For future reference, if your kings lock on, but the coil and under playfield transistor test fine but you fry Q17 and replace it but you can’t figure out why, take a look at my pic above and make sure you don’t have coil lugs with rivets that contact the coil stop bracket. Took me a while to see something right in front of me.

Likely joining the club on Sunday! This game has been on my list for a few years now, and a lot of people always comment on how they made a lot of them. The ones that showed up near me were always restored and priced pretty high (for me) but I think I finally found one that I was comfortable with the price and condition on. Great thing is that I have a hookup for a CPR silver, new plastics, and new repro backglass if I decide to go through a partial - full restore.

I was told the game boots, the seller wasn't sure if it plays. She says the game "makes pinball noises." Looking at pics, I can see the displays show a score, and what I assume to be credit and match display showing numbers. Some lamp sockets are flaky, as told from another pinsider that looked at it but passed on.

This will be my first Gottlieb SS. I have good experience with Bally SS and some WMS SS, so I am comfortable going through "all the things." Anything about Gottlieb SS that is unique besides what I would see on Bally or WMS? Really can't wait to get this game home as I love drop targets and have always regarded Gottlieb EMs as the best of the big three. To date, I've only played one or two games and that was at a tourney a few years ago.

congrats on the acquisition. definitely watch the system 1 vid linked to a few posts back and you're gonna want to learn how to replace all the pins in the connectors. it's tedious but pretty much a requirement.

Cool, I'll definitely take a look.

As far as backbox removal, I assume it's 4 head bolts and detaching connectors. Anything else I need to know?

should be 4 screws on the back of the head through the metal rail into the neck, at the bottom of the metal rail. often missing but good for holding head while removing the bolts and connectors inside. here is a pic of my Hulk showing the screws (can't see the 4th one).

head screws (resized).jpg

Need some help

Was playing a game and after second ball drained the ball #3 did not kick out.

Had the boards repaired months ago and since a has been good. Powered game off and then on. Pushed start, get a few notes like a new game is starting and then nothing with game staying in game over mode.

Opened up and checked all fuses. Back box looks fine.

While playfield was raised pushed start and game reset. Put playfield down, put ball in shooter and played. When ball drained … nothing.

Power off / on - push start and same as above … a few notes like a new game starting on then nothing.

Would appreciate some input in what may be happening based on what I described.

Thanks

After ball #2 drained, I’m assuming that the game didn’t end … but the ball didn’t eject from the ball trough for ball #3

After turining the game off and on you then started a game but the ball did not eject from the ball trough.

Hopefully it may be as simple as the ball trough switch is not connecting properly … either a wire broke off or the switch is not making good contact.

Just a guess.
Mike

The game was dropped off by the seller today, which saved me an 8hr round trip to pick it up. Nice! It was transported with the head on and apparently booted up prior to the trip, but when I plugged it in it turned on but didn't boot up...I flipped the power switch, it still was on. So kind of odd. It's set up in the garage right now, and I'll have to take off the head to take it in the basement, but any preliminary thoughts as to why it turns on with the plug?

Check and reseat all the connectors. I'd bet at least 1 has come loose.

Save lots of aggravation and just re-pin them all.

Yep, reseated the connectors and it boots up. Still no power switch. I plugged it in and it's on. No way to turn it off unless I unplug it.

Upon closer inspection of the boards, I see that there is one Rottendog Power supply and most of the connectors have been repinned. So someone put some time and money into it at one point.

So it boots, shows credits and match and cycles between HSTD and last score (which is zero).

Can't add credits, can't start a game. I'll have to read around and get help from you fine people on getting this game sorted. I'll likely start a new thread so that way I don't flood this one with questions and whatnot

I'm assuming one got shaken loose being moved with the head up. But it seems less likely they would have come loose if they had been recrimped

My Joker Poker thread if you wanted to follow along. The first post is a little long but provides some symptoms and background info. Hoping I'll get some assistance as I work through it. I don't think it'll take much since the game boots. Initially, there is some coin door wiring that'll need to be restored to original, so hoping that'll take care of the no-start problem.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/joker-poker-project-thread

Ran into a problem quoted below. Any thoughts?

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/joker-poker-project-thread#post-6470268

Solid state scoring question…on ball one, the 10’s bonus is lit but if I don’t qualify the 5x bonus by dropping the 10, when the ball drains I don’t get the 1000 points for 10’s bonus. But on all other balls, the ‘spotted’ bonus will register if the 5x isn’t qualified. Is that normal?

*I should mention that I’m running the legacy NiWumpf MPU.

i'm running pascal's 4 in one board in mine and i'm getting the 1k points when the first ball is drained.

Interesting, thanks. So maybe an issue with the legacy NiWumpf. Anyone with an original board that can verify? Basically I started a game and manually hit one of the 10 point switches and then drained the ball. Ball 2 starts with just 10 points rather than the expected 1,010.

Can confirm that this is how the original board works. It should definitely score each spotted bonus every ball.

Huh, interesting. Thanks for checking!

Got the all in 1 board and have working System 1 boards on the marketplace out of my Joker Poker SS. Let me know if you want/ need these. I can bundle them if you need them all.

Only issue I experienced was when I tried to set it to 5 ball, it stayed set on 3 ball.

Would appreciate some input

Having issues with the Ace drop bank. Some of the targets were not staying up at reset. I bought a used bank unit with a reset bar in great shape (no grooves in the metal). Replaced the bar, but I’m still having issues.

I did not replace the lifters. Is that something that needs to be dine as well? Other?

Thanks

Yo! I have a SS version with the pascal board. Is there a way to set the game to award points for specials and EBs?

I don't see a setting for it. Explains why EBs were on at INDISC

Huge bummer. I need those knocker hits in my life.

Hey All, recently joined the club. 2 questions.
1. What degree slope should joker poker be set

2. Any ideas for me? Boards were toast when I bough5 it. Bought brand new pascal board. Resolved several switch issues with new diodes, however, the tilt is an issue. When I go into test or start a game it immediately tilts. I have tilt bob disconnected and slams disabled. I finally just removed the wire from the tilt coil in order to play it.

Thanks!

Joker Poker SS question. Does anyone know what switch number 40 is? Ordered the manual, but it’s not here yet.

Thanks!

Chuckwurt - Switch 40 is the 10 - 10 point switches.

Confused. So it’s multiple switches? Figured it would just be one like other games. This is my first system 1 though.

Yeah all of the 10 point switches are wired in parallel.

The 10 point switches are the ones behind the rubbers scattered about, behind drop targets etc.

Just finished my swap!

I have one minor problem though. None of the "minor" point switches work. The switches behind the rubbers, drop target banks, etc. Everything else works except them. I've reseated the connectors but can do it again. Is it a problem with the harness somewhere? Do they all share a common return wire? Something else?

20220226_160241 (resized).jpg

In chasing the 10 point switches problem, now all the coils lock on when I turn the game on. So frustrating! The only think I did between it working (kings the 10 point switches) and the coils locking on is adjust the gapping on the 2 relays on the bottom of the playfield.

After clipping the diodes on the chime box coils and the knocker, did the coils finally stop locking on, but the game still doesn't boot. What a PITA!

Any thoughts would be appreciated, as I'm about to give this game the People's Elbow

All I can contribute is that indeed all the 10 point switches are daisy chained together.

Yeah, I saw that in the manual. Unfortunately even knowing that, it didn't help, as I checked continuity all the way through and checked gapping on each switch as well.

I changed the diodes and associated TIP102 on the driver board...it booted and worked for about 5 minutes (still no 10pt switches) then all coils died and the game froze. I power cycled it again and all the coils are locking again. FML.

This is when I would send the boards out for bulletproofing. Or did everything work fine before the swap?

This is also why I’m terrified to try a swap. Haha

Well, it worked fine for a little while just before the swap, before that it was blowing a transistor and having boot trouble, but I thought I got that resolved from the chime coil diodes and knocker diodes.

It's got a Ni-Wumpf MPU, ground mods and updated interconnect harness, and rottendog PS. I'm tempted to throw in a Pascal 4in1.

I look at the thing funny and it goes sideways.

You got the new interconnect. Did you re-pin everything else?

It was all done prior to my ownership, I'm pretty sure. They all look pretty new.

I don't think a new driver will help here except for a couple things (answering your new thread). It doesn't look like the ni-wumpf has an anti-thunk delay and I think that is the cause your lock on. The ni-wumpf on the other hand probably has better protection if a diode fails. Early drivers don't have protection diodes on the coil drivers. You should check this on pinwiki and see if yours does. It's easy to add. The protection diodes protect your MPU since coil voltage could travel across a shorted transistor and back over the interconnect.

You can easily test the transistors on your driver using these instructions: https://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=General#Testing_a_Transistor.2C_Silicon_Controlled_Rectifier_.28SCR.29_or_Field_Effect_Transistor_.28FET.29

The only way all of the controlled coils would lock on is if all of the related transistors were shorted. Those instructions can test those.

A test I always do after a swap is this: with the driver board disconnected (bottom connectors) I put my DMM on DC, black on ground and I measure voltage at each assembly. I am looking for a coil that is shorting to the mechanism. Just touch the metal of the assembly not the coil itself

OK, did some stuff. Checked connectors (again), replaced the diode on the outhole kicker because the fuse would blow, but now the game boots and plays.

Two new symptoms. The flippers score 10 points, and I noticed that if I flip too often, the game ends, but once the ball drains, I can start a new one. Progress i guess?

Better than all the coils locking and no boot...

I did check all the transistors and they all checked out good. Also did the voltage check at the mechs and they all showed some kind of voltage. I'm not sure what I'm looking for with that test?

one of the rubbers on a 10 point switch is too tight. You can simulate by banging on the playfield in a game to find which one.

The voltage test is to make sure a coil isn't shorted to the metal of the mech. You might see millivolts there but if you see 25V you got a problem. I'd say since it is playing that's a good start.

I'd say your flip too often is a slam tilt and it's ending the game. Check your tilt relay when it happens. If it's not engaged that's what you did. Check your tilt lamp. You can also simulate this by opening the slam switch on the coin door

I was just going to add that when I pound the playfield with my fist, it doesn't score.

Also add that I just ended a game by doing that. No tilt lamp comes on.

And that lamp is good and comes on in lamp test?

Yes, the lamp is good. I hit the tilt bob and it turned on.

I just smashed the flippers a hundred times and it didn't kill the game. I swear there is no rhyme or reason to anything it does!

The only issue right now is the flippers scoring the 10 pts. I'll have to try smashing the playfield with my fist to see if it does it (again, who knows each time). I'll report back. I'm certain each of the 10 pt switches are gapped pretty far. I did that to ensure none of them stayed closed as to kill all the other 10 pt switches. But even so, none of them work, only the flippers score. It makes no sense to me.

Is there somehow the flipper or EOS switch is somehow crossed with a 10 pt wire? just tossing it out there. At this point none of it makes sense to me lol.

Just pull 1 leg of a 10 point switch outside a rubber until you find the one that's causing the scoring

Maybe a bad diode?

I have a set of diodes coming. Some have been replaced in the past, but these are to spec, so I will replace all of the non-stock diodes. 1N270 germanium diodes.

This trick worked. I found the culprit switch that vibrations from the flipper would cause it to touch the stiff retention leaf. I wasn't able to see it with the rubber on because the contacts were far enough apart. The bend was subtle enough that even though I separated each switch (and read on another post of this problem) that it wasnt visibly obvious, but pulling the rubber in between, I could still score by even gently pushing the switch closed.

I was able to play 2 or 3 games as intended.

Thank you!

Still doesn't explain the other issues that I won't mention for fear of jinxing myself...

I am restoring a Joker Poker, have already stripped the playfield, did a few touch ups and getting ready to clearcoat with SprayMax 2K . The plastics are in pretty good condition, except for the two over the slings and the one over the jacks. I don't want to buy a complete set as this would cost me over $100 Cdn. I would rather make three replacements. I have already cut the three new plastics to size. I was wondering if someone could scan a good set of these three plastics to help me fix up this joker poker. I suggest you PM me if you can help and we can work something out. Thanks

Has anyone seen or do you have a custom Apron card like this one? This is on a Sinbad. Sorry for the quality. It had general facts about the game, number produced, game designer, etc. i have seen them for other games, looking for on for Joker Poker.

apron (resized).JPG