The Brinstar Pinball Social April ’26 brought together a dedicated group of flipper enthusiasts for an afternoon of intense competition. The event was organized by Joe Wade, who also competed and proved to be a formidable force on the playfield. But it was Mike Papesh who ultimately stole the show during the most critical moments of the finals. In an eleven-minute, three-player clash on Williams’ 1995 classic No Fear: Dangerous Sports, Papesh pulled off a stunning upset.
Ranked 1,348 spots below Philip Salminen, Papesh navigated the dangerous ramps to take the top score in the round, leaving Salminen and top-seed Joe Wade US trailing. This critical victory set the tone for Papesh’s ultimate first-place finish. The finals were an intimate battleground, with only three competitors advancing to the Group Match Play stage, meaning every single flip carried immense weight. Papesh capitalized on the pressure to secure his definitive win.
Vintage Arcades and Intimate Competition
Outside, broken clouds hung over Midland, Michigan, with a comfortable 75°F and 54% humidity. Inside the Brinstar Arcade Bar and Grill, the atmosphere was defined by its retro vibes and a curated lineup of classic pinball machines and vintage video games. Patrons often praise the establishment for its excellent service, tasty food, and pristine old-school arcade cabinets. The venue provided a striking, nostalgic backdrop for an intense, localized tournament where competitors had absolutely nowhere to hide.
The initial qualifying phase featured a small field of just seven players participating in a Best Game format. In this system, players recorded their top scores across a bank of machines, ranking against the field for finishing position points. This format supports large player fields with a small number of machines, making it a popular choice for local qualifying events. Despite the modest turnout, the competitive context was fierce, featuring five IFPA-ranked players boasting an average state rank of 196.
The age range of the tournament machines spanned three decades, from 1995’s Jack•Bot to 2025’s Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye and Harry Potter. With everyone playing the same games, competitors were constantly measuring their progress against familiar rivals.
Wade’s Magical Run on Harry Potter
The standout story of the qualifying phase was undeniably Joe Wade US, who carved a path of destruction through the 42-game session. Wade put up the top score on three of the seven machines he played, demonstrating a broad mastery of the arcade’s diverse lineup. His performance was steady, eventually locking in the first-place seed for the finals.
His most staggering performance came on Jersey Jack’s 2025 release, Harry Potter (Arcade). Wade posted a phenomenal 729,266,630 points, which was a runaway 6.9 times higher than Philip Salminen’s next-best score of 105,422,370. This massive gap in scoring highlighted Wade’s precision and deep knowledge of the modern pinball machine.
Understanding the machine’s specific rulesets clearly worked to Wade’s advantage during this phase. On Harry Potter, hitting the quidditch playfield early sets a player’s team position, and continuously hitting the loop builds the crucial end-game bonus. Wade’s qualifying dominance earned him the top seed heading into the finals. Meanwhile, Salminen and Papesh navigated the intense Best Game format to secure the second and third advancing spots, respectively.
The Contenders’ Season Momentum
Going into the finals, each of the top three players carried their own unique season narratives and statistical weight. The Michigan state rankings provided a clear picture of the stakes for these local competitors.
- Mike Papesh entered the venue holding 81.05 WPPR points across 20 events, along with one recent tournament win.
- Philip Salminen, holding the strongest national rank at IFPA #826, came in with 72.28 WPPR points and one win across his 15 season events.
- Joe Wade US brought 31.94 WPPR points from 18 events, holding the 96th spot in the state rankings.
Papesh had been riding a significant wave of momentum leading up to the April tournament. He had climbed 169 ranking spots earlier in the year and jumped another 246 places just this month, reaching a career peak ranking in 2025. Salminen, meanwhile, remained a formidable threat, boasting two wins and three top-three finishes in his last five events. Wade, despite an overall drop in rankings this year, showed he was still a major threat by capturing the top qualifying seed.
Papesh Shines in the Group Match Play
The tournament transitioned from the Best Game qualifier into a grueling Group Match Play format for the finals. The three finalists squared off across three machines: No Fear: Dangerous Sports, Foo Fighters (Premium), and Stranger Things (Pro). In this intimate three-player field, individual matchups meant everything, and the broader field statistics quickly faded into the background.
Papesh immediately established his dominance in the first game on the 1995 classic No Fear. Surviving an 11-minute duel, Papesh outlasted both Wade and Salminen, taking first place and securing 4.00 points for the round. On No Fear, exploiting the “No Limits” mini-wizard mode is highly lucrative, allowing players to build individual shot values up to 70 million points.
Papesh continued his tear on Stern’s 2023 release, Foo Fighters (Premium), a game known for its backhandable left ramp and extensive combo skill shots. He outscored Salminen and Wade again in a 26-minute battle, earning another 4.00 points. On Stranger Things, hitting any main shot—such as the left orbit or right ramp—three times starts a mode, making it a marathon of endurance and accuracy. Although Salminen rallied to win the grueling 41-minute final game on Stranger Things (Pro), it was not enough to close the gap.
Papesh had already amassed enough points to secure the overall tournament victory. He claimed first place on the podium, cementing his upward trajectory in the competitive pinball scene.
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