Since we have no idea when the remaining 4 shows are going to air, let's go ahead and get this out of the way.
So Season 50. Let's start talking in general about the lineups. Rumor has it that someone else was doing them this year, and somewhere along the way the conflict sheet got scuffed up, because holy hell did we have a bunch of conflicts get missed. Meh, this usually happens when someone new takes the reins, things change up.
But they did get a lot right too - so far we have had 60 games hit 10 or more playings this season, which is a record. Granted, they could never hit this in the years where there were less than 60 games, but even so during the Bob years the most 10+ club members in a season is 53. Recently the number had been around 55, it went down a little the last few years because short seasons, but the fact we seemed to rotate the games well when we have more games that ever - hats off. Also hats off to whoever on staff started to play FPG.
Anyways, time for the list. Feel free to share yours too!
THE BEST:
10. 9752K - Vend/Card/T2/Plinko/Squeeze/Pocket - Agressiveness when you have Card and Pocket in the same lineup? Dang. Although Card/Pocket is a super rare pairing, probably for good reason...
9. 9834K - L7/Push/Punch/Vend/Grid/Clock - Aggressiveness when you have Punch and Grid in the same lineup? Dang.
8. 9742K - L7/Eazy/Bonkers/Buck/Push/Shell - Yup, another Shell lineup. Yup, another Buck in the same half as the SP game. That first half is fun though!
7. 9601K - Roll/1RP/Bonkers/Tags/Balance/Move - I like this lineup a lot and I can't lay my finger as to why. I'm not a fan of Tags 4th, and Bonkers/Balance was weird when I first saw it...but then Move shows and it just gels together somehow.
6. 9725K - Dice/1RP/NoT/Race/Key/Check - This would be higher if it weren't for the fact they broke a conflict (1RP/Race). But I had to get a Key lineup in here, and this was the best one.
5. 9693K - CoG/Roll/Clock/Back/T2/Money - Before Back became like a 9 minute game, they pulled out this winner of a lineup. Clock/T2 again? Interesting...
4. 9634K - Cover/Bonkers/241/Buck/ME(trips)/Plinko - They had a weird obsession with putting 241 in feeless halves this year, to varying degrees of success. This one was a home run, and again another no quickies lineup (when they do a 3-prizer for trips you can't really call it quick). Also first ME for trips in years.
3. 9583K - TTM/Clock/C-O/T2/Bee/DP - TTM/Clock is a good combo, and good lord they loaded this lineup up. 4 prizer, the longest regular GP, Bee in 2nd half? Love it.
2. 9543K - L7/1RP/Shell/Gas/Swap/Vend - They have done much better with Shell lineups since the refurb.
1. 9653K - Eazy/Bee/Check/Cross/NoT/L7 - The lineup that usually wins out is the one that surprises me the most. This one surprised me the most. That first half is loaded and the shortest game is Cross, which isn't quickie short.
THE WORST:
10. 9523K - ME/Money/Seat/Balance/Bargain/Stack - I failed to get a Seat lineup in the Top 10, but dammit if I won't get a few in the bottom 10!
9. 9575K - L7/ME/Bag/Side/Cross/Tags - Another Bag lineup that falls flat. Next!
8. 9553K - Eazy/CoG/Path/Switch/Money/Penny - They should not be doing Path/Penny. And this lineup suffers from a pretty bleh game selection outside those two.
7. 9555K - Tags/Squeeze/Magic/OWP/Balance(car)/Bull - good, good, good...why are we doing Balance for a car in this?
6. 9835K - Grand/Squeeze/Any/1RP/Back/Balance(car) - I can't wait until Back to '72 is gone so we don't have to devote 9 minutes to it.
5. 9702K - Money/Switch/Seat/Balance/ME/Pocket - Lineups missing a fee game don't instantaneously make it on this list. But when you throw Hot Seat in the mix and a blah selection of games...
4. 9655K - Push/Grand(*)/Any/X/OWP(trips)/Range(car*) - this lineup is short and a mess. New Year's lineups used to be interesting when they played new or refurbed games but this garbage is garbage.
3. 9592K - OA/CoG/241/TTM/OWP/Shell - 241 in a feeless half became a meme this day. And not even the fact they got Shell Game in last could save this lineup.
2. 9863K - DP/Vend/Card/Seat/Bargain/Grid - Have I mentioned that I hate Double Prices 1st?
1. 9801K - Cover/DP/241/Time/Squeeze/MoL - Meme 241, Time/MoL in the same half, DP/Squeeze in the same show...what is there to like about this?
HONORABLE/DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:
9561K - Freeze/Vend/Pocket/Safe/PaN(car)/Seat - clunky, but props for trying to give Hot Seat a better lineup
9591K - DP/Rent/L7/Cross/Key/Race - Key/Race is such a good combo and that 2nd half is great but...DP 1st, lol
9622K - L7/Bargain/Seat/PaN/Race/Grocery(car) - would definitely be in the top 10 if it weren't for that timed game conflict
9643K - Grand/TP/Side/TTM/1RP/Cliff - I like it through game 2. Really goes south from there. Almost put it in the worst list
9662K - Squeeze/Tempt/Cross/Grocery/Side/Path - great use of 2 fees in the same half, Cross is fine 3rd...just not good enough
9682K - ME/PaP/3X/PaN/Key/Cross - probably the worst of the Strikes lineups this season, they were all good. Had to shout this out for the PaP 2nd
9685K - L7/Spree/Time/Switch/Grid/Check - last year I put all the shows with missing fee games on the list. This one was spared from the worst list because it happened to be a 1-quickie one
9731K - X(car)/Clock(car)/TP/Balance(car)/Switch?(cars)/Roll(*) - best lineup from Dream Car Week
9795K - OA/Bargain/Race/Grand/Push/Key - gotta spice up your lineups every once in a while
9825K - Key/Range/Danger/Dice/Side/Time - Key 1st!
9872K - Switch/Bee/Spree/Squeeze/Grocery/Card - it's a fine selection of games but...holy conflict
9892K - Clock/TTM/Grand/Side/T2/OA - almost made the best list until the final game. Still not worst list material because it was quite aggressive. Clock/T2 again?