Pinburgh III here we come!!!

[RGR]

Finally got round to booking flights and will be leaving on the 5th of April. The first event is a PAPA style event on Monday the 8th, with events running on Tuesday and Wednesday with Pinburgh stating on the Friday. 40 rounds without getting knocked out and the chance to play with some 150+ people that I have never meet. Let the madness begin!

 

I will again be taking a laptop and will cover the entire trip as I did with the IFPA9 thread. The PAPA complex has wifi so I will be doing updates from there as well.

[robm]

Awesome, look forward to the updates - last time you kept us very well informed!

[RGR]

This is one thing I cant figure out:

 

One-way: Pittsburgh to New York 1h 30m: TOTAL AIRFARE & TAXES $308.90

One-way: New York to Los Angeles 6h 15m: TOTAL AIRFARE & TAXES $168.90

[Audioenslaved]

This is one thing I cant figure out:

 

One-way: Pittsburgh to New York 1h 30m: TOTAL AIRFARE & TAXES $308.90

One-way: New York to Los Angeles 6h 15m: TOTAL AIRFARE & TAXES $168.90

 

#1 doesn't have as much traffic as #2

[RGR]

How cool is this:

 

[JoshZ]

It looks like this would be amazing. They have done a fantastic job putting it altogether. All those games on free play .. I wouldn't leave for a month :).

Good luck mate, I hope you go really well and bring home the big prize. Regardless, you are going to have a ball no matter what I bet.

Cheers and enjoy.

[RGR]

And the list of games:

 

http://papa.org/blog/2013/01/pinburgh-2013-list-of-games/

[Wotto]

Enjoy the trip mate - look forward to the updates - "live updates' will be great thanks.

Travelling with anyone?

[GORGAR 1]

Good luck and have a great trip can't wait to read the day by day reports and checkout the pics. I'll be at expo in 2016 on my 50th lol

 

Peter

[RGR]

Nah just me, but like thats only on the plane. 400+ pinheads sure will make for a sociable time.

[JoshZ]

HOLY CR*P ...... it's like Pinball Nirvana.

I'd be going straight for the Wizard I think (don't laugh).

What an amazing mix of vintage and modern .. not to mention the comp which looks like it's been organised fantastically.

Can't wait for the updates or any pics you might take.

Again good luck .. may the balls be with you :)

 

And the list of games:

 

http://papa.org/blog/2013/01/pinburgh-2013-list-of-games/

[RGR]

Said to be the best tournament structure in the world..

[JoshZ]

I don't know much about tournaments but after watching that video you put up, you could just tell they have thought about everything and structured it so well.

It's nice too I think that they've made it accessible and interesting and interactive for anyone who wants to come along and play and learn about pinball .. and to watch people play competitively.

Full credit to the organisers, competitors and visitors ... Could be the trip of a lifetime I reckon :)

[RGR]

"Pinburgh features guaranteed match play for two full days for each and every participating player, regardless of skill level. As a player, you will spend Friday competing in a series of four-player groups (occasionally three-player). For each session, you will be seeded based on your performance up to that point. Expect to spend approximately ten hours playing pinball competitively on Friday.

 

On Saturday, you will be assigned to the A, B, C, or D Division based on your play up to that point. Some players will have pre-existing restrictions which may require them to be in the A or B Division, regardless of how well they play on Friday. You will then spend another ten hours playing in another series of four-player groups, which will determine whether or not you qualify for finals play on Sunday. In the C and D Divisions, your record from Friday will be discarded, but for A and B Divisions, your record is cumulative over both days.

 

On Sunday, there is a double-elimination consolation tournament for players who didn't make it into the finals. The Pinburgh finals are similar to the finals of the PAPA World Pinball Championships.

 

$150 gets you into the tournament and guarantees you 20 or more hours of pinball! Tokens are sold in rolls of $10, and token proceeds go towards charity. Each roll of tokens will include an ultra-rare token only available at Pinburgh, and you should expect to spend a minimum of $20 (two rolls) while competing.

 

Yes, the facility will be open to spectators, with no admission fee! There will be over 200 pinball machines available for token play. Come on out! Bring your friends! "

[rod71]

Said to be the best tournament structure in the world..

 

Do you have a preferred bank of 4 games that you know you'd do well on?.

[WOKA]

When you say 20 hours of game play. Is that RGR hours or normal man hours..?

 

 

Enjoy your trip. ;)

[RGR]

Do you have a preferred bank of 4 games that you know you'd do well on?.

 

Let you know after the event in case I have some competitors railing this thread :)

[JoshZ]

20 hours of play - awesome feat of endurance. Out-does the Drinking Man's Triathlon I do with my mates ... Pool, Ping Pong and Darts. Quadruple-a-Thon now with Pinnnie introduced :). By the 10th hour there is staggering, un-coordinated attempts at grandeur and even sometimes tears :). I hope it's much more sophisticated and controlled for you.

[RGR]

IFPA was 13 hours. It wont be straight playing since they will wait for all groups to finish.

[RGR]

http://papa.org/pinburgh2012/live/

 

A link based on the structure of last years event. This year due to the 400 runners will have A,B,C and D divisions.

[RGR]

http://www.geekgamer.tv/ggtv/ggtvpapalive/

[RGR]

Ok folks the trip has begun. Right now I am at LAX chilling out prior to taking a plane to pittsburgh. I cant recommend the a380 enough and in fact it is the first time that I have flown Qantas internationally ever. The plane was not entirely full which was good as it gave me the option of stretching out. Some people slept across 4 seats. For me I didnt sleep the entire way, I just waited till I goto the hotel. The entertainment system on the plane is fantastic. All the very latest films. Ended up watching:

Zero Dark Thirty: Slow start great finish

Jack Reacher: Great film really enjoyed it and the ironic part was that it was about a sniper in Pittsburgh that gunned down 5 innocent people.:o

Silverlinings playbook: Great romantic comedy

Rocky: been about the 10th time that I have seen this

Django: Started watching it, but that lead character just wouldnt stfu and stop posing...

 

There was a 5th film but I just cant remember it at this point. *** the film was Flight *** not bad either.

Got some cool vids of the plane landing and taking off since the a380s have cameras outside the plane. Will post them shortly

Edited April 6, 2013 by RGR

[RGR]

Annnnd the dam SD card reader on the PC I borrowed does not work.... WTF. It does not sense that the card has been inserted. Any trouble shooting ideas??

[MrMaloo]

Check the little lock tab on the side of it Rich ... that and make sure the contacts are clean .

 

 

Best of luck over there too mate !!

[RGR]

Ahhh l'll have to buy an external card reader when I get to Pittsburgh. Should be able to get one from Walmart..