Bowen Kerins during the the PAPA 13 World Championship finals
Most pinball players know Bowen Kerins — even if you don’t realize it. For some, it’s having met him in person on the tournament circuit. For others, it’s hearing his voice or seeing his play on PAPA pinball video tutorials (now being hosted at Pinball.org). Bowen has been on the tournament scene for over 18 years now after winning his first world championship title at PAPA 4 in 1994 at the age of 18. Since then he’s gained the well-deserved reputation of being calculated player with great ball control who has the ability to break down the ruleset of a game to achieve maximum scoring options. Still, he doesn’t let the sheer science of pinball take away from the fun.
Bowen now volunteers a lot of his time with PAPA (Professional and Amateur Pinball Association) including handing the tournament director position in the annual Pinburgh tournament. PAPA requires that all people involved with tournament organization be ineligible to play, so Bowen still competes in the PAPA World Championship — a tournament that he has no involvement in. This year PAPA has started a pinball tournament circuit that kicks off with Pinburgh 2012 — which is only 10 days away — and culminates at Pinburgh 2013 in April of next year. So far, Pinburgh 2012 has amassed around 225 registered players and a cash prize pool of around $25,000!
Even with all this organized chaos, Bowen found the time to answer a few questions regarding his love of pinball, tournament play, and Pinburgh 2012.
A group shot of the participants during last year's Pinburgh competition
PH: What’s your first pinball memory?
BK: I remember playing at a large arcade in the basement of a hotel in Miami Beach, FL. I was probably about 6, and remember playing this game with a white light in the upper left corner that was really hard to hit, but if you ever did hit it the game would go crazy.
Over 20 years later, I saw Sharpshooter for the first time at the Pinball Expo in Chicago, and immediately recognized it as the game. I had no idea that Roger Sharpe, the man who plunged a ball to make pinball legal in New York City, the man I’d met and played some great pinball with, was the same man staring at me from his backglass at age 6. And now that game is one of the 180 being used in Pinburgh.
Bowen hoving over his TSPP (image courtesy of Boston.com)
BK: I’d say so, at least from a really young age. I played pinball with my father for many years. He eventually took up golf, right around the same time I was outplaying him at age 12. I biked frequently to the nearest arcade and was the best local player, but wasn’t exposed to many different machines — a lot of games I would only see while traveling to amusement parks. An annual high school trip to Penn State was a highlight for me because I knew their arcade would have all the games I’d never otherwise see, like Black Knight 2000 and High Speed 2. When I got to college I learned through the Internet about leagues and competitions, and basically dived headfirst into more pinball. Learning from other players, including Rick Stetta and Neil Shatz, I finally learned how to nudge and control the ball, and my skills improved a lot. I got very lucky at PAPA 4 and part of the success was low expectations — after making the A Division final I had no pressure to do any better, and that helped me play really well when the time came.
PH: How do you break down scoring strategies on games that are new to you? Is it lots of pinball play, pen and paper, or does it just click in your head?
BK: It’s mostly watching others play the game. Tournaments are always learning experiences. When I see a new game for the first time I will try to watch several others play to see what they are trying to do, judging the risk and reward for each option. Then when I play, I try to start simple: find a multiball or a key shot I can make with consistency, then continue doing that or look for other options. The PAPA tournaments are like this even for games I’ve played before, because their setups frequently include things that make the games more difficult, like removing outlane posts, narrowing shots, or even using smaller flippers. Adaptation is key, even in the middle of your turn.
One thing I suggest to new players is that each shot you make should have a purpose. If you can’t explain why you shot something, it was a mistake.
PH: How did you become involved with PAPA as a volunteer?
BK: This actually goes back to 2004 when Kevin Martin opened PAPA Headquarters near Pittsburgh. It was this huge gift to all pinball players, and yet it was only open once a year! I suggested to him that PAPA should host a 3-day, match-play tournament and he said it was too much work (he’s right, it is). In 2009 and 2010 I ran a one-day charity tournament at PAPA in February, while poking Kevin about the larger event I really wanted. For 2011, Pinburgh became the charity event, and was a much bigger success than I expected: we had 174 players each pitch in $100 to the prize pool, and $12,550 in donations were made to the local Humane Society. This year, 225 players have already pre-registered with 10 days to go, so we’re looking at a really enormous event, probably one that only PAPA HQ could host and organize.
Throughout 2010 and 2011, I’ve also had the honor of visiting PAPA HQ to film tutorials. These evolved from an amazing top-down camera system initially developed by brothers Keith and Randy Elwin and used at PAPA 13. The tutorials have helped players learn new strategies on games they know, and see new machines for the first time. The tutorials have also led to commentary on championship-level matches, with several top players contributing their efforts and opinions. My hope is that this work increases the visibility of pinball, the quality of pinball play, and the potential for competitive pinball to become a spectator event.
PH: Aside from the obvious answer of getting to play pinball, what’s so exciting about Pinburgh and the upcoming PAPA Tournament Circuit?
BK: Pinburgh is designed for all players to have the same experience of playing a ton of pinball over a weekend. Every player will play 40 four-player games of pinball, and every player is eligible to win the top prize of $4,000. It’s a very social event, too, as the pairing system means each player will meet many others who share a love of the game. I’m excited that so many people have responded to the format, and Pinburgh 2012 will be the largest match-play pinball tournament ever. I really feel that match play is great for everyone, since you can learn skills by watching opponents, and everyone goes home with stories of victory and defeat.
The PAPA Circuit is an opportunity for pinball to really be seen as an event, like other sports. The Circuit has a few purposes, but one is to build and ensure a year-round calendar of top-shelf pinball events. Circuit intends to pick and grow specific events that are either well-established or show promise, while PAPA as a whole supports other tournaments through donations.
The events chosen for Circuit 2012 are diverse across the calendar and across the country, and PAPA sponsors the events by adding prize money to each. Each event winner, along with the top overall winners from all 10 tournaments, earns a free entry into the Circuit Final which will be a real spectacle the day before Pinburgh 2013. For both Circuit Final and Pinburgh, I’m a little sad that I won’t be playing in these events, but am happy to be part of organizing and promoting pinball to as wide an audience as possible.
PH: As someone who’s had the benefit of being immersed in pinball for almost two decades, do you currently see pinball on the rise?
BK: Yes. The number of arcades in my area has increased, as has their quality. The number of pinball machines in major U.S. cities (especially Portland, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and New York) has increased dramatically. Many of the games on location are restored Bally/Williams games or even older, so the rise in pinball’s popularity may not correspond to a rise in the business success of Stern Pinball. It will be a very interesting year, with Stern releasing a high-quality AC/DC pin and Jersey Jack Pinball releasing its first pinball machine. If nothing else, we’ll get a new motto from Stern, currently “the only maker of real pinball games on the planet.”
PH: Many of us have that one game that just has our number. Is there a title out there that you just can’t seem to master?
BK: There are many. I probably play more older games than newer ones now, because of the challenge and the fact that a great game can be followed by a terrible one. Paragon and Flash Gordon are good examples of that. Of the recent Stern machines, I’d say Iron Man falls best into that category: you finish a game feeling like you were just this close to some other major award, and it makes you come back for more. Spider-Man and Simpsons Pinball Party have a similar effect: no matter how well you are doing, there’s always some other thing that you could have had if you just played a little longer. But with Iron Man and some of the older games, the ball is pretty much in danger at every moment, and that’s a good feeling of chaos.
PH: What are your favorite pinball titles?
BK: I really like the two games I own, Simpsons Pinball Party and World Cup Soccer. Paragon and Flash Gordon and some others of that era have grown on me, thanks to the New England locals who have pushed me to play those games. I owned and enjoyed Twilight Zone for many years. If I had to pick one, I might pick World Cup Soccer, because it is so friendly to new players. New players see a goal, literally, and feel a thrill when they get the ball past that goalie. And then they’re
hooked.
PH: What is your advice for new pinball players who would like to start competing in tournaments?
BK: Actively learn from other players as much as you can. There is a lot to learn, and a new player needs to develop their own play style. Compete often, and be willing to play outside your comfort level: play the “pros” and sometimes you find out you can beat them! Any tournament with match play is a good choice, since you know you’ll get good value for your money and you’ll get to meet a lot of players. And have fun! Competition can be serious but pinball is always fun. Win or lose, you’re still playing pinball, so that’s pretty sweet.
I also want to add that competitive play is different in two major ways: only points count, and there are no extra balls. Players new to competitions frequently go for the same goals as they would in arcade play, but often those goals are too difficult to consistently reach, and some of those goals reward extra balls instead of points. Strategy in competition needs to be focused on avoiding very low scores, and flashy objectives only matter if they score big.
PH: Thank you for your time, Bowen, and we look forward to hearing Pinburgh 2012 reports and seeing tournament footage!