Cowboy / Big Flipper pinball rules and strategy

In Cowboy or Big Flipper, shoot the A-B-C top lanes and two side standups to build Bonus, then collect it in the center saucer. Use the lower rollover buttons to raise the center post. The oversized flippers require late shots, and the Bonus state can carry between balls and even games, so check its starting value.

The goal

Build and collect Bonus without forcing the saucer from a bad feed. Each advance at the 500 state scores its normal value plus a 1,000-point rollover and resets the Bonus. Side drains collect the current Bonus, while the center drain scores nothing.

  1. Plunge for a missing A-B-C top lane, then keep upper rebounds near the remaining letters.

  2. From either oversized flipper, flip late toward a side standup or the upper lanes to advance Bonus.

  3. Take the center saucer when the ball is lined up cleanly; collecting does not remove the current Bonus value.

  4. Roll across the marked lower buttons and use the center post whenever it rises.

  5. Before a tournament game, inspect the Bonus indicator because its state may remain from the previous game.

Need to know
Build Bonus
A-B-C top lanes and the two side standups advance the Bonus.
Collect Bonus
The center saucer and both side drains collect the current Bonus; the center drain does not.
Bonus rollover
Advancing from the 500 state scores the normal 100 plus 1,000, then resets the Bonus.

Machine setup

  • Confirm Cowboy versus two-player Big Flipper, A-B-C shoot-again conversion, three- or five-ball play, and the Bonus state before the first player starts.
  • Test all Bonus-advance switches, center saucer and kickout, side-drain collects, center-drain behavior, both center-post rollover buttons, post action, and five-inch flipper strength.
Sources and references
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Playbooks

Cowboy / Big Flipper playfield

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