The Kansas City Pinball Championship is a celebrated annual event that has been captivating the hearts of pinball enthusiasts since its inception in 2018. Founded by Keri Wing, a distinguished women's world pinball champion, this championship stands as a testament to the enduring passion for pinball within the community. Over the years, it has evolved into a remarkable gathering, drawing aficionados from far and wide.
What sets this tournament apart is not only its rich history but also its unwavering mission to foster camaraderie and competition in the pinball community. The championship is more than just a single tournament; it's a multi-day extravaganza consisting of a main tournament and several side tournaments. Operated entirely by dedicated volunteers and supported by the non-profit organization, "Kansas City Pinball," the event embodies the spirit of grassroots enthusiasm. Notably, the pinnacle of achievement in this championship is winning the main competition and having one's name inscribed on the illustrious Kevin Wing Memorial Trophy, an honor that resonates deeply with every pinball enthusiast.
First round player pairings are random. Subsequent rounds use Swiss Pairing: Players will be paired against players with the same win-loss record.
Player order is random in each match.
8 strikes
(0/1/1/2) Strikes - 4 player groups, (0/1/2) strikes - 3 player groups
Rounds swap between Modern, Mid (DMD / Alphanum), SS/EM
Closing time, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Get some rest for the next day.
8 rounds of 3 games - 1 Modern, 1 Mid, 1 Early
PAPA Scoring (4/2/1/0)
Tiered swiss pairing
Top 24 or half of the field, which ever is lower, will qualify for finals on 11/23
Next 8 will qualify for B division finals on 11/23
Meaningful tiebreakers will occur before finals on 11/23.
Round 1 starts
Round 2 starts
Round 3 starts
Round 4 starts
Round 5 starts
BE BACK AT SSPS BY 5:30PM!
All players must be back by 5:30pm. Round starts at 5:45pm
Round 6 starts
Round 7 starts
Round 8 starts
Closing time. Again, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Get some rest for tomorrow
Tiebreakers are to occur for any meaningful tie defined as:
These ties will be played on a random Solid State/EM era game.
All ties for B division will be decided automatically based on Matchplay's tiebreaking
Main Finals - directly after tiebreakers or 9am if there are no tie breakers
PAPA (4/2/1/0) Style Finals - Best of 3 matches
A game bank cannot be chosen twice in a row by the same player. E.g. a player can pick a bank in the first round and the same bank in the third but not the first and second round the player is playing.
Top Seed chooses bank and position of play for all 3 games.
Next seed chooses of the available positions continuing in this fashion until all players have chosen.
Top 2 players will proceed until the final 4 players then scoring position will determine 1st through 4th.
Any tiebreakers in rounds will be on Solid State/EM era chosen by top seed in tiebreaker.
Target to reach is 24
PAPA Scoring (4/2/1/0)
Classics only
Wrap up/awards/closing time
Tickets will be available on this website on Sunday, October 12th, 2025 at 12 pm. You can buy a bundle pack at a discount or buy individual tournaments. T-shirts are pre-order only and cost $30. A t-shirt proof will be posted on this website when available.
This year we have a special treat, t-shirts were designed by the talented Kelli Harrod
About the Solid State Pinball Arcade
Solid State Pinball Supply is nestled in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, at 2529 Jefferson St, near the Pennway Point neighborhood, just up the hill from the KC Wheel.
This location has added more space to gather and play some of your favorite machines from the 60s to now. The black light room, the Star Trek room, the NES nestled in the social-light room and the frequently rotating machines are all additions to Solid State's new location that will have you coming back to play.
Solid State hosts weekly leagues, several monthly tournaments (3rd Sundays - Sunday Service, 4th Saturdays - Strikeout, 4th Sundays - Queens of Steel), birthday parties, corporate challenges/events and private events. The Try Hards who frequent Solid State are known to be some of the nicest and helpful pinball players around.
Solid State sells snacks, candy, ice cream, sodas, and water. There are several Mexican and other restaurants located just north on Southwest Boulevard, restaurants in Union Station to the north east, Crown Center to the east, as well as bars and breweries close by. Take the free KC Streetcar at Union Station and explore more of downtown, River Market, Midtown, the Country Club Plaza or the UMKC university areas.
Enter 2529 Jefferson Street, Kansas City MO 64108 in your Google or Apple Maps and it will easily direct you to Solid State.
If you're coming from the downtown Kansas City area, head south on Broadway/West Pennway until you reach W 25th Street. Take a right onto W 25th Street and then an immediate left on Jefferson. You'll find 2529 on your left - look for the Solid State signage near the Soccer Lot. Parking is first come, first serve in the lot.
Parking in the lot is on a first come, first served basis. Ride sharing is encouraged and Uber is available. See the map below showing available parking. Some parking is also available by the KC Wheel, on a first come, first served basis.