🎙️ Wizards & Warriors - Episode 10: 2025 Pinburgh Bank Tier List & Analysis with Top 30 Pro Preston Currie

In Episode 10 of Wizards & Warriors, we’re breaking down the full 2025 Pinburgh game bank with one of the top-ranked players in the world — Preston Currie (IFPA Top 30). From modern beasts to brutal classics, Preston shares his thoughts, strategies, and hot takes on every title in the lineup.

Whether you're prepping for battle at Pinburgh or just love hearing high-level pinball breakdowns, this episode is packed with expert insight and tiered rankings you won't want to miss.

📌 Follow Preston Currie on IFPA: https://www.ifpapinball.com/players/view.php?p=86367

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🎙️ Wizards & Warriors - Episode 9: Game. Set. Zahler.

Welcome back to Wizards & Warriors, the podcast where competitive pinball takes center stage! In Episode 9, we bring on a very special guest: Jason Zahler, the newly crowned IFPA 20 World Champion.

Jason opens up about his pinball journey, shares strategies, and talks about what it takes to rise—and stay—at the top of the game.

Then, Zahler steps up for an 8-game head-to-head battle against Viggo, featuring a mix of classics and modern machines. From Pharaoh to Jack*Bot to Creature from the Black Lagoon, this one’s got it all: clutch saves, risky strategies, and plenty of pinball nerdery.

📧 Contact us: wizardsandwarriorspodcast@gmail.com

🏆 IFPA 20 WORLD CHAMP INTERVIEW - JASON ZAHLER 🏆

• 00:00 - Intro & Welcome Jason Zahler
• 3:24 - How Did You Get Hooked on Pinball?
• 5:01 - Competitive or Casual Beginnings?
• 6:29 - Mentors & Influences
• 9:22 - First Tournament Experience
• 11:09 - Favorite Games & Strategies
• 13:42 - Ball 3 Approach / Best Advice
• 18:28 - Preparing for IFPA Worlds
• 21:30 - Managing Pressure
• 24:42 - Did You Model Your Game After Anyone?
• 27:18 - Advice for New Players
• 31:33 - Most Underrated Skill
• 32:51 - What Makes a Tourney Bank Exciting?
• 34:30 - Life After #1

🎮 THE HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLE: VIGGO VS ZAHLER

• 35:52 - Game 1: Pharaoh – Classic Multiball Action
• 49:05 - Game 2: Firepower – Shatzfest & Tilt Drama
• 1:04:12 - Game 3: Indy 500 – Loops & Super Jackpots
• 1:15:16 - Game 4: Demolition Man – Claw Combos & Multiball
• 1:28:05 - Game 5: Jaws Pro – Mode Closeouts & Saves
• 1:44:48 - Game 6: KISS – Love Gun Multiball & Demon Head Risks
• 2:01:30 - Game 7: Jack*Bot – Visor Battles & Casino Runs
• 2:16:32 - Game 8: Creature from the Black Lagoon – FILM, MYC, & Multiball Multipliers

🎤 POST-GAME RAPID FIRE & CLOSING

• 2:40:00 - Congrats Zahler! Back-to-Back IFPA Worlds Champ
• 2:43:25 - Favorite Game to Add / Modern vs Classics
• 2:44:00 - Pinnacle Moment / What Do You Hope People Remember?
• 2:45:39 - Harder: Getting to the Top or Staying There?
• 2:46:26 - Rapid Fire: Flippers, Food, & It’s Fiiiiiinnnne v Bozo
• 2:49:30 - Shoutouts & Closing

Footage courtesy of JDL PINBALL. Please follow them:
👉 twitch.tv/jdl_pinball

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🎙️ Wizards & Warriors - Episode 8

We’re back with a brand new episode of Wizards & Warriors! Your hosts FriscoPinball (Hadi) and JL4ND (Joe) return to recap an action-packed stretch of competitive pinball, highlight some new game releases, and sit down with a major tournament winner: Leslie Ruckman, the 2025 YEGPIN Women’s Matchplay Champion.

El Rucko joins us to talk about her journey in pinball—from her early days in Chicago to the West Coast to becoming the #1 ranked women’s player. We dive deep into her gameplay strategies, preparation mindset, and get her breakdown of every 2025 YEGPIN Women's Championship finals game, including John Wick Pro, Abra Ca Dabra, and Avatar.

We also review recent tournaments from May through July, preview upcoming events like Sweeper City Open, Brisbane Masters, and Pinburgh, and answer a viewer request to rank the hardest wizard modes in pinball!

If you love competitive play, detailed game breakdowns, and tournament insights, this episode’s for you. Don't forget your chance to win our prize giveaway by sending us your top 3 hardest wizard modes via email to wizardsandwarriorpodcast@gmail.com!

📕 Chapters:

⏱️ Intro + Tourney Recaps
00:00 - Intro: What We've Been Playing + Summer Check-In
05:57 - Quick Discussion of New Pinball Releases (Harry Potter, Predator, Jaws 50th, etc.)
13:55 - Viewer Request: Ranking the Hardest Wizard Modes (PRIZE GIVEAWAY!)
22:07 - Recent Tournament Results (Pindianapolis 500, NEPC, Amazing Pinball Race 8, DFW Titan Pinmasters, Stomp VII, NWPAS, NOW! That's What I Call WPPRs Vol. 2, Pinburgh Mega Matchplay at Arcade Legacy, SFGE Main Event, 2025 NKY Open)
31:22 - Upcoming Tourneys (Sweeper City, Brisbane Masters, Pinburgh, The Beast)

🧠 Interview with Leslie Ruckman
36:24 - Interview Begins – Leslie Ruckman (2025 YEGPIN Champ)
38:00 - Post-YEGPIN Thoughts
39:48 - Leslie's Journey Into Competitive Pinball
40:59 - Personal Goals, Getting Serious About Competing, How to Handle Pressure
45:11 - Favorite Pinball City & Location, Standout Wins, Favorite Trophy
48:26 - Best Piece of Advice Received About Competing, Playing for Fun/Practice
50:31 - Most "In-Tune" Pin, Biggest Mindset Shift Getting to #1 in Women's Open
52:45 - The Evolution of Competitive Pinball, Favorite Competitor to Battle
54:20 - Pre-Tourney Rituals/Game Plans, Reality of Tourney Lengths

🔶 YEGPIN Finals Analysis with 2025 Women’s Champ, Leslie Ruckman
56:06 - YEGPIN Women's Open Notes, Thoughts, and Strategy
59:39 - Game 1: John Wick Pro (Modes, MBs, Strategy & Results)
1:15:57 - Game 2: Abra Ca Dabra (Flipper Control, Drops, Drama)
1:37:45 - Game 3: Avatar (MB Stacks, Comebacks, Final Standings)
1:57:04 - Leslie Ruckman Wins YEGPIN 2025! 🎉 Final Thoughts Overall
1:59:34 - Time Management w/Multiple Tourneys, Hybrid vs. Pump N' Dumps vs. Matchplay

🎮 Rapid-Fire Round + Wrap-Up
2:03:45 - Rapid-Fire Round!: Flipper v Nudging Skills, EMs or LCD? Least fave pin?
2:05:16 - Final Thoughts + Thank You

📧 Reach out: wizardsandwarriorspodcast@gmail.com
📱 Follow: @friscopinball on Twitch & YouTube for streams and episodes
🎥 Tournament footage courtesy of FoxCitiesPinball

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🎙️ Wizards & Warriors - Episode 7: RayDay Reigns at PinMasters + Tourney Rundown, New Pins, and Community Shoutouts

We're back! After a short break, your favorite competitive pinball podcast returns with one of our biggest episodes yet. Join hosts FriscoPinball (Hadi) and JL4nd (Joe) as we dive headfirst into the action-packed world of competitive pinball, fresh off a whirlwind of tournaments and exciting machine releases.

🛠️ In This Episode:

1. • We recap dozens of tournaments from late February through April 2025, including Starfighters Pinball Festival, IFPA North American Championship, Texas Pinball Festival, Silverball Rumble, and many more.
2. • Special in-depth segment on the 2025 PinMasters, where Raymond Davidson (aka RayDay) .
3. • Exclusive interview with RayDay: We talk about his pinball journey, his mindset going into PinMasters, how he handles pressure, what his go-to strategies are, and why he still loves the game.
4. • Hadi and Joe reach Pro rankings and share some reflections on competing at Starfighters.
5. • We cover new pinball machine releases: King Kong, Dune (Barrels of Fun), Merlin’s Arcade (Turner Pinball), and tease the rumored Harry Potter reveal.
6. • Shoutout to Drew Sych and the Manitoba Pinball Championship — thanks for the viewer submission!
7. • Quick hits on upcoming tourneys including Yegpin, The Amazing Pinball Race, and the Brisbane Masters.

🧠 Strategy Breakdown:
We go deep on PinMasters game-by-game action with Ray, analyzing match play highlights and sharing insights on:

• Countdown: How drop target strategy and bonus multipliers made or broke rounds

• World Cup Soccer: Ultra scoring modes, jackpot stacking, and magnetic multiballs

• Foo Fighters Pro: Multiball stacking and van mode synergy

• Demolition Man: MB timing, claw control, and clutch play under pressure

🔥 Rapid-Fire Round with RayDay:
Banjo or Kazooie? Favorite city for tourneys? Best Rare game? Find out Ray’s takes in our fun end-of-show lightning round.

📺 Watch the full video episode on YouTube at [FriscoPinball]
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify Video, Apple Podcasts, and more!
📩 Got a question, a shoutout, or a tourney you want highlighted? Email us at wizardsandwarriorspodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening—and flipping—with us. Let’s keep pushing pinball forward!

Chapter Breakdown:

• 00:00 - Intro: What We've Been Up To, Pinball News, Moving From TPN/Admin News

• 16:57 - Tourney Recaps: Feb–April 2025 (Viewer Request, Starfighters, TPF, IFPA events & more)
• 41:15 - Upcoming Tourneys (Yegpin, Amazing Pinball Race, Brisbane Masters, Sweeper City Open)
• 49:40 - Raymond Davidson joins us to talk about his pinball journey, competitive mindset, approach to comebacks, thoughts on the PinMasters format, his favorite machines, pre-game rituals, working at Stern, handling pressure, and his goals for 2025.
• 1:19:40 - Game 1: Countdown (Drop Target Strategy & Results)
• 1:40:26 - Game 2: World Cup Soccer (Ultra Modes, MB Stacks & Goals)
• 2:00:05 - Game 3: Foo Fighters Pro (Mode Strategy, Overlord MB)
• 2:21:19 - Game 4: Demolition Man (Big Bonuses & Clutch Multiballs)
• 2:44:21 - Final Standings & RayDay Victory Recap
• 2:50:10 - Rapid-Fire Round + Wrap-Up

PinMasters footage courtesy of Backhand Pinball: twitch.tv/backhandpinball