Poker is rare among games of chance, that it is played professionally (i mean that it is televised with large amounts of viewers; of course other forms of gambling also have professional play and tournaments.). The reason is twofold. In poker there is direct human interaction in the form of bluffing and other subterfuge. This is where the actual "skill" of poker comes into play, since the odds for all of the hands are known and it's not too difficult to calculate the statistically correct play for any situation. This is the part that people are watching when they see professional poker on TV, and what the commentators are generally topicing on. Otherwise, it would be boring. Additionally, poker only becomes interesting over a series of hands ( a game, in poker's case, which is really a series of small complete games).
Let's compare TFT to another RNG game. Maybe backgammon. Indeed there is professional backgammon. I can't imagine anybody ever wanting to watch it on TV. And again, the "skill" of backgammon comes from use of the betting cube over dozens of games. The correct movements to any situation on the board has been established long ago.
TFT is a game of statistics. This is BECAUSE it is RNG. The most successful response to any arrangement can be calculated without too much difficulty, and played. One won't always win, because RNG, but one can play the best odds. Much like Blackjack. In Blackjack, the statistically best response to any presented situation can be quickly assessed and played. There's generally no dispute about what move a player should make at any time. Since it's a casino game, proper play still tends to lose, but very little (about %49). (And if one counts cards, the odds may be tilted above %50.)
TFT is a bit more complicated, but not impossibly so. A robot could play it. Computers are very good at calculating the play with the best chance for success. It's still just a chance, and won't win every time. Over hundreds of games, I would expect it to even out (when being consistently played optimally).
There shouldn't be a ranked system for TFT. There, should, properly, be a kind of in-house gambling associated with it. Give each player a "purse" with some sort of token currency that can be used for cosmetics. And let people play with that. The size of the purse, would be more representative of the players success with this game.
Let TFT remain casual. It's almost completely non-toxic as it is. Ranked could only give people an incentive to act out.
I feel like putting ranked on TFT, is like revealing that rank in LoL as well, is not as meaningful as most people estimate. The existence of a ranked system in TFT demeans the meaning of ranked for LoL.
Let TFT remain a pastime. Something that we like to play casually when we can't play LoL, or when we're burnt out. Don't popularize the game as being more than it is.
Would you also have TFT as esports with professional play? If the game was a bit slower, so that we could read the decisions being made by the various players, then, this might be interesting. We do like watching people think. But as it is, there is nothing to see, and the game still takes 40m.
Ranked TFT is a joke. Riot is trolling us.
