Watch highlight videos of people who are paid to put on a show...?

I've only been playing for a few months (but playing a LOT in that time). Two friends came over to play my High Speed for the first time last night - I had put about 500 games on it in the month that I've owned it. We played 4 games. These two guys have been playing a little pinball, but not much, and have never played High Speed before. Yet, I got my butt kicked the first 3 games. It was embarrassing.

Then on the 4th game, I put up 2.7 million without even hitting the jackpot and crushed all previous scores for the night.

At least for me, at the stage I'm at now, there is enough short term luck that it often feels like I'm getting nowhere. Then suddenly I'll put together a really good game that I know I wouldn't have been able to do a few weeks earlier. (Often this happens when switching environments - playing on location when I haven't in a few days, or playing at home when I haven't in a few days).

Keep at it!