Tasker Smith Talks Flow, Focus, and Bad Luck at His Book Launch in Natick

Kineticist·article·analyzed·Aug 3, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.015

TL;DR

Tasker Smith launches pinball instruction book focusing on flow, focus, and mastery.

Summary

Tasker Smith, a competitive pinball player from Massachusetts, held a book launch event for 'Pinball: A Quest for Mastery' at the Center for the Arts in Natick on July 28, discussing his approach to competitive play, the psychology of flow, and how modern pinball design has evolved. Smith emphasized the importance of focus, intentional practice, and rejecting the concept of 'bad luck' in favor of continuous learning, while sharing insights on competitive techniques, machine collecting, and the future of internet-connected pinball.

Key Claims

Smith has been playing competitive pinball for about eight or nine years, joining the New England Pinball League.
high confidence · Tasker Smith quoted in article opening
Smith's love of pinball dates back 48 years to when a friend's father brought home and fixed a 1968 Dixieland machine.
high confidence · Tasker Smith quoted in article
Modern pinball machines are designed as immersive storytelling experiences with complex rule sets to keep players engaged longer.
high confidence · Tasker Smith quoted discussing modern game design evolution
Over the past 20 years, the pinball market has shifted toward more people buying new in-box machines for their homes.
medium confidence · Tasker Smith's observation on market trends
The future of pinball includes internet-connected games that track scores and enable player-versus-player competition.
medium confidence · Tasker Smith's prediction on future of pinball
Books about how to get better at pinball from the 1970s don't cover modern concepts like contemporary mechanics and software.
high confidence · Tasker Smith discussing research for his book
Some competitive pinball players wear headphones or listen to one song on repeat for hours to maintain focus during play.
high confidence · Marc Patenaude and Tasker Smith discussing player focus strategies
Smith owns 13 pinball machines, which he considers the perfect number.
high confidence · Tasker Smith quoted directly
Smith's favorite machines are mostly from the 1970s, emphasizing ball control and mechanical sounds over complex rule sets.
high confidence · Tasker Smith quoted on his preferences
The bounce pass technique, where a player allows the ball to bounce from one flipper to another without active input, was a revelation to Smith when first observed.

Notable Quotes

“The minute you blame something on bad luck is the minute you stop looking for that insight that's going to help you understand what went wrong in that moment.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Core philosophy on competitive mindset and rejecting external blame in favor of learning
“What's magical about this game is you'll have these moments where you'll see this thing, and it'll completely change the way that you think about it.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Articulates the learning and discovery process central to pinball mastery
“It's a beautiful documentation of how to play pinball, how to get better, how to understand it, how to look at the game differently.”
Marc Patenaude @ N/A — Peer endorsement of Smith's book at launch event
“So if you're doing something that you're very familiar with, maybe your mind gets bored. But if you're doing something that challenges you, then it drives you into this state of flow.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Explains the psychological concept of flow as it applies to pinball skill development
“The way to keep the ball from exiting the playfield unexpectedly is just to keep it up in the upper playfield as much as you can.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Demonstrates classic 1970s pinball strategy ('up top all day') on his Strato-Flite machine
“For some people that maybe is not as fun, because I guess for me the joy of pinball is I get to unplug from my digital life.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Expresses philosophical tension regarding internet-connected future of pinball
“Stay curious, practice with intention, and keep it fun.”
Tasker Smith @ N/A — Smith's primary takeaway message for players wanting to improve

Entities

Tasker SmithpersonMarc PatenaudepersonPinball: A Quest for MasteryproductNew England Pinball LeagueorganizationSchiffer BookscompanyCenter for the Arts in NatickvenueStrato-Flitegame Dixielandgame

Signals

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content_signal: Book launch event for 'Pinball: A Quest for Mastery' held at Center for the Arts in Natick, featuring discussion between author Tasker Smith and peer Marc Patenaude; published by Schiffer Books
high · Article documents formal book launch event with interview-style discussion on July 28
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design_philosophy: Smith articulates contrast between 1970s machines (emphasis on ball control, mechanical sounds, simple scoring sequences) and modern machines (complex rule sets, narrative/story-based gameplay, multiple hidden modes)
high · Smith's comparison of Strato-Flite gameplay ('As, Bs, Cs, Ds') vs. modern narrative-driven design with hidden modes
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market_signal: Market shift over past 20 years toward private home ownership of new in-box pinball machines, driving designers to increase rule complexity and depth to extend engagement
high · Smith: 'During the past 20 years, the market has shifted with more people buying new, in-box pinball machines for their homes. As a result, designers have added more complex rules.'
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product_strategy: Modern rule design philosophy aimed at extended engagement; games designed so players don't achieve mastery within a single day, but rather pursue long-term progression goals
high · Patenaude: 'You don't want to beat something in a day. You want to be like, Oh my God, I've been spending nine months chasing after this thing.'
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gameplay_signal: The bounce pass (passive ball transfer between flippers) represents a significant learning milestone for players; demonstrates how competitive pinball involves discovering counterintuitive techniques

Transcript

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Tasker Smith has been playing competitive pinball since joining the New England Pinball League about eight or nine years ago. But the Wayland, Massachusetts, native said his love of the game dates back 48 years, when a friend's father brought home and fixed up a 1968 Bally Dixieland pinball machine. "I remember him … tinkering around, trying to understand what it was that was working or not working," Smith said. "I remember seeing a switch flicker, and it seemed like an important insight. … And I'm probably overstating that in my own mind. For whatever reason, it really drew me into it, and I felt really connected to this machine and to the process." Smith said watching the broken game come to life was a magical experience. "As kids, we just played the hell out of that game," he said. Nearly five decades and many rounds of pinball later, Smith has learned a lot about how to play better — and now he's sharing his advice in a new hardcover volume, Pinball: A Quest for Mastery, published by Schiffer Books. Smith discussed the book with his friend and fellow competitive pinball player, Marc Patenaude, during a release event at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts, on July 28. "It's a beautiful documentation of how to play pinball, how to get better, how to understand it, how to look at the game differently," Patenaude said. The book teaches players about understanding the rules of pinball tables, techniques for keeping the ball in play and improving their scores, playing in the competitive pinball scene, and having fun while doing it. Smith said it's aimed at newer players who are enthusiastic about getting better. "I don't come to it from being like a pinball master," he said. "I come to it as a person that's just infatuated with this game." Smith said he's learned a lot just by watching other players. "What's magical about this game is you'll have these moments where you'll see this thing, and it'll completely change the way that you think about it," he said. For him, one of those moments was the first time he watched someone perform a bounce pass — a technique in which the player allows a ball to bounce off one flipper to the other. "I remember seeing that, thinking, I can't believe they just did that," he said. "Meaning, like, I can't believe they just didn't do anything. They did nothing. … It was a revelation." Smith said competitive players have a practice of wishing each other good luck before matches, but he isn't a fan of the word choice. "The minute you blame something on bad luck is the minute you stop looking for that insight that's going to help you understand what went wrong in that moment," he said. "I really like this idea that you make your own luck by just really investing in your attention and your quest to really understand." Smith said a big part of playing pinball well is maintaining focus. Some competitive players wear headphones to tune out distractions, he explained. Patenaude said some of the top players listen to one song on repeat for hours at a time when they play. "It's very interesting to hear everyone's little strategies to make them feel that they're back in their basement," he said. Smith compared it to professional athletes, who often have strict routines that help them stay focused, using the Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps as an example. "He gets up at the same time every single day," Smith said. "He has the same food every day. He listens to the same music right before he swims and competes." Smith said part of his book is about a concept from psychology called flow, a state in which someone is completely immersed in an activity. He said entering a flow state requires a person to be doing something "on the edge of [their] ability." "So if you're doing something that you're very familiar with, maybe your mind gets bored," he said. "But if you're doing something that challenges you, then it drives you into this state of flow." Smith said he explored "exotic" training methods used by some professional athletes, like hypnosis, strobe glasses, and transcranial direct-current stimulation. However, a conversation with his brother about sensory-deprivation tanks convinced him that these techniques didn't belong in a book about pinball. One audience member asked whether pinball counts as a sport. "It's kind of a sport," Patenaude said. "The players play and commit and feel as though other athletes that play in the World Cup or in the NBA feel. There's just not the sponsorship and the money. … It just hasn't expanded to a point of being able to have someone fly around and get paid just to play pinball." Another audience member asked Smith how he feels when he sees a beat-up pinball machine. "Oh, sadness," he said. "One of the great things about doing pinball league is that you get to play on some private collections, and almost without exception, people that have these collections just care super deeply about them playing really well." Patenaude said sometimes it can be fun finding a worn-out machine because it challenges the player to find new ways to score points. "You're not trying to lock balls and hit a jackpot because the jackpot doesn't work," he said. Smith said there are ways to play pinball that aren't necessarily intended. One example, he said, is "split flippers," when two players team up, each controlling one of the game's flippers. He said he likes to play a variation with his brother in which they switch sides whenever the ball goes up a ramp. "It's not about finesse or accuracy," he said. "We're just there to have fun." Smith said that, in his research, he found other books about how to get better at pinball, but they were all written in the 1970s and don't cover modern concepts. "The artwork has evolved, the mechanics have evolved, the software has emerged since that time and evolved," he said. Modern pinball machines, he said, are designed to be immersive experiences that tell stories. "You go on a hero's quest to accomplish certain things, and if you are able to do so masterfully, then the games will reveal other modes that [were] unavailable," he said. Smith said that during the past 20 years, the market has shifted with more people buying new, in-box pinball machines for their homes. As a result, designers have added more complex rules to keep players engaged for longer periods of time. "You don't want to beat something in a day," Patenaude said. "You want to be like, Oh, my God, I've been spending nine months chasing after this thing." Smith said the future of pinball is internet-connected games that track scores and allow players to compete against each other. "For some people that maybe is not as fun, because I guess for me the joy of pinball is I get to unplug from my digital life," he said. "But I think there's a lot of fun to add." Smith said his favorite pinball machines are mostly from the 1970s. "I love the nostalgic quality of them," he said. "I love the aesthetics. They're really less about rules and more about ball control, and for me also the experience of hearing the bells and the chimes." Smith brought one of his machines, a 1974 Williams Strato-Flite, to the book launch and showed it off after the event. "It's all about hitting these series of As, Bs, Cs, and Ds," he explained. "Each time you complete a series, it's advancing your end-of-ball bonus. So the double bonus, the triple bonus." He said that like many older games, the best way to score points is to follow the rule of "up top all day." "The way to keep the ball from exiting the playfield unexpectedly is just to keep it up in the upper playfield as much as you can," he said. Smith said he bought his Strato-Flite machine after encountering the game during the New England Pinball League finals one year. "I thought this is my game because I love electro-mechanical games, and I totally blew it … [and] I got knocked out," he said. "I felt wounded by it, and then I saw one come up locally, and I'm like, I gotta buy that game." Smith said he owns 13 pinball machines, which he considers to be the perfect number. "My wife would tell you it's probably a couple too many," he said. Smith said people who are interested in playing pinball should check Pinball Map, a website and app that tracks locations to play and which machines are available at them. "Your favorite [location] will depend on whether you prefer family fun spots, arcade bars, or alternate venues," he said. "I recommend visiting a league night for the New England Pinball League. That's always free to new members and affords an opportunity to visit private collections of machines in people's homes." Smith said his main takeaway for people who want to improve at pinball is to "stay curious, practice with intention, and keep it fun." Andrew Quemere is a journalist from the Greater Boston area who loves comic books, video games — and yes, pinball. He first played pinball when he was a child but became much more interested in it after attending a convention in 2023. Since then, he’s played at many locations throughout New England and always enjoys finding a new one to explore. Like what you're reading? Get pinball news, analysis, and deep dives delivered to your inbox.