Gottlieb

Joker Poker

Pinside Rating

This game received 97 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.786 _/10

7.786

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #127 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.954

Artwork: 7.732

Sounds/Music: 4.441

Other Aspects: 8.078

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 3 of us have rated this game.

7.579

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Found 49 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 49 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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8.544/10

3 months ago

PIE

SilverballGamer

Pinside member

4y 57,650 29 5 87

Joker Poker is, in its essence, a very elaborate EM and a very simple SS, but damn is it addicting.

Pro’s:

Deceptively simple layout. May look/seem like a one trick pony at first, and it sorta is, but true mastery requires you to have great flipper skills and even better nudging ability.

Rules are very basic, but require strong accuracy and an ability to read rubber bounces and playfield geometry quickly. A great tournament game, that’s for sure. Even better with the Pascal ruleset!

Gottlieb chimes are the best chimes. While I didn’t include this in the score, I do love the way they sound.

Art is pretty neat and very cheesy in a way only Gordon Morrison can pull off without the art looking poor. The color choice and look under warm light is mainly what makes it such a nice game to look at.

Con’s:
The cabinet art is bland, even considering the limitations of stencil art. Nothing wrong with that, it just could have been better.

Can see somebody getting very sick and tired of this game quickly in a home environment: once you get all the objectives (which do reset hall to ball), it can get boring.

Set it to 5 ball play, as the 3 ball rules are inferior (doesn’t emphasize drop target shooting as much, as the Jacks and Kings banks become way less important to scoring. This is due to the fact that on 5 Ball play, it requires you to shoot the 10 on ball one for 5X, then Jacks ball 2, Queens Ball 3, Kings Ball 4, and Aces ball 5. 3 ball just has you hit the 10 ball one for 5X, Queens ball 2, then Aces Ball 3).

Overall, a really addicting and fun early SS. Just a really great effort by Gottlieb.

9.409/10

6 months ago

JCC

Jesse-is-great

Pinside member

Tallahassee, FL

<1y 40,800 120 3 30

The game is cool! My high score is less than 416,000 and I score 50,000 on average. My dad also likes the game and I think his high is about the same as mine.

8.845/10

1 year ago

TLG

Gordo14131

Pinside+ Frequent

Chesterfield, VA

5y 36,400 2 3 30 1

One of my all-time favorite games. Love drop targets so 15 of them what else could I want. Upper flipper and pop bumper great for knocking down the aces. Even though an SS, need to play 5 balls since each ball has different rules or scoring objectives (the 10 drop target on ball 1……five drop targets in upper left…aces and joker on ball 5). Love this game, trying to find one to buy.

Gordo14131 has this game on the wishlist.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

7.914/10

1 year ago

JJR

jrobinson90

Pinside member

4y 34,650 7 26 27

The rules are simple and the objective straightforward, but is easier said than done for a good score. The playfield has a good layout that includes asymmetrical slings, 5 drop target banks totaling 15 targets, and a small two inch flipper. This paired with a good ruleset, theme, and art package makes for a very enjoyable game for just about anyone. But for those competitive players amongst us, Joker Poker is a drop target shooters game that prioritizes a different drop target bank each ball for a bonus multiplier. Since the bonus multiplier is all (5X) or nothing it becomes extremely important for points. The multiplier gets progressively difficult ball to ball. On ball one only the white “10” drop target is needed for the multiplier, while on ball two all three queen cards, and ball three the aces and joker drop bank (this is for 3-ball). The latter bank is easiest to hit with the little two inch flipper of the upper playfield. When the 5X is achieved, it multiplies the value of each drop target in a completed bank. For example, getting all three queens each worth 1,000 points will equal 15,000. The drop banks are well placed and avoid a symmetrical layout. I find some resemblance of the bank placement when I think of Sinbad. The 10 card, kings, and aces banks can be frustrating and create a good challenge. The three A-B-C lanes at the top of the playfield can be lit to light the special and extra ball. Being difficult to shoot for and more luck they don’t really add much to the gameplay in my opinion. Do your best to get them on the plunge. When playing with a Pascal aftermarket board the lanes can be lit for a skillshot. An early solid state wannabe EM with chimes rebelling the transition. Overall a winner from the Gottlieb System 1s.

jrobinson90 edited previous rating on September 12, 2022.
jrobinson90 currently owns this game.

8.615/10

1 year ago

TAP

tap455

Pinside member

Sunapee, NH

3y 28,650 16 8 10

This game had great recommendations so when I wanted to add to my Gottlieb System 1 portfolio, this was high on the list. It has not disappointed! Each ball has a different initial targeting priority to maximize bonus points and then the secondary additional points for reset targets. To be fair I am running a Pascal board in the machine I play, though have one with the original board set as well. Both are great.

tap455 currently owns this game.

9.818/10

2 years ago

EKB

Spideyguy67

Pinside member

Toronto, ON

3y 21,500 5 15 14

Game always makes you want to come back for more! Great game setup; 3 ball or 5 ball it doesn't matter. The bonus is key to achieve high scores in this game. Top flipper is incredible important, game is fast and is a good game if you need to practice your target shooting. The chimes especially with the solid state game makes it very unique and provides a cool experience, still gives you a bit of an old school feeling.

Spideyguy67 currently owns this game.

6.584/10

2 years ago

EJH

ehex9

Pinside member

Saint Albans Town, VT

3y 46,650 5 7 179

This is a surprisingly fun card themed game. Just one more game!

8.394/10

2 years ago

GBT

MrPaint

Pinside member

La Quinta, CA

12y 65,200 49 36 59

one of the best Ems. I am still looking to add one to the family

MrPaint currently owns this game.

8.222/10

2 years ago

T H

Pjitegior

Pinside member

Bergen

4y 23,750 147

The bells on the ss version really makes this game feel special

7.837/10

3 years ago

PO

pat4race

Inactive member

Unknown

3y 19,000 1 73

Nice early SS machine with lots of drop targets, easy rules, but fun to play.

7.743/10

3 years ago

SEL

jedi42

Pinside member

Cornwall, PE

9y 45,300 401 6 25

A great older game when playing with friends. For some reason it is very addictive trying to get the 5x bonus on each ball. Great for when you want to play a quick game. Must be on 5 ball for the most fun.

jedi42 has owned this game in the past.

4.342/10

3 years ago

NOU

Ghostly

Pinside member

5y 34,150 33 6 59

I can recommend this game to folks who are into EMs, however you should get the EM (opposed to the SS version) instead for reliability reasons.

7.772/10

3 years ago

BKJ

Jinxmi62

Pinside member

Watertown Township, MI

3y 21,500 1 2 18

Older style, target-shooting layout. Easy to play, some skill shots needed, and hold up well for something created in the late 70s.

7.788/10

3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,116 23 271

It is simply the best pin from it's era. Lits of drops and phenomenal rules. Poker isn't my favorite theme, but I can definitely forgive that for this pin.

Daditude edited previous rating on September 08, 2020.

5.344/10

3 years ago

???

AllinOneShot

Pinside member

Titusville, FL

7y 20,250 5 47

This is a neat machine, but is over-rated.

9 Pinsiders flagged this.

4.611/10

3 years ago

DAD

Westsiderkg

Pittsburgh, PA

3y 38,800 303 1 10

Overall a fun game. No major thrills, but a good time none the less. Nice job.

4 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.436/10

4 years ago

???

royalguard

Pinside member

Unknown

4y 15,900 6 2 6

Outstanding 1st Gen (derived from a low production EM) game from Gottlieb. Brilliant design by Ed Krynski with great artwork by the incomparable Gordon Morison make this a must have for anybody's collection. A true shooters game, the asymmetrical playfield provides numerous options to add-a-ball. This game never gets boring, and ranks right up there with Pop-A-Card as the best of Gottlieb's card games.

royalguard edited previous rating on December 26, 2019.
royalguard currently owns this game.

8.484/10

4 years ago

MGR

TheJerol

Pinside+ Pro!

Loomis, CA

5y 53,150 101 6 13

What can I say? The best of the System 1 games and a masterpiece of classic game design from Ed Krynski. Gordon Morrison’s art package is timeless and classic.

I am fortunate to own a pristine version of this game, which plays fairly fast. This game rewards patience and accuracy. You WILL want to play “just one more” game as you never quite get all the sets of drops or worse — you do, except for the 5x bank. Three and five ball play offer different experiences with most people favoring the five ball mode (where every bank gets its turn). Try to get some time on this deck — there are many out there and it’s worth your time.

TheJerol currently owns this game.

8.394/10

5 years ago

JIN

Pinasco

Inactive member

Malmö

8y 37,650 81 3 60

One of the best looking classic card themed pinball machines.
A real beauty with a entertaining playfield and pretty good variation to the different shots possible.
Fun upper flipper finger to help knocking down the right upper drop target bank. A nice touch is that lone left 10 of hearts drop target that clearly raises the risk of your shot.
I'd imagine lastability pretty good on this one as a homepin - if you´re into classic games.

A rather non-relevant side note: its a little strange that such a stunning looker of a pinball game has so ugly and plain looking slingshot art.

7.516/10

5 years ago

PAT

patbou1975

Pinside member

Laval, QC

6y 22,300 4 5 6

A solid state game that plays like an Electro mechanical. The chimes sound is great. Probably one of the best drop target game. I prefer newer games but if i have to choose an old one for my collection, that might be a good choice.

patbou1975 has owned this game in the past.

8.824/10

5 years ago

CRC

rodcom

DPC

17y 94,050 237 29 50 1

Fun game to play. Love the 5 ball shooting and the the ability to build. The kings are the hardest ones for sure to shoot.

rodcom edited previous rating on November 26, 2020.
rodcom currently owns this game.

8.450/10

6 years ago

DOC

TractorDoc

DPS

Ashland, OH

7y 245K 2,923 33 106

A great game if you love drop targets. It certainly has the "just one more game. . . " factor.
Even though its is a step back in the evolution of sound I actually like the use of chimes in this game -- they add a pleasant background to game play. No fancy toys or complicated rules. . . this game is proof that sometimes simpler is better.

TractorDoc has owned this game in the past.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

8.836/10

6 years ago

DAD

Shane1974

Inactive member

Renfrew, ON

6y 12,000 1 3 13

Games one of the best ever.
Had one for a few months now been hunting for one for awhile. Don't let it fool you. It's difficult sometimes.
Great artwork and design

Shane1974 edited previous rating on April 28, 2018.
Shane1974 currently owns this game.

8.718/10

6 years ago

BC

fodorfolde

Pinside member

Waterloo, ON

6y 38,050 28 4 61

I can't say that I love the EM machines too much, but Joker Poker is one of the rarities I wish I had in my collection. It's a shooter's game 100%, and is a perfectly enjoyable machine. Not going to rock your socks off, but it simply "works" much more than a lot of later/more involved machines.

fodorfolde edited previous rating on September 18, 2018.

9.032/10

6 years ago

NAT

Nath1977

Pinside member

La Pocatière, QC

6y 20,000 41

My favorite old game, addictive.

Nath1977 edited previous rating on November 23, 2017.

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