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JLP Pinball Cards

Spring Break

Gottlieb 1987 SS
Strategy updated: July 29, 2026

Strategy

Complete 1, 2, 3 standup targets to add balls into play. Since switch hits increase the playfield multiplier, using the pops to boost this quickly is key. Complete the top lanes to boost a pop value to 10K, then the pops will score 10K times Playfield X + keeping the multiplier boosted toward 5X. This makes every lit pop hit worth a potential 50K.

Skill Shot

Press the right flipper to plunge the ball, you are rewarded with what ever the lit insert light is showing (green 10K, yellow 20K, orange 100K)

Key Rules

Multiball

  • There are 3 yellow circle standup targets labelled 1, 2, and 3.

  • Hit a target to unlight it, unlight all three to light a Release Ball yellow insert at either the left ramp, or left or right inlane.

  • Pop bumpers and slings will rotate this Release Ball light.

  • Make the left ramp or right inlane when Release Ball is lit to add 1 ball into play

  • Make the left inlane when Release Ball is lit to start a 4-ball MB

  • There are no specific multiball scoring rules, use the additional balls to advance Playfield X and complete drop target banks

Playfield Multipliers

  • Every 3 switch hits increases the Playfield Multiplier by 1

  • The multiplier decays quickly, use a shot to the pops to keep fueling the multiplier

Mini-Playfield

  • Shots up the left ramp deposit the ball into the mini-playfield in the upper right corner

  • Shoot the drop targets in left-to-right order, indicated by the yellow flashing insert

  • Each completion of the drop bank in order increases the value of the small kicker lane to the right of the mini-playfield (10K, 20K, 100K, light special)

  • Collect a lit special (500K) by shooting the lane just to the right of the pops, the ball travels to the top lanes

Pop Bumpers and Top Lanes

  • Each completion (unlighting) of the top lanes lights a pop bumper (rotate lights with right flipper)

  • An unlit pop bumper scores 500, a lit pop scores 10K

Center Drop Target Banks

  • Each completion of one of the two center drop target banks adds a letter in VACATION

  • Each collected letter is worth 50K in end-of-ball bonus (multiplier not applied)

  • Completing all letters,

    • Awards an extra ball (500K), collect at the mini lane near the left ramp or the loop in the mini-playfield

    • Resets the vacation counter to 0 for end-of-ball bonus

Draining through a lit left outlane will launch 1 ball back into play as a Last Chance

53675732203_c63c0df3dd_k.jpg playfield
Playfield image by Ken (scottamus)