Surprise AZ Pinball Showdown: Bizzi Takes Series 6

A Monday Night That Felt Like Finals

Arizona summer is merciless, but inside Player One Arcade on August 18 the heat wasn’t the 104°F outside — it was 43 players chasing glory in Series 6 (#4). The format was group matchplay, the run time just under three hours, and the tension thick enough to match the AC bill. Organizer Jim Smith AZ had the clipboard in one hand and a flipper button in the other, reminding everyone that in Surprise, you don’t just direct tournaments — you compete in them.

The Room Where It Happens

Player One isn’t just a venue, it’s a vibe. Retro arcade cabs line one wall, a bar keeps craft taps flowing (ask the locals about the blueberry Warhead sour), and murals of Bowie, Prince, Ghostbusters, and Take On Me splash across the bathrooms for good measure. It’s the kind of place where Monday leagues are packed and monthly tournaments feel like reunion dinners — only with more multiballs.

The Field: Grinders, Risers, and a Very Busy Organizer

The finals lineup told a story all its own:

• Tommy Bizzi (Surprise, AZ) — The night’s champion. With 64 career wins, Bizzi has built a reputation as one of Arizona’s most consistent closers. His calm demeanor and steady shotmaking allowed him to sweep all five rounds — a rare feat even in smaller tournaments.

• Dave Halley — IFPA-ranked 790th, Halley is the definition of a grinder. Nearly 600 tournaments played, 41 Top 3 finishes, and a knack for rebounding from early slips. His Round 5 victory on Kong showed why he’s always dangerous late in events.

• Catcher Knapp — The breakout star. With only 16 events logged in his young career, Knapp already has three Top 3 finishes. He showed no fear against veterans, taking wins on Rush, Godzilla, and JAWS before battling Halley head-to-head on Kong.

• Jim Smith AZ — Organizer, competitor, and all-around mainstay of Arizona pinball. With 672 career events and 54 Top 3 finishes, Jim proved again that he can manage the brackets and still land in the finals. His Round 4 win on Pirates of the Caribbean was the highlight of his night.

And beyond the finalists, there was depth everywhere:

• Walter Dony entered as the highest-ranked player in the room (#469) and made his mark on Walking Dead.

• Cara Eisinger tangled with Bizzi on Tales of the Arabian Nights, proving she could hold her own against the eventual champion.

• Andrew Kohtz logged multiple battles on Avengers: Infinity Quest, a machine known for long grinds and patient play.

• Jake and Adrian Miranda-Hill, plus the Bizzi and Knapp family names, gave the tournament a friendly “family night” subplot that made the atmosphere even richer.

Building Toward Kong

Matchplay results revealed mini-arcs that built tension toward the night’s spotlight:

• Bizzi didn’t just win — he swept. Five rounds, five firsts. Mandalorian, Guardians, JAWS, Bond, Tales. His worst result? Nonexistent.

• Halley started hot on JAWS, stumbled on Tales, but came roaring back with wins on Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons.

• Knapp strung together gutsy wins on Rush, Godzilla, and JAWS, proving he wasn’t just along for the ride.

• Smith balanced director duties with steady podiums and a momentum-shifting win on Pirates.

The table was set for Round 5.

Spotlight Match: Kong Goes Long

Round 5’s clash on King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Pro) was the night’s centerpiece. Halley, Knapp, Mike McClure, and Jeremy Reiman faced off on Stern’s newest monster-brawler. The game stretched to nearly 32 minutes, a marathon that tested patience, precision, and endurance. Halley emerged victorious, Knapp stayed close behind, and Kong announced itself as a legitimate tournament machine.

For players, Kong is a study in controlled chaos. Multiballs, hurry-ups, and mode timers pile on fast. Tonight it proved that while big points are there for the taking, so is the drain if you lose focus.

The Lineup Meta: 29 Years of Pinball on Tap

The bank of 16 pins stretched from Williams 1996 to Stern 2025, a timeline of design and punishment.

• Quickest decider: Walking Dead Pro at 15 minutes per game. Brutal, but mercifully short.

• Longest grinders: Avengers: Infinity Quest Premium averaged nearly 25 minutes. Kong and Mandalorian weren’t far behind.

• Most played: Foo Fighters LE, logging five full rounds.

It was a setup that rewarded patience and punished impatience — exactly how matchplay should be.

Machine Spotlights for the Tourney Crowd

A few quick strategy notes that mattered on the night:

• Tales of the Arabian Nights: A late-Williams DMD classic with flow, fantasy, and one of the prettiest playfields of its era. Tournament players leaned on the lamp spin for controlled points, with jewel collection risky but rewarding.

• Godzilla Premium: Already called one of the greatest pins of all time. Ally choice and kaiju battles remain the meta-defining features. Knapp’s Round 2 win here showed he could tame the beast.

• JAWS Pro: New to the scene, but already a fan favorite. Success tonight came from managing the chum bucket progression into harpoon multiballs without overextending.

• Dungeons & Dragons: Fresh off the line, still unfamiliar to many. Matches here often boiled down to who could safely get into multiball while discovering rules on the fly.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: A simpler fan layout compared to the modern Sterns, but it played a key role — Smith’s Round 4 win on Pirates was the pivot point that carried him into finals.

Cross-Table Sparks

Finals may have grabbed headlines, but the middle rounds had their drama:

• Louis Rulon outlasted Walter Dony and others on Walking Dead Pro, one of the night’s toughest games.
• Jeremy Reiman proved patience wins on Avengers: Infinity Quest, edging a close group in Round 4.
• Family names crossed paths all night — Knapp, Bizzi, Miranda-Hill — adding a layer of friendly rivalry to the competition.

Results That Tell a Story

When it was all over, the scoreboard read:

1. Tommy Bizzi — flawless sweep, 64th career win.
2. Dave Halley — the grinder, conquering Kong.
3. Catcher Knapp — the newcomer, officially on the radar.
4. Jim Smith AZ — director, player, and still dangerous.

Where Arizona Stands Now

The night also plays into the bigger Arizona picture. Here’s the current statewide Top 10:

Mesa remains the fortress, Phoenix keeps nipping, and now Surprise is making noise.

Closing Plunge

Player One Arcade delivered everything pinball fans could want: a vibrant venue, a deep field, a machine lineup that spanned decades, and a spotlight match that showed why Stern’s newest release already belongs in tournaments.

From Bizzi’s sweep to Knapp’s fearless rise, from Halley’s grinder mentality to Smith’s organizer-player double act, Series 6 (#4) wasn’t just another Monday league night. It was proof that Arizona pinball has depth, personality, and plenty of fire left to come.

And with more rounds of Series 6 on the calendar, don’t be surprised if Surprise keeps playing spoiler in the statewide standings.