in Alexandria VA for under $100/night and free parking - way cheaper than the Gaylord hotels. If you’re not committed to random access to the show, it’s a good option. Parking is expensive at the venue but you’d pay that at a hotel anyway; the few times we ended up double-paying because we left and came back were still worth it.