On June 24, 2026, the silver ball faithful gathered at Talisman Brewing Company in Ogden, Utah, for an evening of high-stakes flipping. With the scattered clouds failing to break a sweltering 95-degree heatwave outside, the 13 competitors stayed cool inside the taproom. The local establishment provides a simple, welcoming atmosphere where patrons consistently rave about refreshing pours like the Pink Pony, making it the perfect backdrop for a tight, competitive pinball showdown. The room was small enough that every single game visibly moved the standings, creating a pressure-cooker environment where every drain mattered.
But this night belonged to Nate Smith, Utah’s top-ranked competitive player. Facing down a visiting powerhouse and starting the final bracket from the absolute bottom, Smith orchestrated a stunning comeback to capture the Talisman Pinball Party crown. His victory wasn’t just a testament to his lightning-fast reflexes, but a pure display of tournament grit against a heavily talented field.
Sitko’s Sizzling Flip Frenzy Start
The tournament kicked off with a grueling 120-minute Flip Frenzy, a time-limited format where the winner stays on the machine and the loser goes to the back of the queue to await their next match. Matthew Sitko, a touring flipper hailing from Saint Paul, Minnesota, brought serious national heat to the local Utah circuit. Sitting at a career-peak IFPA rank of #490, Sitko was an absolute force on the floor. He ruthlessly dominated the frenzy portion of the evening, securing the top score on six of the seven machines he played on his way to a first-place qualifier finish.
During an 11-minute clash on Stern’s 2024 hit JAWS (Pro), Sitko and Stacy Shaffer battled head-to-head, with Sitko ultimately claiming the top spot on the scoreboard. To maximize points on this aquatic arena, players must repeatedly shoot the chum bucket until it is full, which triggers the pop-up fin for a harpoon attachment. Executing a clean hit to a yellow shot afterward triggers a massive multiball, a sequence Sitko likely exploited to drown the competition and maintain his furious pace.
However, Sitko wasn’t entirely invincible during the two-hour sprint. EK Shaffer managed to halt the Minnesotan’s momentum during a tense 12-minute round on Deadpool (Pro). Shaffer took the hard-fought win by likely utilizing the left flipper to nail the Snikt target up the middle, a crucial, high-risk shot that boosts the playfield multiplier and turns decent scores into game-winning blowouts.
Local Rivalries and Shared Histories
While Sitko ruled the upper echelon of the qualifier, the middle of the pack was an absolute war zone of local grudges and shared histories. Yusuf Yarow, currently holding an IFPA rank of #4377, added another thrilling chapter to his ongoing rivalry with EK Shaffer. With 35 shared tournaments between them, Yarow clawed back tonight, tightening the competitive gap against Shaffer in the overarching standings.
Meanwhile, EK Shaffer also locked horns with Stacy Shaffer on the arcade floor. These two are incredibly familiar opponents, boasting a massive 46-tournament shared history on the local circuit. Stacy navigated the chaos beautifully, outlasting EK to finish the qualifier in a very respectable third place overall.
Lurking just behind Sitko in the standings was Nate Smith. Operating with the quiet confidence of a player who has logged 415 career tournaments, Smith grinded out a second-place finish in the frenzy. As the #1 ranked player in the Utah NACS standings, Smith knows how to weather an early storm and strategically position himself for a late-game strike.
The Dungeons & Dragons Wake-Up Call
The format shifted dramatically as the top players advanced to the Group Match Play finals. The four finalists would battle across a single round of three four-player games, where points awarded for head-to-head placements would decide the ultimate champion. Due to the matchplay seeding structure, Nate Smith entered the finals as the fourth and bottom seed, forcing him to fight an uphill battle from the start.
The opening round threw the finalists into the fiery depths of Stern’s brand-new 2025 release, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Pro). In a marathon 19-minute slugfest, Sitko once again flexed his flipper skills by taking all four points against Yarow, Stacy Shaffer, and Smith. A savvy tournament player on this machine often chooses the Halfling Rogue character to start in the town of Arabel, methodically working through the purple modes for optimal scoring.
Additionally, hitting the dragon toy a few times lights the right orbit for a crucial multiball, a mechanic that heavily dictates the flow of competitive play. Yarow managed to grab second place and two points, while Stacy Shaffer took third for a single point. Smith stumbled hard out of the gate, finishing dead last and taking a devastating zero for the round.
Smith’s Final Push to the Top
A lesser competitor might have folded after a goose egg in the opening game, but Smith’s veteran poise shone through when it mattered most. He immediately flipped the script on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Premium), capturing first place and four vital points in a grueling 21-minute battle. On this notoriously tough machine, picking Donatello at the start is a massive advantage for a player under pressure, allowing them to trigger Turtle Power multiball with just one clean shot to the right ramp.
Smith then sealed his unbelievable comeback on The Beatles (Gold), winning the 22-minute finale to snatch the overall tournament victory from Sitko’s grasp. When the pressure mounts on the Fab Four’s legendary table, players can use their flippers on the final ball to select the “All My Loving” mode before plunging, unlocking a clutch two-ball multiball that can completely erase a point deficit.
Coming from the back of the bracket to hoist the trophy is a massive statement for Smith, adding another notch to his belt after securing two victories in his last five events. This deep run proves exactly why he rules the Utah rankings, providing him with incredible momentum to carry into his next seasonal showdown.
The Winners:
- 1st: Nate Smith
- 2nd: Matthew Sitko
- 3rd: Yusuf Yarow
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