Maybe it’s not obvious, but the other reason I sometimes use a timer is because it helps me to wait a full minute. I’m generally pretty excited to step up and play when it’s my turn, and in that world, what feels like a full minute is probably more like 15 seconds.
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If you’re familiar with the tricks and can make shots, 700M isn’t really that bad. The nice thing about PM is quick progression… most tricks require only one or two shots to complete, at least up til the last couple tricks (where Niel was). That particular trick requiring both banks is a complete PITA and best bypassed with the spot trick captive ball award.
for games with that just print it out and tape to the game for all to use
Boo! Put in the study time. Or just watch entirely too much NBA like me.
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I also have a bookmark on my phone which shows the order of the song jackpots during Tour and Album multiball on AC/DC.
I will accept tattooing the rules sheet to your forearm.
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I thought 60 seconds was actually a rule in papa/ifpa?
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- Intentional Delays
No player may delay their game for more than 60 seconds, except to await a ruling or resolution.
No player may wait for more than 60 seconds from the end of the previous player’s turn to begin their turn.
Per the IFPAPA rules, 60 seconds is the upper limit for delay of game rules, but it specifically differentiates waiting on tilts and lays out separate treatment:
III.4. Intentional Delays
No player may delay their game for more than 60 seconds, except to await a ruling or resolution of an environmental inconvenience. Environmental inconvenience is defined as any condition which can reasonably be expected to be resolved quickly, such as unusual noise, lighting problems other than sunlight, or repairs to an immediately adjacent machine. No player may wait for more that 60 seconds from the end of the previous player’s turn to begin their turn.
…
A player is permitted to wait a reasonable amount of time, as determined by the Tournament Director, for a tilt mechanism to settle.
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I make business card sized cheat sheets for NBA Fastbreak but I always tell people they’re illegal to pull out of your pocket at tournaments 
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This time would be 60 seconds in any event I am running.
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Suction cup attachment on each game that delivers an oral mist of listerine and beta blockers so we can all be our best selves, even on Motordome.
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I was at a Stern Circuit event(Louisville, 2 years ago) where a player was allowed to wait for an extended period of time(like over 5 minutes) because another machine in the bank was being repaired. What struck me as odd was this was not the game next to the one we were playing, not 2nd down, but 3rd machine down the line!
I say if the game isn’t right next to yours, play on. Handling distraction is a skill. Like most players, I don’t love it when things are happening in my periphery, but your reaction to it is controllable. No excuse to hold up a tourney.
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Play at a bar where random drunk people roll up and start pointing to things on the play field and asking questions while you’re in the middle of finals. You’ll learn to handle a distraction really quick. I’ve had to trap up before and say, “Can you give me just one minute, I’m in the middle of a competition”. 
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That’s is a very polite way of doing it. I get a lot of hoverers, and I trap up, tell them it’s distracting, and shoo them away. I love that people are interesting in watching, buuuuuut, I’VE GOT WORK TO DO.
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I’ve had a kid walk underneath one of my arms and stand between me and the game mid ball. I never took my hands off the game. Finished the ball, still got the win. 
During a strikes tournament the other day, we had a guy dropping tokens on the glass of games while people were playing. First time I’ve seen that in pinball. Luckily I wasn’t at the game—any sorta distraction and I pretty typically insta-drain.
I have slapped many a child’s hand away from the start button in arcades and bowling alleys over the years, but never in a tournament, thankfully
If you have a relationship with an operator where tournaments are held, ask them to set Game Restart to Off/Never. In my opinion, there really isn’t any reason to have this turned on unless games are set to free play, and I’m surprised it’s still the default setting.
Doing so would prevent someone from restarting a game in progress. It has been a standard option in the settings since the early 90s.
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