Episode 138: Alek Kaczmarczyk, Steel City wiz kid

Pinball Profile·podcast_episode·8m 20s·analyzed·Jun 27, 2018

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.029

TL;DR

Young Pittsburgh elite Alex Kaczmarczyk discusses rise to competitive pinball prominence and passion for vintage games.

Summary

Jeff Teolis interviews Alexander Kaczmarczyk, a young elite pinball player from Pittsburgh who has won major tournaments including Buffalo Pinball Summer Open and Pittsburgh Pinball Open. The conversation covers Alex's entry into pinball through a home Jurassic Park machine at age 13, his rise through Pittsburgh's competitive scene (mentored by players like Bowen and Keith Elwin), his tournament preferences (particularly pin golf format), and his recent game collecting (Iron Man, Iron Maiden). Teolis highlights Alex as part of a new generation of young prodigy players alongside Escher Lefkoff and Johannes Ostermeyer.

Key Claims

Alexander Kaczmarczyk won the Buffalo Pinball Summer Open last year
high confidence · Jeff Teolis introduction: 'he kicked butt at the Buffalo Pinball Summer Open last year'
Alexander Kaczmarczyk defeated Steve Bowen in a rematch at Pittsburgh Pinball Open
high confidence · Jeff Teolis introduction: 'He did it again at Pittsburgh Pinball Open when he defeated Steve Bowden in a rematch'
Alex started playing pinball seriously around age 13 after initially playing Jurassic Park Lost World at age 6
high confidence · Alex: 'I was very young. I was probably six... Then for some reason, I went downstairs to the basement one night and just started playing and really liked it. I think I was 13 when I started playing again.'
Alex joined Papa tournaments about 4 months after resuming pinball at age 13
high confidence · Alex: 'Probably I going to have to say probably a few months probably four months after that I started playing that game again I started finding out there was these tournaments'
Pittsburgh has many elite pinball players including Chris Stevens, John Rapogle, and Fred Cochran
high confidence · Jeff: 'when you're playing against other amazing players in Pittsburgh, and we can name so many of them. Chris Stevens, there's John Rapogle, Fred Cochran.'
Alex learned by watching YouTube gameplay videos of Bowen and Keith Elwin during homeschool breaks
high confidence · Alex: 'I watched a lot of gameplay videos on YouTube of Bowen and Keith Allen. I just watch hours because I was like during my homeschool on my break, I'll start watching them videos.'
Papa holds tournaments on Sunday and Thursday with fight clubs or three/four strike knockouts
high confidence · Alex: 'Yeah they have them each Sunday and Thursday. They have fight clubs or three or sometimes four strike knockouts.'
Alex appeared on Monday Night Papa TV playing Iron Maiden, Catacomb, and Lord of the Rings

Notable Quotes

“I watched a lot of gameplay videos on YouTube of Bowen and Keith Allen. I just watch hours because I was like during my homeschool on my break, I'll start watching them videos.”
Alexander Kaczmarczyk @ mid-interview — Illustrates the self-directed learning approach of young elite players using online resources
“You're one of the best players in the world, but when you're playing against other amazing players in Pittsburgh... Do you realize at that point how good you really are?”
Jeff Teolis @ mid-interview — Highlights Pittsburgh's status as an elite competitive pinball hub
“I don't know, I never really thought of it. Just never really bothered me because I never really think of it.”
Alexander Kaczmarczyk @ discussing performance pressure — Shows composure and lack of performance anxiety despite high-stakes tournament play
“To me, I find it kind of easy because to me it's simple. You got this one goal, that's all you're doing.”
Alexander Kaczmarczyk @ discussing pin golf format — Demonstrates cognitive approach to tournament strategy and focus differences between formats
“I got less things to think of got less work less back aches”
Alexander Kaczmarczyk @ explaining young player advantages — Humorous observation about cognitive advantages of younger players in competitive pinball
“I really like going to the tournament in north carolina the obx one i just like going out there because in beach i like that event i just like the setup the lineup just like everything about it”
Alexander Kaczmarczyk @ tournament preferences section — Shows appreciation for specific tournament experiences beyond just competitive results
“Josh Sharp calls the new hotness, meaning a new young player to watch out for, in Johannes Ostermeyer from Germany”
Jeff Teolis @ discussing other young players — Identifies emerging young talent at IFPA 15 and community recognition patterns

Entities

Alexander KaczmarczykpersonJeff Teolisperson PittsburghorganizationPapaorganizationBowenperson Keith ElwinpersonIFPA 15eventSteve Bowenperson

Signals

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community_signal: Papa facility providing content creation platform (Monday Night Papa TV) featuring young players in broadcast tournaments, supporting visibility and community engagement
high · Alexander appeared on Monday Night Papa TV playing Iron Maiden, Catacomb, and Lord of the Rings with other elite players
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community_signal: Vintage/classic pinball machines (Sega-era) maintaining appeal across generational divides, with young elite players actively collecting and playing older titles
medium · Alexander states 'I prefer like the segas' and mentions loving X-Files and Doodlebug despite being generation removed from original release era; collecting Iron Man and Iron Maiden
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community_signal: Pittsburgh established as major competitive pinball hub with consistent presence of elite-level players and regular tournament infrastructure (Papa fights clubs on Sunday/Thursday, Monday Night Papa TV broadcasts)
high · Alexander describes regular Papa tournaments and Teolis references multiple Pittsburgh elite players (Chris Stevens, John Rapogle, Fred Cochran) and tournament scene
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competitive_signal: Pin golf tournament format gaining traction with young elite players who find it strategically simpler and easier than head-to-head or Papa format play
medium · Alexander expresses preference for pin golf: 'I find it kind of easy because to me it's simple. You got this one goal, that's all you're doing'
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competitive_signal: Young players (age 15-17) dominating elite competitive pinball: Escher Lefkoff won PAPA 20 at 15, Colin Urban runner-up in circuit finals, Alexander Kaczmarczyk and Johannes Ostermeyer (16) emerging as top contenders at IFPA 15

Topics

Young elite pinball players and prodigiesprimaryPittsburgh pinball competitive sceneprimaryTournament formats and preferences (pin golf, fight clubs, Papa format)primarySelf-directed learning and skill development in competitive pinballprimaryPapa tournaments and Monday Night Papa TV broadcastsecondaryAppreciation for vintage pinball machines (Sega era, classic games)secondaryFuture of pinball and generational talent pipelinesecondaryPerformance psychology and lack of tournament pressure anxietymentioned

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Teolis is clearly impressed with Alexander and enthusiastic about the young generation of players. Conversation is warm and congratulatory. Alexander is humble and matter-of-fact. No criticism or controversy. Upbeat discussion of competitive pinball community.

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.025

It's time for another Pinball Profile. I'm your host, Jeff Teels. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at Pinball Profile. Email us, pinballprofile at gmail.com. And please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Now, I've talked to this guy several times. I've even shared a few meals with him as well. He is one of those young up-and-comers who's actually, he's already made it because he's won so much. In fact, the first time I met him and talked to him was when he kicked butt at the Buffalo Pinball Summer Open last year. He did it again at Pittsburgh Pinball Open when he defeated Steven Bowden in a rematch. He's Alexander Kuzmarchuk and he joins us right now. Hey Alex, how are you? Doing good today, Jeff. We're here outside at IFPA 15, just in Keswick at Adam Becker's rooster farm, apparently, and Press Start Arcade. Alex is one of those young guys that people have been watching for a few years. How did it start for you? Do you even remember the first pinball game you played? Yes, it was a NASCAR. NASCAR? Yeah. And you loved it? Yeah, I was very young. I was probably six. I barely remember what the heck I was doing on it. But you do remember that game, and you wanted to play it over and over again, or was it just like, eh? No, because my parents didn't know really what to buy me on Christmas, so they asked. It was a friend of my dad. He had a bunch of games. He asked him, do you got any dinosaur-themed pinballs? He said he had a Lost World Jurassic Park. We got it, and I played it a few times, got bored of it, never played it again for a few years. Then for some reason, I went downstairs to the basement one night and just started playing and really liked it. I think I was 13 when I started playing again. You were playing at your home. Was that the only game you had? At the time, yes, that was the only game I had. In Pittsburgh, there's so many places to play where you're from, and of course Papa and Pinberg. When were you first involved in Papa? Probably I going to have to say probably a few months probably four months after that I started playing that game again I started finding out there was these tournaments and stuff It took me a while to find out about all the tournaments I've always wondered, because there are certain places in North America, you think of Seattle, you think of Chicago, so many great players in New York, and definitely Pittsburgh. And you're one of the best players in the world, but when you're playing against other amazing players in Pittsburgh, and we can name so many of them. Chris Stevens, there's John Rapogle, Fred Cochran. There's just so many great players there. And you're hanging with them. Do you realize at that point how good you really are? Yeah, I'm happy I get to hang out with them. Do they teach you a lot too, or just do you kind of learn from osmosis when you're watching those guys? Yeah, I guess you kind of learn, you take it in as you watch. I know like one thing I did when I first started, I watched a lot of gameplay videos on YouTube of Bowen and Keith Elwin. I just watch hours because I was like during my homeschool on my break, I'll start watching them videos. Did you pick games that you knew you were going to play or just any game and then seek to find that game? Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, I'll go look and probably when I went to Papa, I'll go Papa play it. Well, you get to actually go to the Papa facility quite a bit. I know us regular folks, we certainly hope that facility gets sold so that we can see all those games once again. But you have some regular tournaments there, don't you? Yeah, they have them each Sunday and Thursday. They have fight clubs or three or sometimes four strike knockouts. And you've been also doing a lot of the Monday Night Papa TV stuff. I saw you on Iron Maiden and I think Catacomb even. Yeah, I did those two now. Lord of the Rings. Again, watching that, you're playing with John, you're playing with Chris. And I know the night I watched, you kicked butt. And I think even Iron Maiden too. Yeah. Do you get any pressure from people watching you either live or knowing that you're on television? And possibly lots of people are going to be watching this. I mean, you really gotta perform. Yeah, I don't know, I never really thought of it. Just never really bothered me because I never really think of it. How do I give you that pressure? How do I put that on your shoulders for crying out loud? Well you remember that time in Louisville when you were filming me on playing that blackjack Didn affect me Yeah that might have been a dollar game that you destroyed Oh that right i was like right in your face i think i i think i tommied the machine threw some dollars over your flippers yep you did didn matter you beat andy rosa myself and heaven bingham yeah that's true of course fake dollars right we don't gamble although i think it's legal now in the states yeah yeah would you like to see gambling and pinball would you like to come to something like ifpa 15 and see your odds alex kuzmarchuk 10 to 1 odds to win you'd money on that wouldn't you or put money against it and just tank you yeah you'd never do that so you've been to a bunch of different tournaments is there one you love is there a format you prefer i really like going to the tournament in north carolina the obx one i just like going out there because in beach i like that event i just like the setup the lineup just like everything about it and the location that flippers yep i like i don't know i just like you just go up put your quarters in the game? I just missed out going to that. I decided to go to Freeplay Florida instead at the time because I wanted to play, I like classics tournaments and there was no guarantee that I was going to get in the classics tournament. So I knew I could get in the main, but I think you had to arrive early and then be, say, one of 40 people. And if we recall, and I know she was on this program, Deb Tellman, she won that tournament, the classics, but it was limited entry, or not entry, but limited number of players. It was unfortunate. That was the deterrent for me not to go to OBX, but maybe something I'll check out in the future. It was really good. Yep, I like OBX. So what about match play, pin golf, papa format? Is there a style head-to-head? What do you like? I like pin golf. Pin golf? Yeah, I like it. I do too. Can't seem to ever make the playoffs in it because I don't play for trying to get everything in one ball, and it's such a different strategy, and you're so focused in on the score, at least I am, that it probably takes away from your game. I don't know. To me, I find it kind of easy because to me it's simple. You got this one goal, that's all you're doing. You make me sick. Anyway. You make it sound so easy. And it's not just you, it's so many great young players. Escher Lefkow the PAPA 20 winner the world champ He did that when he was 15 Colin Urban almost won the PAPA circuit finals coming second to Josh Sharpe That sounds weird And now we're seeing here at IFPA 15, somebody that Josh Sharpe calls the new hotness, meaning a new young player to watch out for, in Johannes Ostermeyer from Germany. Have you seen him yet? Not really. I haven't seen him. I've seen him, I think, a few times playing right now. 16 calm cool collected and just a beast on machines what is it about you young guys is do you absorb rules better than old farts like me probably got less things to think of got less work less back aches thanks very much um the young players i've been so impressed with and what i like about that yourself alexander that's the future of pinball and you're now collecting games too i think the most recent one you got was iron man and iron maiden's on its way yep you like some of the older games too i remember we were playing what game was it was it x files or some oh i love x files and doodlebug you like that too don't you yeah like it's very weird well so are you in the sense that one you're great but not too many young guys i've noticed like the older games you love them do you prefer them i guess i do yeah i prefer like the segas and segas i like my segas we might see a sega rebirth alexander karsmarczyk the future ceo of sega pinball. Well, best of luck at IFPA 15. This will come out. You've probably won it already by now. But anyway, all the best, Alexander, and it's always great seeing you. Thank you, Jeff. This has been your Pinball Profile. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at Pinball Profile. Email us pinballprofile at gmail.com and please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher or Google Play. I'm Jeff Teel. Yeah Yeah, John the Rooster Yeah