Episode 9 - IFPA 16

TL;DR

IFPA 16 tournament recap with strategy deep-dives and guest Kiss strategy critique.

Summary

Key Claims

• On Kiss, avoiding the scoop is leaving 80% of game points behind by not advancing multipliers and accessing higher scoring through sequential songs

  high confidence · Adam Lefkoff, guest expert, explains that skipping scoop shots at 2X prevents accessing 3X and 5X multipliers and their associated song shot values

• On Whirlwind, the right ramp is worth looping repeatedly for Skyway Tolls (bonus advancement), points scaling to 100k, and Pop Bumper awards including quick multiball

  high confidence · Raymond describes Jim Belsito's third-place finish primarily from right ramp loops, then explains the cumulative value of repeated ramp shots

• On Junkyard, hitting the crane during Mamushka mode provides switch hits, multiball progress, crane hurry-up progress, and wrecking ball collision bonuses

  high confidence · Raymond details his winning strategy on Junkyard, explaining layered benefits of the crane shot during mode play

• On Diner, the left ramp should be prioritized early to build dine time value through looping, which eventually lights without additional play

  high confidence · Raymond explains that after 5-6 left ramp loops, subsequent loops automatically advance dine time, making early grind valuable

• Zach McCarthy holds the high score on Stern Kiss at Lions Classic Pinball with over four billion points through extensive 5X multiplier play

  high confidence · Adam Lefkoff cites Zach McCarthy's four billion+ score at Lions Classic as evidence of 5X multiplier optimization

• On Surf and Safari, after multiball, the left ramp is lit for ~10 seconds to start whirlpool millions at approximately 1 million per spin

  high confidence · Raymond describes his first-place finish on Surf and Safari, explaining the post-multiball whirlpool shot sequence most players miss

• North America team lost the Epstein Cup match to Europe at IFPA 16, with Italy hosting next year in Florida USA

  medium confidence · Raymond states Europe won and mentions next year Epstein Cup will be in Florida USA (though this appears to be his hopeful comment about future location)

Notable Quotes

• “Don't be afraid of the scoop. Scoop's fine. All right. I'll give it a shot.”

  Raymond Davidson / Adam Lefkoff @ ~25-30 min mark — Captures the core kiss strategy debate: Raymond's scoop avoidance limiting his multiplier access, Adam convincing him to experiment

• “you're leaving three million a shot on the table by not starting your next song at that point”

  Adam Lefkoff @ ~22 min — Quantifies the opportunity cost of Raymond's avoidance strategy on Kiss

• “It's a scoop, Raymond. Do you shoot the scoop on Adam's family? Yeah, but it goes in when you hit the scoop on Adam's family.”

  Adam Lefkoff @ ~20-22 min — Adam's reassurance that the Kiss scoop is mechanically viable, addressing Raymond's fear of the shot

• “if you get it in the hole a couple times... it was kind of a silly game, but I managed to escape on it with, I think, maybe a second or third place”

  Raymond Davidson @ ~12 min — On Top Hand (High Hand variant), describes how rule variance (outlanes not collecting bonus) shifts entire game strategy to the center hole

• “It's funny. He did that on every single round except when I played him. He had – he did – he crapped out at like $35 million in my game.”

  Raymond Davidson @ ~27 min — Raymond's rare victory over Elwin on Kiss, noting the exception to Elwin's dominant 5X Heaven on Fire strategy

• “So if you start with a crappy mode like light extra ball or targets at max or jets at max you can full plunge and take a shot at the ramp and change your mode”

  Raymond Davidson @ ~17 min — Describes adaptive Whirlwind strategy where machine settings (strong plunger) force full plunge over traditional short plunge, enabling mode-switching tactics

• “you should double flip to cancel out the animation... I managed to start Monster Madness, and I managed to actually catch Zack”

  Raymond Davidson @ ~35 min — On Munsters LE lower playfield: reveals animation-cancellation technique (double flip) and strategic Grandpa sequencing, showing learning curve on newer game

Entities

Signals

• ?

  competitive_signal: Kiss multiplier optimization (3X/5X play) is dominant competitive strategy; Raymond's scoop avoidance is identified as significant weakness costing 80% of potential points per game

  high · Adam Lefkoff's detailed critique; Zach McCarthy's 4B+ record attributed to multiplier play; Elwin's consistent 1B+ scores via 5X Heaven on Fire

• ?

  gameplay_signal: On Munsters LE, lower playfield Grandpa gate can be animation-cancelled with double-flip to preserve time; Grandpa completion is prerequisite for Munster Madness mode access

  high · Raymond describes learning and executing the animation-cancel technique during IFPA 16 play, improving his Munsters performance mid-tournament

• ?

  gameplay_signal: Surf and Safari post-multiball whirlpool million strategy: shoot lit left ramp (10-sec window) to start whirlpool mode for ~1M per spin

  high · Raymond's 80M winning score and explicit explanation that 'most people don't know' this sequence; replicated his strategy across two rounds

• ?

  product_concern: Dr. Dude at IFPA 16 had broken ramp (insufficient flipper power, tight tilt) forcing degenerate play pattern (magnetic personality shot 80+ times vs. intended multiball path)

  high · Raymond's detailed account and observation that 'the flipper was not strong enough to hit the ramp'; Kaylee and Zach reportedly exploited same shot 80 times

• ?

  competitive_signal: Walking Dead Barn mode selection is high-variance swing factor; players who draw and execute Barn while opponents struggle for flip time gain significant match advantage