It sounds like one of three things to me. Either the trough switch is dirty or not making when the ball rolls over it, or the outhole is kicking the ball to the shooter lane early, before the score reels reset.

If it’s the latter, then after the first ball you shoot into the dead playfield drains, the next ball kicked to the shooter lane should register Ball 1 and the game should play.

If it’s the former, then you you just need to check the trough switch and clean it and make sure it’s gapped properly.

Lastly, if it’s neither of those 2 things, then you need to check the Ball Count Unit to see if it’s resetting and stepping like it should.

Check the first two and if they are not the solution, then we can diagnose the Ball Count unit.

Trough switch is between the outhole and the shooter lane.

So touching any switch on the playfield does nothing?

correct

The score reels reset to o it adds 1000 points when it drains

And all jones plugs in correctly, like not off a row?
Any fuses up under playfield blown ?
Do the flippers work?
Are you pulling fuses to check with multi meter?

Case solved,The top Jones plug was the problem .Cleaned it up and put it back and now Im Playing.
Thank You to everyone who replied I really appreciate Your Help.

That Red Queen gotcha on ball 4. Good game though.

New high game on the Lucky Hand tonight. The only true add a ball I own and I think I got about 14 Wows lol. 389,400.

For that many extra balls I probably underachieved but it was fun.

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I LOVE this pin
A+ Gottlieb Wedgehead

If we had room for twenty pins we'd still be in the same boat DanMarino.

There's always another pin isn't there?

I had a Gold Strike, the ABB version briefly. It's no doubt a cool table design. Within the first month highest score was over 500k and one of the longest EM pinball games I'd ever played. Sold it after just a few months. Just didn't have that "one more game" appeal for me.

Do what's good for you.

If you decide in a few years you want another Jack's Open or El Dorado, they will still be out there.

Well , you need a bigger house

Good kids.

Would love to see the guys face on Christmas.

Started working on Rockmakers, typically change it to the "current project". Last one was Rockmakers too, that was for O-din as he hates "goofy" dudes.

Playfield is stripped and started touch ups. Plenty to do for the next couple of months and trying to get everything ready for the warm weather. But it has been way above normal in Michigan lately.

But I got a weird itch for maybe something out of my "comfort zone" from the Data East family. But then it's "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" with the pins you have and...you like them all

Not a bad way to start off the year! 100,000 light can’t help but be a good omen.

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What’s the proper angle for these games? I bought @ccotenj’s collection and I put Jacks Open out at the arcade at 5 balls it seems too easy for patrons! People shouldn’t be able to win the special a ton, right? Saw a guy come in and rack up 15 specials in one game! Wtf

I turned it down to 3-ball and it changes the rules, you skip the jacks and only do Queens, Kings and Queens, and then it goes right into the special 5 red targets. Is that correct?

Same with Buccaneer. Too easy!

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Playfeild angle. Too shallow and the ball floats around the playfield too much.

I prefer a 3.8° angle but you may find over 4° to help reduce ball times. Play with it and see.

also try moving the applicable playfield posts from liberal to conservative settings. on jack's open that'll be the ones under the slingshot plastics.

I must be crazy but all my machines are set at between 5.5-6 degrees and my Lucky Hand still plays relatively slow imo.

To each his own but the slow ball movement at 3.5 or 4 degrees would be boring to me, even if the designers intended it to be that way. Not to mention, the side drains on games like my Card Whiz and Space Mission would be brutal at that pitch.

Playfield condition also effects gameplay.

Definitely does and I’m probably ocd more than most on playfield condition. I have somewhat neglected the cabinet condition of my games but all my playfields are clear coated and then waxed occasionally.

Personal preference is what matters along with what you’re used to, I think.

I just finished a scheduled yearly PM on my Jacks Open and scored 227,170 points and 7 replays on my first game. It's not my highest score ever, but still felt good to beat the game good. Screw that Nasty Red Queen.

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Right back at ya on the Lucky Hand. 520,910, by far my best game and the WOWs were wowing.

My favorite machine.

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Never played or seen a lucky hand. Being in southern Ontario, add a balls a very very rare around here.

Add a balls are rare around where I live too and they only made 610 of the Lucky Hand.

The only reason I have it is because of BubbaK and had it shipped here from New Jersey. It was quite a project.

Im a proud owner of a jacks open, I would like to try lucky hand

So far the war on replay vs add a ball for me...

El Dorado vs gold strike
Winner El Dorado

Abra ca dabra vs Team One
Winner. Team one on both adds ball and novelty mode

Capt. Card vs high hand
Winner Capt. Card

Would love to compare lucky hand vs jacks open

Can someone with a parts manual tell me the different springs I’ll need to rebuild my drop target bank? I know they are different tensions for top and bottom, but not sure which is which.

Spring A-12178 is the top spring and attaches the trigger to the drop target.

Spring A-517 attaches the bottom of the trigger to the frame.

Both are available from Pinball Resource. PBR also sells the 1978 Gottlieb parts manual. Best $24 I ever spent!

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Thank you!!

What’s the verdict on 3 ball vs 5 ball?
At the arcade I switched it to 3 ball because the first week a couple players racked up a TON of free plays.

Now that has died down after a couple months on 3 ball. Is this game more enjoyable on 5 ball, or is 3 considered optimal challenge?

Definitely 5 ball. Adjust the replay levels appropriately.

5 ball. Jacks Open (free games) or Lucky Hand (add a ball)? I played in league for months and three of the four hosts had Jacks Open (5 ball) and I don’t remember comments about it being easy to win free games.

My best score in a long time. I always keep close right before I loose.

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Beautiful machine

Beautiful game and impressive score

Would love some advice as I picked up a Jack's Open recently as my first EM pin. I have a Williams Ringer arcade, so I've dipped my toe in the water a bit, but nothing crazy. Looking for some thoughts on how to start going through the game but wanted to ask about the start sequence and the start button/coin switch.

The game I picked up has a damaged cabinet, and I have one on the line to replace it with, but the front of the current cabinet is badly damaged and there is no coin door and associated wiring. Would the game start properly without the start switch and coin switches wired in by activating the relays, or do I need to get those wired in first before I can start going deeper into getting it cleaned up.

I was hoping someone could provide a few clear pictures of their start, coin, and tilt switch wiring and the related wiring on the jones plug. I've got the manual and schematic and some help, but trying to start at the beginning and work through the game logically. More to come I'm sure!

Hey there, diving into figure out why my previously “mostly working” Jacks Open, now won’t start a game at all. Then found this blue wire from the score motor (?) unattached and want to make sure I plug it back into the right place. Does it just go into the the top socket of the 2 prong female jones plug thingy? Would really like to not set anything on fire.

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On my Lucky Hand it's a purple wire that plugs in there. Makes you wonder how it came out. Out means no score motor power. Plug it into the slot with a wire feeding the slot.

So the bottom one? Not the one I circled?