Branden Martin Extends Podium Streak with Victory at Space City

Super Saturday Series #5

The competitive pinball scene in Texas has a new rising star, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Branden Martin TX clinched the victory at the Space City Pinball: Super Saturday Series 2026 #5, extending an impressive streak of top-three finishes that began in April 2026 at the NASA Interstellar Training S5 event. In just one year of active competitive play, Branden has skyrocketed through the rankings, gaining an astonishing 5,436 spots this year alone. Now, with his second victory in his last five outings, he has firmly established himself as a heavyweight in the Texas NACS circuit.

Hosted at The Game Preserve arcade in Webster, Texas, the event drew 38 players for the qualifying rounds, representing a fiercely competitive field. The Game Preserve provided the perfect backdrop for the showdown. As one local patron accurately summarized the vintage vibe: “Always fun here. Games are old so be nice! You wouldn’t be always up and running around at 60 either! Lol”.

Spotlight: 50 Years of Williams’ Space Odyssey

A major highlight of the day at The Game Preserve was the inclusion of Williams’ Space Odyssey, an iconic electro-mechanical (EM) machine celebrating its exact 50-year anniversary this month. Released into arcades in June 1976, this classic is still drawing fierce tournament crowds and testing the mettle of modern competitors half a century later.

Holding an impressive 7.48 overall rating on the Internet Pinball Database, Space Odyssey represents a golden era of mid-70s pinball design.

Surviving a 50-year-old EM in a high-stakes bracket requires a completely different mental checklist than blowing up a modern solid-state game. For the competitors stepping up to this anniversary machine, the match strategy boiled down to precise lane navigation and spinner micro-management:

• The Double Bonus Core: The primary objective is collecting the A, B, or C targets. Doing so lights up the center saucers, instantly unlocking double bonus scoring.
• Ripping the Spinner: Players must keep a close eye on the amber swinging target lights. Timing your shots to hit them when lit activates the spinner, turning a standard lane into a rapid-fire point goldmine.
• The Top Rollover Safe Haven: When A, B, or C are lit, they activate the “Extra Ball” insert in the top rollover lane. In tight matchplay, squeezing an extra turn out of the top lanes is often the exact buffer needed to secure a group victory.

Space Odyssey proved to be the ultimate test of endurance during the playoffs, commanding a grueling 58-minute play time during a critical Quarterfinals match. It was here that Marc Gammons completely figured out the floaty EM geometry, posting a dominant 4-point first-place finish to advance. David Pollock survived the marathon to secure 2 points and keep his bracket alive, while the brutal outlanes claimed top-seeded Lee Balusek, sending him to a fourth-place zero-point finish that fundamentally altered the seeding for the Semifinals.

The Road to the Bracket

Before the bracket chaos ensued, the qualifying phase featured eight rounds of group matchplay, and the story of the afternoon was the absolute dominance of Alex Anthony. Coming into the tournament as the 20th seed, Alex engineered a spectacular Cinderella run. Displaying incredible consistency, Alex posted the top score on seven of the eight machines played, cruising to the number one overall seed heading into the playoffs.

While Alex Anthony dictated the pace at the top, the rest of the field fought tooth and nail for the remaining 15 playoff spots. The qualifier provided its fair share of dramatic upsets. In Round 6 on Gottlieb’s Far Out (1974), Joe Friesen (IFPA #13811) managed to topple Jack Schiffer (IFPA #1127) in a 19-minute battle, overcoming a staggering rank gap of 12,684 spots.

Later in Round 8, a heavyweight clash unfolded on Williams’ White Water (1993). Top finishers Erich Stinson and Cory Westfahl found themselves grouped together in a tense 20-minute showdown. Both players navigated the treacherous rapids, but it was Stinson who emerged victorious in the group, solidifying his position near the top of the qualifying standings.

Quarterfinal Chaos and Cinderella Runs

As the field narrowed to 16 for the group bracket finals, the intensity immediately ratcheted up. Alongside the Space Odyssey marathon, the Quarterfinals delivered another grueling and surprising match on Stern’s Austin Powers (2001).

In a game that lasted 38 minutes, Erin Anthony (IFPA #4374) orchestrated a massive upset against Brian Fults (IFPA #1201), overcoming a 3,173-spot ranking deficit to take first place in the group. Success on Austin Powers requires persistence—players need to hit each main shot four times to start a mode or multiball. Erin Anthony executed this strategy flawlessly, leaving Fults in second and forcing eventual champion Branden Martin TX to settle for third in that specific match, though Branden still managed to advance.

Meanwhile, David Pollock, who entered the finals as the 12th seed, began his own Cinderella run from the back of the bracket. Pollock set the tone early with a runaway victory on Sonic’s Mars Trek (1977), posting a score of 4—double the output of his closest competitor, Marc Gammons, who scored a 2.

The Final Showdown

The final grouping brought together Branden Martin TX, Stan Dessens, David Pollock, and Erin Anthony for a multi-game battle to determine the champion.

• Match 1: Gottlieb’s “300” (1975) — Stan Dessens, a rapid riser who has climbed 1,176 ranking spots in his two-year career, struck first. Dessens claimed the opening victory, followed closely by Pollock and Branden.
• Match 2: Bally’s Bobby Orr’s Power Play (1977) — Erin Anthony bounced back immediately. In a 24-minute grind, she secured a crucial first-place finish, forcing Branden into second and Pollock into third.
• Match 3: Bally’s Doctor Who (1992) — With the tournament hanging in the balance, the competitors locked in for a 46-minute epic. Branden Martin TX, who had posted the top score on four of his nine machines played throughout the finals, finally found his rhythm. He delivered the final blow, taking first place over Dessens and Pollock to secure the overall tournament win.

When the dust settled, Branden Martin TX stood alone at the top of the podium. Stan Dessens’ strong performance earned him second place, while David Pollock’s deep run from the 12th seed concluded with an impressive third-place finish.

For Branden Martin TX, the victory is more than just another notch on his belt; it is a continuation of a remarkable trajectory. Maintaining a streak of top-three finishes that dates back to April 2026, he is proving that his meteoric rise over the past year is no fluke. As the Texas NACS season progresses, the rest of the state will be keeping a close eye on this fast-climbing competitor.