The flip side of all this of course is that few people enjoy playing in a group with someone who’s wasted.
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You mean those $7 tall cans of swill? Nah, better off slamming a few in between rounds at a bar down the street. Those convention center beers were way too pricey.
I stayed sober till round 8. Played really, really well all day Thursday until I just plain got tired. A bit of jet lag and all day tournament play will do that to ya.
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It’s swiller time! Finding good beer in PIT that you can keep with you in the room or cooler is quite a challenge without way overpaying or having to buy a 72 pack.
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Everything I used to get from drinking I now get from headphones. Now if I could only hear the tilt warnings 
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Do tell, What ARE you listening to?
I can’t tell if you’re specifically interested in what @G_Money is listening to or more generally what people listen to, but if it’s the latter, there’s a thread for that!
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Techno/House. Something I can completely lose myself in and I don’t have to think about.
added to that string CFFLegs!
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Sometimes I smoke weed before I play. It helps keep my hands dry, blocks out a lot of background noise, and really helps curb my anxiety.
I’ve had mixed results with alcohol. Since one of the places I play at regularly is a bar, I’ll occasionally have a drink or two. Some days it puts me in the zone. I’ve definitely gone overboard before, and then it’s hard to focus on what shots I should be making, or my stance is all wrong or something.
Not tournament related, but over the summer I tried out acid and towards the end of the trip (meaning no hallucinations) I went out and played some pinball. EMs looked especially cool because of the bright colors many of the 60s and 70s used. I also played the longest game of No Fear I ever have, and couldn’t care less about what was going on- far too difficult to stay focused. Fun to try, definitely not recommended for tournaments unless you’re a reincarnation of Hunter Thompson.
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I get drunk to be around people who play in tournaments.
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“All that being said, if you’re purely focused on improving your results I would suggest not playing pinball under the influence of anything, even while practicing. You’re just introducing another variable in your performance that’s too hard to account for.”
After following this thread, as well as experimenting over the course of the time I’ve been playing (4 years or so), I think the above is the most accurate answer to the question. If you want consistency, being ‘sober’ or not under the influence of anything, you are removing possible randomisers in your normal play.
Ultimately will it matter? For me personally I’m still not sure. I won one of the biggest competitions ever held in Australia whilst drinking the entire weekend (Batcave Masters 2015). I’ve also almost come last in big competitions whilst drinking. I’ve done well and done terribly sober (I’m coming to the end of a ‘dry August’ as well with mixed tournament results).
So yeah, I have no motivation to curb my behaviour at this point. Though do concede - and going back to the above quote - if you want ‘more’ consistency, it’s best to remove as many influencers to your play style as possible. But that doesn’t sound like fun at all!
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Sample size of one, but in the tournament I played in today I played much more consistently than any tournament where I’ve had a beer (and I normally do not drink much, just a beer or two). I could tell my timing and reflexes were better. I know it seems obvious!
Alcohol does not help me. Reaction time is one thing, impulse control is another. A lot harder to stick to the script under the influence. If I’m so excited I can barely hang on (caffeine issue), having a beer might balance it out. But anything in the ‘fun zone’ isn’t helping. I can remember a couple times I put my initials in while drunk, but what do you expect if you play a game all night.
Weed is another thing, but in the interest of being discreet (nyc), hard to manage the perfect high.
Tournaments go 6 hours or longer. Staying hydrated and maintaining blood/sugar that isn’t wildly swinging is enough trouble. Like someone else said, sobriety reduces the variables.
Easier said than done y’all!!!
Of the four finalists at Pinburgh, I believe that only two of them drink, and the one that drinks more than the others (not during of course) was the winner.
During PAPA the gas station down the road from HQ had a pretty decent craft beer cooler in back where one could buy six packs and the like. Also 99 Beers up the hill from HQ has an awesome selection of draft and bottles, although pricier.
I like to have a beer or a drink to take the edge off if I’m getting a little uptight and playing poorly because of it. I really like to drink crown and coke or Sprite but find I have a harder time limiting that and playing well. Beer is much easier for me to limit. I got my highest point total at Pinburgh when I got a beer before hand. I carded an 11 on the stage set that had Batman in the group. I almost got that bounty coin Bowen was handing out for perfect 12s. Now did the beer get me almost there or did it prevent me from achieving it? Hmmmm?
My general impression in this thread is that if you have problems with nerves or keeping calm, then a drink or two is helpful and the inherent physical downsides are made up for (and then some) by the mental calmness that results. Then there comes a point after that where this is no longer true.
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I’ve never consumed alcohol while in a tournament, even the local monthlies, but this is chiefly driven by the fact I rarely drink and I have always been the driver (as a general rule I drink nothing if I’m driving, even if it will be hours before I leave).
It feels like I do perform better caffeinated and if I eat before the tournament starts, but I’ve not done any objective measurement of either to confirm this to be the case.
I mentioned it on another topic, but I am a teetotaler, so yes, I will be sober 100% of the time at all events I go to. The only alcohol I consume is in medicine, and only if I am suffering an illness the medicine is designed for. I’m guessing it’s more the medicine than the alcohol, but even one teaspoon of that stuff seems to be enough where I make more errors in my driving and I feel drowsier than normal.
The reason I am a teetotaler is because my family has an extremely low alcohol tolerance, and don’t want to take chances with that. I’m also caffeine sensitive, so I cannot take any caffeinated drinks either. But I will respect everyone else by default unless I discover a reason not to respect them.
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The main ‘positive’ of drinking is that it can help settle your nerves and boost your confidence - The main ‘negative’ of drinking is that it can slow your reflexes or impair judgement. The trick is balancing the pros and cons.
I’ve played tournaments completely dry (if I’m driving), just a couple of pints and having a couple more than intended.
I’ve noticed no discernible difference between dry and just a couple. Having a few too many has resulted in some absolute disasters, as well as some great games.
On a similar note I used to play darts to a very high standard. I ALWAYS played better at the 2-4 pint range, if I came out of that range the quality of my play dipped significantly, so much so that, as captain of the team, I always ensured that I played my matches during the middle part of the evening. Just a shame I can’t do that in pinball tournaments.
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