Episode 5 - SPL: Cuatro de Mayo

Do or Die Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·34m 0s·held·May 6, 2019

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.026

TL;DR

Raymond Davidson places 2nd at SPL May tournament after advancing through rounds on various Stern games.

Summary

Raymond Davidson recounts his experience at the Seattle Pinball League's May tournament (Cuatro de Mayo), detailing his progression from the initial round through the top 16, with notable gameplay on Transformers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Knight: Sword of Rage, and Attack from Mars. He finished second overall, losing to Richie Terry in the finals. The episode includes strategic gameplay insights and tournament structure observations.

Key Claims

Seattle Pinball League meets monthly at collectors' houses with multiple rounds in a ladder format leading to finals
high confidence · Raymond Davidson describing the SPL structure
Three-player groups in the tournament award third place 2 points (vs 1 point normally) to balance against four-player groups
high confidence · Raymond Davidson explaining the special rule implemented in SPL
Transformers (LE) features a mini upper playfield on the right ramp with left/right flipper manipulation, distinguishing it from the normal version
high confidence · Raymond Davidson describing Transformers (LE) differences
Decepticons mode in Transformers is superior to Autobots for multiplier scoring strategies, particularly for Megatron multiball jackpots
medium confidence · Raymond Davidson gameplay analysis and strategy preference
Black Knight: Sword of Rage features war hurry-ups that can run at any time and award knight letters when beaten
medium confidence · Raymond Davidson citing information from Tim Sexton on podcasts about the game mechanic
Typically 23-25 points are needed to advance to top 16 in the SPL first round, depending on tiebreaker situations
medium confidence · Raymond Davidson discussing his tournament advancement scenario
Raymond Davidson is the 'reigning world champion' and Carrie Wing is the 'reigning women's world champion'
high confidence · Raymond Davidson statement about his upcoming match at Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show
Alexander Kazmartchik won Pinfest in Allentown with 8 points in finals, ahead of Bowen (7 points), Jerry Bernard (3rd), and Steve Zahler (4th)
medium confidence · Raymond Davidson reporting on recent tournament results

Notable Quotes

“You feel ripped off, right? When everyone else is in a four player group and you get stuck in a three player group”
Raymond Davidson @ ~5:00 — Explains the community sentiment that led to the 3-player group rule adjustment
“I recommend people play in a way that works for them and you know at least until you're comfortable playing a different way”
Raymond Davidson @ ~12:30 — Reflects adaptive strategy philosophy in competitive play
“Well, you know, this is the do or die podcast. So if I didn't go for the do or die. What am I what am I doing here, right?”
Raymond Davidson @ ~48:00 — Meta-commentary on the podcast title influencing his risky Iron Man strategy choice
“Monger all day Ironman so I basically just looped it up trapped it”
Raymond Davidson @ ~52:00 — Describes the dominant orbit-trap strategy on Iron Man at this event
“The hard four as Lefkoff likes to call it where, you know, not two points and two points but four points and zero points”
Raymond Davidson @ ~68:00 — Introduces competitive pinball terminology for split round results

Entities

Raymond DavidsonpersonSeattle Pinball LeagueorganizationRichie TerrypersonKayleepersonGeorge Gomezperson Tim SextonpersonCarrie WingpersonAlexander KazmartchikpersonSterncompany

Signals

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event_signal: Detailed first-person tournament coverage of Seattle Pinball League monthly event with specific round-by-round gameplay and scoring
high · Raymond Davidson's comprehensive play-by-play account of SPL Cuatro de Mayo tournament progression
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gameplay_signal: In-depth strategic analysis of multiple Stern games including mode selection (Decepticons vs Autobots on Transformers), shot sequencing, and risk/reward calculations
high · Extended discussion of Decepticon multiplier strategy on Transformers, multiball focus strategy on Black Knight, and super jackpot progression on Attack from Mars
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competitive_signal: Community-developed tournament rule adjustment for 3-player groups to balance competitive equity
high · Third-place gets 2 points in 3-player groups; described as experimental change that has persisted without issues
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content_signal: Do or Die podcast episode focused on competitive pinball tournament experience and gameplay strategy education
high · Episode 5 of Do or Die dedicated to detailed SPL May tournament experience
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community_signal: Evidence of established regional tournament culture in Seattle with monthly gatherings, themed events, and integrated social community
high · SPL Cuatro de Mayo described as annual May tradition with Mexican-themed social elements (tacos, churros) combined with competitive pinball
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Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.102

0:00

Welcome to Do or Die, a podcast about competitive pinball. I'm your host, Raymond Davidson, here to help you stay up to date on the latest strategies, tournaments, and happenings in the competitive pinball world, but also sharing direct stories of me as I go forth on my pinball tournament adventures. Cartoon, ones, changing with the Seattle Pinball League May event that I attended last Saturday. If you're not familiar with the Seattle Pinball League, it's a league we have here in Seattle greater area where once a month we meet at collectors houses who graciously open up their doors to everyone who wants to play in the league and you play basically a full day of pinball with multiple rounds and there's a champion at each of them. The culmination of all of your placements throughout The Finals are super fun, ladder format, modified a little bit to make sure people get enough chances to play. I'll probably talk about that in another podcast or whenever I have time to fill. Out Pinball But for now, it's gonna be all about this month's tournament on May 4th, Cuatro de Mayo if you will. We always have a nice Mexican themed tacos and churros and kinda nice party and the weather is great this time of year in Seattle. It's just a big, big fun gathering with pinball thrown in. It happens every year this weekend in May. Out Pinball So my first round, basically, it's five games and you score 7531, you're in a four player group and the top 16 move on to the next round after your five games. You play in the same group for all five games. However, this week was interesting because, you know, not all the time do you have a perfectly divisible number by four. So I was in a three player group and we have a special rule for three player groups that I know Sometimes you get yourself lohaced by that number dictatorsuchi dire Naturondual musichaslems.com Your novel звучefly sweat Isso, Image Night Financierlo nesscof love yourloveyet Re tensions avoir passei, mualeven uğ겨 nerd Enlight, I crème de chaction,um fumoup reduces implantation Italianveggia ngai songuh用 Dzrush his belt. Oh what bullshit. Oh is that the case citizen is tired apparently it was cold because there's just so many Like I mentioned earlier, the league is mostly for fun gathering with some serious pinball thrown in here and there. And it's just not enjoyable to sort of be in a three player group anyway. Just, you feel ripped off, right? When everyone else is in a four player group and you get stuck in a three player group, you don't want to add more insult to injury and basically, you know, oh I got third, but I was in a group with like these two rock stars, so I just got one point, but I probably would have beat someone and a four player group. Anyway, so we just decided third place gets two points. It doesn't change things that much, but it makes you feel a lot better when it happens. And so that way you can't really complain if you get a three player group anymore. You kind of just it balances out a little bit, at least at least mentally. It was kind of an experiment that we just we changed at one point and has just never, never changed since because we haven't really had any issues with it. Anyway, as I was saying, I was in one of those three player groups. So my first I got to play was Transformers LE edition, the purple and red one. So if you're familiar with Transformers, it's a game designed by George Gomez and it's by Stern. It's got a premium and a LE. I don't know if they had, I don't think they had premiums back then, but it's got the LE version and the normal version. And the difference is on the LE, the left ramp is sort of this big contraption that leads and the right ramp is this little mini upper playfield where you can actually, like, Path of Adventure style, use the left and right flippers to wiggle it to try to get as many switches as you can. It's kind of like a little toy. But that's basically it. Oh, and there's a drop target in front of Megatron, where on the normal edition there is no drop target there. I'm not sure if you should know about me and my history with Transformers is there was someone who brought in a Transformers LE into the place I worked and I played it, you know, lunch breaks every day for probably about half a year or a year. And, you know, I was a little better than the other people at the company, so I would always choose Decepticons and I kind of, that way I had my own little high scoreboard because I think the default is Autobots, so everyone else would just kind of naturally end up on the Autobots. I got really used to playing Decepticon modes and I actually, even to this day, I pick Decepticons just because I'm so familiar with the modes and I feel like they score better? I don't know if that's true or not. I'll get into it a little bit as I'm talking about the game. But anyway, just a disclaimer, most people will say pick Autobots because you get a multiball as one of your modes. But for me, I picked Decepticons and I've been doing that just because it works for me and I recommend people play in a way that works for them and you know at least until you're comfortable playing a different way. So we got put on Transformers and I chose Decepticons and I got lucky enough that my first mode that I was about to start was my favorite mode which is Devastator. 25하�MC % kör Anda

12:31

In this format if you pick the game you actually get to go in the last position as well I'm a fan of the game called Fishtails, which is kind of nice. So I picked Fishtails because I knew that I had already won the first two games and going last on Fishtails really gives you that big advantage to make sure you don't get a zero because you can see if somebody failed to get multiball and then just go monster fish or you can see somebody have a crazy game and then go multiball and try to go over the top. So I got, it sort of worked out. I got 15 million which beat the 3 million but did not beat the 85 million. I got a second on that and got four points. Unfortunately, the next game was Ironman and the Ironman is a good way to turn your tournament directly around, that's for sure. And I made a couple of errors. I drained both my balls, one and two, going for the right ramp after missing it a couple times and finding out that the The right ramp was very hard to hit on this one and even a solid shot just kind of lost momentum and wouldn't go all the way around sometimes. It was also in a weird spot on the flipper. It was like earlier than I'm used to and that cost me. Both ball one and two I drained either missing the right ramp or going halfway up the right ramp. And then on ball three I made a mistake not going for my skill shot. I should have just went for my skill shot. I was a little bit disappointed by the short plunged because the scores were pretty close. I had 8 million or something and then someone else had like 6 or 7. But anyway, the moral of the story is the skill shot points cost me and I tilted my bonus when the ball was already gone basically. It was like a rage tilt. It was like, ah, stupid Ironman. And that tilt cost me as well. I ended up getting fourth place by less than like 100,000. So, The Bad So now all of a sudden, you know to first in a second and Then this last it kind of puts me in in a pickle Because in this format usually need 23 points to get into a tiebreaker or 25 points to move on to top 16 But every once in a while, it's a clean cut and there is no tiebreaker at 23 It's just 25 is in and and anything less than 25 is out and because I was in the three-player group I had first, first, second, third, which was a total of 20 points. And if I got second, I would only end up at 24 points, which would sort of leave things up to the gods of whether or not I would move on. So I needed a win on my last game to guarantee that I moved on. It was just funny how I was cruising along so well, and then Ironman came along, and now I basically need a win to move on to the next round. The game that we picked in the last round was Stern's Black Knight Sword of Rage. It was brought in actually just for the day from a local operator so we appreciated that. That was really cool to get to see the new game. I didn't really know what to do on that game so I just sort of played a mode because I know you shoot the flail, you shoot the ramp, you shoot the mode start, you play a mode. All kinds of anime, That seemed effective like here I was playing a mode and thought I was hitting some good shots But you know I only got so many points out of it But he started multi ball and it was just like a total total party so I knew from that moment on all right I need to get multi ball. You know I'm good at keeping multi balls alive. I'm good at hitting the shots getting jackpots Multi ball I think is the best strategy here

16:49

Because not only would it I need multi ball in order to pass the 70 million and the player three also still got to play so I had no idea what he was going to do So I just kind of praying it all or nothing basically right if you if you fail to get multiball you know you don get points for hitting the light lock target but that alright it was a calculated move that I knew I had to do and you know luckily I was able to survive a couple of those light lock targets backhanding them seemed pretty safe actually and then I started the the multiball and man oh man I just I just kept going The only thing I knew about Black Knight was from some of the podcasts talking about war hurry ups. I think Tim Sexton mentioned that war hurryups can run at any time with anything and if you beat them you get knight letters. So during my multiball bonanza I was focusing anytime the ball was in the pops, which happened quite a bit because I was draining and auto-launching a bunch, I would make sure I get the war letters. and then once those are going make sure I hit the three war hurry ups and so I think I did like maybe two of maybe even three of those because when I came out of the multiball I had like a hundred and fifty million and all my night letters spelled so I was you know I was really proud of myself I was able to then start the night throwback mode where you get triple scoring with three balls and played that for a little bit I'm finishing about 220million and I basically punched my ticket into the top 16. So now in the top 16 I'm in a group of 4 with a scoring of 4210 and only the best player, the top scorer in your group of 4 moves on to the top 4. So there is no semifinals. We try to finish before too late so we just go 16 to 4. It's pretty brutal but people got I'm not tired of staying around til midnight every month so basically you need to win your group and our first game was on Ironman and like I said I played it the first round and I noticed bogey was pretty much off the table because the ramps were pretty hard to hit but the orbit to live catch was actually super easy and so it was it was a monger all day Ironman so I basically just looped it up trapped it and then did the thing where you I'm not sure if you've heard of the game called pinball, but it's a game where you have to use the right of the monger to get letters without getting the magnet to throw off your ball. So I played a monger, got some points on the table, and then once I came out of that, I just basically started shooting at drone targets, specifically the ones up the middle, just because you have a lot of time to react to them if you miss them. and so that lit War Machine and then during War Machine I started Whiplash and so now I came out of this with all of the inserts lit except for Ironman, the red Ironman target insert and I had Jericho lit and I had to decide do I just start Jericho or do I try to light my Ironman targets and go for do or die. The deciding factor that pushed me in do or die direction was Well, you know, this is the do or die podcast. So if I if I didn't Go for the do or die. What am I what am I doing here, right? No, it was the fact that my Ironman targets would actually start double scoring and I could not resist the opportunity for a double do or die. So I I shot those Ironman targets, started double scoring, shot it up the middle, 35 million counting down with double scoring running, ball fed from the pop bumper right to my right flipper, and boom! Missed it. I was so freaking out. I was like, oh no, oh no no no, not like this! But luckily, it came back to my flipper and I was able to hit it again at a 30 million collect value doubled, so 60 million. and so I ended that game with 100 million. It was a pretty great game. Nobody even came close. It was like 7 million was the next highest score, which was pretty funny. So I got a first on Ironman. Then we played Guardians, and I put up a good 280 million ball one. And then Kaylee, who was in my group, he was kind of doing a group all day strategy. And so he started his second group. and man, he was getting huge double-double supers and just piling on points just grew. He ended up with like 550 million or so. I had about 450 going into ball three and about fifty, sixty million in bonus. So I needed to do something to beat him and get first. And luckily, the way I drained my ball two actually was from orb. I had lit my orb and drained. So ball three, I just started my orb that I had ready for me and then focused on bonus multipliers during orb to get that bonus I needed. And that finished it. So I was able to take home the Guardians game. So now I have eight points after two. So I'm guaranteed to move on to the final four. So then Kaylee, knowing this, picked fishtails just for fun, just to see if we could pop off any supers. We did not. November vs. February vs. January vs.mentioned time у Tomlinис Since we met at the 2018 World Rink Finals, I spoke with Trackpin and Jax leave in办ую As I mentioned before, Just a little tip. If you have Zeus running and you have one white target left to finish it, you should shoot it. Because finishing Zeus, as I'll get to later, really helps your sea of simulation. Same with clue. If you have a clue shot lit, you should probably go for it. Just because it's important. And it doesn't seem important at the time, but if you're really trying to blow it up, You need to get as many of those Sea of simulation goals completed in the middle of the playfield. Anyway, so I got the after ball two. It was like 49 million, 44 million, 21 million, 5 million or something. And so it was pretty close. I think I had the 44 Richie had the 49 or maybe the other way around. But what came down to it was, as I mentioned, I started my Sea of Sim. I had already beat Gem, Zeus, and Clue, so it instantly gave me the 10 million points or whatever it adds up to. I don't know if I did much in CSim. I think I beat Disk and then drained with Lightcycle, which was the only one I needed. I ended with 70 mil or so. Richie steps up with his 45 million or whatnot. and he has SeaofSimulation lit as well, but he did not finish Gem, Clue, or Zeus actually. He was quite baffled with how little he had finished. And that was basically the difference, because he couldn't survive the Sea of Simulation and ended up with 50 mil or whatever, and so I took game one. One thing of note I saw Richie doing that I'll point out is if you have Gem and you're stuck on Gem in Sea of Simulation, gun shoot the right orbit to light your Flynn arcade and then shoot the arcade and it will spot your gem shot It kind of a 6 of 1 half dozen of the other problem because the right orbit is not really fun to hit and the gem shot is not really fun to hit but you know basically if you have a ball in the left flipper you might as well try to shoot the right orbit try to get the gem completed to light your you know move on in the sea of simulation The next game after I won the first game was our old nemesis, Ironman. So I got like 9 million the first time I played it and then I got 100 million the second time I played it. And well, there's one quote that will describe my game on Ironman. That went well. Yeah, I got 5 million. That was with a Monger multiball too. It was just really pitiful. I think it was one of those games where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It ended by a halfway up the left ramp going straight into the right out lane. Like, alright, anyway. So now I'm staring down four points after two games. The hard four as Lefkoff likes to call it where, you know, not two points and two points but four points and zero points. You might hear that term tossed around in Pinburg when you get the The Hard6, where you get 0033. You know, sometimes you'll say, how'd your round go? Oh, I got a six. But, oh, it was the hard six. You know, 00. Well, there's also the 33006, which is also a hard six, I guess. Anyway, I'm not completely up to date on the vocab, but it was scary going into game three with only four points, knowing that it was basically me versus Richie, The game between us two would win the tournament. Game three was on Attack from Mars and it was not a remake which I was happy about. I was able to actually shoot the shots. I was able to light lock, lock, play multiball. I unfortunately did not get the super jackpot which is a bummer because on attack from mars when you get the super it anyretelauf fabric급 au況asp tunere brainstorming anchor at Meiedz for the room.