Spin-A-Card

Spin-A-Card is a great EM if you’re playing to win a Special, i.e. free game. If you’re playing for points, it loses a whole lot in translation.

Point values are flat across all stand-up targets and lanes except the top center: each number is worth 100 at all times. The two “spin” saucers are worth 200, but these are too small to make shooting at them practical since the ball must usually be moving slowly to fall into them. Your best chance of having the ball go in a saucer is via nudging as the ball is coming down from the top near one of them. Besides points, they spot a random card. The saucers eject the ball upwards at an angle between the bumper and the center triangle.

The yellow bumpers are lit by the top right lane and the middle side right lane; the green bumpers are lit by the counterpart lanes on the left.

The center fan-shaped target is worth 100 unless you’ve completed all ten cards, when it becomes worth a special. That’s the attraction of playing for games rather than for score, trying to get all ten cards to set up the fan target for replays.

The strategy on the game is UTAD; aim your shots to either side of the two saucers, trying to slip past or just barely graze the bumpers above them so the ball continues on upwards. You don’t want to hit those bumpers head on, the rebounds can drain. With any luck, the ball will eventually come down one of the side lanes to light the bumpers. Just keep sending it up top. Do not shoot at the center fan target, nor at the \#2 or King stand-up targets.

Try shatzing the ball up the opposite return lane to see what happens. If the ball consistently goes up just enough to score it but not so much that you get an up-and-out drain, consider a cross-shatz all day strategy.

While a bit of a luck box as far as getting action while the ball is up top, the game does require and reward skill for being able to thread the needle on shots to get to the top.