Pinball tournaments coming back to Merry Time Bar & Grill

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Calling all pinball wizards.

Following a pandemic-induced hiatus, Merry Time Bar and Grill in downtown Astoria has resumed its monthly pinball tournament.

Players of all skill levels are invited to participate and win cash prizes every first Sunday of the month, with the next event being held this Sunday at 6 p.m. It only takes a $5 buy-in, a stack of quarters to drop and crazy flipper fingers.

Todd Robinett, who co-owns the Merry Time as well as the nearby Labor Temple Diner and Bar with his wife, Terry, began installing pinball machines at the remodeled mezzanine space some three years ago. What started with two machines co-leased with a friend grew to six just before the coronavirus pandemic, all the way to a full dozen of their own today.

Robinett launched the tournament shortly after the machines arrived at the Merry Time, but was soon forced to halt play due to COVID-19. The tournament returned in December, with a soft relaunch.

A self-professed pinball enthusiast, Robinett said the addition of pinball machines to the bar made sense because it allowed him to both support his hobby and generate revenue. “If I were just a collector, I would have a hard time justifying owning these machines, because they’re not cheap,” he said, with some limited edition models on the market costing around $10,000. “These machines are paying for themselves.”

Robinett has special appreciation for the immersive nature of the pinball experience, with artwork, gameplay and sounds. “The more you play them, the more you realize that they’re actual games with objectives, not just a random chaotic thing,” he said.

A few players from the area have become regulars, and the Merry Time sees a lot of visitors to Astoria and the coast. By his admission, Robinett plays pinball at the Merry Time about three nights a week. “I’m trying to build something with local people,” Robinett said.

A minimum of eight players is ideal to hold a bracketed tournament. Eleven of the 12 machines get randomly selected for play, including Jungle Lord, a vintage 1981 gem, the newest game, Godzilla, this year’s model, and Medieval Madness, which is, according to Robinett, “probably the greatest pinball machine ever made.”

Merry Time is one of two pinball tournaments on the North Coast, the other being held at North Coast Pinball, a dedicated arcade in Nehalem.

The rise of pinball after the Great Recession coincided with that of vinyl records, retrocomputing and similar retro-oriented phenomena.

Though Robinett jokingly attributes it to “hipster culture,” you don’t have to be a hipster or have supple wrists to participate in the pinball tournament at Merry Time. Just show up on Sunday and have fun.

6 p.m. the first Sunday of each month

Merry Time Bar & Grill

995 Marine Drive, Astoria

$5 entry fee 

Cash prizes for first, second and third place