Sunday marked Player 1 Arcade’s final monthly tournament, run as a Pace Matchplay, and it was a full-day commitment that began at 1:00 PM and lasted until it was over.

Pace Matchplay has a rhythm all its own. Long stretches of standing, waiting, pacing, watching, resetting, and then stepping back up when it’s your turn. Different machines, different opponents, different challenges — all layered into one extended afternoon and evening.

This wasn’t a quick tournament; it was endurance pinball in every sense.

For me, this one came down to the wire — again. I finished just one point shy of advancing, missing the 24-point cutoff after the first six rounds.

Close enough to feel it, close enough to know the progress is real, even when the result doesn’t tip your way.

Meanwhile, my husband, Andrew Kohtz, had an incredible run, pushing all the way through to 2nd place. Watching him navigate a long Pace Matchplay day with consistency and focus was genuinely impressive. He ran the gauntlet and earned every bit of that finish.

As the tournament wrapped up, there was a prize giveaway, which added a celebratory note — but the overall mood was bittersweet. This was the last monthly tournament at Player 1 Arcade, and the owner shared a heartfelt goodbye speech that landed hard.

There were smiles, gratitude, and a lot of heart-sore feelings in the room. It felt like the end of a chapter for many of us.
Player 1 Arcade has been more than a place to play. It’s been a space for community, competition, growth, and connection — and this final monthly reflected all of that. 5 years of play.

We closed the day the right way: celebrating together by taking my mother-in-law out to dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant. After a long day of standing, playing, focusing, and feeling all the emotions, sharing a meal felt grounding and right. Curry, naan, laughter — the perfect bookend to a meaningful day.

Long tournament.
Big emotions.
Strong play.
Community, family, and food.
Still going.
Still counts.