062: Preppin' for a big tournament

Tournament prep tips and PAPA 2026 preview with local tournament announcements.

Punk Rock Pinball Podcast episode discussing tournament preparation strategies for an upcoming PAPA Championship (September 10-13, 2026 in Stone Park, Illinois). Hosts cover practical advice like comfortable shoes, snacks, and queue management, announce their own September 26th tournament featuring a target match play format (to 52 points for the host's birthday), and discuss a restoration project of a heavily damaged classic pinball machine ('Shrek' codename) that's nearing completion.

Highlights

• PAPA Championship 2026 registration is nearly full with approximately 190 entries registered.
• PAPA 2026 uses a qualifying format where players keep their best scores across entries, different from last year's card-based system.
• Shrek pinball machine (2008) costs $6,500-$7,600 new, making it more expensive than modern Stern Pro machines.
• Local tournament attendance has grown from 12-18 players to 36 players, with back-to-back months at 36.
• The restoration project ('Shrek' codename) has cost approximately $5,000+ on a machine originally purchased for ~$600.