“On a recent Thursday evening, the lights at RPC, as the place is known for short, were more than just on. They were flashing amid a cacophony of clacking flippers, buzzers, and bells caused by silver balls rocketing and ricocheting off blinking bumpers under glass on their playfields.

Casual players tend to view pinball as a frenzied series of random zigs and zags that are more at the mercy of luck than skill. The couple dozen players at RPC knew better.”