It shall remain a mystery.
Tournaments
California Extreme Finals Watchable via TourneyCam
Jul 26th
CAL Extreme 2010 Pinball Tourney Modern Finals – Dr. Who from Randy Elwin on Vimeo.
Via TiltWarning:
Two time defending World Pinball Champion Keith Elwin at California Extreme earlier this month on Dr. Who versus Jim Belsito. Spark behind TourneyCam is coming courtesy Randy Elwin of Pinball 101 fame.
Seeing this video made me smile. You could actually have commentators do play-by-play during competition, if we had this perspective. I was watching this wishing I could do some sort of play-by-play and strategy talk with a Telestrator. Forget the EVO tournaments, lets live stream THIS.
Just think how much commentators would help legitimize pinball as a sporting event. Viewers would actually be able to see (and hopefully understand) what we PinHeads are talking about when we discuss whether Jim B. should have continued to go for Sonic Booms or advance toward multi-ball.
New Jersey Pinball Open 2010 Results
Jul 18th
Ed Zeltmann (1st), Sean Grant (2nd), Frank Romero (3rd), Jim Fordham (4th)
Last Saturday, 25 competitors battled it out for the New Jersey Pinball Open Championship at Eight on the Break in Dunellen NJ. The National Pinball League (NPL) chose to run the qualification rounds as if it were a Monthly Masters event. At about 5:00 PM the top 4 groups (16 players) advanced to the playoff rounds. The top 8 players started in the winner’s bracket for double elimination play while the remaining 8 players started in the losers bracket for single elimination play. Each match was best two games out of 3, and if a third game was necessary it was a 2-ball game.
In the end, the winner was Ed Zeltmann, who went undefeated in the playoff rounds. His victory will give him at least 25 World Pinball Player Ranking points which will raise his world ranking considerably.
Jim Fordham, NPL New Jersey State Champion
Also at stake was the NPL New Jersey State Championship. Jim Fordham won the title since he was the highest finishing player from New Jersey. The top 8 players from New Jersey will be invited to the NPL Regional Championship later this year as will the top 8 players from each of the other State Championships.
Additional notes about the tournament:
- The format worked out extremely well. We were able to get in 7 or 8 Monthly Masters rounds, have each playoff match as a best two out of 3, and we still finished the competition before 9:30 PM.
- After the first two rounds, I was dead last and yet I still managed to make the top 8 by a fraction of a point.
- There usually are a bunch of older, non-working arcade cabinets in the pinball area. The Break moved those cabinets for the tournament so we could fit an extra game in there, and have a more manageable space for everyone to play and move about the room. I hope those cabs never return, or maybe I could at least take that Neo-Geo cab that was there, if it’s working of course.
- Even though the heat and humidity were close to unbearable, the pinball games themselves held up quite well with no major breakdowns.
The Maryland Pinball Championship | August 1st, 2010
Jul 18th
Another unrelated pinball pic
Via Chris Newsom:
Announcing:
The Maryland Pinball Champoinship
The tournament will be held on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Town Hall Liquors, 8135 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD, 20740-2431. Qualifying will begin at 11 a.m. There will be two divisions.
Entry Fees:
$50.00 A Division $20.00 B Division
All entry fees (less ~ $150 for awards and plaques for each division) will go to prize fund as follows:
A Division
1st: 50% and laser engraved award (A minimum of $300 is guaranteed to the A division winner)
2nd: 25% and laser engraved award
3rd: 15% and plaque
4th: 10% and plaque
B Division
1st: 50% and laser engraved award (A minimum of $100 is guaranteed to the A division winner)
2nd: 25% and laser engraved award
3rd: 15% and plaque
4th: 10% and plaque
Games will be priced at 50 cents per game. Extra balls will be disabled on games where this is possible. Ball savers will be turned off on games where this is possible. Bang backs and death saves are not allowed. The format for the tournament is head to head, best two out of 3, double elimination. Each loser from the main bracket will go to a second chance bracket for another match, with the winner of that bracket going to a final match against the winner of the main bracket. In order for the player from the losers’ bracket to win the tournament that player will have to defeat the player from the winners’ bracket in two straight matches (thus givinig that player their double elimination).
First, second and third place will be decided by the double elimination. All other players will be put into a quick playoff round to determine fourth place. Initial brackets will be seeded by a one-ball qualifier. Competitors ariving to the tournament too late for qualifying will be given lower seeds. We expect to have between 5-8 games for the tournaments. Competitors deemed too skilled to play in the B division will be placed in the A division. This includes but is not limited to players who have won pinball tournaments in the past and players who have been successful in pinball leagues. I will be running the tournament but will not compete in them.
Return from the Desert Pinball Tournament | July 30-31, 2010
Jul 18th
Unrelated pinball picture ^_^
Via Chris Newsom:
Announcing:
Pinball Tournament at John’s Place Restaurant, in Fairfax, VA. Located in the Kamp Washington area, at 11104 Lee Highway.
Return from the Desert Pinball Tournament July 30-31
The Classics Tournament will take place on Friday, July 30 at 7:30p.m. Entry into the tournament will be $15.
Games will be priced at 50 cents per game. This will be a double elimination tournament with one game matches.
Plaques will be awarded to first and second places. The entry fees will be pooled (minus ~ $40 for the plaques) and paid
out as follows:
1st: 50% and plaque
2nd: 25% and plaque
3rd: 15%
4th: 10%
The main tournament will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. Qualifying will begin at 12:15 p.m. This will be a one-day competitive pinball tournament, played in two divisions.
Entry Fees:
$50.00 A Division $20.00 B Division
All entry fees (less ~ $150 for awards and plaques for each division)
will go to prize fund as follows:
A Division
1st: 50% and laser engraved award (A minimum of $300 is guaranteed to the A division winner)
2nd: 25% and laser engraved award
3rd: 15% and plaque
4th: 10% and plaque
B Division
1st: 50% and laser engraved award (A minimum of $100 is guaranteed to the A division winner)
2nd: 25% and laser engraved award
3rd: 15% and plaque
4th: 10% and plaque
Games will be priced at 50 cents per game. Extra balls will be disabled on games where this is possible. Ball savers will be turned off on games where this is possible. Bang backs and death saves are not allowed. Format: Head to head; best two out of 3; double elimination. Each loser from the main bracket will go to a second chance bracket for another match, with the winner of that bracket going to a final match against the winner of the main bracket. In order for the player from the losers’ bracket to win the tournament that player will have to defeat the player from the winners’ bracket two matches (thus givinig that player their double elimination).
First, second and third place will be decided by the double elimination. All other players will be put into a quick playoff round to determine fourth place. Initial brackets will be seeded by a one-ball qualifier. Competitors arriving to the tournament too late for qualifying will be given lower seeds. We expect to have between 8 – 12 games for the tournaments.
I will be running the tournaments but will not compete in them.
Michigan Pinball Expo | FOX
Jul 8th
John Kosmal informs viewers about the Michigan Pinball Expo.
Via MyFoxDetroit
The Michigan Pinball Expo attracts people from all over the world. This year, seven countries have confirmed to play pinball in Michigan July 8 through July 11. Michigan Pinball Expo’s John Kosmal tells viewers all about the event presented by Environment by Design on Fox 2 News Mornings. Over 100 pinball machines will be at the Oakland Center at Oakland University in Rochester. Players pay one admission price that covers pinball for the day. Players can also enter into tournaments by paying an entry fee for a chance to win the title of Michigan Pinball Champion, or for the kids, Wizard in Training. Full size arcade pinball machines will be for sale at the event.
2010 New Jersey Pinball Open at Eight on the Break, Dunellen, New Jersey
Jul 4th
Register now!
The 2010 New Jersey Pinball Open, sanctioned by the National Pinball League, will happen on July 17, 2010 at Eight on the Break in Dunellen, NJ. The format will be a Monthly Masters style event until 6:00 PM. Then, the top groups will have the advantage of double elimination, and the bottom groups will go into single elimination for the split bracket finals. This tournament will run in the “Fast Tournament” format, which simply means no holding a ball for more than 5 seconds in single or multiball play. That’s right, holders and trappers, stay on your toes and play the freaking game!
These pins are currently running at The Break:
- Star Wars: Episode 1
- FunHouse
- Attack from Mars
- Addams Family
- Monster Bash
- Iron Man
- Johnny Mnemonic
- Lord of the Rings
- Fish Tales
Since The Break is an active arcade, this listing is subject to change. Games are swapped out from time to time. Recently, Johnny Mnemonic replaced Demolition Man in the lineup, and Fish Tales replaced Road Show. Also, extra machines may be made available for play at this special event.
All tournament games are on coin drop, which is a reason why it will only cost you $20.00 to register for the tournament.
To give a you a sampling, here is the first in the series of the 2008 New Jersey Pinball Open videos that I’ve produced.
A reminder from the National Pinball League:
Registration is HIGHLY recommended, as it saves your spot in the tournament. It is possible that there will be NO remaining registration available the day of the show, so PLEASE pre-register.
I hope to see you there.
THE IFPA 7 Photo Set | Event Analysis
Jun 21st
The IFPA 7 World Pinball Championship Competitors
Yes, the word “THE” is in all caps on purpose because this photo set of the event by Mark Teskey is the only one that you really need to see.
Also, check out Jason “Crazy J” Rufer’s detailed analysis of the event posted on Pinball News. He gives his perspective on what it was like to host the IFPA 7 World Pinball Championship. Once again, I would like to thank Jason for all of his hard work, and for inviting us into his home for some world class pinball.
Pinferno IV | Balls to the Walls
Jun 17th
“Y’know, this is some bulls—t man! I shoulda won five rounds in a row, and I f—ked up!”
The Fourth Pinferno Pinball Tournament held at Reciprocal NYC in Manhattan.
Jersey Pinball Association Spring 2010 PinGolf Results
Jun 6th
Here are the standings for all participants in the 2010 JPA PinGolf Tournament. I look forward to doing it again next League season which starts in early September. Many thanks to all who played.
1st Jim Fordham
2nd Sanjay Shah
3rd Kevin Smigel
4th Ed Zeltmann
5th Paul Drabik
6th (TIE) Steven Bowden
6th (TIE) Frank Romero
8th Koi Morris
9th Mike Field
10th Joe Oesterling
Jersey Pinball Association PinGolf Final is Tomorrow
Jun 4th
Spring 2010 JPA season ended on June 2, 2010
The PinGolf Final will be on Saturday June 5, 2010 at 7:00 PM
After a wild flurry of PinGolf entries on the last day which caused a shakeup in the standings, the Jersey Pinball Association PinGolf Final participants have been determined.
In first place, with 18 strokes is Jim Fordham, recent winner of the JPA League Championship. In second place is Sanjay Shah, who came through with a great late entry under huge pressure on the last day. He posted a score of 20 strokes. In third place is Kevin Smigel, who posted a great score of 21 strokes earlier in the tournament, only to see it overtaken in the last minute by Sanjay.
Jim will start with a two stroke lead going into the first game of the Final, which will be the challenging, wide-outlaned, tilt-prone Monster Bash. The final will start at 7:00 PM on Saturday. The winner will receive a $180.00 cash prize, the runner-up will get $90.00, and the third place player will win $30.00.
Pin-Maine-ia IV is On!
May 28th
Pin-Maine-ia 2009 was amazing! Get ready for Pin-Maine-ia IV at the end of June 2010!
Maine’s premier pinball tournament, once thought to have been called off, is a thing that is happening June 25-27, 2010. Last year, the tournament hosted more than 66 players along with a number of other spectators. This year will be slightly scaled back, but the competition will be just as fun and furious. Click here for more information and to register for this fantastic event.
Last year, I helped to administer the scoring for the event. This gave me a little taste of the experience of running a pinball tournament, and helped me to concentrate more while playing.
I hope to see you there.
IFPA 7 Media Coverage
May 25th
The IFPA 7 World Pinball Championship was a fantastic, and grueling, pinball adventure. Here are some links to the media coverage of the event.
World’s Best Pinball Players Compete In Rural MN – CBS | WCCO
Pinball wizardry rockin’ in Cokato this weekend – NBC | KARE
IFPA 7 Media Coverage Compilation Page
Andy Rosa of Flushing Township finishes second
Carlsbad pinball wizard goes for world title – FOX5 | San Diego
Sixth-grader heading to World Pinball Championship – Chicago Tribune
Pinball whiz Andy Rosa: It was ‘awesome’ to be in finals
Pinball’s ‘Venus and Serena’ vie for title
Pinball wizard brothers seek world title
First family of pinball takes game global
South Elgin man flips for grand pinball tournament
Bay Area is Home to Pinball Star – KCBS | Audio
Alameda Museum Keeping Pinball Alive - CBS 5
Lucky Ju Ju Mads Kristensen Interview
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World Pinball Player Rankings
