Not sure about Joker Poker, but Fast Draw is my favorite mid-70s multiplayer GTB EM, if that means anything to you.

Tough call but I think I would go with a nice Fast Draw. I have both, and have played both a lot in the distant past (FD more recently). For whatever reason, I remember JP being kind of boring once you get each of the sets of DTs. The Horse Shoe Target feature on FD just keeps you on your toes.

I suppose there is a better playfield layout on the JP but I still prefer FD. Of course, I just had the opportunity to play an EM JP and due to how it was set up, it would certainly be a challenge and not be as easy as I remember the SS I own being (been in storage for a long time). It was downright Cruel to me!

This is a tough call but I am going to have to say SS Joker Poker. I recently went to a party that had the whole house filled with nothing but pinballs 1992 and newer and vintage early 80's arcade games. We had 4 players playing Joker Poker all night long and wagering bets, cussing and cheering while playing this game. Fast Draw is cool as well. Joker Poker always maintains it's value as well. There is more desirability because not only is it a card themed game but there is a bigger audience for it because it is a non EM. As an EM collector it was difficult for me to choose JP over FD.

Seriously, both.

But if I had to choose I would lean more to JP.

Find a way to fit in both, though.

Mike O.

C'mon Mike - you know FD will trump JP any day....

Yea, I'm with you on that one Mike.

Ken

I'm no expert on older games, as I usually don't care for them, but I prefer Joker Poker over Fast Draw by a lot. It may be because I understand more of the rules on Joker Poker, but I really like the rules on the game and how they were designed for the default 5 ball play.

To be honest, neither of them have many of the things on the playfield that I usually like on older games (a half orbit type shot to get to the top of the playfield and a spinner....Harlem Globe Trotters for the win!), but I just like the layout better on Joker Poker vs Fast Draw. Fast Draw is too symmetrical aka boring and has no clear shot to get to the top (which is where a ball should stay on older pinball machines)....as far away from the flippers as possible.

I'd go with Fast Draw. I love 70s GTB drop target games and was sorely disappointed in Joker Poker. Ended up selling mine not too long after I got it up and running. I really disliked how once you dropped a set of targets they became worth 5k for the rest of the ball. I would put up higher scores just shooting the queens over and over again than I would playing the game as it was designed.

Joker Poker for the win............ best dollar game by far in my collection.

Right on! In my opinion, this is one of the best metrics by which to judge a game.

Gotta go with the card themed game. It's Gottlieb's strong suit (ahem).

Keep in mind my first response was to get both, not which of your children you would part with first.

I've owned them both and I prefer SS Joker Poker. Both were designed by the same person, but I think the rules are much better in JP since JP forces shots to be made all over the play-field to do well and there is no way to avoid going for risky shots at times, since the payoff for making those risky shots (e.g., finishing a target set) is well balanced with the risk.

FD, on the other hand, has a rule set with an obvious big points/lower risk strategy that forces one to decide if they want to play for big score or play to interact with the more fun rule-set features. This is a problem I have with FD rules as the coolest task is working towards and collecting the horseshoe targets, but this is also a very risky strategy and it usually leads to lower scores. If you want big points on FD, you generally want to avoid the targets and shoot for the top lanes, top stationary targets and the two saucer holes.

Having said this, I also believe that both are great games, so your decision could also be based on relative price and game condition of the two choices (or, as previously mentioned just buy both).