# Inside the 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championships | Tour + Highlights!

**Source:** Pinball Shenanigans  
**Type:** video  
**Published:** 2026-04-22  
**Duration:** 28m 49s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO1mgN5lIgM

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## Analysis

Pinball Shenanigans covers the 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championships held in Winnipeg, featuring tournament highlights, venue tours, and the championship finals. The event included a classics match play tournament, main event qualifying, women's tournament, and finals across three days, with Jack Tadman winning his second consecutive Manitoba championship. The video showcases the tournament's game selection, competitive atmosphere, and humorous behind-the-scenes moments.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Jack Tadman is the first repeat winner of the Manitoba Pinball Championship — _Official award announcement at tournament conclusion by tournament organizer_
- [HIGH] The tournament featured approximately 60 players in the classics match play event — _Phantom Mark's direct observation during tournament tour_
- [MEDIUM] Qualifying round lasted approximately 3.5 hours with some players competing in over 100 games — _Phantom Mark's commentary during main event, noting 102 games played by top competitor_
- [HIGH] The tournament venue is run by Drew and Dave Morris — _Phantom Mark identifying venue operators during upstairs tour_
- [MEDIUM] Mystery Castle was described as 'the darling of the whole tournament' — _Phantom Mark's subjective assessment during game tour_

### Notable Quotes

> "It is minus 1,000° out there"
> — **Phantom Mark**, early in video
> _Hyperbolic commentary on extreme cold weather in Winnipeg_

> "Got to defend, buddy. Got to defend."
> — **Tournament organizer (likely Drew)**, during opening remarks
> _Acknowledging Shawn Lenz's attempt to defend his title from previous year_

> "You play that bad you don't deserve to move on, sadly."
> — **Phantom Mark**, after finals
> _Self-criticism after poor performance on Freaky Jackpot_

> "Doom mode, this is the best mode in pinball."
> — **Phantom Mark**, during game commentary
> _High praise for specific game mode design_

> "I'd shake your hand, but you don't have any."
> — **Tournament organizer**, award presentation
> _Humorous closing remark to Jack Tadman_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Phantom Mark | person | Co-host of Pinball Shenanigans, competitive player, tournament attendee and documenter |
| Mike Dimes | person | Co-host of Pinball Shenanigans, tournament attendee |
| Jack Tadman | person | 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championship winner, first repeat champion, from Winnipeg |
| Sean Lenz | person | Competitive player from Ontario, finished 3rd in 2026 Manitoba Championships, participated in finals |
| Phil Birnbaum | person | Competitive player from Ontario, finished 2nd in 2026 Manitoba Championships, moniker 'Feel the Burn' |
| Julie | person | Tournament participant, competitor in main event and women's tournament |
| Drew | person | Venue operator/owner for Manitoba Pinball Championships |
| Dave Morris | person | Co-operator of Manitoba Pinball Championships venue |
| Jay Wollaston | person | Competitive player, name appears on tournament banner |
| Jay Wilson | person | Finished 4th place in 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championship finals |
| Shane Jackson | person | Competitive player, participated in tournament matches |
| Luke | person | Competitive player, participated in classics finals |
| Paul Tweet | person | Out-of-town tournament winner, travel prize raffle winner |
| 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championships | event | Multi-day pinball tournament held in Winnipeg featuring classics match play, main event qualifying, women's tournament, and finals |
| Mystery Castle | game | Pinball machine described as 'darling of the tournament', featured in finals, praised for music and difficulty |
| Dungeons and Dragons | game | Pinball machine used in championship finals, praised for soundtrack |
| Freaky Jackpot | game | Pinball machine praised for modes, music, callouts and sounds; featured in tournament |
| Blue Note | game | Pinball machine featured in tournament, used in classics finals, notable for wedge |
| AC/DC Back in Black | game | Pinball machine at venue where free credits were found |
| Pinball Shenanigans | organization | YouTube video series/podcast documenting pinball tournaments and community |

### Signals

- **[event_signal]** 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championships documented across three days with multi-format competition including classics match play, main event qualifying, women's tournament, and finals (confidence: high) — Video shows complete tournament coverage with finals results and award presentation
- **[venue_signal]** Manitoba Pinball Championships venue successfully hosted large multi-day tournament with diverse game selection and strong regional/national attendance from Ontario, North Dakota, and British Columbia (confidence: high) — Phantom Mark notes 60+ players in classics, diverse geographic representation, multiple tournament formats, good game selection and amenities
- **[competitive_signal]** Jack Tadman won 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championship, achieving first repeat championship victory in event history (confidence: high) — Official award announcement naming Jack Tadman as 'first repeat winner' with trophy and prize money
- **[gameplay_signal]** Mystery Castle recognized as tournament standout for combination of difficulty, music quality, and competitive appeal; ranked high among tournament participants (confidence: medium) — Phantom Mark calls it 'darling of the tournament'; used in finals; praised for music and difficulty settings
- **[gameplay_signal]** Both Mystery Castle and Dungeons and Dragons highlighted for exceptional music quality in tournament environment (confidence: medium) — Extended musical commentary and celebration of both games' soundtracks during finals coverage
- **[community_signal]** Strong Ontario contingent traveled to Winnipeg for tournament despite extreme cold weather (-1° actual, described as minus 1,000° humorously), indicating strong inter-regional tournament participation (confidence: high) — Multiple Ontario players mentioned, travel raffle for out-of-towners, organizers thanking people for traveling despite weather
- **[community_signal]** Dedicated women's tournament held at 2026 Manitoba Championships with separate format and prizes (confidence: high) — Phantom Mark documents women's tournament section with round robin format and trophies
- **[operational_signal]** Tournament staff (Drew specifically) made real-time game difficulty adjustments during finals to optimize competitive experience; scoring preserved when machine malfunction occurred during final game (confidence: high) — Drew adjusted Mystery Castle difficulty settings; Phantom Mark preserved final scores before machine shutdown allowing results to remain official
- **[product_concern]** Dungeons and Dragons machine experienced mechanical failure (smoke/malfunction) during championship finals (confidence: high) — Video shows 'SMOKE' with applause/shock from crowd during final game; Phantom Mark's documentation preserved scores before shutdown
- **[content_signal]** Pinball Shenanigans produces comprehensive video coverage of regional tournaments including venue tours, game showcases, competitor profiles, and finals highlights (confidence: high) — Professional video coverage across three days, multiple camera angles, game tours, competitor interviews, official results documentation

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## Transcript

Julie has discovered there's no tilt bob in the machine. There we go. We have smoke. Okay, we're going to try the new fancy It's going to depart in robot chairs. Mike's always in for a free ride. See you all at 8:06. [laughter] I came over here and there was an aroma. What did you do? Nothing. What You left a turd behind. [laughter] I'm Phantom Mark and this is Pinball Shenanigans. I'm Mike Dimes [music] and this is Pinball Shenanigans. Welcome to balmy Winterpeg. Our first steps outside. And it is effing Yeah, let's go back home. This sucks. This is home for the weekend. Seems decent. Just kind of smells like gerbils. Julie gets the orange room. What color is your room? Oh, you can change it. What color am I? What do I want to be? Ooh, Shawn just almost shot himself. I heard it from over here. All right, whole bunch of shenaniganders are here at the Manitoba Pinball Championships here in Winterpeg and it did did not disappoint. It is minus 1,000° out there, but check this out. Check this out. And and Shawny boy's name on the banner. He's going to try and defend his title. We got Tadman on there a couple times, Birnbaum, Luke, Jay Wollaston. I'm going to photo bomb. Photo bomb while videoing. Some more Ontarians. What's up, boys? There's a good Ontario contingent. This is the um main event right here, but it's vacant because the classics match play is about to begin and looks like we got a 60 players, give or take. So, uh Shawny boy, it's your time to shine. Got to defend, buddy. Got to defend. Thank you all for making the trip. I just want to remind everyone it was 20° last year. It's not our fault. Yes, it is. One of you brought the snow. And it was 20 on Wednesday. And it'll be 20° again the day we leave. Ontario. We've got people from all over the place. North Dakota, British Columbia. Thank you very much for coming. We really appreciate the support. We know it's a lot to come out, so we really appreciate it. It's a draw to win your entry back. we go. This is for local. Got some spinny wheel action going on here. James. All of the out-of-towners are eligible for this one. No matter where you're from. And our out-of-town winner is Paul Tweet. Thank you for the help with the pronunciation. Look at all these Ontario shenanigander number one, shenanigander number two. Good luck, shenanigander number three. Another shenanigander. Shenaniganders all over the place. I don't know what this This wasn't what it was supposed to be, but it's turning out to be something. This is what I'm waiting for. Me versus you. Yeah, there you go. That's what I'm waiting for. All right, classics is in full swing and so is the main event. And I'll go for a quick little tour. So, a lot of cool games this year. Games I've never played like Blue Note, Hot Shots, and the darling of the whole tournament, Mystery Castle. Oh, I might have to edit that out. That was horrible. DND, don't love that. Yo, Houdini. Rarely play that game. I've played like five games in my life. John Wick, same. I don't know that at all. I know Batman 66. Love me some Prospector. And then uh new this year, we've got this extra row here, Ding Dong and Magic City. And then uh these games here. I got a last on Bowling Queen. My um three rounds so far have been They're two game sets. I've been first, last, first, last, and first, and a last. So, I'm exactly uh 50% I guess. But, this is the main floor. All sorts of games. And uh it's been good time so far. So, when I get a chance, I'll show you the upstairs. But yeah, check out the banners. Got to get my name up there for 2026. Now we got Rob Viera rocking the Grizzly Garage merch. J2. Classics is about to continue. Little Pizza Heaven. What? Check out these twinsies. Isn't that adorable? All right, I didn't actually show you the upstairs yesterday, did I? I like this aerial view, but here's the action up here. I am currently playing Mars Trek against Shane Jackson and Phil Birnbaum. Travel all this way from from Ontario just to beat up on each other. Shawny boy's up here as well. There's Drew. What's up, brother? That's Drew. He pretty much runs the show here. This is his place. Him and Dave Morris. They put on an awesome pinball weekend and look at check out these trophies this year. All right, Shane's yelling at me. I guess that means I'm up. Am I up? Oh, in between rounds. That's a good idea. Okay, smart. Why do you have Why do you have your shirt off like that, Julie? I came over here and there was an aroma. And it was near Mike. What? I am innocent. What kind of shenanigans are going on here? Double rolling Blue Note for the top score possibly. Oh, you still have another ball. All right, here we go. Skill shot. [laughter] You want to get her autograph? Did you have a nickname for her? Julie is up to something. Oh, nice dig. You get a sticker. [laughter] You got to put your sticker on the game now. 200 26,000. All right, I dare you to stick this on Shane's ass without him knowing. Right by his phone there cuz he won't even feel it. He's got his headset on. He won't even hear it. He touches me. You probably would. No problem. Here, we're going to play a little game of pin the Julie on the donkey. Round two. Success. All right, I'll give a brief little update. It's kind of thinning out up here. The 10 strikes tournament has begun and I think I have five strikes right now. The classics uh This is the finals right here, actually. I think this is the final four. So, we got Luke and uh don't even know who else. But, the classics is wrapping up. Main event still going. Qualifying is another about 3 and 1/2 hours. I am currently in second place. I have played 80 games though. But, I am not the biggest dumper of them all. There are probably three or four people, maybe five, that have uh played more games than I have. Someone has even cracked into three digits, 102 last I checked. So, this is the main action over here. Julie is currently qualified. Top 24 will move on tomorrow morning. Shawny boys up there. And yeah, Jack Tadman has just joined the party, so he pretty much reserved one of those top eight spots for him. Cuz the top eight get a buy and I would really love a buy. Then I don't have to be here at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. I can sleep in a little. I ended up 22nd in the match play. Shawny boy ended up around 12th. And this is going to be the final four coming up shortly. All right, here we go. Final four match play classics. Pretty cool. Blue new blue note. Yeah. Blue note wedge head cool ass trophy. I want one of those. I'm going to have to earn it in the main event. [cheering] [applause] [clears throat] That was 14 hours of pinball. Time for some sleep. All right, it is Sunday, day three, and the finals are happening right now. This is the final 16. And the best part of it all [music] is that you can only hear Mystery Castle [screaming] for the most part. And it is awesome. [music] All right. The women's tournament is happening. Oh, you women are doing it right here. Check out Let's check out the trophies. All right. Is this going to be yours? See what it looks like on you. All right. And then what do we got? The rocking a rocking round robin cake? Damn, I got to come to more women's tournaments. Here's the action all upstairs. No boys allowed. I am the only boy allowed for now. [laughter] All right. Well, good luck to you. And kick some butt. He's the I'm the only other boy allowed. If you are delivering food, you're allowed. If you're doing video, you're allowed. All right. We're out of here. All right, I forgot. Got to do a group photo. All right. My run is over. Sean's run is over. Julie's run is over in the main event. I think this is the beginning of the final eight. Here's my results. 9 through 16. The last game in the set was pretty much between me and Ian. Both with five points. And I am player one. That's 16 million points. Um I played this game last night twice at the very end of qualifying. And they were both 400 million scores. I had to void them both because my good score was better than that. 16 million, very, very embarrassing. You play that bad you don't deserve to move on, sadly. Didn't think I was nervous while playing, but I sure as hell played like it. I'm just kind of stalling here cuz I shouldn't even see my name on the board. Doom mode, this is the best mode in pinball. Freaky jackpot. I need me one of these games. It has the best music, call outs, sounds, and modes. Where's my high score? Come on now. This wasn't supposed to be a 10-minute video. I don't show my low score again. Here we go. And I think it's number four. Look at that. 573 million. And I end up with 16. You know how much that sucks? But I get 70 bucks for my consolation. Final four, game three, Mystery Castle. See, you can't duck. [music] And now we've got Mystery Castle cranked to the max. Drew Drew took it up a little bit too much. He's actually going to bring it back a little bit, but [music] we get to hear Mystery Castle in all its glory now. Let's just enjoy some of the tunes [music] for a minute or two here. to Drew tunes on Dungeons and Dragons as well cuz it also has [applause] an amazing soundtrack. So, it's down to Phil Birnbaum, Sean Lenz, Jack Tadman. Whoever wins [applause] this game of Dungeons and Dragons will be the Manitoba Pinball Champ. Get their name on the banner, [applause] hardware, the cash, and the glory. And all to one of the greatest soundtracks in pinball history. [applause] I am here TO DOCUMENT THE SHENANIGANS. WE HAVE SMOKE. [applause] [cheering] WHO BROKE IT? PHIL. PHIL, WHAT DID you do? That's [laughter] why your moniker is Feel the Burn. [applause] Don't worry, we got top men working on it. Top men. Thanks to my shenanigans, I was able to preserve the scores before the machine was turned off. So, they were able to continue on. And the results are official. So, we'll do the award presentation and show you who is the victor. Thanks so much for coming out there. 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championship. Congratulations to all the finalists. And in the end, in fourth place, Jay Wilson. Congratulations, Jay. In third place, Mr. Sean Lenz. And in second place, Mr. Phil Birnbaum. And our winner and first repeat winner, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jack Tadman from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I'd shake your hand, but you don't have any. And that wraps up 2026 Manitoba Pinball Championships. Twas a blast. We'll see you again next year. [laughter] What did you do? What? You left a turd behind. There's a whole story There's a whole story behind that. Tiola's planted that there. We just found three free credits at the movie theater on AC/DC, the Back in Black edition. The Back in Black edition. All right, Tiola says discovered there's no tilt bob in the machine. He says he ain't going to drain. Let's see uh Is it actually? There we go. Oh, you did drain after all. Good effort. All right, Tiola says [laughter] uh trying to get the GC here. Flippers are a little sticky, so he's got to kind of improvise here. There you go. This is working out. Oh, nice save. Nice save. Oh, tried the death save. Okay, we're going to try the new fancy robot chairs. Oh. Here we go. [music] Mike's always in for a free ride. This is the best. I love robot wheelchairs. [music] Chair for a ride. [music] My chair is confused. There you go. You You've arrived. All right, go back to your parking lot. [music] All right. It's going to return in 60 seconds. There it goes. Look at the kid. He's like, "This chair is moving by itself." Oh, they're almost getting run over. Parking lot, you can see is way back there. Bye-bye, robot chair.

_(Acquisition: youtube_auto_sub, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-06-06 | Item ID: 70f6648e-0375-4fe9-8bcf-a8a1788078f1*