Great stuff here my friend!! All the best to everyone competing, wish I could be there with you all!
4 Likes
Awesome read! Thanks for that. I like the idea of a good balance between watching others and resting the feet. The mini tri-pod was just not that comfortable last year. It was like 8 inches off the floor. Iām going all out this year with an original light weight aluminum 80ās lawn chair!
How much Advil is allowed in one day? Haha
I donāt think they test for any thing.
I will be selling unofficially licensed IFPA headlamps, sunglasses, earplugs, gloves and rabbit feet at a booth. (JK)
3 Likes
Itās not that the rest of your post isnāt valid, itās just that this part is so ridiculously huge that it must be reiterated. SIT DOWN. Between balls, games, rounds, whenever. Concrete convention center floors are the devil.
3 Likes
Great post Delzoppo. These are all crucial. I see too often people rooting against their opponent, watching intensely praying for drains and wincing when being passed or when a good play is made. Touches on positive energy and vibes, watch your opponents for good info but commend strong play and appreciate winning or losing as deserved without counting on the short comings of your fellow players. Sure itās great when a house ball saves you a point ā¦ but you will seem cooler and feel happier not carrying negativity.
8 Likes
Itās three days of standing on hard floors. The great cycling coach Eddie B gave this advice to his stage racers and I think it applies for long events: āIf you can sit, donāt stand. If you can lay down, donāt sit.ā
Of course Eddie B also said to eat horse meat for horse power soā¦
1 Like
Whatās the reason behind not letting one use a bar stool to play? To me playing while standing is like shooting from the hip and standing skewed like Lyman Sheats feels extremely uncomfortable.
By extension, everyone should have a bowl full of powerballs the morning of Pinburgh forā¦powerball power?
2 Likes
Whatever it takes to keep your PERSONAL battery charged. Something that always rings with me. Everyone is different both inside and outside of competitive. Iām mostly social and probably one the ālouderā players, but definitely at times I shut down and focus in the moment. I donāt mean anything by it, just a switch in my head I flip. By any means necessary as long as it doesnāt infringe on others. Dance, get pumped up, walk away and go outside. Whatever it takes for you will work the best for you no matter what anyone else thinks/says. At the end, I let my ball speak.
Personally I change my scenery, Iāll go outside and get a fresh perspective. Sometimes removing yourself from the situation gives you a better view of how to handle it.
2 Likes
#5 all day long. This whole post is great. But you nailed it with #5, which is my main issue at Pinburgh. Iāll botch one drop catch and then make an unconscious decision not to drop catch the rest of the tournament, and I have a beautiful drop catch. Panic sets in. Going to try to avoid that this time!
4 Likes
Getting some good insoles will help, too.
Next year Iām going to do something similar to this, except it will be a guide to Pittsburgh eating.
9 Likes
Iām sure there are all kinds of clauses preventing a competitor to Tasteburgh, but oh, what I would give for a few food trucks to park outside the DLCC, or a vendor who just peddles ā gasp ā fruit and veggies and maybe some kebabs or something all night. I fueled my late night pinning last night on chocolate-covered peanuts and other candy from the fudge stand.
4 Likes
I LOVE Pittsburgh. I had family less than an hour outside the city growing up and been visiting to go to the museums, flea markets, thrift stores and the amazing record shops long before I ever knew anything about pinball being a thing there (or anywhere really). But I donāt live there so Iāll say that from an outsiders perspective, the Pittsburgh menu looks something likeā¦
ā¢ Pizza
ā¢ Something with meat & cheese (thatās not pizza)
ā¢ Something else with meat & cheese (thatās not pizza)
ā¢ Not salad
2 Likes
Sammyās Corned Beef.
Thatās it. All you need to know.
3 Likes
I just wanted to chime in and say that this post was an amazing treasure trove of advice. Although I didnāt make A finals, it definitely helped make the ride smoother. I actually managed to not have any rounds on day 2 with under 6 pointsā¦ by having 6, 6, 6, 6ā¦ and 7. 
2 Likes
I think this one ended up being the most salient point for me. This last Pinburgh was my first big tournament outside of the Northwest and I was expecting the games to be brutal. I was often too afraid to nudge or slap save and it really cost me. After some worry-free redemption games Saturday night I realized that most machines werenāt actually as hard as I had expected. Difficult for sure, but definitely reasonable.
Looking back, I think the only machine that actually lived up to my original expectations was Catacomb. Whose ghost haunts that machine and why does it hate us so much?
4 Likes
Just want to mention that Iām really glad this thread was helpful to people who competed. Lots of you stopped me to say thanks for posting it, commented on your favorite parts and kept the discussion going in person. That was a really positive vibe to ride throughout the weekend and it also helped me to practice what I preached. Good stuff all around!
14 Likes