San Diego Pinball Open 2026

“Tournament pinball is watching someone have a full conversation with…”

Watching someone play a vintage table well is watching a person understand a machine more intimately than its designer ever intended - specific cabinets with specific quirks that the regulars have mapped across hundreds of games. Competitive pinball is not what most people picture when they hear competitive gaming, and that gap is exactly the reason to come.

The players are serious and the machines have histories. Because it is an open format, spectators can watch the tournament tables while playing the surrounding machines - you are inside the event without being required to compete. IFPA sanctioning means the rankings are real and the players traveled to be here, and Dave & Buster's has the floor space and machine selection to run it properly.

The open runs across both days; finals are Saturday evening. Show up if you have any curiosity about this at all. Dave & Buster's San Diego, 2931 Camino del Rio North, August 8-9, 2026. Registration at ifpapinball.com.