As a massive supporter of location pinball, cofounder of Astoria Pinball League, and host to various pinball events, it is fair to say I spend the bulk of my time playing pinball in barcades or arcades rather than inside of my home. Oftentimes, I'm mistaken for the operator, or--more commonly--people come to me as a soundboard or indirect way of having their comments, suggestions, or complaints reach the pinball machine owner. While I have had people ask me the history of pinball all the way to how to improve their game, the questions and comments I get asked the most by beginner and intermediate players is always if the operator is setting up games in a way to make more money.
Usually, these complaints or questions come after the person has had a particularly bad game or two, and they are somewhere in their pinball career where they know a new in box pin cost $7,000.00 or more, but before they have had any meaningful conversations with an operator. Here are a few of the more common comments I have heard:
1.) The machines are setup too steep. You can clearly see that the bubble is not in-between the lines on the level, so the games play faster, and the operator gets more money.
2.) The right coin slot is stealing money. Bet that was done intentionally.
3.) Why would the operator adjust the outposts to create a wider gap? The pins already cost a dollar to play.
4.) The tilt is set so tight you cannot even play it, but I guess he as to make money somehow.
5.) They wax/clean the playfields too much, hoping people drain more.
Before I dive more into my thought on if these and other game setups are done to scam you, it is important to state that I do not judge people who ask these questions or have these thoughts. When I first got into pinball, I certainly asked myself some of these things after noticing a dramatic difference between setup from one barcade to the next. Another thing that will help us better understand this is the concept of good and bad operators.
Let's start by talking about good operators. The list below is just a few of the reasons why I might consider an operator to be good and by no means a comprehensive list.
1.) They or a person working for them plays pinball. For someone who does not play pinball, setting up a machine and keeping it maintained is near impossible. Without knowledge of the game, things like scoops draining right down the center or weak flippers goes completely unnoticed. While some operators can make a living routing pins or having them in a barcade, there are far better options for making money, so most of this industry is fueled by passion with the exception of some mega locations.
2.) The pins are maintained on a regular schedule. Does this mean you will never see black dust on a playfield or a broken pin on location? No. Pins are mechanical and therefore prone to failure. Also, many operators work a regular job or manage the business where the pins are located. This means they might only be able to work on the machines once a week or every two weeks.
3.) Good operators want to know if a machine has an issue. Does this mean they will be thrilled to hear their brand new $10,000 machine already has an issue? Not exactly. But they will thank you for letting them know. Most good operators will have a sheet to report issues or an employee on staff to report the issue to who actually cares about the problem.
We will never all agree on what makes a good operator, but for the sake of this article, we can say good operators try their best to make sure their pins are in good working condition. If you are looking for good operators in the Astoria area, you can see our list of approved venues.
Now that we have an idea of what makes a good operator, let's look at what classifies one as bad.
1.) This will come as no shock, but my number one reason is they do not play pinball. Could you image taking your car to a mechanic and the owner, nor any employees, knows how to drive a vehicle? The second I hear that an operator does not play pinball is the moment I end my relationship with their establishment. You will usually find operators who do not play pinball route other things like arcade games, pool tables, jukeboxes, claw machines, or even vending machines or they own an arcade.
2.) Bad operators will have pins turned on with known issues. I'm not talking about a sticky flipper button for the past week or a coin jam that has happened repeatedly on the same machine. These are issues that have been ongoing for months and would be apparent to almost any pinball player--think nonworking flipper, broken rubbers, nonworking switches critical to the game play. This would not be things like a broken noninteractive toy or anything simple related to the game's setup.
3.) Another indication of a bad operator is one who clearly maintains or puts the bulk of their resources and time maintaining more lucrative arcade games or claw machines. Sure, operators need to make money in order to pay the bills, but if the pins are not making money, then the solution is to replace them with something that does earn.
Notice I have not talked about tilt settings, how steep a game is, or anything else that could be described as game setup making an operator good or bad. So, let's get to the question, are pinball operators out to scam you? To answer this question, let me slightly rephrase it, are good pinball operators out to scam you? The answer is no! Why do I say this? For the most part, operators rely on repeat business. It is in their best interest to keep you happy and returning a couple of times per week. For a vast majority of operators, their money is not made directly on pinball, but the food and drinks you buy while playing.
So why do good operators setup games with tight tilts, steep pitches, and do other things people might falsely believe is to make more income? The answer might surprise you. Most operators setup pins the way they like the games to play or in ways to make you a better pinball player. That game with no outlane rubbers, as steep as Mount Everest, and won't let you tilt it into the next machine is done all for your benefit. If you have ever played a Stranger Things machine with no pitch, you will understand how boring pinball can be when each time you shoot the ball into a spot you cannot see, and you start to wonder if the ball got stuck. Want to play better at tournaments? The answer is not to practice on a pin with outlanes so narrow it is virtually impossible for the ball to go down them or pins that might as well have a towel in the drain.
Here are some tips to help you better enjoy your time playing pinball:
1.) Don't jam quarters into a machine like socks into a bag you are going to donate to the thrift store. I'm shocked at the amount of people who tell me a machine stole a dollar or two dollars from them. I can't help but ask people who are being jerks about this issue, why they thought putting in another quarter into a machine that didn't recognize one would fix the problem. We have all been excited to play a pin and shoved money into it too fast from time to time but try to put a quarter in one at a time and see if the machine gives you credit before proceeding. I can tell you operators hate quarter jams just as much as you do. Clearing jams is an endless job that doesn't make them any more money. If you are going to be heartbroken over a lost quarter, then pinball might not be for you.
2.) So you just tilted out, now what? With the exception of a machine that is wobbly as a newborn deer, tilts are usually completely, avoidable. Just know and understand each operator will have a different idea of what is an acceptable tilt level, as a player it is your job to find the limits of each machine. Can this be frustrating? Hell yes it can. I recently lost a tournament round because the other player knew the tilts were extremely loose, to the point where he moved the machine into the one next to it in order to save a ball. Had I known the tilt bob was basically nonexistent I certainly could have saved a few of my balls from draining. Tight tilts can be just as frustrating. For whatever reason, many newer players will tilt during a multiball and then tell me it is impossible to play the game. If this is happening to you, try not to rest any weight on the machine and instead use your legs to support yourself. Another helpful tip is to allow balls to drain without nudging when you have a ball save lit. Once the ball saver has ended, cradle the extra balls so that you only have one in play at a time. This will limit the amount of nudging you need to do and give the tilt bob time come to a rest before the next nudge.
3.) What about games that are playing fast because of cleaned/waxed playfields, tight slings, and steep pitches? The first thing to understand as a newish player is the concept and acceptance of house balls--this is where you cannot hit the ball with the flippers before it drains. House balls are an unavoidable aspect of the game and a part you might even come to enjoy. Lost the first two balls without touching them, then getting to play your third ball for five minutes is more than gratifying. Remember, it only takes one good ball to have a record game or win a tournament. Don't look at a house ball and think, if only it didn't drain, I would be on the leader board. The person who got on there had to play the same pin as you. As you progress in your gameplay, you will find ways to limit the amount of house balls you get by short plunging, nudging, and other techniques. For now, understand they are a part of the game.
Another thing many newer players misunderstand is that operators could scam you in much easier ways that are far less detectable. For example, a Stern allows the operator to adjust the ball save timer, amount of extra balls--if any--and countless other things that would make the game much more difficult to play or create a much shorter game than mechanical setups. For the most part, this would be a much better approach to scamming a beginning to intermediate player because of their limited knowledge of the game's ruleset and that these adjustments exist.
Another thing that can help if you are on a fast-playing machine is to work on cradling the ball. This allows you to control the pace--somewhat--rather than just be constantly at the mercy of the machine. Playing pins setup faster will help prepare you for games like Stern's Turtles or Bram Stoker's Dracula, which play fast no matter how they are setup.
I have answered the question if good operators are out to scam you, now let's talk about bad operators--these are the people who are actually scamming you. I place bad operators in the same category as used car dealers and people hanging out on the corner asking you to play the three cup or three card game. Actually, I find these people to be far worse than this other scum because they often are praying on children in arcades. My thoughts on bad operators are you should never frequent their establishments after you have caught on to them. Here is where tons of people will disagree with me. I can already here people saying, but they are the only place with my favorite game. Another argument--which does make a good point-- is we should be playing all pinball machines to support the hobby and playing a game that has a scoop draining right down the center, or other issues, can be a fun challenge or make you a better player.
However, giving quarters to a bad operator reinforces the idea they do not need to maintain the machines in order to make money. Worse than that, it plays into the idea pinball is gambling because players cannot control the outcome of the game. Even worse, bad operators create negative stereotypes that pinball is nothing but a scam making good operators look bad. Instead of feeding quarters into your favorite game owned by a bad operator, ask a good operator if they have the game and would set it up on location for you. Sure, it is a slim chance that they own the game, but if enough people ask for it, they might just put it on their list to purchase. Once you build a relationship with a good operator, you would be surprised what they will do for a good customer.