Through more than four hours of match-play pinball, Nick Lane took first place in the A Division at the Flippin’ with the Greats charity fundraiser on Dec. 13 at Pocketeer Billiards in Buffalo.

By winning, Nick earned a free entry to represent the Buffalo Bills at the Flippin’ with the Greats Grand Final Playoffs, March 27-29, 2015, at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. These players will compete for WPPR points and $45,000 in prizes including a brand new pinball machine.

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Rounding out the top four in A Division were Eric Russell, second place; Jordan Nittoli, third place and Amos Hanley, fourth place.

In B Division, Andrew LaFica took first place, followed by Joe Libutti, second place and Derek Muench, third place.

The tournament raised $580 for Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, which provides financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need.

Thanks to all who came out and played. Enjoy the holidays and we’ll be back with more tournaments for 2015!

Full final standings for both divisions are below:

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Congratulations to Amos Hanley for taking the top spot at the Flip Off Hunger tournament, hosted by the WNY Pinball League on Nov. 15 in Bloomfield NY. Rounding out the top four were Kevin Manne, Nick Lane and Ron Hallett Jr.

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In the side tournament, Ron Hallett Sr. topped the list, followed by Bruce Nightingale, Jordan Nittoli and Matt Hess.

In all, 31 players raised $320 to benefit local food pantries. Players also brought donations of non-perishable food items for hungry families this holiday season. Thanks as always to Bruce and Kathie Nightingale for hosting and sharing their excellent collection of pinball machines with everyone!

Full final standings from the main and side tournament are below:

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We’re getting one more tournament in before the end of the year to benefit yet another great charity, and this one features some great extras, including the opportunity to win a brand new pinball machine.

What: IFPA Flippin’ with the Greats Tournament

When: Dec. 13, 2014
Register at 11 a.m., tournament play 12-4 p.m.

Where: Pocketeer Billiards and Bar, 2444 Clinton St., Buffalo, NY

Why: All A Division entry fees and half of B Division entry fees benefit Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, which provides financial grants and ‘pro bono’ medical assistance to retired NFL players in dire need.

Format: Match play.

Playoff structure:

• Less than 24 players, 4 players will go to playoffs.
• 24 – 31 players, 6 players go to playoffs with top 2 getting a bye.
• 32+ players, 8 players go to playoffs with no byes.
• Playoffs will be 3 games with 4, 2, 1, 0 scoring.

Two Skill Divisions: 

A Division: $30

• Earn WPPR ranking points.
• Winner earns a free entry to represent the Buffalo Bills at the Flippin’ with the Greats Grand Final Playoffs, March 27-29, 2015, at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. The winner of the Grand Final Playoffs will receive a brand new pinball machine (more details here).
• No cash prizes — but!

1. First place wins an entry into the IFPA LAS VEGAS FWTG final event for a chance to win a NEW pinball machine and a set of 3 Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame medallions with low, matching serial numbers and Certificate of Authenticity signed by all 3 players.
2. Second place wins a set of 6 PAINTED Gridiron Greats NFL Star Medallions with matching serial numbers, featuring 2 color epoxy paint fill matching the players team colors.
3. Third/fourth place: prizes will be an Antique Bronze set of 6 Gridiron Greats NFL Star Medallions with matching serial numbers and/or a Gridiron Greats hat signed by 2002 NFL MVP Rich Gannon. You can give 3rd place choice with remaining prize to 4th place.

Prizes for A division. Each registered player in the A division will receive a medallion!

B Division: $10

• For new or casual players.
• Win cash prizes.
• No WPPR ranking points awarded.

Registration is limited to 56 players. Pre-register today to ensure your spot in the tournament by sending payment via PayPal to buffalopinball@gmail.com.

Please note that no refunds will be given after Dec. 6. No registrations will be allowed after 12 p.m. on the day of the tournament.

The tentative lists of games per division are below:

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The next area tournament is coming up Nov. 15 in Bloomfield and will benefit local food pantries. Hosted by the WNY Pinball League. Here’s the details:

• Pinball tournament where proceeds benefit local food banks, just in time for Thanksgiving.
• Canned goods (with labels) also accepted!
• TIME CHANGE: Doors open at 11 a.m., tournament play begins at noon.
• No preregistration, register at the door.
• Location: 3097 Bailey Rd., Bloomfield, NY
• Entry fee: $15
• 4+ hours of pinball
• 25 great pinball machines
• Full IFPA point tournament
• Additional side tournament
• 4-player match play until 5 p.m.
• No playoffs, only tie breakers

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Buffalo’s first launch party for a new Stern Pinball Machine was a success, with 36 players coming out to try their hand at The Walking Dead. Full results are below and will be posted to the IFPA site with ranking points within the next few days. They’re up!

As always, thanks to those who came out and we’ll see you at the next area tournament, the Flip Off Hunger tournament on Nov. 15 in Bloomfield to benefit local food pantries, hosted by the WNY Pinball League.

The Walking Dead Launch Tournament Results:

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Congratulations to Nick Lane for taking the top spot in the A Division of Saturday’s tournament at Pocketeer Billiards to benefit the Pinball Outreach Project. Adan Becera took first place in B division. In all we had a record 48 players and raised $330 to share the joy of pinball with children in need.

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The tournament also marked the debut of our new video camera and TV rig, which has been funded through league dues and contributions to Buffalo Pinball through 50/50 raffles. We featured it on Iron Man, which was used for A and B division and for tiebreakers. A big thanks to Bret Wallace for all his help getting the rig up and running. We’ll be using it for the coming launch party tournament for The Walking Dead too so everyone can see the action on Stern’s latest game.

Below are the full final standings from the tournament. A division players will be posted with point values to the IFPA ranking system within the next few days:

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Here’s your chance to check out the brand new Walking Dead pinball by Stern! Pocketeer Billiards will be one of the first locations in the world to get it and we’re throwing a launch party to celebrate. Here’s the details:

When: Friday, Oct. 17 • 7 p.m. to Midnight

Where: Pocketeer Billiards and Bar, 2444 Clinton St., Buffalo, NY

Cost: $5 per entry, up to 5 entries per player.

Open to all, no preregistration necessary. All money collected will be paid out to the top three finishers. The tournament is IFPA endorsed so players will earn World Pinball Player Ranking points. Aim for the head!

Come out and join us for a quick and fun pinball tournament to benefit a great cause! If you’ve never played competitive pinball before, this is a great opportunity to see what it’s all about. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 • Register at 2 p.m., play begins at 3 p.m.

Where: Pocketeer Billiards and Bar, 2444 Clinton St., Buffalo, NY 14224

Format: Format: 9 hole pin-golf tournament. Players strive to achieve a target score on each machine. For example, if the target score is reached on the 1st ball, the player gets a “1” for that machine. The 2nd ball, a “2”. The 3rd, a “3”. If the player fails to achieve the target score, he/she gets a “4” for that machine. 9 machines will be played in total and the player with the lowest score total for the tournament will be the winner.

If a player achieves the target score on a machine in less than 3 balls, the player does not have to play the rest of the balls. That player is done with the machine and will move onto the next machine (with his/her group).

If 3 balls are played and the target score is not reached, the player is then finished with that machine and moves on to the next machine (with his/her group).

Total time of tournament is expected to be less than 2 hours. No playoffs, only tie-breakers.

Two Divisions:

– A Division for players ranked 1-5,000 in the IFPA or open to anyone who wants to earn IFPA World Pinball Player Ranking points.

– B Division for casual players.

Half of all money collected will benefit the Pinball Outreach Project, which shares the joy of pinball with children in need.

Cost: $15 for A Division, $10 for B Division. Games will be on coin drop so be sure to bring money to play the games as well.

OPEN TO ALL!