Newcastle pinball champion ranked 6th in Australia
Pat Nichols, ranked sixth in Australia and 100th globally, now runs weekly tournaments for newcomers at Tower Cinemas Pinball Club.
Pat Nichols was born in Newcastle and never expected to become a pinball champion. Pat Nichols discovered the game in 2006 at a pub in Sydney, where a Star Wars machine became his Friday night ritual.
When the pub removed it, he stopped playing for five years. Everything changed when he wandered into Coogee Diggers Club, which hosted Wednesday tournaments.
Meeting other players showed him he was genuinely good. Fast forward 15 years: Pat now runs his own tournaments every Tuesday night at Tower Cinemas Pinball Club.
Since it started at the end of 2025, more than 85 individual players have signed up. Tournaments are free for first-timers.
The community includes grandparents, boilermakers, police officers, lawyers and students. Pat himself travels across Australia for major tournaments.
- 6th
- Australian ranking
- 100th
- Global ranking
- end of 2025
- Tournament start date
- more than 85
- Total players signed up
Why it mattersPinball attracts players across all ages and backgrounds, and Pat's free community tournaments let newcomers discover a skill-based game without pressure.
AustraliaNewcastle now has an active, open-to-all pinball scene run by a world-ranked player, with weekly tournaments anyone can join free.
