A Shelter in place purchase Bally 873

[RiseLikeRa]

Group:


I hope that you are all safe and healthy.  To keep from going absolutely bonkers I activated my cloaking device on my truck and drove 2 hours 1 way to add yest another Bally EM to my collection.  I added that Belly glass and the non Bally candle to the game.  So far so good.  I had to move my IGT Fortune 1 Caesars Palace slot machine to the garage and put it on craigslist. 


Plays and pays 100% so far.


Stay well all
Rise Like Ra

[DavidLee]

Very nice Ra. Life is pretty much normal for me during the present situations.

[off-track]

Ah!  The (almost) exact machine that got me started down the slippery slope.  Picked up at auction as "non-working" after a staff member hit all 7's..  All it needed was to press the jackpot reset switch.   

[RiseLikeRa]

Off Track and David:


Yes indeed this, the Bally EM virus, is a VERY slippery slope.  This game makes my 3rd 873 since I already have 2 in 5 cent denomination.  Because of the frequent small payouts they get the most action of all of the various types of machines in my game room.  It IS a slot machine and after putting over $60.00 in it I have not even hit the 100 coin Bar Bar Bar yet.  Good thing I have the key.


David I so am glad to hear that things are normal for you out there.  I just attended a quickie Covid funeral last Thursday.  My wife's uncle died 27 days ago and that was the first available opportunity at the funeral home.  No loitering, grieving or sobbing.  Kind of a drive by send off. 

NLG members have become like family over the years.  Please stay safe and healthy.


Ra

[Simple Sam]

Bear with me as I am new to Bally EM games; it looks like the lights on both 873s aren't working correctly.  Is that true or do I not understand how they work?


On Rise like Ra's game, it appears that all five paylines are lit.  Shouldn't the "insert coin" light be out and the "coin accepted" light be on?  On off-track's game, it looks like 4 paylines are lit so the "insert coin" light is correctly lit but shouldn't the "coin accepted" light be on?


I'm actively looking to purchase an 873 as they are very cool and classic games so I want to be sure I understand the lights on and off sequence. 




Thanks!

[DavidBelg]

This 873 model is high on my radar.. any five liner would fit (progressive, bonus 7s, ..)
That and a lightning machine (jackpots only).

Most that can be found here in EU are safari (non payout), bonanza (non payout), continental, superline or extra line and some 842 variants.

[RiseLikeRa]

Simple & David:


You are overthinking the picture that I posted.  Simply put your theory would be correct depending on what "state of play" the game is in.  My sideways (sorry again for that)  873 has been coined up with 5 coins, insert coin light went out when last coin deposited,  THEN the handle was pulled.  This left all 5 PREVIOUS pay lines lit and the beast demanding more money (Insert coin light on again).  I hope that this is helpful.


I will let Off Track get you On track if so desired.


I posted a query trying to determine of the 873 is the King of the EM games some time back.  Absent what I call the exotic games with secondary play features I think that it is.  If you can get your hands on one do so.  Because of the frequent micro hits you can play for hours with very little money.  My 5 cent  873's are all the rage.  The new kid on the block, the 25 cent game started giving up 100 coin hits last night.  My wife had a grand ole time.  In any event you are the owner and can unlock the door and get another handful of seed money at any time.  My top glass is NOT Bally issue.  It is very colorful and I cant wait for it to light up when I hit the 7's. 


The this we do to avoid the plague and the revolts...


Lord heal our land...
Ra 

[Simple Sam]

I have so much to learn...I guess it would be obvious if I was actually playing the game.

[RiseLikeRa]

No problem at all.  We are here to help one another.


Ra

[DavidLee]

Ra, I had a similar machine. Really liked the unexpected payout on the diagonal.

[off-track]

I will let Off Track get you On track if so desired.

Yup. it's showing the last play state and asking for coins..  If the last spin was a winner the "winner paid" light would also have been lit until a coin was inserted. When a coin is inserted the pay lines reset to 1 coin and will then step up to 5 or until the handle is pulled.

It IS a very generous machine compared to my S+ or GK.  The biggest problem I have is a one coin overpay due to it sitting un-played for too long and the contacts getting dirty. 

[RiseLikeRa]

David:


That double progressive in a normal sized 800 series cabinet is sheer genius.   Beautiful game indeed.  You said  HAD so I assume that you sold that gem to another happy home.   I am always amazed at the variety of games that Bally pumped out during their hay days.


Thanks for sharing.   Stay well and healthy
Ra

[Simple Sam]

Ra, I had a similar machine. Really liked the unexpected payout on the diagonal.

That's a pretty cool game; five lines and a progressive jackpot in one normal sized machine.  What more could a gambler (or operator) want!


I keep my eyes open looking for a progressive machine and the three line and single line/five coin come up pretty often but I've never seen that one.  The ones I've looked at always seem to have too many problems to justify purchasing them; not working properly and bad cosmetics.

[smoothgrh]

I missed this thread from last year! Congrats, Ra!

Yes, I still love my first slot machine, the good 'ol Bally 873: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo9IPF8p1iA

I believe the odds of getting at least a cherry is 1 in 8 with just one coin played, so even better odds with 3 to 5 coins — so yeah, lots of hits on this machine.

I wish I had a quarter machine, but I'm happy with my nickel machine because I love every artwork detail and it's in fabulous condition. Made in 1978, so probably among the last of the 873s manufactured.

It also has the unusual 3-coin payout for a single cherry.

I sometimes long for a more exotic Bally EM, but I'm happy that I have one that's rock solid!

[Herbie21]

Boys, indeed the 873 is the best and my absoluut favourite. I am talking about the fruits version, the 'lightning' is an other story.


I have several 873 machines and sure they keep you busy with the many small payouts. I have different machines with different reel strips, making them different, with different return to player percentages, hit frequency and combined payput options. I like the one where relative more bar-bar-bar occure.


The 'return to player' for my 873 machines is between 71% and 87%, the hit frequency from 6,2 till 8,7 the the 'lightning' being 27,1!


A hit frequency of 6,2 means on average you have to play 6,2 times with one coin to get a pay-out, playing with 5 coins will give you nearly a pay-out every pull.


An other feature of the 873 is the combines payouts on the different lines playing 5 coins, sometimes you really have to look where the win is.


There are many great combinations possible, depending on what set of reel tapes you have. I have added two of my favourites, with the best cross plums and one cherry, keep them spinning!


Herbie
 

[DavidLee]

Very nice, it’s always a surprise to get a combination of payouts.

[essmeier]

I wish I had a quarter machine, but I'm happy with my nickel machine because I love every artwork detail and it's in fabulous condition.

My 873 was a nickel machine when I bought it, but I don't care for nickel machines because nickels turn your hands black rather quickly while playing.

Quarters are dirty, too, but they seem to be less so than nickels.

I converted my nickel machine to a quarter machine.  I think I had to replace four parts - the hopper knife, the coin entry, the coin comparitor, and the top payout glass.   I had to change the denomination sticker on the reel glass, as well.

It was a pretty easy and quick conversion.  I kept all the parts so I can easily turn it back into a nickel machine in about 20 minutes.

It was only after I converted the machine that I found out that my wife really liked the fact that it was a nickel machine.  We've since acquired a nickel 891 and that one remains a 5¢ game.

One obvious benefit of a nickel machine is that it costs a whole lot less to fill it up.

[rdaniel]

I prefer nickel machines because it takes a lot less money to fill the hopper. You are correct, fingers get real dirty fast, so I decided to use cheap cloth gloves. They get dirty instead of my fingers.

[Simple Sam]

I solved my dirty finger problem in a different way. When I have guests over, I give them a coin bucket with several rolls of nickels and quarters to get them started. Also in the bucket are a few of those wrapped finger wipes like you get at bbq restaurants.

[smoothgrh]

I'd like a quarter machine because quarters are more commonly used these days, easier to grip, and would make my slot machine also a piggy bank.

I'd also imagine being a big shot in the early '70s, when $1.25 could buy a dinner special!