November kicked off with a whole lot of pinball at the Electric Bat Arcade in Tempe, Arizona, as the Desert Dolls Pinball Collective gathered for its November monthly tournament.
And apparently, Mother Nature wanted to participate, too.
The drive over was a rainy adventure. Figaro and I made it safely through the wet roads, with a little Rob Zombie and some hard rock keeping the soundtrack appropriately dramatic. By the time I walked into the Electric Bat, it was time to put the distractions aside and get down to business.
Well… mostly. It’s pinball. There’s always a little shenanigans.
The qualifying rounds: One game at a time
This tournament used paced match play, with players competing across three areas of the arcade: East Wing, Middle Room, and West Wing. The scoring system rewarded first, second, third, and fourth place finishes, and the qualifying point target increased as the rounds progressed.
My strategy was simple: stay humble, play the machine in front of me, and collect as many points as possible.
Some games were better than others, but there were definitely some highlights.
Hotdoggin’ got the tournament started. I finished second in that opening group, with a respectable 371,390 points. Not a bad way to warm up!
Joker Poker was a much happier experience. This is one of my comfort machines. I love its straightforward gameplay, the drop-target progression, and those skill shots. I took first place with 162,030 points.
Viking was another first-place finish. I managed to complete all four multiplier drop targets, work the upper-right targets, and make good use of the saucers. The game got a little wild, but I finished with 452,580 points and another seven tournament points.
Sinbad brought another first-place finish. I spent plenty of time working the drop targets and spinner, eventually finishing with 147,450 points. Three first-place finishes in four rounds? I’ll take it!
Whirlwind and Playboy were a little less cooperative. That’s pinball. Sometimes the machine loves you, sometimes it eats your lunch, and sometimes you just have to move on to the next game.
Making the cut
As the qualifying rounds progressed, the point target kept climbing. By the time Round 9 arrived, the target was 45 points.
My assignment was Cleopatra, in the Middle Room, against Gabrielle Craft and Rachel Bess.
I worked the drop targets, got saucer shots, picked up multipliers, and kept building my score.
First up was Charlie’s Angels.
I started in the first player position and worked through the five-ball game, collecting drop targets, top lanes, and multipliers. I had a good third ball, bringing my score up to 155,500.
Rachel finished ahead of me with 183,730, while Meghan scored 152,180 and Hailey finished with 64,290.
That put me in second place for the game and gave me two final-round points.
Next came Nitro Ground Shaker.
This one was a different animal. I had some decent shots, including saucers, spinner action, and top lanes, but the scoring didn’t quite come together the way I wanted. I finished with 87,500 points.
And 2 tiebreakers.
After both games were complete, the final standings were:
1. Rachel Bess
2. Hailey Buhrman
3. Christy Kohtz
4. Meghan Bougher
Third place overall in the Desert Dolls November Tournament!
Rachel took home first place, and congratulations to her. It was a great group of finalists, and I’m happy to have made it into the final four.
The purple bat was the real prize… okay, one of the prizes!
And then there was the trophy.
The third-place prize was a fantastic little purple-and-gray bat, complete with pink ears, wings, and a very serious expression. It was mounted on a base featuring the Electric Bat logo and marked for the Desert Dolls Pinball Collective November 2026 tournament.
I had my eye on the purple one, so I was pretty darn happy with that outcome.
I’m not even sad. I got the purple one I wanted!
Naturally, it has already earned a place in the trophy cabinet alongside the other pinball memories. It’s a pretty cool addition to the collection.
Another day, another pinball story
I love this pinball community. The competition, the machines, the friendships, the occasional questionable ball drain, and all the stories that come with spending a day in an arcade.
I came in, played nine qualifying rounds, made the top four, competed in the finals, and walked away with third place and a very cool purple bat.
Not every game was a million-point game. Not every ball went where I wanted it to. But there were some great shots, some hard-fought wins, and plenty of reasons to celebrate.
And that’s what it’s all about.
Wellness. Whiskers. Silverballs. And apparently, purple bats.
Until the next tournament… keep those flippers moving!
Still counts. Always!💜🦇🎱
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