Another month, the second trip to Throne Brewing for competitive pinball.
Throne Brewing is a great venue with a interesting and tasty menu.
The pinball machines are provided by Ethan Satterly. There is an unusual selection of games in excellent condition.
The tournament was hosted by Jim and Diane Smith. Thank you both for your efforts.
This month’s format was pace match play, where players had to stay ahead of a moving cut line throughout qualifying. The target started at 24 points after Round 6, then increased by 7 points each round, creating progressively higher thresholds as the field narrowed.
Competitors included new players, East Valley players, and Westside players. It was also great to see familiar faces such as Kevin Curtis, one of the owners of Starfighters Arcade, and Kevin Ehlers, former owner of Player 1 Arcade.
Despite Andrew and me arriving late and starting in Round 2, I finished just one point shy of the first cut line, while Andrew successfully played his way through the field.
By the end of Round 8, players needed 38 points to remain above the cut and advance toward the final eight.
Andrew finished qualifying with 42 points, tied for second place overall and safely above the final cut line.
The road there wasn’t exactly smooth.
One of the qualifying rounds turned into an unexpected adventure when a game issue forced a match to be moved from Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Trek.
Players waited while tournament staff sorted things out, and what was supposed to be a routine round became one of those tournament stories that people will probably still be talking about next month.
When qualifying wrapped up, the top eight advanced to the finals, which used an Amazing Race format.
Players lined up on a bank of machines, and after each game the lowest-performing player was eliminated.
Andrew started finals on Metallica Pro and put up a later score of 10,357,860, becoming the last player to beat in that round.
Unfortunately, that last player beat his score. Ending his finals run in the first round.
Pinball Receipts
That’s pinball sometimes—a single drain, a missed shot, or one bad bounce can be the difference between advancing and heading home.
Even so, making finals after qualifying tied for second is nothing to complain about.
One thing Fitbit never quite understands is pinball.
During approximately 5½ hours at the tournament, Fitbit recorded:
630 calories burned
1,128 steps
Average heart rate of 89 bpm
8 active zone minutes
The tracker sees a person mostly standing around. What it doesn’t see is the concentration, strategy, adrenaline spikes, decision-making, and mental fatigue that come with tournament pinball.
As I’ve said before, fitness trackers don’t really know what to do with pinball players.
Incidental Exercise Receipts
Outside the brewery, Arizona was putting on its own show. Massive monsoon clouds built throughout the afternoon, eventually turning into a spectacular sunset filled with glowing oranges, pinks, and golds. The skies looked ready to deliver a storm at any moment.
Of course, being Arizona, the clouds put on an incredible performance and then mostly forgot to send the rain.
Overall:
Andrew
Qualified for finals
Finished tied for second in qualifying
Survived a game swap and tournament delays
I
Missed the first cut line by a single point in Round 6
Enjoyed another day with the Arizona pinball community
Spent time with my mom, who came out to watch our tournament and meet some of the players we always talk about.
Got treated to some amazing monsoon-season skies and excellent Throne Brewing food.
Not every tournament ends with a trophy, but reps still count.
Time on the machines still counts.
Learning the games still counts.
And spending a Sunday playing pinball with good people while watching Arizona skies show off isn’t a bad way to spend a day.
Join us next month at Throne Brewing on July 19, 2026! Ethan says he is going to change up 5 machines to keep it fresh and interesting.
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