Tournament/competitive players - help us choose a pin

[Deleted member 2463]

In this rare event where knowledge of ruleset is paramount, my vote would be Star Wars. Short ball times and I think one of the best rulesets for tournament play. Huge risk vs reward and skill required on the multipliers - nothing else like it.

Second to that a Lord of the Rings setup for tournament play. Set mine up like this for a while and it was brutal.

Its brutal if you miss the shots but the shots are so wide open on LOTR that Stevie Wonder had the GC on mine.

I delayed pinburgh by destroying the ring on that very machine I got the tap LOL

Neil.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

I know we all talk a lot about difficult games improving play but have you thought about setting a game up super easy and just practicing flipper skills, nudging and accuracy? I’m not saying I’m brilliant but I’ve improved a lot in almost 2 years and my games aren’t set up hard. JP and TMNT were both on 5 balls for a long time. TMNT even got some co-op games on 5 balls at the beginning!

this - practise practise practise, doesn't matter how the game is setup - when I've had time to spend practising I played 100% better than when I turn up without having done any.

 

[Jib]

I’ve got Godzilla and the code makes no difference at all. I’ve actually got onto the high score table on Mando in Funland, and I’ve drained extra balls on that pin because I got so bored of playing.

The only pins that keeps my attention for ages are JP2 (and long games of Fish Tales), and that’s because - with JP2 - the theme integration is so strong that I genuinely *feel* like I’m hunting dinosaurs and rescuing park rangers by making hard brutal shots, with milliseconds to spare before they get eaten. The rest of the modern Sterns (and JJPs) tend to be a load of images/numbers flying up on screen, with very little connection to what’s going on the playfield. I don’t even look at the screen most of the time.

As such, the games I love tend to give me a lot of kinetic satisfaction packed into a short, brutal game.

GZ is very friendly though, you can have a decent game without knowing how to nudge at all and the flow means there’s less need for flipper skills, although both obviously make for a better game. I’m saying get a game you need to nudge and use flipper skills on but set it up so you get more opportunities to do that and an easier success rate.

Just offering a different perspective!

 

[Deleted member 2463]

We've had James' Genesis since Pinfest and not once has it had a fault and people know I notice even the smallest issues
Gottliebs appear to be really reliable (when looked after), I don't know why they have got a reputation of being unreliable. We've had Tx, arena and genesis with no issues at all on any of them. I don't know about the newer dmd ones but @MajesticPinball and @OTRawrior have owned or owned Stargate and other more modern Gottliebs and I don't hear of issues.

I suspect that's because those games have been hardened. But when I'm at tournaments when people just wheel in one from home, they typically don't make lunchtime.

Neil.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

That'll teach me for providing a suggestion...!

P.S. I've owned plenty of machines over the years - fun fact modern Sterns (once decent end stops have been fitted) and Gottliebs have the least maintenance issues.

100% for stargate ->

 

[VeeMonroe]

I suspect that's because those games have been hardened. But when I'm at tournaments when people just wheel in one from home, they typically don't make lunchtime.

Neil.

Yeah, this is my concern. I'm a huge classics fan, but I'm *not* bringing in anymore pre-2000 pins into our house (right now) because - if they develop a complex electrical fault that requires my husband to fix - I'm not leaving the room alive. I mean, genuinely, we both like Harlem Globetrotters and that's not on my list because I know, if I get a HGT, it's going to be one where someone cut and resoldered wires at random, and attempted to fix a molex plug fault with a paperclip. Even if it's working when it leaves the previous owner, it will promptly develop a weird mains fault involving the paperclip/random resoldering combo within a week of entering our house. Probably one involving a part only available from a single online parts shop in Minnesota that charges $300 delivery for orders under $100, and won't deliver to the UK.

I could learn how to fix my own bats**t electrical faults but, from experience, I'm at least twenty IQ points down on where I need to be.

 

[Den - aka Wolfgang]

From having a browse through the thread, defo sounds like you should hold out for a JP2.
1.You said you really like the game
2.can be difficult to master (and can be short ball times)
3. Often comes up in tournaments
(much to my disappointment he he - although recently I've managed to get over my mental block with this game at tournaments and I'm kind of now regretting not holding on to the Nice PRO I had for longer than 2 weeks. Still not a big fan, but in a world where I had more more space/money I'd defo have it again on a temporary basis.

 

[VeeMonroe]

100% for stargate ->

Nice

My husband wants to know how likely Gottlieb's are to come up in UK tournaments? (genuine question) The only ones we've seen were either at Pinfest or at Medway Pinball Club (where Stargate didn't come up in the recent league event). He questions whether there's any point practicing Gottlieb flipper feel if we're not going to actually play a non-EM Gottlieb in competition.

Most of what we see are 90s Bally/Williams, classics, TNA (literally) and post-2000 Sterns...

 

[M4carp]

My Gottlieb 80b‘s have been mega reliable, system 3’s are pretty much bomb proof and well built too.

Ramp shot on Robowar isn’t a gimme, best hit when it rolls down from the outlane to make it

 

[David_Vi]

Nice

My husband wants to know how likely Gottlieb's are to come up in UK tournaments? (genuine question) The only ones we've seen were either at Pinfest or at Medway Pinball Club (where Stargate didn't come up in the recent league event). He questions whether there's any point practicing Gottlieb flipper feel if we're not going to actually play a non-EM Gottlieb in competition.

Most of what we see are 90s Bally/Williams, classics, TNA (literally) and post-2000 Sterns...

I feel like you're both taking it far too seriously. Pinball is to be enjoyed.
Just play and you'll get better. Practice makes perfect.
There's no shortcuts to getting better at something except practice.
Some people take to things quicker or have different skills but still you can't expect to get better without playing, a lot.
A lot of the people you'll face at PBR or other comps have been playing for years. Some were playing when they were young and have returned to Pinball sometimes over a decade or two later.
I'm not a great player but I regularly get beaten on my own games by players who have only recently returned to pinball, they don't know the flipper feel or the rules of our games like I do but they outperform me.

I don't believe you need to own a specific type of pin just incase you come across it in a comp. Not at your or my level (no offense intended). Pinball should be fun.

Shot accuracy and control can be learnt on any pin if you are trying to develop those skills.

 

[VeeMonroe]

I feel like you're both taking it far too seriously. Pinball is to be enjoyed.
Just play and you'll get better. Practice makes perfect.
There's no shortcuts to getting better at something except practice.
Some people take to things quicker or have different skills but still you can't expect to get better without playing, a lot.
A lot of the people you'll face at PBR or other comps have been playing for years. Some were playing when they were young and have returned to Pinball sometimes over a decade or two later.
I'm not a great player but I regularly get beaten on my own games by players who have only recently returned to pinball, they don't know the flipper feel or the rules of our games like I do but they outperform me.

I don't believe you need to own a specific type of pin just incase you come across it in a comp. Not at your or my level (no offense intended). Pinball should be fun.

Shot accuracy and control can be learnt on any pin if you are trying to develop those skills.

I think this is just how I enjoy things

What can I say except, genuinely, unless I'm swearing and cursing at a pin, and get to the point where I tilt due to excessive nudging out of sheer frustration, I'm not having fun...

 

[Jib]

Don’t get why you hate TMNT

 

[VeeMonroe]

Don’t get why you hate TMNT

You know, I've thought about this, and I don't know why either

 

[Replay]

I’ve got Godzilla and the code makes no difference at all. I’ve actually got onto the high score table on Mando in Funland, and I’ve drained extra balls on that pin because I got so bored of playing.

The only pins that keeps my attention for ages are JP2 (and long games of Fish Tales), and that’s because - with JP2 - the theme integration is so strong that I genuinely *feel* like I’m hunting dinosaurs and rescuing park rangers by making hard brutal shots, with milliseconds to spare before they get eaten. The rest of the modern Sterns (and JJPs) tend to be a load of images/numbers flying up on screen, with very little connection to what’s going on the playfield. I don’t even look at the screen most of the time.

As such, the games I love tend to give me a lot of kinetic satisfaction packed into a short, brutal game.

If you like short, brutal games that humiliate you, look no further than Rick and Morty.

Rick will taunt you badly

Harder than TNA ( I think ), and deep enough with all the dimensions etc etc.

If you like the theme, even better.

 

[David_Vi]

I think this is just how I enjoy things

What can I say except, genuinely, unless I'm swearing and cursing at a pin, and get to the point where I tilt due to excessive nudging out of sheer frustration, I'm not having fun...

I didn't say anything about games being frustrating but if you're playing pinball and don't enjoy it I don't see how you'll be motivated to get better by practicing.
Even when a game is frustrating for me I still enjoy it and I'm motivated to get better by trying to work out where I went wrong then practice the skills required. Buying a different pin never comes to mind.

I just don't think you can expect to get better without practice, I recall you saying in this thread or a thread a while back something along the lines that the idea of practice bores you to tears.

Why don't you attend more events and play with varied skilled players and learn from them.
Most people in the UK scene improve in time, through just playing. First and foremost (for me) pinball tournaments are about fun and community. I know I'll never be as good as the top10 (or even top 20) players because I just don't have the dedication or discipline to learn deep rulesets. But what I can do is play pinball and improve on my flipper skills which will take you far as most players are just like us, they don't study rulesets and only know the basics. You'll be forever encountering games you've never played before and most of the time owning a particular game is more of a hindrance than a help as everyone has different opinions on flipper alignment, rubbers, pitch and then there's wear.

Saying all this, if I wanted to improve a particular skill there are certain eras or titles that are more suited, eg you can't really learn tap passes on modern games and some games aren't good for alley passes.
Some games have tighter shots which will help accuracy but still it won't be overnight and it doesn't matter if that games in a comp or not as it'll probably play totally differently due to what I mentioned above. But it'll help your general accuracy improve and that's what you need (obviously exchange accuracy for whatever other skills).

 

[new forest pinball]

entertaining read this thread!……

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don’t want the potential for further maintenance issues. Also, my favourite Gottliebs are Genesis/TX-Sector.

We will have a refurbished Genesis for sale later in the year if all goes to plan this season on the cabinets refurbishing schedule

 

[VeeMonroe]

I just don't think you can expect to get better without practice, I recall you saying in this thread or a thread a while back something along the lines that the idea of practice bores you to tears.

I didn't I spent about a week just before I had surgery repetitively practicing drop catches... and, before that, I repetitively practiced nudging. The main thing that limits my practice is having two small children and (at least) two chronic medical conditions.

Why don't you attend more events and play with varied skilled players and learn from them.

You mean more events than the PBR league events I attend every Thursday? Or the London and SE League events we've been attending once a month (one of which we're hosting)?

Most people in the UK scene improve in time, through just playing.

The problem is that I don't think, for me anyway, that's happening. Or, at least, it's not happening fast enough. I'm getting really frustrated by f****g bombing out on Junkyard (among others) every single Thursday evening and having no f***g clue what I'm doing on TWD. So, although my Fish Tales has lightning flippers/murder slingshots/bouncy rubbers, and the outlanes on our AFM are a mile wide, I figured I might improve faster if I owned something *really* frustrating.

First and foremost (for me) pinball tournaments are about fun and community. I know I'll never be as good as the top10 (or even top 20) players because I just don't have the dedication or discipline to learn deep rulesets.

Yes, but these people start somewhere, right? They don't just wake up one morning and think, "well, I was playing casually, but now I think I'll learn the entire ruleset to Iron Maiden by heart". Type A personalities are born, they don't evolve with practice

But what I can do is play pinball and improve on my flipper skills which will take you far as most players are just like us, they don't study rulesets and only know the basics.

I genuinely spend about an hour (minimum) before every London and SE League event, watching tutorial videos on any machines I'm unfamiliar with, visiting PinTips and making copious notes. Given my play is terrible, the least I can do is work out where to aim for the most points in the ten seconds of ball time that I do have

 

[Jib]

The problem is that I don't think, for me anyway, that's happening. Or, at least, it's not happening fast enough. I'm getting really frustrated by f****g bombing out on Junkyard (among others) every single Thursday evening and having no f***g clue what I'm doing on TWD. So, although my Fish Tales has lightning flippers/murder slingshots/bouncy rubbers, and the outlanes on our AFM are a mile wide, I figured I might improve faster if I owned something *really* frustrating.

Vee, this is why I suggested doing something different, you obviously feel that what you’re trying now isn’t making you get better, I don’t think making a game even harder or getting a harder game is going to help.

Tighten some outlanes, loosen the tilt etc give yourself more chances to learn the skills.

If that sounds too boring to you then you have to chose between being bored to get better or it seems, not getting better.

 

[David_Vi]

You mean more events than the PBR league events I attend every Thursday? Or the London and SE League events we've been attending once a month (one of which we're hosting)?

Are you playing with others? That helps. Often they can give pointers and tell you where you're going wrong. I've had people comment on shot accuracy for me, while also pointing out what skills I'm good at.
Also it's much more fun playing with others.

Yes, but these people start somewhere, right? They don't just wake up one morning and think, "well, I was playing casually, but now I think I'll learn the entire ruleset to Iron Maiden by heart". Type A personalities are born, they don't evolve with practice

No but they walk before they can run. I see Craig and other good players asking to borrow certain games because they would like to learn the rulesets and get comfortable with them in their own homes. But they already have a strong basis, they're extremely good players in general so knowing more of the rules is important when you're facing another highly skilled player.

95% of us learn a game because we like it. Or we play it regularly somewhere and decide to put more time into it.

Playing in comps should be fun, a social event.
I only know of a few newish players who have shot up to being competent comp players, one being Yuen who I believe got back into pinball through lockdown. Only owns two machines but from what I know is a very motivated and disciplined person in general.

If you feel you've hit a wall with your playing, (and I know this happens in a lot of hobbies or sports), often the best way past it is to have someone help you. Let them critique your playing and give pointers.
I consider myself quite observant and usually can see where someone else is going wrong but when it comes to my own playing it's likely to be something I'm not noticing or unaware of.

Occasionally I consider starting a thread where people post gameplay videos and ask for feedback. Often just recording it and watching it back yourself can help.

I genuinely spend about an hour (minimum) before every London and SE League event, watching tutorial videos on any machines I'm unfamiliar with, visiting PinTips and making copious notes. Given my play is terrible, the least I can do is work out where to aim for the most points in the ten seconds of ball time that I do have

I'm in two minds about this. I find that if I know what I should be doing I am more likely to fall behind and fail. As my accuracy and general skills aren't that great I'll be stressing about the right shots, trying to get control and then bricking shots.
Sometimes it's better to just relax and enjoy flipping a game and getting a feel for it.
A prime exame are those people who are just good, they flip about and beat me on my own games.

Sometimes it's about putting less pressure on yourself

 

[Deleted member 2463]

David, I think you make big bold statements about fun, what's fun for you is different to others. Fun for some is getting better at something, I play a lot of games I don't like, some aren't fun but not all of them.

 

[VeeMonroe]

Are you playing with others? That helps. Often they can give pointers and tell you where you're going wrong. I've had people comment on shot accuracy for me, while also pointing out what skills I'm good at.
Also it's much more fun playing with others.

@Jackpot and @Chris P have been amazing. I've learned how to get multi-balls on Avatar and AC/DC (which I previously bombed) and that I should be making difficult shots when the ball save is going (among other things). My husband says I don't nudge enough, which I'm trying to fix. I've had a lot of "that was bad luck" from people, but it's obviously not luck because good players don't have these issues. I'm just wildly inconsistent, which is the most frustrating thing imaginable. So, last week in best game at evening PBR league, I came in the top eight for Flash Gordon (and this was a comp with some really good players), average on Harlem Globetrotters and very good on Medusa, but struggled to get a million on Junkyard I can fluctuate between scoring 2 and 27 points on different machines in the same tournament. I have people queuing behind me going "Wow, good score" on one machine, and then - next machine - I'm straight out, three near-instant drains.

If you feel you've hit a wall with your playing, (and I know this happens in a lot of hobbies or sports), often the best way past it is to have someone help you. Let them critique your playing and give pointers.
I consider myself quite observant and usually can see where someone else is going wrong but when it comes to my own playing it's likely to be something I'm not noticing or unaware of.

I just don't seem to be able to dial-in shots quickly on an unfamiliar machine. If I don't know what I'm doing, I can be playing for five minutes and score nothing (one problem). If I don't know what I should be shooting for, I lose concentration and drain (another problem). Some machines, I just won't be able to make certain critical shots at all for no reason, even if I could make them last week (a further problem). Once I've bricked enough shots, the ball gets out of control, and unless it's somewhere near the flippers (so I can drop catch it, etc.) then it just ricochets around, with me trying desperately to nudge/bounce it somewhere useful, until it disappears off into an outlane...

Occasionally I consider starting a thread where people post gameplay videos and ask for feedback. Often just recording it and watching it back yourself can help.

That's a really good idea

I'm in two minds about this. I find that if I know what I should be doing I am more likely to fall behind and fail. As my accuracy and general skills aren't that great I'll be stressing about the right shots, trying to get control and then bricking shots.
[...]
Sometimes it's about putting less pressure on yourself

That's definitely a possibility. Normally I feel more confident if I know what I should be doing because I don't need to think about what to do during the game. Other times, I just get increasingly frustrated because I can't do the thing I'm trying to do and, as you say, brick shots (and drain). Sometimes, I have such bad experiences with certain games, I'll just see them in a tournament and be like "OMG, it's that f****g machine again", and it's a dead loss after that point. Junkyard is a good example. Not only do I not enjoy it as a game, but I cannot play it at all. I've actually tried practicing it outside of league... and watching a tutorial video... AND playing the virtual version on iPad. I still suck

Probably my biggest problem right now is I think my husband is getting better faster than I am (I have a higher IPFA ranking than him currently, but that won't be the case after the London and SE League scores are in). And, given part of our relationship is viciously competing with one another, that just wrecks my confidence.

 

[VeeMonroe]

David, I think you make big bold statements about fun, what's fun for you is different to others. Fun for some is getting better at something, I play a lot of games I don't like, some aren't fun but not all of them.

This

Fun for me is getting better at something, so I don't suck. I don't particularly enjoy flipping balls around in a non-goal-orientated fashion - I don't see the point.

 

[David_Vi]

David, I think you make big bold statements about fun, what's fun for you is different to others. Fun for some is getting better at something, I play a lot of games I don't like, some aren't fun but not all of them.

Obviously, but you're the person who calls a game a turd as if everyone else should think it is also a turd when actually people can have different opinions.
I wasn't saying fun is only my fun. It should at least be rewarding and not frustrating all of the time.

This

Fun for me is getting better at something, so I don't suck. I don't particularly enjoy flipping balls around in a non-goal-orientated fashion - I don't see the point.

Maybe I didn't explain it well enough, I do agree with you and Neil on this. What I was concerned about and I'm aware of is when something becomes so frustrating often you get diminishing returns and it's wise to step away from it for a bit and come back with a positive attitude.
I'm never flipping around for the sake of it, there's always a goal.

If you didn't enjoy pinball you wouldn't want to get better?

Probably my biggest problem right now is I think my husband is getting better faster than I am (I have a higher IPFA ranking than him currently, but that won't be the case after the London and SE League scores are in). And, given part of our relationship is viciously competing with one another, that just wrecks my confidence.

Sometimes you need to compete with yourself. If you're playing to win (Vs your husband or anyone) all the time you'll put too much pressure on yourself.
I'm not amazing but I'm on avg a little better than Claire, and Claire wants to win so gets frustrated quickly if she doesn't play well enough to beat me. Whereas often in these two player games I'm just playing for fun because I want to spend time with her and enjoy pinball so I'm more relaxed and often experimenting more....whereas Claire is trying really hard and putting pressure on herself.

I hear a lot of good players say they try not to wish their opponent to fail as you're both trying to beat the machine. I try to look at it like that.

It might be that you're putting too much pressure on yourself where as your husband might be more relaxed?

I forgot to say before, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself when comparing your playing to others. Especially considering you attend PBR. The majority of the players there on a thurs eve are among the best players in the UK.

What you're talking about I relate to a lot. I've played pinball only a little longer than you and I don't think I'm much better tbh. When I start beating myself up about my playing I just get worse. Partly why I don't often go to pbr on a Thursday anymore (along with the long drive). I just find it too intense and often get annoyed at myself.

 

[David_Vi]

I just don't seem to be able to dial-in shots quickly on an unfamiliar machine. If I don't know what I'm doing, I can be playing for five minutes and score nothing (one problem).

I have people queuing behind me going "Wow, good score" on one machine, and then - next machine - I'm straight out, three near-instant drains.

This is Pinball.
What separates most of us from the finalist regulars is consistency.
Most of us can play pinball and play well, but to play consistently is incredibly hard. Again, knowing you have to be consistent in most formats is what puts more pressure on.

Most of us have bad games but better players have less bad games

Still I think this is practice and experience and a lot of psychology.

 

[VeeMonroe]

If you didn't enjoy pinball you wouldn't want to get better?

Of course I enjoy pinball. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the patience to carry on trying

Sometimes you need to compete with yourself. If you're playing to win (Vs your husband or anyone) all the time you'll put too much pressure on yourself.
I'm not amazing but I'm on avg a little better than Claire, and Claire wants to win so gets frustrated quickly if she doesn't play well enough to beat me. Whereas often in these two player games I'm just playing for fun because I want to spend time with her and enjoy pinball so I'm more relaxed and often experimenting more....whereas Claire is trying really hard and putting pressure on herself.

I hear a lot of good players say they try not to wish their opponent to fail as you're both trying to beat the machine. I try to look at it like that.

Yeah... I relate to this a lot My husband has always been into 'serious competitive play', as he describes it. He has a Cambridge half-blue in bridge and was playing poker semi-professionally when we met, he's competed internationally in debating, and got out of board gaming because it didn't have (for the most part) a serious competitive scene. We tried getting into competitive Magic the Gathering years ago as a couple but he'd played since he was a teenager, and I hadn't, so he ended up in the semi-finals every tournament and I ended up match-playing with (other) beginners who were, on average, in their early teens. So, for me, the social aspect was non-existent. Pinball is the first game where we've been on a level (roughly) and the social aspect isn't - in practice - segregated by age.

So, yeah, we end up starting two-player games at the London and SE League events because it's more efficient. He enjoys competition and is pretty chilled about it. Exactly like Claire, I put loads of pressure on myself and flunk games. Then I get angry with myself, and he says he subsequently feels under pressure to play badly to make me feel better (he doesn't).

I forgot to say before, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself when comparing your playing to others. Especially considering you attend PBR. The majority of the players there on a thurs eve are among the best players in the UK.

Thursday night is (usually) okay (famous last words).

London and SE league, in contrast, I've been praying every tournament that someone brings a primary-school-age kid just so I don't come last! I mean, literally, I've had games where I could have been comfortably beaten by my three year old, and he doesn't know how to use the flippers.

 

[MajesticPinball]

I've skim read some on this, but I'm here mainly due to my Gottlieb-detector going off. Firstly as everyone probably knows I'm a huge advocate for Gottlieb and not only do I love it when others branch out and get a Gottlieb I genuinely think they can be useful to broaden and develop flipper skills. System 80 (especially 80b) games and system 3 games all feel so different to everything else, and getting a chance to dial in skills on a game so different to anything else is only going to add to your portfolio of skills.

If we take system 3 for example (with the very pointy flippers), the stock flipper mechs dont allow for a lot of standard flipper tricks to be pulled off, post passing is almost impossible and dead bounces are completely impossible just to name a few. This generally forces the player to shoot from the flipper the balls going to/is already on with not a lot of options other than to shoot a safe shot that passes the ball to the other flipper - I've seen failed dead bounces catch a lot of people out on system 3 games!

As it goes for reliability, my lot of 80b's are generally flawless, but that's because I've gone through every single one and spent countless hours bulletproofing and perfecting then all. Generally system 3 machines are bombproof, they're the most rock solid board set out there, system 80s CAN be rock solid, once given some attention from someone that knows what's they're doing.

when it comes to competitive play, my only advice is not to take it too serious, but that's easier said than done. Generally when I approach a game, especially anything new, I haven't got a clue on the rules and I'm just having a laugh. I approach the machine and in my head I know I'm not too fussed on the outcome, that technique seems to have done me pretty well in the past. I feel quite bad sometimes as I'll absolutely smash a game and I'll generally say something along the lines of "I have absolutely no idea what I was doing" and whoever I'm talking to will be like yeaaah whateverrrrrr, but it's true, I couldn't tell you any rules to any modern Stern. It's pinball at the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun. But yes, get a Gottlieb

 

[Jib]

I put loads of pressure on myself and flunk games. Then I get angry with myself

I've got some diazepam in the cupboard, it might help

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Of course I enjoy pinball. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the patience to carry on trying


Yeah... I relate to this a lot My husband has always been into 'serious competitive play', as he describes it. He has a Cambridge half-blue in bridge and was playing poker semi-professionally when we met, he's competed internationally in debating, and got out of board gaming because it didn't have (for the most part) a serious competitive scene. We tried getting into competitive Magic the Gathering years ago as a couple but he'd played since he was a teenager, and I hadn't, so he ended up in the semi-finals every tournament and I ended up match-playing with (other) beginners who were, on average, in their early teens. So, for me, the social aspect was non-existent. Pinball is the first game where we've been on a level (roughly) and the social aspect isn't - in practice - segregated by age.

So, yeah, we end up starting two-player games at the London and SE League events because it's more efficient. He enjoys competition and is pretty chilled about it. Exactly like Claire, I put loads of pressure on myself and flunk games. Then I get angry with myself, and he says he subsequently feels under pressure to play badly to make me feel better (he doesn't).

Thursday night is (usually) okay (famous last words).

London and SE league, in contrast, I've been praying every tournament that someone brings a primary-school-age kid just so I don't come last! I mean, literally, I've had games where I could have been comfortably beaten by my three year old, and he doesn't know how to use the flippers.

I’m wondering if you have given any of this competitive pinball thingy enough thought ?

 

[VeeMonroe]

I've got some diazepam in the cupboard, it might help

I doubt it would go well with my laundry list of painkillers