Inventor's New Product Offers League Operators
Way To Track Tournament Play
Vending Times - November 1992


Johnson's creation consists of an illuminated display board for tournament play that features a single- and double-elimination format for up to 32 competitors silk-screened on a special scratch resistant glass.

From backgammon, golf and baseball, to billiards, darts, shuffleboard and pinball, the "Tournament Master Deluxe" will simplify tournament play. And that's precisely why Johnson built the device - to make the running of tournaments easier.

Prior to the "Tournament Master," operators, leagues and promoters designed make-shift outlines printed on poster size (or smaller) paper or paperboard. This chart would hang in obscurity on a wall in the bar. Make a mistake and it must be crossed out, usually in black marker.

In contrast, the "Tournament Master" offers permanent formatted brackets in white. Fluorescent-pointed-wet-erase markers are used to enter the names in the brackets. If a mistake is made on this unit, one could simply erase it with water and a soft cloth.

Furthermore, Johnson incorporated a "Force Five" lighting system that contains a maximum amount of light within the sign face, lighting evenly everything on the glass and enhancing the fluorescent markers. This is a great advantage in tournaments played in dark taverns.

As it happens, it was no accident that the "Tournament Master" came into being. A few years back, Johnson, as director of marketing and sales for a game-manufacturing firm, had the task of promoting one of its games in the States. He decided tournament play with the product would be the best route to take. Johnson then developed a display board similar to the current "Tournament Master" to help run his tournaments in the American market.

As fate would have it: "The "Tournament Master" prototype received more interest than the game it was originally intended to promote," Johnson said. And it was at this point that he knew he had a winner.

"He certainly does have a winner," said Glen Remick, president of the American Darters Association. "Plug it in and it lights up. Make a mistake and simply erase it." Remick's organization promotes the highly successful "Bud Light Dart League Franchise."

Johnson asserts that the "Tournament Master" will create enthusiasm and make tournament play simple. Remick agreed, adding, "The board (TMD) really jumps out at you."

Mary Levine (Bulls Eye, Madison, Wisc.), an amusement operator who has run a successful league organization since 1983, is one of the first to test the "Tournament Master" in action. "It really is a good product, a wonderful concept for the average bar to hand on the wall," Levine said.

Levine added, "It becomes part of the bar and encourages play. People like to see their names in light." Levine also has noticed an increase in spontaneous play conjunction with the "Tournament Master" and explained, "Bar patrons simply plug it in, write down their names and go. There's no need for them to call the company for a tournament chart."

Johnson noted, "If you were to run a tournament with electronics it would be too costly. Besides, people prefer to have hands-on access. My system is the best way to run a smooth tournament. All you need is someone with neat hand-writing for that special touch."

At this point there are nearly 50 "Tournament Masters" being used with 100 units on order. Johnson, anticipating a big demand, is in the process of establishing a national and international distributorship with distributors already in Australia, England and Switzerland as well as North America.

Great Lakes Dart Distributors (West Allis, WI) exhibited the "Tournament Master Deluxe" at the recent AMOA show in Nashville and will be offering the unit in its forthcoming catalogue.