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Tribe Multiball with Rachel and Tim:. Episode 1

Poor Man's Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·analyzed·Mar 23, 2021
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.031

TL;DR

New podcast segment launches with Rachel Lilkey discussing her competitive pinball journey and Ladies Flip Wisconsin women's tournament success.

Summary

Tim Lee and Rachel Lilkey (Poor Man's A A Pinball Podcast tribe members #12 and #35) launch a new segment called 'Tribe Multiball with Rachel and Tim' featuring interviews with tribe members. Rachel discusses her entry into competitive pinball in September 2019 via her cousin in Columbus, Ohio, her play at District 82 in Green Bay, her tournament participation and competitive strategy, and her recent achievement organizing the Ladies Flip Wisconsin women's tournament (29 players in March, recognized by Stern Pinball on social media). Tim and Rachel both entered pinball around July 2019 and bond over their shared newcomer perspective despite their different tournament experiences.

Key Claims

  • Poor Man's A Pinball Podcast Podcast tribe has approximately 38 members spread globally across Australia, Canada, and the United States

    high confidence · Tim and Rachel discussing tribe membership early in episode

  • Rachel Lilkey has been playing competitive pinball since September 2019, with six months of casual play before COVID

    high confidence · Rachel directly stating her pinball timeline

  • Rachel organized Ladies Flip Wisconsin women's tournament at District 82 in early March with 28 women plus herself (29 total players)

    high confidence · Rachel describing tournament details and outcomes

  • Stern Pinball shared Rachel's Ladies Flip Wisconsin tournament on their Instagram, which was unexpected recognition

    high confidence · Rachel describing social media recognition and seeing it shared across multiple outlets

  • Cassidy Milonowski, age 14 and ranked approximately #9 female player in the world, won the Ladies Flip Wisconsin tournament

    high confidence · Rachel identifying tournament winner and her ranking

  • District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin has over 100 pinball machines (104 at time of speaking, ~80 when Rachel first visited)

    high confidence · Rachel and Tim discussing District 82 venue capacity

  • Rachel owns three pinball machines: Lost World, Sky Jump, and Card Trix (all EM era games)

    high confidence · Rachel stating her collection during discussion of game preferences

  • Of the 29 women at Ladies Flip Wisconsin, approximately 10 were new to pinball or hadn't seriously pursued the hobby before

    high confidence · Rachel reflecting on tournament participant demographics

  • Rachel plans to organize another Ladies Flip Wisconsin tournament in June at a private collection in the Green Bay area

    medium confidence · Rachel discussing future tournament plans with some uncertainty

Notable Quotes

  • “I think there's something about pinball that's a different way to unplug, I think, and a different way to plug in with other people. It's social, it can be competitive, but it's also really fun.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ early in interview — Captures Rachel's motivation for pinball beyond competition; reflects broader community values

  • “The competitive thing is an up and down thing... when you're first starting out you're playing as such a reactive player... but as you go on and you learn the rule set for each game you figure out that oh yeah well I need to trap up and shoot here or whatever.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ mid-interview tournament discussion — Articulates the learning curve and skill development process in competitive pinball

  • “I like to kick and jump and twist and I've kicked a cup holder off a machine before... if I stifle that then it's going to stifle how I play and I just rather let myself naturally react and makes me a better player.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ competitive play discussion — Reveals Rachel's physical, expressive playing style and philosophy about authenticity in competition

  • “I didn't think in a million years would I think that my little dream of having a ladies tournament would pick up that kind of social media recognition... I just thought it'd be cool to get together with a bunch of chicks and play some pinball.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ discussing Ladies Flip Wisconsin recognition — Shows Rachel's grassroots motivation and surprise at the tournament's larger impact on the community

  • “I'm so excited about the fact that I had 28 women, then plus myself, split 29 players that day. I think that's really impressive for women's pinball.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ tournament results discussion — Highlights the rarity and significance of high women's tournament participation in pinball

  • “I find head-to-head gives you less time to cool down... but when you play head to head it can be 30 seconds or two minutes between your ball and I still feel like I'm on fire.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ tournament format preferences — Explains a specific competitive preference based on rhythm and momentum psychology

Entities

Tim LeepersonRachel LilkeypersonPoor Man's Pinball PodcastorganizationDistrict 82venueLadies Flip WisconsineventStern PinballcompanyEric Thorneperson

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Ladies Flip Wisconsin women's tournament drew 29 players with 10 newcomers to the hobby, representing significant community engagement and potential pipeline for women players

    high · Rachel organized tournament with 28 women plus herself; approximately 10 were new to pinball; received recognition from Stern Pinball on Instagram

  • ?

    content_signal: Poor Man's Pinball Podcast launching new 'Tribe Multiball' segment to profile individual tribe members and increase community visibility and connection

    high · New segment featuring tribe members; Tim and Rachel explain segment purpose as helping listeners identify with and know individual community members

  • ?

    community_signal: Grassroots women's tournament organizing gaining traction with plans for multiple additional events across Wisconsin and interest from three different regions

    high · Rachel planning June event, considering one-off tournaments at bar locations, receiving interest from three different people across Wisconsin

  • ?

    venue_signal: District 82 operating as anchor venue for Wisconsin competitive pinball with strong machine quality, community-focused programming, and diverse tournament formats

    high · 100+ machines maintained to high standard; offers twice-monthly league, monthly tournaments, classic game nights, head-to-head formats, cash tournaments

  • ?

    community_signal: Pinball community described as welcoming and non-gatekeeping, with experienced players actively mentoring newcomers and community support for grassroots initiatives

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.104

0:00
Hello, everyone, and welcome to a new segment in the Poor Man's Pinball Podcast universe. I am Tim Lee with my co-host, Rachel Logie, and we're going to bring you a brand new segment today on the Poor Man's Pinball Podcast universe called Tribe Multi-Ball with Rachel and Tim. How does that sound, Rachel? I thought it was try multi-ball with Tim and Rachel. I like Rachel and Tim better. Okay, all right. Yeah. Well, maybe we'll take a poll.
0:40
Right out the gate, people. Let's just take a poll. Yeah, you're more important than I am in the pinball world. Oh, you're too cute.
0:47
I don't know about that. All right. So how are you today, Rachel? I'm doing pretty good. I'm feeling good today overall. You know, in true poor man's pinball podcast style, I might have had, you know, a couple cocktails before our little podcast here. Oh, nice, nice. Loosen up the lips, maybe. I don't know. Hey, that's great. I did not. I actually worked on two pinball machines today, which is not what I usually do on a Sunday. And it was a nice day. So my wife and I went on a walk, but I didn't have any drinks. So you'll have to carry the weight on the drinking today. For today. Yep, yep, for today. Next time, I'm in. All right. I can handle that. Can you tell the listeners what exactly is Tribe Multiball with Rachel and Tim?
1:38
Well, Tim and Rachel, no, Rachel and Tim are both Tribe members of the Poor Man's Pinball podcast. We are a collection. I think there's less than 40 of us, right? It was going to look today. I think there's 38 of us. Yeah, there's 38-ish, I think. Eight-ish, 38-ish. Yep. I like issues. That works for me. I think there's about 38 of us that are pinball people that are spread throughout pinball collectors, podcasters, competitive players, a wide variety, I think, of the pinball universe. And I think it's interesting for people just to, you know, to get to know other people, especially for people that listen to that, the specific podcast when Ian and Drew talk about the tribe members and sometimes they refer to tribe members on Twitch or in other manners. It's kind of nice. So other, you know, other people listen to their podcast can identify with who that person is. Right? Yeah. No. What about you? No, exactly. You know, when they were looking for segments, I felt the same way as you. You know, it would be a nice segment. And there's so many different people in the tribe. And they're all over the globe, right? Yes. Australia, Canada, the United States. I'm fairly certain Orbital Albert created his own country, according to one of his podcasts. I think it's just three or four countries. Yeah, I think so. And to me, as somebody that's new and still new because of COVID, I still consider myself fairly new into pinball. I only played. We can get into that a little bit later.

  • Rachel's cousin is a high-ranking competitive pinball player in Columbus, Ohio, who operates a record store with pinball machines

    high confidence · Rachel describing how her cousin introduced her to District 82 and pinball

  • “I prefer to take go forth every single time really... I'd rather have that the pressure on at the end I perform better that way.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ head-to-head strategy discussion — Shows Rachel thrives under pressure in competitive situations

  • “The older games are kind of the great equalizer for me... I've beaten a couple of people that I would have beat me 99 times out of 100 but I just happen to draw their names on an em and I just won by accident.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ game era preferences — Highlights how game mechanics create different competitive dynamics and skill expression

  • “I learned quite a few things about when a ball gets stuck, you know, what to do. And I did have a player that day that played out of turn. That was really hard because it's hard giving somebody a DQ.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ tournament organization experience — Shows the challenges of tournament directing and rule enforcement at grassroots level

  • “I still feel like a rookie in some ways, even when I'm playing and I'm directing, I still feel like a rookie. And I think it's good to be able to meet some of the other tribe members.”

    Rachel Lilkey @ closing reflection — Expresses humility and value of peer community despite her accomplishments

    • Cassidy Milonowskiperson
    Tara Hengemperson
    [name withheld pending review]person
    Ianperson
    Drewperson
    Tom Graffperson
    Luke Nahorniakperson
    Jordan Sumrowperson
    Matt McCartyperson
    Beth Trafkaperson
    Nateperson
    Fox Cities Pinballorganization
    Jane Verwisperson

    high · Rachel and Tim both note surprise at community welcoming; Rachel asked basic questions during play and received patient answers; Stern recognition of local tournament

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Rachel demonstrates preference for EM-era machines in tournament play and uses physical/expressive playing style (nudging, jumping, kicking) as competitive advantage; prefers head-to-head formats over multiplayer

    high · Rachel owns Lost World, Sky Jump, Card Tricks; prefers EM games in tournaments; describes kicking cup holder off machine; prefers head-to-head timing

  • ?

    personnel_signal: Rachel Lilkey emerging as tournament organizer at grassroots level with successful first women's tournament (March) and plans for expansion; receiving mentorship from established community figures

    high · Second tournament she has organized/directed; had training wheels from Matt McCarty; scored keeper Beth Trafka; stream support from Fox Cities Pinball; received DQ learning experience

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Significant shift in visibility and recognition for women's pinball tournaments with Stern Pinball social media amplification of Ladies Flip Wisconsin event, suggesting potential industry support for women's initiatives

    high · Rachel shocked to receive Stern Instagram recognition; saw tournament promoted across multiple social media outlets and podcasts; unexpected industry attention

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Rachel documenting typical competitive player arc: reactive play → learning rule sets and shot sequences → slump period during learning → performance recovery and mental focus development

    high · Rachel describing her progression from reactive to intentional play; experienced slump while learning; now in top 20 at District 82; recently won side tournament

  • $

    market_signal: Rachel planning game acquisition strategy to balance collection with fast/modern games (Star Trek Premium/LE or F-14 Tomcat) to complement her EM collection

    medium · Rachel discussing Star Trek Premium/LBE, F-14 Tomcat, Iron Man as potential acquisitions; acknowledges need for faster games; has room for games four and five already planned

  • ?

    operational_signal: Grassroots tournament organizer learning operational best practices including rule enforcement (DQ decisions), machine issue troubleshooting, and staffing/support needs

    high · Rachel describing learning curve directing tournament: managed stuck ball issues, handled player DQ for out-of-turn play, had assistant/scorekeeper support, learned from experience

    • 3:22
    Yeah, yeah, no. Sounds like a plan. So the guest number one on the show, though, is going to be you, Rachel. It is I. Yep, yep. And so for the first episode, just to kind of, you know, get our feet wet, we decided that I would interview you as opposed to both of us interviewing one of the tribe members, which is what we'll do in the future. So I am a tribe member. Yes, you are number. So we're staying on point. I'm number 35. 35. Nice. I am 12. So, okay. I don't know how I got in so early. I'm still not sure. I honestly don't know the fifth pillar. So I shared some things on Facebook. Yeah. And I constantly bothered the Drew and Ian. So I guess I got in kind of early. So that's cool. So let's talk about how did you get into pinball, Rachel? Let's start at the beginning. So how long have you been into pinball and how did you get into pinball? Okay. Well, my name is Rachel Lilkey. I am a paralegal. I live in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I've been playing pinball since I've been playing competitive pinball since September of 2019. So I played for about six months pre-COVID.
    4:37
    And I've been playing also at District 82 and De Pere, Wisconsin, for quite some time during COVID as well, in a very safe manner. I want to mention that. But what got me into pinball is I have a cousin that lives in Columbus, Ohio, who is a high-ranking competitive player. and the last couple of times I was out there visiting her, I would end up playing a couple games of pinball. She had a game in her house, a couple in her record store, or I'd end up meeting her, like I'd arrive to the city and she'd be at league, so I would just meet up with her. And I'd always play a couple of games and it was a lot of fun. So I was out there in July of 2019 and she told me, oh, you know, I heard about this place called District 82 up in Green Bay. You should go check that out. So I did in September of 2019. And so I've really been playing ever since then, just really got into it. It's just something about, it's a different way to unplug, I think, and a different way to plug in with other people. It's social, it can be competitive, it can, but it's also really fun. Let's not forget that. It is fun. yeah it's a lot of fun and it sounds like you and i have been in the hobby about the same amount of time i got okay i got into the hobby in july of uh 2019 so okay that's kind of cool so what games did your cousin have that that really hooked you to start man i don't want to screw it up but i think that she had she had at home a wizard but it was a german so everything on the play field is in German. Okay. That's cool. And then, which is pretty cool. And then in her shop, she had a dolly, Parton, and which is, that's such a great game. So I really love that game. Okay. I actually was able to rent one for a little bit during the beginning of the pandemic. So that was cool. Nice. Nice. Yeah. So the first time you went to District 82, you know, what were your thoughts? That's a very large place, correct? Was it? Right. It really certainly is. It's kind of like in a, in a warehouse in an industrial area and he has now 100 and over 104 games at the time he had i think right around 80 and he had just opened into the second half and it was mind-blowing the first time anybody walks in there if you get an opportunity you should go there at some point um the the place eric first of all the games that he keeps they're very tight They are great games. Hardly anything ever breaks. I'm going to jinx him now. But it's just really an unbelievable environment. People were so friendly.
    7:23
    I met my first pinball friend, Nate, that day. It was a little overwhelming, really, as a person that was brand new into all of that. But again, because people were so kind and warm and I could just ask before or after a game, what was the skill shot on something? people are like oh this is it and this is how you do the multi-ball and da da da da and that's really cool it's just fun again I think it was just so much fun just to be in that environment and do something so radically different than the usual you know versus you know reading a book or going for a walk or digging in the garden or knitting or whatever other things I'm into yeah and now with the pinball hobby you went all in so let me ask as a child you know as a teenager Did you play any pinball or was this really your first experience with pinball? All in. That is funny.
    8:15
    It is funny. It is. I don't know. I'm doing pinball, things with pinball and boxes and stuff. Yep. My first pinball machine I played was the Adams Family, probably the year after it came out. I played it on roller skates in the early 90s So it was a lot of fun and I really liked that game And I was disappointed when they took that game away and then they brought in Funhouse after that Got that location. And then I played a little bit. But I must have been like, I don't know, 12, 13, 14, somewhere in there. And then I do recall playing a fishtails while camping somewhere with my family growing up. And that's about it. So fast forward until my fourth decade here on the planet, and here I am. Could you skate backwards and all that stuff? No, I can't skate backwards. I was never very good at that.
    9:12
    I couldn't jam skate or skate backwards or whatever, but I liked to couple skate. you know yeah there's you hold a hold a hand hold hands and go around the ring round around around to like you know stevie b or something yeah just i you know cheesy love song you know like that yeah i know exactly what you mean i grew up outside of pittsburgh and we had the skating rinks with the the arcades and the couple skates and you know you would have the fast songs and you know i would i probably look like an idiot but i would kind of dance a little bit and i couldn't skate backwards really well but the kids do you could or couldn't i could not i could not oh okay kids my kids don't do those things these days i think the skating rinks are are all gone in this area so they've gone ice skating a couple of times but i don't know if they would even know what roller skating is oh that's interesting i do have a skating rink not far from here and they do an adult skate night um like once a quarter so that'd be that'd be fun i don't know what way the world is right now but that'd be fun to do in the future yeah i'd probably get hurt wear a helmet i'd probably break an ankle yeah pinball is much safer yeah yeah pinball is overall okay so so you played a little bit as as a teenager but you like i said you went all in um yeah thanks to your cousin you know we appreciate yeah we appreciate her getting you into pinball because everybody in the tribe loves you so let's talk about that so you started to play um and how often did you go when you first started playing pinball did you go back weekly was it like well you played and went league there yeah league there is twice a month so it's two tuesdays a month so i was playing there and then um they do like usually like maybe one tournament per month on a saturday sometimes they do a double tournament or sometimes they do like a classics on all the classic games on a wednesday night so maybe three times a month It seems nuts, but it's about an hour away from where I live, but I live in a dead land, a dead zone here. Until recently, there's been a couple of machines that have entered on the location nearby. But other than that, there really isn't anything. So I didn't really mind making that trip, and I still don't mind making that trip if it's two or three times per month. Oh, nice. There are more than that, more than those opportunities to go up there and play. But again, distance is a little bit, you know. one guy up there jokes and wants to know how much mileage i put on i put on i'm like well it's really not that bad i think it's you know it's one hour door to door it's not so bad yeah that's not bad yeah no um i met ian and drew though i should you know roll that into how i ended up in the tribe as i met ian and drew because they came up in july of 2020 and did a podcast twitch thing um at district 82 during a pinskins with tom graff eric thorne the guy that owns district 82 luke nahorniak from minnesota and jordan sumrow who's a very good player as well and it was really entertaining uh those guys i kind of kept them in line that day i think was part of the reason why i was asked to be there maybe because they're having a great great old time i'm like well let's focus on what's really going on in the game here you can watch it uh on Fox City's Pinball, if you so desire, that stream. But I met them and we just really clicked.
    12:36
    We got each other's humor, just a lot of fun. And then after that, I really just started participating and they were doing Facebook Lives and then now they've moved to Twitch and it's really entertaining to watch. It's fun to hear about pinball from a different perspective other than, oh, this is, you know, I really love Stern or I really, you know, a big fan of JJP and I don't play anything else. And they're not snotty about pinball. And that's something surprising to me that some people are kind of that way. And I think that they're equal opportunity when it comes to all sorts of games and news and just chit-chatting about fun pinball stuff. So, yeah. Yeah. So that's why I end up watching them and they asked me part of the tribe. I'm like, heck yeah, why not? Yeah. So I have a secret. I watched that. Oh, did you really? Oh, yeah. Oh, no. Yeah, I watched it on my porch for about an hour. I believe it was a Saturday. Yeah, so so that was kind of cool. And I, you guys did hot, you hit it off, I can, I can tell you for sure that you hit it off. And well, I'm glad that day happened. And you came over to the tribe and member number 35. So let me ask you this. So it sounds like you went into tournament play right away yes okay it took me about a year before i was maybe about six months before i played in a tournament so talk to me a little bit about your tournament career so you dove in okay tournament play right away let's talk a little bit about that so sure i well first of all i want to i want to just say that i'm so bummed that pinberg and i missed that and i missed midwest gaming classic last year hopefully that happened this year fingers crossed and i missed Chicago Expo that uh won in 2019 um I'm bummed out by that because those are big things but I'm really stoked for when those things do come around um to do that on a bigger level but I will say that I the competitive thing is an up and down thing so I think when you're first starting out you're playing as such a reactive player and you're just oh the ball's coming I'm gonna hit it and as you go on and you learn the rule set for each game you figure out that oh yeah well I need to trap up and shoot here or whatever and yes that is like for every pinball game yes that is what you learn but as a competitive play when I first started competitive playing right away it was I played real reactive and eventually because I learned things and I had this really long slump you know because I was learning I was learning and trying to figure out how the ball's going to fall and where it's going to it's going to dead flip you know what's going to happen with it or if I hit it here I know I'm going to brick it you know whatever the case may be so and I'm trying to process all those thoughts while you're playing your actual round, your competitive round. And you have like 35 thoughts going on about the game.
    15:24
    So I had a bit of a slump there and I think it's up and down. I've been playing really, I think I'm going to, I think I've been playing pretty well this year. I've been in the top 20, I think, or I think the top 20 at district 82, which is a very, I think a very difficult leap. There's some really fantastic players there. I um this women's tournament that I recently put together I tied in sixth I felt really good about that um so I'm happy I'm happy with where I'm at with that but you know I really want that first place trophy I did win I did actually should say I did come in uh first in a side tournament uh last week after league we have regular league and we have a side tournament that happens during league and I won the side tournament the first time but I really want that trophy I want that first place trophy so I'm still eager and of course that's the goal uh but I think that the competitive edge too I should say sometimes that just forces it gets me into my head because I get too wrapped up and thinking about what my next shot might be or uh I need to really slow the ball down and really grab that thing so I can get my multiplier before I drain on this old em or whatever and uh so i think about those kind of things i don't know does that help a little bit yeah it does i've only played in two tournaments and then everything okay that's fun yeah everything shut down after my second tournament because of the virus and okay i just drank a lot of beer and just flipped good yeah and that's okay and i think that's okay you know i don't i don't drink alcohol very often and sometimes I'd have like sometimes I'll have a beer during League if someone offers me one then maybe I'll have one you know but the rest of the time I really don I just I just try to just try to relax this year what I really been focusing on though and stuff thinking about it as terms of competitive there no IFPA points anyway so who cares So I been looking at it as every time that I go to play it seven rounds it a four match play And I look at the machine, I walk up to the machine, and I look at the machine for what it is. Meaning, I look at the art, I look at how it's lit. I look at oh you know I didn't notice that little thing on top of the sling before the art that's on top of there whatever that plastic piece is called I don't even know or looking at the back glass or notice trying to notice other things about the beauty of the game itself and that actually has helped because it puts me into like a little bit more of a calming thing so but it's interesting because I do like to talk to other competitive players about how they achieve their zen because I think there is that can happen where but I think maybe it's just time over time and it's pinball baby sometimes the ball just does whatever it wants to do anyways it's so fun I mean sometimes I scream and yell and whatever and I'm a very physical player maybe I should mention that too I like to say I get my aerobic activity in while I'm playing because I like to kick and jump and twist and I've kicked a cup holder off a machine before you know nice uh those things do happen but I also feel like if I stifle that then it's going to stifle how I play and I just rather let myself naturally react and makes me a better player okay so that's me and my competitive stuff nice competition now I want to see you play because I wouldn't you know just us talking I didn't think you would be kind of that you know um you know Oh, I like to tilt. Mover and shaker, yeah. So you're a nudger. Oh, I like to nudge and wiggle and tilt and shove the machine. Nice. Figure out when you can shove the machine. That's an art in itself, when you can. That's fun. And then all the tilt bulbs are slightly different, so you have to cut around the machine. Oh, yeah. On every game that you play everywhere, it's different, for sure. So are the tournaments always match play every week?
    19:22
    League is always a four-person match play and seven rounds. He does head-to-head. He'll do a classic tournament. Then he'll just do a classics only. Every other round, we'll do classic, and then we'll do a new, meaning like a DMD machine, a newer. And then classics, I think, is like 75 and older, I think. 1975 and older. So sometimes he'll do a split like that. I really like head-to-head. Sometimes he'll do that on a Saturday night. I find that to be more of a strong suit for me he is going to do a cash tournament on April 17th I could plug that for him a double tournament at classics in the morning and a payout tournament I guess you call it that's something new that he's doing up there in the afternoon and I think it's something where you reach x amount of points the person that reads reaches x amount of points wins the whole thing so it's a little bit different but he did a flipper frenzy or a yeah flipper frenzy kind of thing a while ago too but yeah but usually that's the the format that's not bad okay you said you like head-to-head the most i do because i think that it gives you less time to cool down when you've got to wait let's say you're playing deadpool and deadpool can be a long game and if i'm waiting three minutes between four minutes five minutes between balls that um you know cools me down or sometimes honestly i might forget where i am and my progress on the game like i have to take the minute look at the play field and say what do i you know where was i so but when you play head to head it can be 30 seconds or two minutes between your ball and i still feel like i'm on you know especially i've had a good first ball i still feel like i have that um on fire feeling that i can keep trucking forward quicker okay and or it's all in my head yeah well do you prefer to go first or second when you play head-to-head if it's head-to-head um i don't i don't think either one really matters because either way you have to cut you have to try to you want to win yeah and you want to get that one point yeah um and a four player i'd prefer to take go forth every single time really okay yep i'd rather i'd rather have that the pressure on at the end i perform better that way i think yeah i like to go in and let everyone know what they have to beat which is usually not a lot okay that's okay that's all right in the group and the grouping that you end up being it might be a lot you never know um with the swiss seating or pairing or however they they match you up okay so all right what era game do you prefer to play when you're playing in a tournament what do you do the best at ems classic games for sure um i own a couple of old games i own a lost world a sky jump and a card tricks and i find playing older games where the ball slows down a bit um or the ball floats a little bit more across the play field i like to refer to it actually as when the ball has an ice skate on the bottom of it it's just gliding across the play field those are my favorite games to play um i just feel like the ball's easier to uh catch and usually the ball's easier to pass and uh you know depending on how cranked up the game is set um usually the shots are easier for me but yeah that's i think that's a strong suit but i definitely need to bring a fast and angry game into my collection here i think okay you know even i gotta even it out a little bit but yeah if i'd have to choose that's what i would choose yeah the older games are kind of the great equalizer for me i've beaten a couple of people that i who would have beat me 99 times out of 100 but i just happen to draw their names on an em and i just won by accident so i that's okay yep so but you know ems can also be real jerks and give you a house ball and i think that's all that's the equalizer there for me i think because like it gives you you know you don't get the flip and oh that was fun it gave me 2 000 points as a bonus but i like that i like that kind of slap in the face okay so I don't know. So do you have any idea of what fast and mean game you want to get in your collection? Oh, man.
    24:02
    I'm thinking a Star Trek premium or LBE. Oh, that's a good one. I think that it would be fun. I like the content, like the theme, I like the game a lot.
    24:15
    I also thought about a F-14 Tomcat, even though that's not a super new game, but it can be a very fast playing game.
    24:24
    I don't know. I keep looking. I look and say, oh, maybe this one looks interesting. And it's hard. Do you have suggestions, Tim, as a good fast-playing angry game? Iron Man, that would be the other one. I was thinking about that the other day, too. I'm going to be honest. Star Trek is probably the game you should get. I heard you mention that about a month ago, that you were thinking about getting a Star Trek. And it is fast. I've been looking. It's fun. It's got really good sound. and it's just yes yeah it's a fun and it's overall fun game to play um i want what is it kobayashi maru or you know i haven't gotten to that level yet so i think that'd be cool the first time i do that you know i think that will be a i'm pretty sure it's going to be the next that's going to be game number four but i've got an idea about game number five too so i have the room i have the room you know right now always looking ahead all right so let's let's change the subject a little bit you know you talked about playing in tournaments but you've actually directed a tournament recently um tell us about that that was uh fairly impressive and i heard you guys had a really good turnout or you girls had a really good turnout oh thank you so much for the compliment and I'm wanting to talk about it. This is actually my second tournament that I hosted or held or put together And this is the first one I directed at beginning of March at District 82 my my traveling women tournament series is called Ladies Flip Wisconsin and it was nuts I I didn't think I was going to play that day I went into the day thinking maybe I shouldn't play because it's a lot of it because it's a very large location with over 100 machines and if things go wrong. I'm so excited about the fact that I had 28 women, then plus myself, split 29 players that day. I think that's really impressive for women's, I don't know, maybe, I was told it's really impressive for women's pinball to have, you know, that kind of showing at a tournament. It was a lot of fun. I learned quite a few things about, before weeks leading up to it, I learned quite a few things about, you know, when a ball gets stuck, you know, what to do. And I did have a player that day that played, she played out of turn. That was really hard because it's hard giving somebody a DQ, you know, not Dairy Queen. And so I learned from that. I also learned to, you know, I kind of had some training wheels there. I was lucky enough to have Fox City's pinball tom graph stream that day eric thorne was so nice to host matt mccarty a friend of mine was there as my training meals he offered to get me a 40 and a sandwich what a guy you know i had um beth trafka was my scorekeeper that day so i had a lot of extra hands to help me so i feel like i did okay i had it felt really good to to do all of that uh to know that i can as my dishwasher goes off here sorry hopefully it's done um it felt i'm not i'm not gonna lie it felt really good to set a pretty big goal and a pretty lofty dream and to do it um i also want to say it was really nice to be recognized by stern pinball and have them share something on their instagram never my wildest dreams in a million years would i think that my little dream of having a ladies tournament and start doing that would pick up that kind of stuff or pick up on social media i just thought it'd be cool to get together with a bunch of chicks and play some pinball and, and invite other women into the community. That's what it's really about for me. So, but to, to have that kind of recognition and from other of my peers, that's even like that, I didn't even think about that going into it. So that really blows me away as Rachel, as a person. Yeah, that's, that's awesome. And I saw it on a lot of different, you know, social media outlets. I heard about it on podcasts, you know i saw it on stern as well so that that's awesome just crazy it's crazy congratulations well thank you i do hope to plan another one in june i'll be at a private collection i think in green bay area maybe okay so we'll see yeah but i might do a couple i just want to mention too i might do a couple of other like one-off tournaments there's meeting that will do it at a bar location bar k or something there's been some interest from three different people across the state of Wisconsin so that's kind of nuts um just crazy it's exciting you know um just trying to figure that out how I'm going to work that but uh yeah so people are interested in um learning more about that you should feel free to message me on Facebook or ladiesflipwi at gmail.com might as well plug that no that's awesome so that's what I'm doing yep so it's crazy who won the tournament uh Cassidy I'm gonna butcher her last name Cassidy Milonowski she is currently ranked I think she's top number nine female player in the world she's 14 years old she plays at district 82 I am so lucky to learn a lot from her uh Tara Hengem who also plays at district 82 came in second and she is a great player she had an amazing day and Jane I want to say Verwis from Chicago she came up and played or she placed in third so that was really awesome to have her as a second tournament of mine she came to both tournaments so it's nice to see that and again I want to say too at this last tournament it was cool because I had 10 women that never really played pinball or hadn't really thought about pursuing that or just hanging out and doing that for a day that came that day and were interested in the hobby or you know just get to do something different so that's so cool yeah that's so cool yeah that is cool because that's a very large chunk of the 28 that are new to the hobby right yeah right correct awesome awesome yeah well you're you're doing great things in the hobby and promoting it really well you know i'm i'm really excited about it and about the opportunities as the world heals itself i'm really excited for other things and doors to open down the road and again it's really just about you know i love it it's fun it's relaxed people laugh when i say it's relaxing but it is it's like a nice way to unplug it's something else for my brain to think about i just really um enjoy it and the people that i've met have been so gracious and kind to me so if i can keep i can pass on half the knowledge that other people have helped me with um you know that'd be cool yeah that's that's awesome you know the the pinball community really is a great community. I was shocked at how nice, you know, and how welcoming everybody has been in, in the community. So that's, that's been a extreme positive. And I meet people like you and Drew and Ian and the rest of the tribe members. So that's, you know, it's been a really positive, you know, thing for me. And it sounds like it's really been a positive thing for you and your life. Yeah, for sure. And I, you know, something about this podcast too, Tim, for us doing it, Because, again, I think that it's fascinating that we came into pinball at the same time, basically, because we're both kind of newbies in our own way. Right. So I still feel like a rookie in some ways, even when I'm playing and I'm directing, I still feel like a rookie. And I think it's good to be able to meet some of the other tribe members in this podcast, because I know some of them. And I've listened to some of their other content or stalked them on Facebook. but I think it would be just really interesting, fascinating to see what other people are into and pinball again, not just competitive, but people that are collectors, people that podcast, people that just, you know, enjoy playing at the one, you know, down at their local pizzeria or whatever. That's what it's all about to me. Yeah. And, and the tribe itself have just, you know, everybody is, you know, doing something different, you know, So it's like you said, unique collection. Yep. I like to just play in my house and I'll go to Helicon Brewery once a month and just, you know, play for about five or six hours. I really don't do the tournament thing, but I watch a ton of content. You're into tournaments. You know, we have, we have Ryan and Kuiper and Dave who stream every Friday night. Yes. TurboGrafx-7. Yep. Glenn does, you know, his segments on the Poor Man's Pinball Podcast, but he's a, He's incredibly talented musically. Competitive player, Ian Harawir. There's a lot of people in the tribe, and I'm really excited to get to know them a little bit better. Me too. And ask them a few more questions. It'll be cool. So did I miss anything? Anything else you want to say today? No, but thank you, Frank. Thank you for the opportunity and for reaching out about doing this because I think this is going to be fun. I've been looking to find – I don't necessarily want to stream playing pinball yet. Maybe we'll get to that. But I find the podcasts are very interesting and just like to have the opportunity to do something different. So thanks, Tim. You're awesome. Thank you. Thank you for being a co-host. It was it was good timing that you and I got together to do this. I think we'll be a good team. I think we're both kind of new to it. So, you know, I apologize to the listeners if we mess up a few things. but hopefully everybody enjoys it and we'll see who then I'll probably ask. I was going to say, I probably, I will probably ask dumb questions and along the way, but again, that's just about all learning. We're all been there. Right. So me too. So we'll see who the next guest is going to be. We'll leave it a surprise for now. So mystery, mystery. I like a good mystery. Me too. Yep. So, all right. Well, Rachel, you have a good evening and hang tight here and we'll wrap it up offline. And I appreciate you and we'll see you all for the next segment. I appreciate you too, Tim. Take care of peeps.