Editing Top Hat Jokers (section)

== History ==

=== Early competition ===

Top Hat Jokers won the inaugural tournament in the Skirmish Bushmasters series in 1994.[2]

The team subsequently entered two squads, Top Hat Jokers Red and Top Hat Jokers Black, in the first round of the 1995–96 Bushmasters series. Both reached the professional finals, with the Red squad finishing second and the Black squad third.[2]

=== 1995 Australian Five-Man Open ===

Top Hat Jokers won the Australian Five-Man Open held on 25–26 February 1995. The team placed third after the preliminary rounds before winning two of its three finals games and finishing with 212 points.[1]

=== 1995 South Pacific championship ===

Later in 1995, Top Hat Jokers won the ten-player [[South Pacific Paintball Championships (Australia)|South Pacific Paintball Championships]] at Adventure Quest Games near Windsor, New South Wales. Seven teams contested the tournament.[4][9]

The Jokers qualified for the four-team finals and won the championship. Zap Paintballs was identified as the team’s major sponsor at the event.[4][9]

=== 1995 Rebel Tour ===

Top Hat Jokers competed in the professional division of the [[1995 Rebel Tour]] at Skirmish Adventures in Helensburgh on 2–3 December.[10]

The team scored 645 points in the preliminary round and qualified for the four-team professional finals. The surviving online report does not provide its final placing.[10]

=== 1995 national rankings ===

In the national rankings compiled by ''Australian Paintballer'' for the 1995 season, Top Hat Jokers placed fourth among the professional teams. The team accumulated 330.30 ranking points from eight tournaments.[3]

=== 1996 competition ===

Top Hat Jokers reached the professional finals at the 1996 [[Australian Masters]] at Skirmish Adventures, Helensburgh. The contemporary report identifies the team as a finalist but does not establish its final placing.[11]

The team also appeared in the [[1996 Victorian Three-Man Series]], recording 210 series points. Matthew Hawkins, identified as a Top Hat Jokers player, received the best and fairest award at the third round in Ballan.[12]

=== 1998 competition ===

Top Hat Jokers finished fourth in the professional division of the [[1998 Victorian Five-Man Masters]] at Paintball Action Games near Ballan.[8]