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.
Center-left of the playfield, between the two ramps. 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. As Travis from The Pinball Company points out: if you're not comfortable with the captive ball angle, the center ramp is a safe bailout that feeds right back to your left flipper. 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 {{callout:fin-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 {{callout: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 into the bumper for a free 5M (Level 1). Don't overthink Level 2 — it's inconsistent. Travis's tip: plunge to the flipper instead so you can get a clean first shot at the captive ball without qualifying the playfield. If you've already gotten Level 1, try the secret skill shot: plunge softly and hit the {{callout:chum-bucket}} without touching anything else first.
Shoot the Chum Bucket Captive Ball You Got This
Your first move every single time you trap on the left flipper. It spawns red chum shots (advancing toward Jaws Multiball) AND progresses toward lighting shark encounter modes. Two things for one shot. If the angle feels dicey, remember: the {{callout:center-ramp}} is your bailout — it feeds right back to the left flipper so you can try again.
Start a Shark Encounter — Pick Scars First Earnable
After hitting the captive ball, white shots light up — these start encounter modes. Pick Scars ({{callout:center-ramp}}) first if it's available. It's designed for single-ball play, lets you advance toward Jaws Multiball during it, and permanently increases your machete multiplier when you complete it. Raft Attack (right ramp) is your second choice. Save Night Swim and Beach Panic for stacking with multiball later.
Work the Left Standup Targets Earnable
Completing the {{callout:left-standups}} lights your machete (2x shot multiplier at the inlanes) and advances fish finder. Both are valuable. Hittable from the mini-flipper or a right-flipper shot toward the left orbit area. Don't go out of your way for these — just knock them down when the opportunity presents itself.
Collect Red Chum Shots Toward Multiball You Got This
Every time red arrows light up from captive ball hits, collect them. You're building toward Jaws Multiball. No rush — progress carries over between balls. Just grab the ones that happen to be lit in the direction you're already shooting.
Score Your Points
BALL 2Start Jaws Multiball (If Chum Line Is Ready) Earnable
If you've been collecting chum shots, you might be close. Shoot any yellow shot to load the harpoon, then quickly shoot the {{callout:fin-target}} to attach a barrel. Then hit the flashing yellow shot to start multiball. Critical: don't panic-flip during barrel attachment. The fin drop target causes wicked ricochets. If you miss the timed shot, it relights — so stay calm.
Stack a Mode With Jaws Multiball 1 Earnable
Here's the thing about Jaws Multiball 1: it doesn't score much on its own. Use it as a safety net to complete a shark encounter instead. Beach Panic (wave ramp) and Night Swim (left orbit) are ideal because they have lots of lit shots spread across the playfield. Start the encounter BEFORE or AFTER starting multiball — either direction works, you just want both running at the same time.
Go for Quickshots Earnable
If you find yourself with the ball on the {{callout:mini-flipper}}, shoot the harpoon lane. This sets up a quickshot at the fin target. They build toward an extra ball at 3 quickshots, and they're the fastest way to light gear for collection. The multiplier resets when you miss one though, so 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 spins) light the bounty hunt. Always pick Mako first — it's the easiest shark, and the completion perk upgrades the fishing reel, making all future bounty captures physically easier. This is a stretch goal for Ball 2; don't force the reel spinner if it's not going in.
Cash In or Go Down Swinging
BALL 3Use Your Machete on Something Big You Got This
If machete is lit at an inlane, cycle it to the correct lane with the flippers before making your next shot. Then time your shot to roll through the lit lane before hitting a high-value target: the encounter jackpot, a feeding frenzy target, or a beach closed hurry-up. Machetes are free 2x (or higher) multipliers — don't waste them on random switch hits or yellow targets.
Complete Another Encounter or Collect Gear Earnable
If you've got encounters ready, start one. If gear is lit from quickshots, shoot the right ramp to collect it. Prioritize: Shark Cage (saves you from fin-target drains), Binoculars (faster beachgoer collection toward Rescue Multiball), or Barrel Hook (extends Jaws Multiball when it ends).
Play Feeding Frenzy Smart Earnable
Feeding Frenzy starts when you complete sets of yellow standup targets (Beach Tower targets). All switch hits build a value that cashes out at the flashing targets — the third target in each set pays 3x. The left spinner is great here because every spin counts as a switch hit. The total gets added to your end-of-ball bonus for the rest of the game, so whatever you do: don't tilt.
Stay Alive Out There
- → Life Ring (Action Button): When the ball heads toward the left outlane, press the action button to deploy the life ring ball save. The timing matters — wait until the ball is actually approaching the outlane, not when it's still bouncing around. Too early and it won't save you. Kineticist calls this 'crucial to master' and they're right. Practice this specific timing every game.
- → Right Outlane Post: There's a post below the right outlane that can save balls with a gentle nudge to the right. Sometimes it saves them on its own. Watch for it and learn your copy's behavior.
- → Mini-Flipper Awareness: Balls that hit the mini-flipper area usually feed the right inlane, but some copies of Jaws leak to the right outlane. Know your copy. If it's leaky, hold the mini-flipper up as a safety measure when balls are heading that direction.
- → Fin Drop Target Ricochets: After hitting the fin target, balls ricochet unpredictably toward center drain. Be ready with both flippers. This is the most common 'what just happened' drain on the game. The Shark Cage gear item gives you a one-time save from this specific situation — worth picking up if it's available.
- → Flip-Lock During Multiball: During any multiball, trap a ball on the mini-flipper and press the action button (flashing green) to lock it there for roughly 15 seconds. This turns a chaotic multiball into manageable single-ball play for a bit. Use this time to aim at mode shots or jackpots instead of flailing.
- → Center Ramp Bailout: The center ramp feeds right back to the left flipper. When you're unsure, panicking, or the ball is moving fast — just shoot the center ramp. It resets your position and gives you time to think. Travis from The Pinball Company calls this 'an awesome bailout shot' and he's right.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ Pond Attack encounter: It requires consistent fishing reel spinner shots — the hardest shot on the game. If the reel isn't your shot today, you'll waste a mode and probably drain trying. Start this one only when you're feeling confident with the reel timing.
- ⚠ Night Swim in single-ball play: Too many shots required with a strict time limit. This mode is designed for stacking with a multiball where you have extra balls as safety nets. Don't start it during single-ball play unless you have no other option.
- ⚠ Jaws Multiball 3 (Cage Dive): The most valuable multiball but also the hardest to reach — requires attaching multiple barrels and completing earlier multiballs. Most players won't see it in a tournament game. Don't build your strategy around reaching it.
- ⚠ Video Mode from Fish Finder: It's fun (recreation of the 'shark killer' EM game from the film) but scoring is inconsistent. The other fish finder awards — Super Life Ring and Cast 'n' Catch — usually pay better for less effort and less time away from the playfield.
- ⚠ Selling All Gear to Quint: Collecting and selling all six gear items qualifies the Great White final bounty hunt and gives a big score award. Cool if it happens, but using the gear (especially Shark Cage and Barrel Hook) to stay alive and extend multiballs is almost always worth more than hoarding it for the sell bonus.
On tournament settings, 200-300 million is a solid game. If you break 400M you're doing well. Billion-point games are possible with extra balls on, but in competition settings, focus on consistency over moonshots. A steady 250M beats one 500M game followed by two house balls — and that's the whole philosophy of this site.
In a tournament (one game, win or lose), play conservative Ball 1. Build chum, light encounters, collect left targets. Ball 2 is where you take calculated risks — stack multiball with a mode. Ball 3, cash in whatever you've built. At league night where you have more room to breathe, you can afford to chase bounty hunts earlier and take riskier reel spinner shots. Same priority order — just adjust how far down the list you're willing to go.
On the Pro: no upper playfield, standup targets instead of drop targets, captive ball with Bruce instead of a bash toy boat. The core strategy is identical across models — captive ball, encounters, chum line, bounty hunts. The Premium/LE upper playfield adds some 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 source. Comprehensive written tutorial covering shot details, all 5 encounter rankings, strategy recommendations, machete optimization, and the fishing reel timing tip. Updated through code v0.98+.
Ball 1 walkthrough on Pro model. Key insights: plunge-to-flipper for clean captive ball shot, center ramp as bailout, Feeding Frenzy + multiball stacking, Mako-first bounty hunt rationale, flip-lock explanation.
Beginner-oriented walkthrough covering mode stacking basics, gear strategy (Oxygen Tank, Shark Cage, Binoculars recommendations), and extra ball paths.
Community-maintained rulesheet with detailed scoring data, encounter mechanics, bounty hunt requirements, and code version tracking.
Owner discussions on scoring benchmarks (1B+ games), Hasselhoff strategy references, machine-specific behavior differences, and gameplay tips.
Community clarification on skill shot progression — levels must go in order (1→2→3), and Level 3 requires shooting any left standup target from the flippers without hitting anything else.
Manufacturer feature list, Insider Connected details, 50th Anniversary Premium edition info, model comparison.