Fast Break to Vegas: Inside Pop-A-Palooza at KAOS inside PALMS Resort & Casino

By Bryce Smith
Championship, Elite, Events
Jun 17, 2026

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By Bryce Smith
Championship, Elite, Events
Jun 17, 2026

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  • High-Stakes Format & Venue Setup: Pop-A-Palooza brought 64 top-tier players to KAOS inside the PALMS Hotel for an ESPN+ broadcasted $11,000 tournament, featuring custom No-Bonus-Time rules, Swiss-to-Stairs seeding, and intense head-to-head tiebreakers on Pop-A-Shot Pro Dual Shot units.
  • Side-Bracket Innovation: Eliminated players competed in a new "Tug Of War" mode on Pop-A-Shot Elite machines, where baskets deduct points from opponents—highlighted by a staggering 380–370 match and $500 payouts to the Tug of War Champion, KGANTON.
  • Record Scoring & Championship Winner: In a tournament defined by historic offense including ISHAM setting a single-game record of 182 points. MURPH won the inaugural title and $5,000 top prize by defeating ISHAM 3-1 in a high-scoring Best-of-5 final series.

On July 18th, arcade basketball history was made in the heart of Las Vegas. Pop-A-Shot brought 64 of the nation's most elite shooters together at KAOS inside the PALMS Hotel for Pop-A-Palooza; a high-octane, single-night tournament competing for an $11,000 cash prize pool.

 

From National Championship qualifiers to top performers who earned their spots through nationwide virtual qualifiers, players flew in from all across the country. Broadcasted live on ESPN+ for fans around the world to tune in, the event delivered non-stop action from the very first shot.

An Unrivaled Atmosphere

Walking into KAOS, players and fans were immediately immersed in an electrifying, retro-chic environment.

  • The Entry Experience: Attendees entered through a long, mirrored hallway featuring custom Pop-A-Shot ball animations across the ceiling, leading into a venue where basketballs were flying across screens everywhere—including the crisp, integrated displays on the commercial-grade Pop-A-Shot Elite machines.
  • The Main Stage: Eight Pop-A-Shot games fanned out across the floor of KAOS, topped by a massive live Leaderboard to keep competitors and viewers locked into the standings.
  • The Vibes: Complete with haze cascading from the rafters for that iconic 90s NBA arena feel, a live DJ spinning tunes all night, and signature event cocktails served at the bar.

"I had butterflies walking into this event, this is absolutely amazing."

— Scott Setzke, Top 4 Finalist

 

"You guys really pulled off something special."

— Nick DeMarinis

Alt image

The EMCEE: Robert "Bojo" Ackah

Guiding the crowd through the rapid-fire broadcast was our phenomenal emcee, Robert "Bojo" Ackah. A true Las Vegas entertainment powerhouse, Bojo is best known as a top radio personality on Q100.5 and the iconic stadium host for the Vegas Golden Knights, Henderson Silver Knights, Las Vegas Lights FC, and the NBA Summer League. Despite the daunting task of pronouncing dozens of unique and eccentric player usernames live on the mic, Bojo kept the energy booming, engaged the crowd, and kept the entire two-hour live production moving at a breakneck pace.

Specialty Event Cocktails

KAOS rolled out a dedicated menu for the night to keep the energy high:

Pop-A-Palooza

Spicy Watermelon Margarita

Mr. Pop

Coconut Rum, Blue Curacao, Pineapple Juice, Passion Fruit Puree, Lime Juice, Splash Soda

Buzzer Beater

Codigo 1530 Blanco, Blood Orange Liqueur, Cranberry Juice, Agave, Lime Juice

The Swish

Tito’s, Blue Curacao, St. Germain, Lemon Juice, Blueberry Syrup, Prosecco

High-Stakes Format: No Bonus Time, Pure Sprint

To fit the action into a tight 2-hour broadcast window, games featured a crucial rule tweak: No Bonus Time. Without late-game extensions, there were no "Hail Marys" or last-second safety nets—demanding absolute speed, precision, and consistency from the start.

1. Swiss Standings

The 64-player field opened in a Swiss Standings format. Winners played winners and losers played losers with matching records round after round. Only four players swept through Swiss play with a perfect 4–0 record to earn automatic bracket placement: ISHAM, SCOTTSETZKE, PKOW, and ONIONS.

2. The Stair Step

To narrow the remaining field down to the final bracket, all non-undefeated players entered the Stairs Step round. In this phase, it came strictly down to raw firepower: players competed for the highest absolute scores to claim the last remaining seeds in the Top 16 bracket. 

3. The Sudden-Death Tiebreaker: Pop-A-Shot Pro Dual Shot

Because the fast-moving broadcast left no time for lengthy tiebreakers on the Elites, ties were settled on a heavy-duty Pop-A-Shot Pro Dual Shot unit on the floor. When two players tied, they competed head-to-head on the same dual frame at the exact same time. The strategy completely shifted: shooting rhythm took a backseat as both players fought tooth and nail to grab basketballs before their opponent, making tiebreakers some of the most intense moments of the night.

Tournament Stat Leaderboard

Without Bonus Time, crossing the 100-point mark required near-flawless mechanics. Here is a look at the highest single-game scoring performances of the event:

Top Single-Game Scores Overall

  1. ISHAM — 182 Points (Semifinals vs. SCOTTSETZKE, Game 3)
  2. MURPH — 179 Points (Championship Finals vs. ISHAM, Game 2)
  3. MURPH — 178 Points (Championship Finals vs. ISHAM, Game 4)
  4. ISHAM — 177 Points (Championship Finals vs. MURPH, Game 1)
  5. ISHAM — 176 Points (Round of 16 vs. JONATHONARMSTEAD, Game 1)

Stat Highlight: ISHAM produced 4 of the top 5 highest single-game scores of the entire tournament (182, 177, 176, and 175)!

For the full list of scores, matchup breakdowns, and round-by-round statistics, visit the official Pop-A-Palooza Player Portal.

Tug Of War: The Side Bracket Showdown

When competitors were eliminated from main bracket contention, the action didn't stop. Players transitioned to the newly featured Tug Of War game mode on the Pop-A-Shot Elite.

  • How It Works: Head-to-head racing to 10 points—but every basket you make deducts points from your opponent.
  • The Highlight: The head-to-head dynamic spurred insane back-and-forth battles, including one marathon matchup that ended in a staggering 380–370 scoreline!
  • The Cash Winner: Kyle Ganton fought his way through the massive side bracket to finish as the Tug Of War, taking home a $500 check.

The Final 16 Bracket Breakdown

The top 16 seeds locked into a single-elimination showdown:

  1. ISHAM
  2. ONIONS
  3. PKOW
  4. SCOTTSETZKE
  5. JANTAWN
  6. MURPH
  7. NEUPACC
  8. SZNRAYMUNDO
  9. NBALSER
  10. BDERIAN
  11. NICKYBUCKETZ
  12. RPETERSEN
  13. JSCHWAB
  14. JNM88
  15. JH3
  16. JONATHONARMSTEAD

Round 16

Nearly every matchup resulted in a 2-0 sweep, with SZNRAYMUNDO pulling off the lone contested victory over NBALSER (winning 2-1 after taking Game 3 144–123).

  • Advancing to Quarterfinals: ISHAM, SCOTTSETZKE, JANTAWN, ONIONS, NEUPACC (who defeated his friend BDERIAN), PKOW, MURPH, and SZNRAYMUNDO.

Quarterfinals

  • ISHAM def. SZNRAYMUNDO (2-0) | Scores: 174–151, 175–135
  • SCOTTSETZKE def. JANTAWN (2-0) | Scores: 161–144, 165–160
  • ONIONS def. NEUPACC (2-1) | Scores: 151–148, 131–151, 152–120
  • MURPH def. PKOW (2-1) | Scores: 171–163, 158–164, 168–147

Semifinals

  • ISHAM def. SCOTTSETZKE (2-1) — A dramatic battle between two childhood friends who grew up in the same Michigan hometown and attended the same high school. ISHAM set the tournament record with 182 points in Game 3 to seal the win.
  • MURPH def. ONIONS (2-0) | Scores: 165–159, 166–137

The Finals & Prize Payouts

3rd Place Battle

In an absolute nailbiter 1-game play-off, SCOTTSETZKE edged out ONIONS to capture 3rd place and take home the $2,000 prize.

Championship Series (Best of 5)

  • The main event saw MURPH go head-to-head against ISHAM in an offensive masterclass. The four games combined for 1,369 total points (342.2 combined points per game).
     
  • Game 1: ISHAM def. MURPH (177–161)
  • Game 2: MURPH def. ISHAM (179–172)
  • Game 3: MURPH def. ISHAM (168–165)
  • Game 4: MURPH def. ISHAM (178–169)

Closing out three straight games with scores of 179, 168, and 178, MURPH secured a 3-1 series victory to become the inaugural Pop-A-Palooza Champion!

Tournament Payouts Summary

  • 🏆 1st Place ($5,000): MURPH
  • 🥈 2nd Place ($3,000): ISHAM
  • 🥉 3rd Place ($2,000): SCOTTSETZKE
  • ⚔️ Tug Of War Champion ($500): KGANTON
  • 🎟️ Raffle Winners ($500): JOSHCAPUTO & OWENXWIGI

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