Expert: Rodger Knutson - 1/5/2011

Question
Dear Roger,

When I bought my third 873 I found out that the reel layout were different. One machine had more plums and the other more bells and bars. Is this normal and what is the Difference? I presume also the reel mechanism and hopper will be different. Is there a difference in payout percentage?

Answer
Hi Herbie,

Not all Bally model 873's are the same. It could look completely different and still be a model 873. They used different games in the model 873 cabinet, if you look at your model number on the serial number tag under the handle, you might see something that looks like this: M873-126, the number after the - (dash) is for the game kit type that was installed in this model 873 machine, some - numbers might refer to the casino that bought them and they may of ordered special games and special glass in them, there are still a model 873, but might look completely different and have a different payout percentage. Take the Bally model 742A, I think I might have a list of close to fifty different games that ran in this Bally model 742A of 1964 and up including the money honey you hear so much about, so this might be 50 different M742A-??? dash numbers. There could be a difference in the percentage of all three of you machines, unless all you dash numbers are the same, then maybe not. I hope I have cleared up this issue for you a bit. There is not a good clean list of dash numbers that tell what each game and dash number is, I have collected a good pile for the model 742A but this information is really hard to find as it just wasn't public knowledge.

Thank You
Rodger Knutson
http://www.coinslots.com