Bally Hi Deal

Bally Hi-Deal

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Hi Deal is a Bally EM pinball machine from 1975. It is a single-player add-a-ball machine. It's a pure add-a-ball, which means that it has a ball counter that shows the number of balls to play, rather than a counter that shows the ball in play. An add-a-ball machine rewards high scores or meeting game objectives by incrementing the ball counter, which displays a number from 1 to 9.

Add-a-ball pinball machines were typically made available for areas where rewarding free games was considered illegal, such as New York state and Wisconsin. Strangely, Hi-Deal also has a "match" facility, which gives a free game randomly if the last score digit at the end of the game matches a randomly-generated number. This feature can be disabled by moving some jumper blocks in the backbox so presumably the match feature would be disabled in localities that would consider it "evil".

Only 2085 games were produced, which is on the low side for other Bally pinball machines of the era, but about average for an add-a-ball. The theme of the game is a somewhat schizophrenic combination of King Kong and playing cards. The playfield and backglass artwork are dominated by a happy-faced giant ape atop a skyscraper, dodging biplanes, but the game play centers on completing a simple sequence of five playing cards (10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace). Other playing cards and card suits are scattered throughout the artwork, but that's simply decorative.

An interesting playfield feature is an array of ten small roll-over buttons at the top of the playfield, just below the top ball arch. A random set of the roll-over buttons are lit and rolling over a lit button will add 1,000 to the bonus score, which is credited at the end of each ball. The right side ball lane also randomly illuminates "Light Double Bonus" and if the lane is made when this is lit, the bonus at the end of the current ball scores double. Bonus may be accumulated up to 15,000 points, or 30,000 points if double bonus is lit. Once the bonus is driven up to 15,000 points, one of the outlanes is lit alternately for an extra ball. Along the right side is a set of five stationary targets, each for a playing card between 10 and Ace. Making all five targets in the same ball lights alternate inlanes for an extra ball, lights the center kick-out hole for a "special", and increases the left side spinner value to 1,000. The "special" in this case is also an additional ball, and scoring the special then resets the other extras for making all five targets.

If fewer than five cards are lit, the center kick-out hole scores 1,000 points plus one bonus advance for each lit card. With four cards lit as well as double bonus, that would score 9,000 points with one shot. Another way to score big is to hit all the cards to light the 1,000 point spinner value, and then give it a full-power shot. A game with full-strength flippers could easily score over 10,000.

Unlike many single-player add-a-balls, there are no features carried over from ball to ball. Any cards that are made are reset at the end of each ball. This usually means that the game objectives are easier since they need to be completed with a single ball to pay off, unlike a drop-target game where you have the entire game to knock everything down. Still, it's a fun game with a lot of action and the potential to really score big with one good ball.

The rest of this page is mostly a picture album of a Hi Deal game before and after shopping. The game started out in pretty good shape and had been shopped at some point in the past. The playfield was completely stripped of all parts, all the way down to the rollover wires. Minor touch-ups were done around the lamp inserts and other wear spots, the mylar rings around the pop bumpers were removed, and then the entire playfield was sprayed with a few coats of clear gloss acrylic lacquer. This lacquer bonds extremely well with the playfield's original lacquer finish and helps to seal in the touch-ups and it protects the playfield for many years of home use.

After the new lacquer had time to cure, it was wet sanded, starting with 600 grit and ending with 1500 grit before final polishing with Novus 2 using a small orbital buffer. Two coats of good-quality carnuba wax were applied and buffed out before the playfield was re-populated. To prevent backglass damage, the lamps in the head were replaced with #47 bulbs, which run slightly cooler than the standard #44 bulbs. The playfield got #44's for GI lighting and insert lamps.

All metal parts were polished, either in a tumbler or on a cotton polishing wheel. Plastic parts get an ultrasonic bath, and the tops of the flat plastics get a 3-step treatment: Formula 409 to get off the crud, Novus 2 to get out the scratches and cloudiness, and Novus 1 for the final clean-up and polish. The bottoms of the flat plastics get a gentle cleaning - just enough to get off the dirt. Everything else got cleaned, polished or replaced and then it all went back together and adjusted. The flippers got new bats, coils, EOS switches, cabinet switches, plungers, sleeves, return springs and links. All relays, contacts and stepper units got the "once over".

Finishing touches included a new Bally coin door sticker, new playfield glass, and new score/instruction cards done in Photoshop and printed on glossy photo paper. The legs were in very good shape so they were simply cleaned and then shot with clear lacquer to bring up the shine. The cabinet was already in very good original condition, so all it got was a good cleaning and touch-up of a couple of spots on one side. Play testing turned up a couple of simple issues that were resolved by adjusting a few contacts. As of March 2004, the game is now in the hands of another collector where it should be ready for another 25+ years of play.

Now for the pictures...