Computer Poker

Description

"Bally Computer Poker"

Manufacturer: Bally Distribution Company, Reno

This machine is a close relative of the Dale "Pokermatic", the first ever automatic payout poker machine. In spite of the name, it wasn't made by Bally. It was designed by a couple of engineers who left Dale Electronics in 1972, for Si Redd's Bally Distribution Co, and first appeard in 1974. When Si Redd sold his operation to Bally Manufacturing in 1975, he kept the rights to this game and continued to manufacture it under the Bally Distribution trade name. It was in production until about 1980, when video games with monitors took over. The last time I saw one in commercial use was 1982.

The name is misleading, because the "Computer Poker" doesn't contain a microprocessor - it uses about 300 TTL logic chips. There is no CRT monitor. Display is by two rows of in-line readouts, one row for values and the other for suits (see PCB). These displays are like miniature slide projectors, with a cluster of lamps at the back shining through a color transparency and projecting the image on a screen at the front. In play, it first selects ten cards (all different) into a small memory, sends the first five to a set of latches, then runs the displays slot-machine style stopping them one at a time as they match the stored values. On the draw, the second five cards are sent to the latches - held cards are prevented from changing - and the displays are run again to match. Finally the hand is evaluated and paid off. It does not play credits - the counter is a payout counter - and it takes up to four coins at a time, not five. The minimum payout is two pairs, not jacks or better, which makes the hit frequency rather low, but this is offset by a somewhat more generous schedule for the other hands. Overall payback is about 92%.

Computer Poker was produced by Bally Distribution Co., Reno in 1970.

Bally Distribution Co., Reno released only 1 machine in our database under this trade name. Bally Distribution Co., Reno was based in United States.