I was finally able to pick this lock open on my 3rd or 4th try. Ended up only taking me about 45 seconds on my successful attempt. As suggested, I used a lot of tension to first set the 4 side pins and then went for the 5 top pins, varying the amount of tension to set them and open the lock. I was actually surprised when it opened, it was easier then I thought it would turn out to be.
Thanks for the advice.