Idk about alcohol, but weed certainly does.

Alcohol is a depressant- and even at pretty low levels impacts a person’s ability to operate a car. I dunno know… maybe at some super low amount the calming effect will more than offset the delayed reaction time.

Usually, increased performance is tied to stimulates… caffeine and other stuff. Back in the day, pro athletes popped diet pills for the ephedra to help give them an edge in reaction time.

I have lager on tap here, 50 litre kegs. I enjoy playing more with a pint and play better.
I would say up to a point though, 1 or 2 pints of 5% lager say and I’m buzzing playing great. More than 4 then the skills are dropping off.

Good luck.

Kids dont try this at home This man is a bad influence. Drink Vimto instead

I think alcohol greatly improves the gameplay of some titles like Hercules.

That said, most pins are good enough that alcohol isn’t really required to improve their gameplay.

It’s like walking on a razors edge.
Just a tad too much and you’re falling.

One or two beers maximum.
Three or more and it’s game over without any knocker heard.

….Hell yeah

When I was in a bowling league years ago my game would improve after a beer or two so it certainly is possible.

Yes, then no. Like others say, one or two drinks at most. We all know that alcohol impairs your judgment if you consume too much. You should hear some of the crazy things that my alcoholic friends believe

No drinking… smoke a bowl, you’ll be good.

I used to think I was better after 1-2 beers, but now I find it best to not drink at all.

Weed has a similar small window of a little may make you play better, but it’s a quick drop off after the sweet spot.

And if it’s a long competition, the best thing for me to play better all day is to sit down whenever I can.

It’s a thin line. I’ll tend to play better with a beer or two, but I’ll end up getting to caught up in conversation and loose focus.

References to a lot of articles here:

https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/nsca-coach/the-effects-of-alcohol-on-athletic-performance2/

Better? Idk... more fun? Yes...

As is the case with golf, there is a bell curve

No. Alcohol kills. Alcohol destroys bodies. Alcohol causes cancer.

I am unable to get multi ball on Gorgar without alcohol...

This needs to be a poll.

Alcohol absolutely improves my video game play, but I think it's a wash on my pinball play.

Everything in moderation. Today I will be making arrangements on how to care for one of my great employees two kids while I pay for him to go into a rehab facility for two weeks. He is a great guy and wonderful at his job However every evening he drinks 1-2 bottles of Jack Daniel's. After 8:00pm he gets completely wasted and becomes someone else. I'm not hear to judge anyone and we all have our own vices but people should know alcohol just like other drugs can get out of control pretty quickly. Quick message to everyone have fun but take care of yourself and be healthy. Sorry for being the party pooper.

For me acupuncture.

Walked up to IJ I play maybe once every few weeks and first game make it though all the modes normally I don’t come close.

Under the influence of alcohol... even single ball games are multiballs.

This helps you play better for sure.

This should be a key post.

2-3 beers to take the nerves off in a competitive situation has improved golf, pickleball, disc golf, and pinball for me. Won a pinball tourney last weekend based on the bell curve theory. However, keep drinking a bunch throughout the remainder of the tourney, expect last place. Scientific fact.

Makes you care a lot less when you
lose....
Or if your a belligerent drunkard could cause a major beating of your game

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hasn't anyone here ever heard of the Ballmer curve

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there's absolutely a point where alcohol improves your ability, after which it drastically negatively affects it

maintaining that perfect level is an art form. my resting heart rate is in the high 60s to low 70s but it goes up to 130 when i flip competitively. breathing exercises help but so does a little central nervous system depressant (weed is not a depressant but can also help with the anxiety of competitive play)

guess what time league is on wednesdays?

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JeffZee

Funny, when I saw this post I thought of that, even copied the SAME link...then read all the posts, and here it is. You beat me to it. Was funny as hell and so true for so many people.

No.

I will remember that when you pop over, it’s on the Tesco delivery list

I had 8 pints the other night and didn’t dare go in the pinroom, you know something goes wrong and you just can’t help yourself and try to fix

I don't agree at all. Doc put me on a regiment of 2 drinks every day..wife 1 drink per day labs every 6 months..textbook so far for over 25yrs with him.

I dont know about that. The last couple times I tried this, I turned on the machine, stared at the lights, then got scared and ran upstairs.

In general for me: Enjoyability - yes. Skills - not so much.

I find 1-2 beers to be the sweet spot. My reaction time typically heads downhill after that.

Honestly, depends what your hang-ups are. This is true for any skill.

As others have pointed out, alcohol is a depressant. Any amount of it is slowing down your reaction time, even if you just drink a fraction of a beer. That said, a small amount might not be noticeable, so while people describe a point where it starts to affect their performance, there was probably an effect before that, it just was hard to see and feel.

But there are a lot of ways in which a small amount of alcohol could be a benefit. The first is if you have an issue with making mistakes because you get in your head. A drink might help you "relax" out of that, but this is largely a placebo effect. It works because you think it does, but the placebo effect is real. This is probably most noticeable when under pressure.

The second is habituation. If you ALWAYS play while drinking, your muscle memory might be tuned to having slightly slower reaction times. If you play sober, you might find yourself missing shots because you're going after them slightly too early. But with a little sober practice, this goes away really quickly.

After a couple of glasses of wine and a grasshopper at one of our parties, my wife beat my grand champion score on Wonka. First time in 2 years that she was on the high score board,
and she plays it often, one of her favorites.

So ... for some it helps to relax and focus more and get into that flipping rhythm. She does better in local tournaments after a couple of drinks also.

For me, not any better, 2 drinks max, or my performance goes downhill from there.

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ask Jack Danger

I'm not much of a drinker anymore,but my highest score on Metallica was set when I was hammered after a party my nephew had . I came close to beating it last week,but I choked.

Lori looks like she had a blast!

100%. I get in a way better zone after some adult treats and beverages. There is a fine line between good and not good though.

Yes. The same with darts and pool. It improves to beer #4 or 5 and then drops off. I'm a software engineer and I completely feel that Ballmer Curve. It's the real deal.

Try some blow. This will help game play much more...or so I was told.

What? 40+ posts and not a single mention of Dr. Johnny Fever?

not trying to promote it.. but younger i did a few times molly .. and coming back from parties i used to play shooters because everything looks like its in slowmotion. having a extremely good aim and won every thing lol

when the balls goes slower i guess its way easier

I drink mostly BA stouts. The skills drop off within a few sips.

So I took one for the team and did a scientific study on myself.

baseline sober: worse
Alcohol: better
Weed: better
whipits: wha wha wha wha (worse)
mushrooms: what game (worse)
acid: alien made me poop myself and hide in the corner (worse)
cocaine: better at 2 games at once (better)
meth: not sure about game play but that machine is sparkling clean (better?)
fentanyl: tbd

Yes to alcohol, but there is most certainly a bell curve.
My buddy compares it to that old game on The Price Is Right…the one where the little wooden hiker guy is climbing up the mountain, yodeling and smiling all the way.
Then if the contestant guesses too high, the hiker goes too far and walks off the end of the cliff.

Same principle applies to bowling and golf.

2 pints for me. More relaxed in a go with the flow vibe. More than two, my reaction time slows and I force riskier shots.

I poured Tennessee whiskey all over my playfield and it didn't help at all!