Limp Paddle With Special Guest D’Arcy Carden - Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend Recap

Podcast: Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend

Published: 2025-12-25

Duration: 27 minutes

Guests: D'Arcy Carden

Summary

Conan O'Brien and D'Arcy Carden dive into the niche world of competitive pinball with Derek, a commissioner from the San Francisco Pinball Department. They explore the strategies, skills, and culture surrounding this unique sport.

What Happened

Derek, the commissioner of the San Francisco Pinball Department, introduces Conan O'Brien and D'Arcy Carden to the intricacies of competitive pinball. They discuss how matches are held at Free Gold Watch, a print shop in San Francisco that houses 50 pinball machines. Derek explains the match play style where players are randomly grouped to play five games, earning points based on performance.

Patience is highlighted as a crucial skill in pinball, with players allowed to nudge the table to influence the ball's path without triggering a tilt. Derek shares a technique called 'dead flip', where players let the ball hit the flipper without flipping to control it better. He also reminisces about a former world champion from their league who won the title in 2013.

'Royal Flush', a mid-60s pinball game involving poker hands, is Derek's favorite for competition. He also owns a Jim Henson's Labyrinth pinball machine, purchased with his wife's approval. Derek shares how playing Tetris extensively can lead to dreaming about the game, a phenomenon known among enthusiasts.

Conan humorously admits to his lack of patience, a key skill in pinball, and playfully offers to sponsor Derek in his pinball endeavors. The conversation also touches on Derek's family life, mentioning his two young children aged five years and five months.

The episode is produced by Matt Gorley and executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, and Nick Liao, with incidental music by Jimmy Vivino. Listeners are encouraged to apply for a chance to talk with Conan and to take advantage of a three-month free trial of SiriusXM using a special show link.

Sponsors for the episode include eBay, LL Bean, T-Mobile, SiriusXM, Marie Callender's, and Tostitos, with promotional details and offers provided. The episode concludes with a light-hearted discussion on Derek's claim of being the best Tetris player in the world.

Key Insights

• Competitive pinball matches are held at Free Gold Watch in San Francisco, a print shop that houses 50 pinball machines. Players are randomly grouped to play five games, earning points based on their performance.
• The 'dead flip' technique in pinball involves letting the ball hit the flipper without flipping, allowing players to control the ball's movement more effectively.
• 'Royal Flush', a mid-60s pinball game themed around poker hands, is favored for competition due to its strategic gameplay.
• The phenomenon where extensive playing of a game like Tetris leads to dreaming about it is well-documented among enthusiasts.