I am a guy who makes a living playing Skeeball. AMA

Would you be interested in participating in a documentary about what you do?

Absofruitly <3

YOU SAY THIS TOO. <3

Do we kiss now...

I'm good with a high five.

We'll kiss and you'll like it.

We had a guy that used to come in to Dave and Buster's we nicknamed Skeeball Dan. That dude would run the gambit with us and throw off our cost of sales so bad we'd have to explain to our regional managers and corporate that our skeeball machines weren't broken, but they had a hard time believing one guy could mess up our numbers that bad. It wasn't until he was at the store next to headquarters that they started believing us.

surprised you didnt ban him like casinos do.

Don't give him any ideas!

This you OP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e_NiwPz-MQ

Hahahah no, but I can win on that skeeball machine too.

Is there anyway they could ban you? I know your not breaking any rules but you are literally driving those locations into the red zone finacially they are getting like what 20-30 bucks and then losing almost 380ish dollars PER iPad.

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What do you mean that you have "heard they could ban you"? Could you elborate. Sorry for being so asky but I am just blown away that this is possible :o

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wow congrats on being one of those people that took a skill mom would say is useless and making a living with it!

Thanks!! Have an upvote

We have "no drinks on the arcade floor" signs. Spill a drink on the floor, your removed from the building and banned. If you spill a drink on one of the machines at my work you'll be arrested for vandalism then sued for a new machine. They start at about 7.5k.

Also, if an adult is constantly cleaning out our easy machines meant for kids. We are not to refill it, and to put it out of service untill the adult leaves.

Damn.

They can ban anyone for any reason. Its a private business and private property.

Yeah. Which is why I'm super polite to everyone.

Do you always shoot for the top right and left?

Yeah, top left. Working on the top right though! This specific machine has a mini game built into it where you have to hit all nine shots in a specific order ..

3000 4000 5000 Top left 5000 4000 3000 5000 Top right.

If you can do that you can get a jackpot as well.

Is skeeball your only arcade "profession," or do you have increda-talent at another game, too?

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Have you ever played pachinko? There's money to be made in Japan IIRC.

Is that the thing from The Price is Right?

Plinko? Naw. It be this.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachinko

That seems amazing. Japan, man..

You are my hero. What tips can you offer me to improve my skills? (that way I can smoke the girlfriend the next time we play)

I practiced a lot so for me it's muscle memory, but I noticed I lean over and get kinda low to the machine . I lean enough to get a good angle at the corner shot, and I always hit it off the wall. You also have to let the ball roll of the tip of your fingers to spin it. That way if you hit the front lip of the hole, it'll still roll up and in.

Would you recommend this as a job to anyone? I once had a friend who used to make a thousand a week from using trigonometry to win the Barber Shop machines, and I always wondered if it could be an actual way of earning a decent amount of money. I do know you posted in the 100k thread, but you do have other jobs. How much do you actually make?

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But $1350 X 52 weeks = $70,200

I'd make much more if they allowed me to make skeeball my full time job. But they're a business and have got to draw the line somewhere.

How long does it take to get one Ipad?

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Don't the places you go have electronic tickets?

The thing about electronic tickets is

a) people in general love physically winning something. You're more likely to try and win tickets if there's physical proof that you just won. Then there's the whole throwing tickets into the air cliche and all that jazz.

b) For advantage gamers, electronic tickets would be a dream come true. If I was given the luxury of not having to wait for my tickets, I'd have 12 hours a day to just play skeeball. It takes me about 25 seconds a game, and I average over 500 tickets per game. I'd be making more than 3 times the money every single day (but of course investing more)

I was just at an arcade yesterday blowing off some steam. My reaction time and reflexes are such that I can win the jackpot on those 'stop the flashing light' games a bit better than 50% of the time. I spent $5 and won a crapload of electronic tickets that got counted in less than a minute each win. I just swiped my card and got them all.

You should blow off steam professionally, good sir.

I want to buy an ipad mini from you. is this possible?

Do you live in Cali?

How good are you at beer pong? Seems like you would dominate.

I pretty much always get the last cup, and any island I call. But when it's a huge triangle packed together for some reason I'm horrible .

Have you ever won anything as nice as a wolf hat with attached paw-mittens?

.... I have one sitting next to me. It's my friends, but how weird.

1. Can you provide verification?

2. Can you explain the logic behind this? (specifically, cost of a game vs. payout in ticket terms and how you convert tickets back into usable currency)

3. I only opened this and upvoted you because you're an Orangered. I don't care how fake this is.

I'll take a picture of my tickets I suppose. And I could take a video of myself hitting the jackpot multiple times in a row. Jackpot being 9 shots all in the corner

Games are about 90 cents a game, but wednesdays have half off deals. Jackpots are 1000 tickets, and I'll maybe get 200k tickets a day where I'll redeem for iPad minis. Those cost 85000. I sling them on craigslist.

Edit: costs anywhere from 70-120 per ipad mini that will sell easily for 300. I'll get at leastt 2 a day, sometimes 3 or even 4. Matters how long I stay.

Thats awesome! Come to Austin TX and I'll hook you up with some cash and you can win us both some ipads!

What a coincidence, I'm going over near there in August for basic training x)

What branch?

Air force for Computer Systems Programming .

How do you get good at Skeeball? Any tips and tricks?

The only game I seem to be good at is that Cyclone game I seem to be able to hit the flashing lights to win a jackpot in several tries. But then the jackpot resets after that to a low number. Even if I miss the jackpot and get close I win about 6 to 8 tickets a coin. It is an old game from the 1990's that flashes lights in a circle and has a four player mode if you hit the button when the light lights up in your jackpot zone you win the jackpot, but anything else you win the number of tickets listed on the light that it stops on.

I was getting really good at it at this Tilt arcade, but someone came in, claimed the machine was broken and tinkered with it so it wouldn't win as often.

I love cyclone! But unfortunately you're correct. Most light reflex games aren't in your favor nowadays

What country are you from? Do you enjoy playing? How old are you? Thanks

The US, specifically California. I used to enjoy it a lot more when I played for fun, but I still like it. However I have a business like lookout about it now. I get frustrated if I miss a shot out of 9, whereas before I'd be stoked.

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Watch the video!

1000 per jackpot. 85k per ipad mini and 130k per iPad 4

What the hell is Skeeball?

First you've got to cup the balls, then.... you throw them in a hole for points lol

How many iPads will you walk out of an arcade with after an exceptional run?

4 is my best! It's a matter of when I arrive and when I leave... and whether or not I want to eat and pee..

this is an awesome AMA

Your username represents such an awesome move in super smash melee that has brought many laughs I

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Usually 200. I could do 100 or 300 , but most commonly 200.

Not exactly making a living, let's say a lucrative hobby. The problem is if you're just winning iPads and "fencing" them locally so to speak, then you will eventually (and relatively soon) saturate your market of buyers. Even Apple can only push so many iPads per city until the market dries up. You don't have a limitless market.

Your alternatives would be to win a more diversified selection of prizes if possible, or start selling your iPad inventory online, in which case you'd have to dedicate more hours to order processing and fulfillment (shipping). I.E. a real job/business.

Sounds like you're having fun though, so enjoy it awhile it lasts.

Yeah as of right now demand is super high but i can't keep it up forever.