Who needs sleep when there’s pinball?
Friday night I headed to The Outpost Arcade for their very first Pinball Pajama Party, a 5-Strike Bounty Knockout that ran from 11:00 PM until 6:00 AM.
This wasn’t your average tournament.
The arcade was filled with crazy pajamas, pajama-themed trophies, a live Twitch stream, donuts, late-night snacks, and at one point… an honest-to-goodness conga line through the arcade.
Check out this video “The Outpost Pinball Pajama Party Tournament”
It was exactly the kind of wonderfully ridiculous event that makes this pinball community so much fun.
My tournament started…rough.
❌ Game 1 – JAWS (Strike 1)
❌❌ Game 2 – Venom (Strike 2)
❌❌❌ Game 3 – Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (Strike 3)
❌❌❌❌ Game 4 – Dune (Strike 4)
Yep… four games, four strikes.
One more strike and I was done.
Then something changed.
✨ Game 5 – Theatre of Magic
Out of nowhere, I found my flow and I caught fire and put up OVER ONE BILLION POINTS! 🤯 It was one of those magical games where everything clicked, every shot seemed to find its mark, and the score just kept climbing. Easily my highlight of the night!
The momentum continued.
🥇 Game 6 – Xenon — 1st Place
🥈 Game 7 – Solar Fire — 2nd Place
After starting the night with four straight strikes, I suddenly found myself surviving and climbing back into the tournament.
Unfortunately, every comeback eventually comes to an end.
❌❌❌❌❌ Game 8 – Total Nuclear Annihilation (Strike 5)
That ended my tournament after 8 games, finishing tied for 26th out of 37 players.
I even doubled my entry fee, taking home $10 after a $5 buy-in.
Congratulations to Kevan Carter for winning the event after surviving 21 games, with Stephen Shufran finishing second after an incredible overnight run.
Thanks to everyone who came out in pajamas, brought snacks, cheered each other on, and made the first Outpost Pinball Pajama Party such a memorable night.
I finally rolled into my driveway around 4:45 AM after a night of pinball, laughter, pajamas, donuts, a conga line, and one unforgettable billion-point game on Theatre of Magic.
Sometimes pinball isn’t about where you finish.
• Sometimes it’s about refusing to quit after four straight strikes
• Finding your rhythm when it matters most
• And creating memories that are way bigger than the final standings.
Still counts. 💜🎮🥱🍩
Incidental Exercise Receipts
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