Pincinnati 2024: A Cozy Convention in the Birthplace of Pinball

Part of the trifecta of pinball conventions that are held in the Buckeye State each year, Pincinnati is a year-end event that always makes for a good time. Held in early December at the Holiday Inn & Suites Eastgate in Cincinnati, Ohio, just 25 minutes away from downtown, Pincinnati has been running strong for 6 years thanks to the hard work of head organizers Erik Wurtenberger and Jerry Westerkamp. A favorite of both casual and competitive players, Pincinnati is home to an excellent show floor full of games, multiple tournaments, and impeccable vibes. To cap off my year in the best possible way, I braved the winter cold and attended Pincinnati 2024 to get the scoop, and as expected, it was well worth the trip.

Spirit of the Silver Ball

Pincinnati has a particularly cheerful and laid-back atmosphere, likely due in part to its proximity to the holiday season (and the accompanying venue decorations), making it feel more personal than your average pinball con. From the moment you walk into the hotel, you're greeted with the chimes of pins and a distinct hum of excitement, along with the surprisingly soothing sound of a waterfall, a favorite feature among attendees. In the lobby alone, there's a decent little restaurant/bar to grab drinks and a quick dinner at, plenty of seating, and a dedicated tournament area that's often swarming with players. No trip to Pincinnati is complete without a stop at Jungle Jim's International Market either, just a few minutes away by car, where you can nab a buffet of rare snacks to munch on over the weekend.

Stocked up on your favorite goodies and ready to flip, you'll find a supremely satisfying selection of pinball machines available on the show floor, holding 120+ unique titles. Tilt Amusements brought the latest and greatest from Stern Pinball, with a total of 36 machines including The Uncanny X-Men, Metallica Remastered, Godzilla 70th Anniversary Edition, and many more, complete with local leaderboards and Insider Connected. Many of the other show floor games come from local collectors, showcasing beautiful copies of '90s classics like Creature from the Black Lagoon, Red & Ted's Road Show, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Medieval Madness, and The Getaway: High Speed II. I was especially enamored by some of the lesser-seen SEGA games, including Batman Forever and The X-Files, as well as a gorgeous and great-playing Bally Fathom. You could even try out a handful of hot-off-the-press homebrew machines, including The Greatest Showman, which just won several awards at the 2024 Pinball Expo.

If you didn't feel like flipping on your average machine, there was also a surprising selection of non-traditional pins, encouraging both competitive and cooperative play. I had a blast playing the two-player, head-to-head Joust pin, and afterward, gathering around the four-player, Rotation VIII cocktail pin, named such after its rotating playfield. One corner of the show floor was even dedicated to pre-war bagatelle games from the 1930s, including playable games like World's Fair Jigsaw from 1933, calling back to Cincinnati's roots as the “birthplace of pinball”. Way back in the late 1800s, Cincinnati resident Montague Redgrave patented the plunger and started producing bagatelle games of his own, leading to the popularization of pinball in the 20th century, so it was cool to see this history represented at Pincinnati. The free play room at this year's show was a slam dunk in terms of quality and variety, but it's far from the only attraction at the con.

The Elusive Triple Crown

Competitive pinball players can never turn down a good tournament, but for the truly ambitious competitor, Pincinnati holds one of the most treasured achievements you can obtain: the Triple Crown. In order to earn this royal trophy (and a bounty of cash), a player must win all three of the main Pincinnati tournaments in a row, a feat that no one has pulled off in the event's six-year history. This year's competition started off at Arcade Legacy (located approximately 30 minutes north of downtown Cincinnati) a day prior to the convention, where over 75 players pressed their luck in a 9-strike “Progressive Strikes” tournament. Playing on a collection of competition favorites like Strikes and Spares, Taxi, Doctor Who, and more, it took 11 rounds to determine the victor, with the final match wrapping up in glorious fashion. Holly Koskinen of Columbus, OH, fought to the finish line on an incredible game of Galaxy and nabbed first place, with John Delzoppo, Bill Mason, and Sterling Mitoska filling out the rest of the top four.

This led into the main tournament of the show, the Whodey Memorial Match Play. Dedicated to the late Terry Ritchie, a beloved member of the Pincinnati community, this gigantic 140-player tournament is a gem in the Stern Pro Circuit. Across Friday and Saturday, players compete in 20 rounds of Match Play qualifying, with the top 40 players progressing to PAPA style playoffs split between A and B divisions. It was a thrill to compete in the Whodey Memorial Match Play for my first time, and although my play was inconsistent and left me far below the playoffs cutline, it still felt amazing to rip some spinners and become enveloped in the competitive spirit. Playoffs were appropriately intense, and after a wild match of Game of Thrones, Jared August of West Bloomfield, MI, earned top spot, with Jane Verwys, Jared Eshelman, and Lewis Bevans finishing with respective placements. B Division finals were also a hell of a battle, ending on Red & Tedd's Road Show, with Cody Webb of Columbus, OH sliding into first, as Matt Peace, Jack Nebraska, and Stuart Nyswonger occupied the rest of the podium spots respectively.

The final tournament in the Triple Crown series is the Running of the Gauntlet, one of the most unique competitions in the scene. A speedrun of sorts, this event tasks players with completing a series of challenges on 6 different machines, like opening the visor on Jackbot or lighting video mode in Dr. Who, all in under 6 minutes. Players are allowed to play the games in any fashion they desire, leading to some wild strategies and expert pinball multitasking. After dominating the gauntlet multiple times during qualifying and playoffs, Sterling Mitoska of Brooklyn, MI, came in first place with the best overall time, while Jared Schmidt, Valencia Kelly, and Linsey Rogers had commendable showings in second, third, and fourth place.

Not included in the Triple Crown, but still a hefty tournament with meaningful WPPRs on the line, the 2024 Pincinnati Women's tournament was also a standout of the weekend. Nearly 50 competitors huddled up on Friday morning for qualifying, battling it out on Pincinnati staples like Big Game, Stars, Cheetah, and more. A change of pace from the normal PAPA style playoffs, the top 24 qualifying players moved onto “Amazing Race” format finals, where everyone plays a single machine each round and the lowest scoring player is eliminated. After 23 rounds of play, Jane Verwys of Chicago, IL, was the last lady left standing and took home the first place finish, with Deborah Tahlman, Rebecca Hinsdale, and Sam Arnold finishing respectively. Better yet, the entire Women's tournament (and the Whodey Memorial Match Play) were streamed live on Twitch thanks to SDTMPinball, with replays ready to watch on YouTube!

One Last Hurrah at Pincinnati

Whether you're new to the scene or have been part of the pinball community for years, Pincinnati is a special convention. Tucked in the schedule at the end of the year, it feels like a big 'ol holiday party with your friends, but the potluck is pinball instead of food. It makes sense too, as Pincinnati first started as a way for local collectors to share their pins with the public, and after six years, that sense of community is still very strong.

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In short, Pincinnati is a relaxed convention that has all the pinball you could want, competitive or otherwise, and where your main priority is to kick back and play games all weekend. Everyone is exceptionally friendly, the selection of machines is satisfying, and the spinners are always juicy. If you live close by or can carve out the time to visit, I highly recommend checking out Pincinnati, as it's the perfect pinball convention to wrap up the year.