PINBALL LOUNGE
OPEN 2012


Date: October 14th, 2012
Location: Munich, Germany.

Report by Bruce Ng
Pictures by Bruce Ng & Stefan Karlhuber

Several months ago I made the short trek to Bavaria to participate in The Pinball Lounge tournament. Robert von Keller and his friends have a wonderful private space just outside of Munich, with about one hundred pinball machines in really great condition.

The Pinball Lounge was founded in 2008 and they strive to host one big tournament every year. Robert said he, “founded the Pinball Lounge to build a place for pinball enthusiasts and the pinball community where they can meet, talk, exchange experiences, compete and have fun.” The Munich Pinball League often congregates here.

The basement layout is very spacious and houses a wide variety of pins in excellent condition from a 1966 Williams A Go Go to a 2011 Stern Transformers.

Transformers with a custom strip of red LEDs on the apron to greatly improve playfield visibility
Transformers with a custom strip of red LEDs on the apron to greatly improve playfield visibility

Transformers with a custom strip of red LEDs on the apron to greatly improve playfield visibility

About sixty people showed up to participate in this tourney.

Players in the tournament
Players in the tournament

There were plenty of snacks and beverage options to keep us fuelled all day long. As seems common in German gatherings, payment for these items was on the honor system. Prices were displayed and patrons would just put money into the cash box and make their own change if needed; a very simple and pleasant system.

Some of the snacks available
Some of the snacks available

The sturdy drink holders on each game got a lot of use throughout the weekend. They came up with this ingenious system from inexpensive readily available parts to equip all their games.

Drinks holder
Drinks holder

The first part of the tourney on Saturday consisted of rounds of match-play where half of your final score was based on your placement within each match, and the other half was based on your score on each game.

Players then entered their own results into the computer. There again, the reliance on the honor system made it easier on the organizers and heartened a few of us foreign visitors to be part of such a trusting and principled community.

Entering and checking the scores
Entering and checking the scores

On Sunday the 16 best-ranked players battled their way through play-offs and into the final.

The main tournament final
The main tournament final

Meanwhile the rest got to enjoy a separate Classics Tournament in which participants had to play a list of games at their leisure and however they wanted. No particular order or match-playing was required. The four top players went on to a final.

I found this format much more relaxed and enjoyable. I fared far better with less pressure, and even ended with my first ever little prize.

A picture of author with Michel Dailly, a top 30 IFPA world-ranked player
This report's author with Michel Dailly, a top 30 IFPA world-ranked player

Here are the results of the main tournament:

Here are the Classics Tournament results:

Top players in the two tournaments (L-R):Stefan Karlhuber, Michael Spiegel (not a winner), Michael Trepp, Markus Stix, Martin Krebs, Carsten Disser, Simon Ostermeier
Top players in the two tournaments (L-R):
Stefan Karlhuber, Michael Spiegel (not one of the winners), Michael Trepp, Markus Stix, Martin Krebs, Carsten Disser, Simon Ostermeier

For the future, the Pinball Lounge team hopes to, “keep the machines in their best condition, build in a bar, meet more nice people, and have as much fun as ever.

Thanks guys for a great event!

The Lounge Team (from left to right): Christian Höltermann, Barbara Sprenger, Sabine Breu, Robert von Keller, Klaus Erhard and (missing on picture) Peter Schmidt
The Lounge team (from left to right):
Christian Höltermann, Barbara Sprenger, Sabine Breu, Robert von Keller,
Klaus Erhard and (not in picture) Peter Schmidt

The list of the 97 games at the Pinball Lounge is:

  • A Go Go
  • Air Aces
  • Apollo 13
  • Attack from Mars
  • Austin Powers
  • Avatar
  • Aztec
  • Baby Pac-Man
  • Back to the Future
  • Batman: The Dark Knight
  • Batman Forever
  • Baywatch
  • Big Deal
  • Black Rose
  • Bobby Orr Power Play
  • Bow and Arrow
  • Cactus Canyon
  • Capersville
  • Captain Fantastic
  • Centaur
  • Champ
  • Champion Pub, The
  • Cirqus Voltaire
  • Congo
  • Corvette
  • Creature from the Black Lagoon
  • Dirty Harry
  • Dr. Dude
  • Doctor Who
  • Dracula
  • Elvis
  • Escape from the Lost World
  • F-14 Tomcat
  • Fire Cracker
  • Firepower
  • Fish Tales
  • Flash Gordon
  • Flintstones, The
  • Frankenstein
  • Funhouse
  • Godzilla
  • Golden Eye
  • Grand Prix (EM)
  • Grand Prix (Stern)
  • Harley Davidson
  • Haunted House
  • Hyper Ball
  • Independence Day
  • Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure
  • Indianapolis 500
  • Jack•Bot
  • Johnny Mnemonic
  • Judge Dredd
  • Junkyard
  • Jurassic Park
  • Jurassic Park: The Lost World
  • Kings of Steel
  • Lord of the Rings, The
  • Lost in Space
  • Machine, The: Bride of Pinbot
  • Medieval Madness
  • Medusa
  • Middle Earth
  • Monster Bash
  • NBA Fastbreak
  • No Fear
  • Popeye Saves the Earth
  • Revenge from Mars
  • Roadshow
  • San Francisco
  • Scared Stiff
  • Shadow, The
  • Smart Set
  • Sorcerer
  • South Park
  • Space Jam
  • Star Trek (EE)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Star Wars Episode 1
  • Star Wars Trilogy
  • Starship Troopers
  • Stellar Wars
  • Tales of the Arabian Nights
  • Terminator 2
  • Terminator 3
  • Theatre of Magic
  • Transformers LE (combo)
  • Truck Stop
  • Twilight Zone
  • Twister
  • Viper Night Drivin'
  • Whirlwind
  • Whitewater
  • Who Dunnit?
  • Wizard!
  • World Cup Soccer
  • X-Files


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