Jaws
An aggressive Elwin design where the biggest points come in chunks from shark encounters and bounty hunts. Punishes sloppy play, rewards patience. That captive ball is your best friend.
Know the Playfield
Center-left of the playfield, between the wave ramp on the left and the center ramp on the right.
This is the engine of the entire game. Every captive ball hit advances the chum line AND moves you toward lighting a shark encounter. You will return here after every trap on the left flipper for the whole game. If you're comfortable here, everything else flows.
The row of red inserts running along the right edge of the chum bucket area.
This is your progress bar for Jaws Multiball. Each captive ball hit lights one more segment. A full row means multiball is ready to start — you'll also see it on the display, but the physical inserts are the fastest read mid-ball. Checking this takes one glance and tells you exactly where you are in the game.
Center playfield, motorized — it moves along the chum line area.
The fin is Step 2 of starting Jaws Multiball and Step 2 of every bounty hunt. Hit yellow shots to load the harpoon, then shoot the fin to attach a barrel. It's also the single most dangerous drain spot on the table — balls ricochet off it unpredictably toward the center. Knowing where it is and respecting the ricochet is essential.
Right side of the playfield, just left of the right ramp entrance.
The hardest shot on the game and required for bounty hunts. It's a disc spinner, not a traditional wire spinner, which makes the timing different. You don't need to master it on Ball 1, but knowing where it sits and that it requires a specific timing approach is worth having in your head before you need it.
Lower right of the playfield, below the bumper.
Trap balls here to access left-side shots — including the harpoon lane for quickshots. During multiball, hold the mini-flipper and press the action button to flip-lock a ball for ~15 seconds, turning chaotic multiball into controlled single-ball play. Learning to use this intentionally separates comfortable Jaws players from frustrated ones.
Center-left of the playfield, between the wave ramp and the center ramp. This one shot advances your chum line toward Jaws Multiball AND lights encounter modes after enough hits. It's a two-for-one every time. Make it your first shot after every trap on the left flipper. If the angle feels dicey, the center ramp is your bailout — it feeds right back to the left flipper so you can try again. But the captive ball is where the game progression lives. Get comfortable with it and everything else opens up.
Jaws plays aggressively. Balls ricochet off the Fin Drop Target unpredictably — this is the single most common drain spot on the game. The right side of the playfield funnels toward the right outlane more than you'd like. Modes have strict time limits that punish hesitation. The good news? The Mini-Flipper gives you access to left-side shots including the harpoon lane, and the life ring (action button) saves you from left outlane drains once you learn the timing. Those two skills — using the mini-flipper and timing the life ring — are worth more than any combo strategy on this machine.
Your Game Plan
Build Your Foundation
BALL 1Hit the Skill Shot You Got This
Plunge toward the top bumper for a free 5M (Level 1 skill shot). Don't overthink Level 2 — it's inconsistent. If you've already gotten Level 1, try the secret skill shot: plunge softly so the ball rolls down to the flippers, then hit the Chum Bucket Captive Ball without touching anything else first for a bonus award.
Shoot the Chum Bucket Every Trap You Got This
Every time you trap on the left flipper, your first move is the Chum Bucket Captive Ball. It lights red chum shots (advancing the chum line inserts toward Jaws Multiball) AND progresses toward encounter mode availability. Watch those red inserts fill up — that's your game state at a glance. If the captive ball angle feels dicey, shoot the Center Ramp (the U-turn ramp to the right of the chum bucket, feeds back to the left flipper) to reset your position and try again.
Start a Shark Encounter — Pick Scars First Earnable
After hitting the captive ball enough times, white shots light up around the playfield — each one starts a different encounter mode. Pick Scars first if it's available: it uses the Center Ramp, it's designed for single-ball play, and completing it permanently increases your machete multiplier. Raft Attack (right ramp) is your second choice. Save Night Swim and Beach Panic for later — they're designed to be stacked with multiball.
Collect Red Chum Shots When They're In Your Path You Got This
After captive ball hits, red arrows light up on various shots around the playfield. Collect them when they're in the direction you're already shooting — they fill chum line segments and accelerate your progress toward Jaws Multiball. Don't go hunting them across the table. Progress carries over between balls, so every segment you light tonight stays lit.
Score Your Points
BALL 2Start Jaws Multiball If the Chum Line Is Full Earnable
Check the Chum Line Inserts when you plunge — if all segments are lit, you're ready. Shoot any yellow-lit shot to load the harpoon (you'll hear a click and see the harpoon indicator on the display light up), then quickly shoot the Fin Drop Target (the moving motorized fin, center playfield) to attach the barrel. Then hit the flashing yellow shot to start multiball. Don't panic-flip after hitting the fin — it causes unpredictable ricochets. Stay calm and track the ball.
Stack a Mode With Jaws Multiball 1 Earnable
Jaws Multiball 1 doesn't score much on its own. Use it as a safety net to complete a shark encounter instead — start the encounter before or after starting multiball, either order works. Beach Panic (wave ramp) and Night Swim (left orbit) are ideal stack targets because they have many lit shots spread across the playfield, so random multiball hits still make progress.
Try Quickshots From the Mini-Flipper Earnable
When the ball lands on the Mini-Flipper (lower right, below the bumper), shoot the harpoon lane (the narrow lane in the upper-left, accessible from the mini-flipper backhand). This sets up a quickshot at the fin target. Three quickshots build toward an extra ball, and each one lights gear for collection. The multiplier resets when you miss one — don't force it if the shot isn't there today.
Start Your First Bounty Hunt — Pick Mako Good Luck
Two right ramp shots (or enough Fishing Reel Spinner spins) light a bounty hunt. Always pick Mako first — completing it upgrades the reel, making future reel shots easier to time. The bounty hunt starts with harpoon loading (yellow shots) and barrel attachment (the Fin Drop Target), same sequence as starting Jaws Multiball. The reel timing tip from Kineticist: trap the ball on the left flipper, flip right when the ball overlaps the left edge of the Jaws logo insert between the flippers.
All In
BALL 3Check Chum Line and Multiball Status Immediately You Got This
Glance at the Chum Line Inserts right after plunging. If you're one or two segments from full, go straight to the captive ball before doing anything else. If Jaws Multiball is already ready (all inserts lit), go for the harpoon/barrel sequence immediately. Don't waste Ball 3 rebuilding from scratch when you might already be close.
Complete Any Encounters You Have Running Earnable
Any encounter modes that were lit or in progress carry over to Ball 3. Finish them before starting new ones. A completed encounter pays more than an abandoned one and can chain into follow-up scoring. On Ball 3, completion beats starting-over.
Go for a Bounty Hunt If Mako Is Already Captured Good Luck
If Mako is done and the Fishing Reel Spinner is upgraded, Ball 3 is the time to attempt Thresher or Hammerhead. The reel is your barrier — if it's feeling right tonight, push for the bounty. If it's been inconsistent, stay on encounters and chum. No shame in playing your strengths on Ball 3.
Stay Alive Out There
- → Time the Life Ring — Don't Panic Press: The action button deploys a life ring ball save from the left outlane. The timing matters — press it when the ball is actually entering the Left Outlane (the gap to the left of the left flipper), not when it's still bouncing around elsewhere. Too early and it saves nothing. Kineticist calls this crucial to master and they're right. It's a free save once per ball; learn the exact moment to use it.
- → Center Ramp Is Your Bailout: When you're unsure, panicking, or the ball is moving fast — shoot the Center Ramp (U-turn ramp right of the chum bucket, feeds back to the left flipper). It resets your position to a trap with options. It almost always does something useful in the background too. This is your safe shot every single time.
- → Fin Ricochets Are Coming — Be Ready: Every time you shoot the Fin Drop Target, brace both flippers immediately after. The ball bounces off the fin unpredictably toward center drain. This is the most common 'what just happened' drain on the game. It's not bad luck — it's a known hazard. Anticipate it every time.
- → Flip-Lock During Multiball: During any multiball, trap a ball on the Mini-Flipper and press the action button (it flashes green when flip-lock is available) to hold it there for ~15 seconds. This turns chaotic 3-ball multiball into manageable single-ball play. Use the window to aim at jackpots or mode shots instead of flailing at everything.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ Pond Attack on a Bad Reel Night: Pond Attack requires consistent Fishing Reel Spinner shots — the hardest shot on the game. If the reel isn't going in tonight, skip this encounter entirely. Starting it and missing the reel repeatedly burns the timer, stresses you out, and usually ends in a drain. Work around it.
- ⚠ Night Swim in Single-Ball Play: Night Swim has too many required shots with a strict timer for comfortable single-ball execution. It's designed to be stacked with a multiball where extra balls give you a safety net. If it's Ball 1 or Ball 2 with no multiball in sight, don't start it.
- ⚠ Chasing the Fishing Reel on Ball 1: Don't spend Ball 1 practicing the Fishing Reel Spinner. It's the skill this game rewards most at advanced levels, but on Ball 1 it just drains you while you calibrate. Get your chum line started and run an encounter. Come back to the reel on Ball 2 once you have a feel for the machine's speed.
- ⚠ Forcing the Barrel Sequence When Not Ready: The harpoon-load → Fin Drop Target barrel sequence to start Jaws Multiball has a tight timer between steps. If you're flustered, if the fin feels out of position, or if the ball is rolling awkwardly — let the timer expire and reset. A failed barrel attach causes a dangerous fin ricochet at the worst possible moment. It resets cleanly; take the do-over.
Every captive ball hit does two things simultaneously: fills a segment of the chum line (watch those red inserts) and advances encounter mode availability. There's no situation in Ball 1 where not hitting the captive ball is the right call. Even a partial chum line at the end of Ball 1 is progress that carries over.
Players often sacrifice good single-ball play to rush into Jaws Multiball 1 because it feels like the big scoring event. It isn't — the jackpots are modest. MB1 is most valuable as a safety net for completing an encounter mode, not as a standalone scoring event. MB2 (The Chase) is the real prize. Build toward that.
After completing encounters and quickshots, gear items become available for collection at certain shots. Shark Cage gives a one-time fin ricochet save (useful). Dart makes bounty progression easier. Don't ignore these — they're the game rewarding you for doing the right things, and some of them meaningfully change what you can attempt on the next ball.
On the Pro: no upper playfield, standup targets instead of drop targets in some locations, captive ball with Bruce the shark instead of the bash toy boat. The core strategy is identical across models — captive ball, encounters, chum line, bounty hunts. The Premium/LE upper playfield adds shots but doesn't change what you should be doing on Ball 1.
The Research Pile
Every claim is sourced. Here's where we got our homework for this guide.
Primary video source. Travis's complete walkthrough including skill shot technique, encounter mode selection, bailout shot philosophy, and multiball management.
Primary written source. Noah Crable's detailed breakdown including fishing reel timing technique, life ring critical timing, and gear item strategy.
Community rulesheet with detailed scoring data and mode timer information.
Community discussion on bounty hunt sequencing, gear item value, and multiball stacking strategies.