Tailgate Toss at the arcade plays like an extreme version of cornhole. Tossing the bean bags into the holes requires more precision as the holes rotate and move around.
I enjoy playing arcade games at Dave and Buster’s and have been going to arcades for years. With my time playing and researching, I have compiled easy to follow tips and tricks listed below that can help you get the Tailgate Toss jackpot more consistently so you can win tons of tickets.
The Truth About Tailgate Toss Arcade Hacks
There are no “hacks” for Tailgate Toss. There is no easy, low-effort way to win every time. It is a game of skill and will take lots of practice to master.
That being said, there are tips that can help you win more often (but not guaranteed). Check out the information and tips on Tailgate Toss below to give you the best knowledge and strategies for winning tickets.
How to Win Tailgate Toss: List of Tips and Tricks
Go for Streaks
The best way to rack up a lot of points in Tailgate Toss is to get streaks. Streaks are when you land the bean bag into the same color hole three times in a row.
You get 500 points per streak and they add up the streak score at the end of each game.
The machine will reset your streak if you throw the bean bag too long off the edge or if you throw into a different color hole.
Alternate Between the Red and Blue Holes
The Tailgate Toss strategy is to go for the red hole streak and then blue hole streak and alternate. So throw three bags into the red, then three in a row in the blue, and repeat that pattern.
The red hole gives the most points per hit and the blue hole gives the second most points. But the red is the smallest and the blue is the second smallest.
Throwing the bean bag in the red hole rewards 300 points.
The blue hole is 200 points.
The green hole is the biggest and gives 100 points.
If you accidently drop into the green hole then switch to tossing two more bags into that hole so you can get that streak. The streaks will always be the best way to rack up points quickly.
Gather the Bean Bags Up Before you Start Throwing
The time does not count down until you throw into the first hole or over the back edge.
Before you start, make sure to retrieve as many bean bags as you can. I stack the bags on the top right corner of the machine (close to my right hand) so I do not have to bend over as far to reach them.
I also hold two bean bags in my left hand and throw the first one with my right hand.
If I throw all the bags that I was holding and all the bags stacked on the corner, I will reach for multiple bags that come down the conveyor with my left hand. I transfer one to my right hand each time I throw and repeat as needed.
Throwing Strategy: Aim for Landing the Bean Bag Directly in Front of the Hole
When you throw, try to aim for landing the bean bag right in front of the hole you want to make it in. Almost throw it directly into the hole.
Sliding the bag from further away creates too many variables for the bag to bounce weird.
Sliding also requires you to get the direction angle of the toss correctly.
Another disadvantage of sliding is that the holes that you want to hit in the back will be behind holes that you do not want to slide into.
It is better for you to get used to tossing the bean bags almost directly into the holes.
Play Early in the Day or When the Jackpot is Low Enough for You to Win
The Tailgate Toss jackpot is progressive. For example, if someone beats the jackpot, their score will be the new jackpot to beat the next playthrough. This is also important to know for the next tip on this list.
The jackpot will reset everyday. When the machine is turned off, the high scores from the day before are erased. So it will be easier to win right when the arcade opens.
The Tailgate Toss jackpot score usually starts at 6,100. This will be the score to beat to win the jackpot. Keep in mind that this could change based on which settings the machine is set on (read the Tailgate Toss manual section below for more information).
Just Barely Beat the Jackpot Score to Win Consecutively
This is a more advanced tip for Tailgate Toss. Once you get really skilled you can beat the high score by as little as possible.
For the very next game, the jackpot score will be the same as you previously scored. Keeping it lower for you to get the jackpot at least a few more times in a row.
It can be difficult to do the math of the streaks in your head while you are playing because it does not add up the streak points until the end. Remember that each streak adds 500 points. By playing a lot you can get used to adding your score quickly to know how much more you need to beat the high score on the machine.
Practice
Do not worry if you do not win the very first time you play. It will take some time to get used to the weight of the bean bags and the movement of the holes.
Play Tailgate Toss a lot to practice your throws and use the strategies above to help in your journey to get better at the game. In no time you will be able to easily get high scores of 10,000 or higher.
Learn the Facts Below to Better Understand The Tailgate Toss Game
The information in the next section will help you know what to expect before you play.
Valuable Information from the Tailgate Toss Manual
The Tailgate Toss manual shows us stats about the arcade machine that can be helpful to know when going for tickets. The most important page of the manual is on page 20 and has all the values on the machine that can be altered.
These ticket values can change among Tailgate Toss machines depending on what settings the arcade owner has set on it. Most Dave and Buster’s will have similar settings.
- Default Time: 22 seconds
- Starting Bonus Score: 6,100 points
- Jackpot Ticket Value: 500 tickets
- 12 Bean Bags Total (Though people steal them all the time so it might be less)
Tailgate Toss Rotating Holes
It is helpful to know that the holes rotate in one direction and that it never changes. When the holes rotate they will always rotate clockwise.
About every 7 seconds the holes will rotate this direction and then stop for another 7 and alternate until the time runs out.
Tailgate Toss Tilt Sensor
There is a tilt sensor on the far back left corner of the Tailgate Toss machine. This creates a foul line where if you reach too far into the machine the alarm will go off and it voids the entire game.
This is an extreme penalty but it helps stop people from cheating by jumping into the machine and dropping the bean bags into the holes.
Be careful not to lean too far when you grab the bean bags as you can accidentally set off this tilt sensor. It is something that can change from arcade to arcade so you will have to get used to how far you can reach into the specific machine that you play.
Updated Scoring System
The point values and high scores were changed recently. Everything listed above is the new software updated scores for Tailgate Toss.
When Tailgate Toss was first released the starting high score was 50,000 and the machine would only display a score up to 99,999. Most arcade locations, including Dave and Buster’s, have changed to a lower high score and also adjusted the points per hole and streak to effectively just move the decimal place of all scores to the left by one. This makes it so the high scores can be displayed higher on the machine than 99,999.
Tailgate Toss Review Score
Score is out of 10, with 1 being all luck to win and 10 being all skill.
Skill Rating: 9
Tailgate Toss is almost entirely a skill-based arcade game. Top players can score the bean bag into the hole they want on almost every throw. The top Tailgate Toss scores comes down to speed of throwing while still being accurate.
The tiny bit of luck is from where the high score is at when you visit the arcade. You have to get lucky with the time you play to have the machine be at its lowest score so you can win the jackpot easier. Though you can have more control over this by coming to the arcade right when it opens.
Fun Rating: 6
I absolutely love playing Tailgate Toss. It is fun for both beginners and experts.
Because it is basically an arcade version of bean bag toss, it allows for beginners to pick it up easily and know how to play. Even though it is deceptively hard for new players, you still have a good shot at winning a low jackpot score on your first couple plays.
Experts will love playing this game as it really comes down to skill and knowledge for you to win tickets. Practice Tailgate Toss enough and you can easily win the jackpot a few times in a row (and winning is always fun).
Save Money Playing Tailgate Toss at Dave and Buster’s
The last tip is to use the ultimate money saving guide so that you can play more for cheaper. The guide includes playing on Half-off Wednesday, using coupons, and more.
Similar skill-based arcade game strategy guides:
Click here for all of the game guides you need to win tickets.