What I really like about the rating system on Pinside, is that if I enter my comment at the same time I give it the ratings, I'm not sure how the score will pan out. That's how some modern machines actually wound up on my favorites list. But, I don't see how this one doesn't come out way towards the top of my list.

The first time I saw this one, I had no confidence at all, as it's obvious that you need to be a good shot in order to get the ball back to the upper playfield. Well, I guess I must be a damn good shot. I was amazed at how quickly I picked up on the openings, and was able to send the ball back to the top.

Catching any one of the 3 inlanes on the head shot, is not as easy as it looks, but... if you whiff up there, you'll probably get to use that tiny top flipper to nail a couple of the Ace targets. The side outs only seem to be greedy when shooting for the King targets. But if you hit them really hard, or hit them with a light touch, you can usually avoid the left drain.

And what's not to love about 15 drop targets spread throughout the playfield. The funny thing is, you can put down most of the drops, and not score much on the bonus. A really unusual score set. So you really need to shoot at the targets that you need at that particular time. As a matter of fact , you can have 10 out of 15 targets down, and not have a SINGLE bonus point to show for it. Pretty pathetic for a game where bonus can get you 30K.

The 2 bumpers are well placed, as one can be used to nudge at the drops, and the other can help you get the A-B-C rollovers, from the bottom up. Add on a LONG shot at a small spot target for the extra ball, and that's just a nice little bonus. This is one of those machines that I can play for 8 - 10 hours and not get bored with it. Definitely one of my favorites!

great theme and art , fantastic backglass.
make poker hands by hitting drop targets.

First of all the EM top 100 is separate from all SS games and the two should not be compared so I am going to leave out any reference to the SS Joker Poker.
I really love this game, the layout and rules are awesome. It is a very challenging game that frustrates you but brings you back for more. The double bonus is quite hard to get and I have yet to master getting A,B and C.
Pros
- the layout kicks ass and love the hippy backglass. I am a huge drop target guy and they seem built very well.
- I love the little flipper, comes in handy and you need to be ready with it when that pop bumper starts flinging the ball around right in front of it.
- location of extra ball and special
- each flipper has plenty to shoot at.
- A/B/C up top is a genuine skill shot, not really easy to hit.

Cons
- although quite challenging to do, once you have all the drop targets and A/B/C done there is not much to shoot for except the 1K pop bumpers. Then again, it is awesome just getting there.
- a spinner would have been nice worked in there on the left as well giving the right side a slingshot.

Overall this game is a winner if you are an EM guy/gal.
Get one if you can.

Totally fun game to play. The bonus structure makes it very interesting.

This is a great EM. Art is fantastic, layout is great with upper flipper, 4 player; it has it all.

JP EM is a rare game for sure. The solid state version is good, but loses some nostalgia points with the speeeded up chimes, displays, and no joker face in the middle! Very complicated and heavy game. Gottlieb pushed EM technology to the max with one of their last great efforts here. Avoid the middle targets, instead keep sending the ball back up top to lite the extra ball/double bonus. Buy it, if you can find it!

My favorite drop target pinball. JP takes advanced skills on the flippers and at aiming to be successful when compared with most other machines. It will punish you for every mistake you make. Still it keeps me coming back again and again. Uniquely addictive.
The art work is absolutely awesome, busty women and cards, what's not to like? JP has some of the nicest visual appearance without making it difficult to follow the ball on the PF.
Game flow is nice as long as you are good at aiming. The Sound, ding-ding-ding.... certainly nothing special.
Cons: upper flipper is a bit awkward. Sides drain easily. If you're not into drop targets look elsewhere.
Bottom line: I played about every major drop target Pinball and JP is my favorite.

Played this many times in my youth, both EM ans SS. Not an attractive game in my mind, but EM now sought after due to rarity. Looks easy but isn't some very tricky skill shots especially from plunger. The Gordon Morrison artwork never did it for me on this game. Good player's game, artwork questionable.

Great layout. It seems simple but it is challenging. The third flipper is hard to master - getting the top drop targets is no that simple!

Love this game. Would love to have one!

Joker Poker is a great 70's Gottleib pinball design. This rating is based on the SS version of this game. In this case... electronic memory is a good thing and the analog game falls short because of it. The good news... 15 drop targets help out the cause. Simple, yes. Easy... not by a long shot.

The Pros:
The shots are well varied and the A-B-C lanes require great skill and nudging to drop the A and C lanes. I usually don't like asymmetrical slings, but these work great! Fantastic angles for the shots and bounces that make you consider what you are shooting for carefully. Bonus multipliers that make all the difference in the world to your score, prioritize what you need to do differently each ball. One of Gordon Morrison's best art packages. Brilliant colors, top-heavy women with tiny waists... Stunning pf and (you never hear me say this... Brace yourselves) cabinet designs. I likey the chimes!

The Cons:
Just like any other pinball game, if the table is not tip-tip, gameplay suffers (please keep that in mind, for those who say the gameplay lacks on this table...)

The Takeaway:
A great game that will keep you coming back again and again. This PF is a winner whether it is in an EM or a SS package. Personally, I think the game plays better in the SS version. The bonus multipliers seem to be integrated into the game a bit better. The entire PF is utilized very well and the upper flipper is just right for the shots at the aces and joker. This game is not a williams DMD game. It has a different look and feel (and manufacturer, and tech, and designer). If this vintage of a game is not your thing... I completely understand. But the apples vs. oranges argument is not valid in this case. Considering the vintage/limits of this design, it's an incredibly brilliant game. Krynski is THE MAN! All in all... A damn fine game, even with the lessened EM ruleset.

Update:
Even though I love this design. The EM version is sorely lacking compared to the SS version which requires you to prioritize different shots on increasingly difficult targets across the table as your game progresses. IMHO if you have to get this game, check them both out, but my vote goes to the less expensive, easier to find and better playing game. Imagine that?!?