Katsarelis Takes EinStein’s Bills as The Mandalorian Turns Five
Matt Katsarelis put together a commanding sequence on the flippers at EinStein’s Pub & Arcade on June 28, claiming first place in a tight, competitive group knockout format. The Katy native has been seeing steady rating gains over the past year, currently sitting at IFPA #4,177 with a career peak of #4,140 earlier in 2026. In a format where players earn strikes based on their finishing position within four-player groups, Katsarelis simply stopped taking on strikes as the evening progressed. He posted the top score on three of the four machines he played on his way to the top of the podium.
The weather outside hit 93°F with the humidity making it feel closer to 101°F, but the atmosphere inside the Richmond venue remained cool and comfortable for the 135-minute event. The tournament featured a small but highly experienced 7-player field, all of whom hold active IFPA ranks. When a local bracket is this compact, participants find themselves facing the same familiar opponents repeatedly, leaving absolutely nowhere to hide a weak game.
A Dense Texas Field
The local talent pool brought serious experience to the floor, boasting a combined 1,194 career events among the seven entrants. The group carried an average state rank of 230 in the Texas NACS standings, highlighting the density of the competition. Matt Quantz anchored the veteran presence; boasting 12 years active on the circuit and 493 total tournaments, his career peak once reached IFPA #849. Brian Foytik brought another 13 years of competitive play to the arena, seeking to add to his 26 state points and two wins already banked this season.
With only 7 competitors, the random pairings quickly created high-stakes group matches. Charles Blacknall and Dani Wade, holding state ranks of 182 and 361 respectively, stepped into early groups looking to outlast the top seeds. It was a night that required focus from the first plunge, supported nicely by EinStein’s well-calibrated music volume, which kept the room energetic without forcing players to shout over the machines.
Celebrating Five Years of The Mandalorian
The event’s backdrop included a notable milestone, as Stern’s The Mandalorian (LE) celebrated its 5-year anniversary this month. Released in June 2021, the sci-fi outer space title remains a staple that consistently draws competitors back to the glass half a decade later. Designed by Brian Eddy and featuring artwork by Randy Martinez, this specific limited edition saw a production run of just 750 units. The playfield is packed with mechanical action, featuring four flippers, six active pinballs, thirteen standup targets, and the signature Grogu sculpture.
For players looking to maximize their score on this anniversary machine, the primary geometry centers on the ramps and the scoop. Hitting both ramps and the scoop will start a mode or mission. Completing this sequence also lights an extra ball at the scoop, which sits as an ideal target for a clean backhand shot from the left paddle.
Early Rounds and Renewed Rivalries
The group knockout format immediately tested players on modern and classic layouts alike. In Round 1, a 26-minute, four-player match on the 2025 release King Kong: Myth of Terror Island (Premium) set the tone. Henri de Ybarrondo captured 1.00 point with a first-place finish on the Stern machine, pushing Foytik into second, Katsarelis into third, and Wade into fourth. In the other opening group, Cindi Brennan secured a quick 1.00 point on Bally’s 1995 classic Theatre of Magic, finishing ahead of Blacknall and Quantz in a concise 16-minute game.
The pairings in Round 2 brought familiar opponents together on Jersey Jack’s 2022 release, Toy Story 4 (LE). The table gives players three attempts for the skill shot, rewarding those who stay patient after an initial miss. In a 25-minute contest, de Ybarrondo again took top honors, leaving Foytik in second, Brennan in third, and Quantz in fourth. That specific matchup fed directly into a pair of long-running player histories. de Ybarrondo and Quantz have a tight recurring rivalry spanning 18 shared tournaments, and de Ybarrondo managed to edge ahead again on this occasion. Meanwhile, de Ybarrondo drew level with Foytik; after finishing ahead in both of their shared games tonight, their 15-tournament rivalry is squarely tied once more.
Katsarelis Sweeps the Back Nine
After taking third in his opening round, Katsarelis found another gear. He secured 1.00 point in Round 2 with a victory on the 2024 Stern table John Wick (Premium), besting Blacknall and Wade in a fast-paced 14-minute game. That momentum carried directly into Round 3 on Foo Fighters (LE). Facing off against de Ybarrondo and Brennan, Katsarelis took first position again, keeping his strike count pristine while dealing points to his closest competitors in a 19-minute match.
The final showdown materialized in Round 4 on the 2017 Stern release, Star Wars (LE). Katsarelis and de Ybarrondo stepped up to the machine for a head-to-head conclusion. The two players are deeply familiar with each other’s games, having crossed paths 32 times on the circuit. Katsarelis took the final 1.00 point in 22 minutes, sweeping his last three machines to close out the event. His performance also impacted his own longstanding rivalry with Foytik. By finishing ahead of Foytik in the overall standings, Katsarelis evened their 14-tournament history to a dead heat.
Final Standings at EinStein’s
As the tournament wrapped, the venue maintained its reputation as a premier neighborhood stop. Patrons took advantage of the change machines handing out fives and ones for Skee Ball and air hockey, while the kitchen continued turning out Santa Fe egg rolls, fried cheese, and hefty, well-made burgers. The attentive wait staff kept the competitors fueled throughout the evening, reinforcing the pub’s standing as a reliable home base for the local pinball community.
For Katsarelis, the victory highlights his development over his two active years in the competitive scene. Pushing past his career average finish of 18, he demonstrated the ability to lock in and produce top scores precisely when the bracket tightened. When the last ball drained and the final points were tallied, the standings reflected a hard-earned result in Richmond.
- 1st: Matt Katsarelis
- 2nd: Henri de Ybarrondo
- 3rd: Cindi Brennan
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