How It Works
Everything you can do, in plain English.
For Players
1
Sign up for tonight's tournament
Tap Player Profile or Find a Tournamenton the home screen. Punch in your phone number on the big keypad. If you've played here before we'll greet you by name. New? Type your name and you're in. Four taps, max.
2
Pay the buy-in
Pick how you're paying:
- Cash: hand it to staff at the counter
- Card on tablet: type your card right here
- QR to phone: scan with your phone's camera, pay there
3
See your rating
From the home screen, tap Player Profileand enter your phone again. You'll see your current rating (everyone starts at 1500), your win/loss record, and your last 10 matches.
For Staff
1
Create a tournament
Tap Run a Tournament → log in with your password → CREATE NEW. Fill in the name, date/time, format (Single or Double Elimination), entry fee, number of tables, race-to count. Tap CREATE TOURNAMENTand it's live for sign-ups.
2
Manage the roster
As players sign in via the kiosk you'll see them appear on the roster. You can:
- Tap Paid when someone pays cash at the counter
- Tap the pencil next to a name to fix a typo
- Tap the trash icon to remove someone who left
- Tap + Add Walk-in to type a player directly (faster than walking them to the kiosk)
3
Start the tournament
Once at least 2 players are paid, the Start Tournament button lights up. Tap it and the bracket auto-generates with standard seeding (1v8, 4v5, etc.).
4
Record match results
The Now Playingsection at the top of the page shows every match ready to play. After a match ends, just tap the winner's name on the big card. The bracket advances automatically — the winner moves to the next round, the loser drops to the losers bracket (in double-elim).
5
Show the bracket on a TV
Tap Tonight's Bracketon the home screen — auto-routes to the live tournament. Display refreshes every 8 seconds, so as you record winners the TV updates on its own. Looks great on a 40"+ screen.
Free Play (no tournament)
1
Just need a scoreboard?
Tap Free Play from the home screen. Type both names, pick race-to (3, 5, 7, 9, or 11), tap Start Game. Then it's two huge colored zones — tap a player's side to give them a point. The first to N wins. Free Play games don't count toward player ratings.
Common questions
What if a player shows up after the tournament starts?▼
They have to wait for the next tournament — once the bracket is generated, adding players would disrupt matches in flight. Use + Add Walk-in before tapping Start Tournament.
What if someone leaves mid-tournament?▼
When their next match comes up, just tap the opponent as winner. The withdrawn player will keep getting matched until they're eliminated — record a forfeit each time. (A dedicated "withdraw" button is coming soon.)
What does the rating mean?▼
It's a standard Elo rating. Everyone starts at 1500. Win a match against a similar- rated player → gain ~16 points. Win against a higher-rated player → gain more. Lose → lose points. Only tournament matches affect ratings; Free Play doesn't count.
Can I run a double-elimination tournament?▼
Yes — Single and Double Elimination are both supported. Triple Elimination is still in development.
What if I have an odd number of players (5, 7, 11…)?▼
Works the same way. The bracket adapts automatically — top seeds get a first-round BYE so everyone ends up in the same bracket without needing a play-in match. You don't have to do anything special — just sign up the players and start.
How does the app track where winners and losers go in a double-elim bracket?▼
Every match card on the admin screen shows what happens to the winner and the loser right under the tap buttons (e.g. Winner: Advances in Winners · Loser: Drops to Losers Bracket). The visual bracket below shows the exact destination, with connecting lines to the next match in each direction.
What happens if the tablet loses internet?▼
Free Play keeps working (it's saved on the tablet). Tournament/registration screens need internet — if you lose connection mid-tournament, recording a winner won't stick until you're back online. Try not to start a tournament if WiFi is flaky.
The Display Screen (TV)
The wall display at /display shows the live bracket and refreshes every 8 seconds. Winners are highlighted in deep green, eliminated players show with their name struck through. Players love watching their name climb the bracket — keep this on a big screen during tournament night.