Old School Meets High Stakes at the D&D Pro Women’s Pinball Playoffs

The Div. B Playoffs for the D&D Pro Launch Party WOMEN’S Tournament lit up the flippers on March 14th, 2025, as six players took on seven single-game rounds of head-to-head competition. It all went down at 7:00 PM sharp and wrapped up around 11:15 PM—four hours of strategic nudging, bonus-hunting, and the occasional unexpected drain. Organizer Bill Disney kept the action running like a well-oiled stepper unit, and the cool, clear 55°F evening outside gave players a chance to catch their breath between battles.

Where the Magic Happened: Pinball Gallery, Malvern PA

If you’ve never made the pilgrimage to Pinball Gallery in Malvern, consider this your cue. Located at 81 Lancaster Ave, this place isn’t just a local arcade—it’s a full-on museum-meets-pinball-battleground. The collection spans decades, from 1970s electromechanicals to the latest Stern showpieces. Reviewers rave about the clean condition of the machines (which we can confirm), the staff’s genuine enthusiasm, and the sense that the place was built by people who get pinball. Whether you’re looking to lock a ball, stack a multiball, or just shoot the spinner until your arm falls off, the Gallery delivers.

All the Right Ramps and Rattles

With 65 machines in play, this tournament was a deep dive into pinball history—and players were swimming in it. Let’s talk about some of the machines that made a splash.

Earthshaker (Williams, Feb 1989) – Designed by Pat Lawlor (yes, that Pat Lawlor—Twilight Zone, FunHouse, Whirlwind), Earthshaker was the first to use a shaker motor to simulate an earthquake. Players feel the rumble as the fault line cracks open—a physical experience that was revolutionary in 1989. It’s also one of the last Williams games to use alphanumeric displays before the DMD era took over.

Eight Ball Deluxe (Bally, Apr 1981) – This game is practically pinball royalty. A spiritual sequel to Bally’s Eight Ball (from that iconic Grease-era lineup), Deluxe introduces more rules, a tougher shot layout, and arguably one of the best callouts in pinball: “Quit talkin’ and start chalkin’!” It was released right as Bally was flexing its dominance over the early ’80s market—before the Williams-Bally merger changed the game forever.

Aztec (Williams, Jul 1976) – An electromechanical beauty with snappy flippers and vibrant artwork by Christian Marche. This was just before Williams went all-in on solid-state technology, so Aztec is part of a dying breed—one of the last EMs before score reels gave way to digital displays. It’s got drop targets, kickouts, and a layout that rewards patient shooting over brute force.

Count-Down (Gottlieb, May 1979) – This is a game that doesn’t get enough love. Four banks of drop targets—each representing a suit of cards—and a countdown bonus system that keeps the pressure on. It’s one of the earliest solid-state Gottliebs that still kept the chime box sound, so it straddles that line between new tech and old soul. Plus, the art screams “late ’70s sci-fi paperback,” and who doesn’t love that?

Rock Encore (Gottlieb, Apr 1986) – Part of Gottlieb’s System 80B lineup, Rock Encore is a rare sight. With asymmetric flipper spacing and a music theme that feels like a glam rock fever dream, it’s very much of its time. 1986 was a weird and wonderful year for pinball—Stern had gone dark, Bally was absorbed, and Gottlieb was still finding its post-EM voice.

Black Knight: Sword of Rage (Pro) (Stern, Mar 2019) – A modern sequel to the 1980 classic Black Knight, this version brings back Steve Ritchie’s iconic “Magna-Save” and aggressive upper playfield action. Sword of Rage is louder, faster, and more metal than ever. It’s also one of the few modern machines where the villain talks trash to you between shots—and sometimes he’s right.

Star Trek (Bally, Jan 1978) – Released in the height of post-Original Series syndication fervor, this was Bally’s first sci-fi license after Space Invaders fever hit arcades. It has a wide-open playfield that feels a bit sparse by modern standards, but it was a huge step toward branded tables that would come to define the 1980s. Bally’s use of mirrored backglass and colorful inserts gave it a look that still turns heads.

Title Fight (Gottlieb, Jan 1990) – A wide-body brawler with dual plungers—one for each player—and a rotating mini-playfield that simulates the boxing ring. It’s like Rocky meets pinball, with all the weird charm of Gottlieb’s early ’90s design experiments. The soundtrack? Pure MIDI magic.

Centaur II (Bally, Jun 1983) – One of the last gasp of Bally’s pre-Williams artistic weirdness, Centaur II is the same layout as the original 1981 Centaur, but with minor tech tweaks. The playfield is black and white with stark red highlights and an aesthetic that screams “motorcycle demon cult.” Between the 5-ball multiball and the reverb-heavy speech, it’s a loud, fast, and unforgettable game.

Round 7 Got Personal: Big Deal by Williams

Now here’s where it gets personal. Big Deal (Williams, May 1977) was the first machine I ever owned—so yeah, I may be biased, but this machine has history. It’s an electromechanical card-themed game from Williams’ twilight EM years, right before solid-state took over the industry. Designed by Norm Clark and drawn by Christian Marche, it features that unmistakable “casino lounge” style art with a mix of playful and elegant.

What makes Big Deal stand out is its clean layout and forgiving ruleset—a perfect training ground for precision and ball control. In Round 7, it proved to be a proper battleground for strategy and skill.

Final results on Big Deal:

1. Kathy Bobeck – Controlled shots, smart nudging, and just enough restraint to let the game come to her.
2. Emilia Choate – Made some bold playfield decisions, especially with the side rollovers.
3. Becky Egolf – Solid start, but one missed shot in Ball 2 cost momentum.
4. Sherry Disney – Gave it her all and had one of the longest ball times of the match, but just couldn’t rack up the bonuses fast enough.

Classic EMs don’t lie—they reward finesse and punish impatience.

A Round of Applause for the Final Standings

Let’s give it up for the top four players who brought their A-game to the playoffs:

1. Kathy Bobeck – With 120 IFPA events under her belt, her 87th state ranking is clearly due for a bump. Her calm play and shot discipline were on full display.
2. Emilia Choate – Clocking in at 200 IFPA events, they’ve got a wealth of experience and a fearless approach to classic-era games.
3. Becky Egolf – New to the competitive scene but showing serious potential. Her 22 events speak volumes about how quickly she’s climbing.
4. Sherry Disney – A strong showing and a reminder that tournament grit often comes from staying focused, no matter where you are in the bracket.

Pennsylvania’s Finest: Top 10 IFPA Standings

No big surprises here, but the middle of the pack is getting interesting. A few more events like this one, and we might see someone leap into that top 5.

That’s a Wrap (But We’re Still Thinking About Big Deal)

A big thank-you to Bill Disney for organizing a stellar tournament and to Pinball Gallery for providing such a rich, well-maintained machine lineup that let players test their skills across eras, manufacturers, and playfield philosophies. From the shaker-motor mayhem of Earthshaker to the stripped-down brilliance of Big Deal, this tournament had it all. Want to see more about this event or the gallery’s ever-growing lineup? Check out the official page here.

This is Bride of Pinbot, still glowing with EM pride, reminding you: multiball is temporary, but drop targets are forever. Stay tuned for more tournament breakdowns, pinball history, and machine talk you didn’t know you needed.