Tuesday night brought another stacked field at Electric Bat Arcade, and with five rounds of match play on the schedule, there weren’t many easy draws. I finished the night with 23 league points, good for a tie for 26th place in a field of more than 90 players.
Round 1 – Black Jack
3rd Place – 3 Points
The night started on Black Jack, where I never quite found my rhythm. Sometimes that’s just how league nights begin. I managed a few good moments, but it wasn’t enough to climb higher than third.
Round 2 – Medieval Madness
2nd Place – 5 Points
This game turned around quickly after a slow start. I lit Joust Multiball, took out three trolls, earned a couple of locks, worked the drawbridge, and found several ramps and loops. My third ball ended almost as soon as it began after a bad bounce, but the work from the first two balls held up for second place.
Round 3 – Solar Ride
2nd Place – 5 Points
I don’t get many opportunities to play this classic Gottlieb machine, so earning another second-place finish felt good. I collected skill shots on multiple balls, repeatedly finished four of the five drop targets, and kept chipping away all game. Jeff Wegener pulled away for first, but I stayed comfortably ahead of the rest of the group.
Round 4 – JAWS (Pro)
3rd Place – 3 Points
JAWS continues to become one of my favorite modern games. I started Tiger Shark mode, worked ramps, chum shots, targets, boat hits, and reached JAWS Multiball. During multiball, Travis Yoder showed me a technique I’d never used before: holding the upper flipper with the action button so I could safely trap one ball while playing the other. That’s one of those little tournament tips that can make a huge difference down the road.
I also managed to start Night Swim before the game ended. Even though it finished as a third-place result, I walked away feeling like I learned something valuable.
Round 5 – Johnny Mnemonic
🥇 1st Place – 7 Points
Ending the night with a win felt fantastic.
I collected skill shots on every ball, stacked together loops, ramps, and an early ball lock, then put together my best game of the evening to finish with 416.7 million points, holding off Forrest Barkley by about 12 million.
Sometimes all it takes is one game clicking at the right time.
Final Results
Round 1: Black Jack – 3rd (3 points)
Round 2: Medieval Madness – 2nd (5 points)
Round 3: Solar Ride – 2nd (5 points)
Round 4: JAWS – 3rd (3 points)
Round 5: Johnny Mnemonic – 1st (7 points)
Total:
23 League Points
Overall Finish:
Tied for 26th Place
As a bonus, Fitbit once again thought I spent the evening playing golf. My manually logged three-hour “golf” session (a.k.a. competitive pinball) recorded 484 calories burned, 44 Active Zone Minutes, and an average heart rate of 97 bpm. I still maintain that pinball absolutely counts as exercise—especially after five competitive rounds!
Week 2 is in the books, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what Week 3 brings. 🕹️💜
Incidental Exercise Receipts
As a bonus, Fitbit once again thought I spent the evening playing golf.
My manually logged three-hour “golf” session (a.k.a. competitive pinball) recorded:
484 calories burned,
44 Active Zone Minutes,
and an average heart rate of 97 bpm.
Still counts. Always.
Five rounds of competitive pinball meant hours of standing, walking, concentrating, reacting, and moving from machine to machine. It may not look like traditional exercise, but movement doesn’t have to happen in a gym to improve your health.
Every step, every calorie, every Active Zone Minute, and every smile along the way still counts.
Still counts. Always. 💜🕹️
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