Pachinko in Casino

Dear Mark,

I saw a pinball game in the casino. What is it? I have never seen it before.

Garrett J.

Mark Pilarski’s Answer
Extremely popular in Japan, the pinball-like device you mentioned is called Pachinko, and can be found in some American casinos. The name "Pachinko" is derived from the Japanese word pachi-pachi, meaning the crackling of fire. While the true origins of pachinko are unknown, odds-on it descended from the "Coringth Game" which originated in Chicago, although I do find it hard to believe that Chicago players would cotton to something so hard to pronounce.

The first Pachinko hall opened in Japan in the early 1920's. Takeichi Masamura is credited with founding today's pachinko, for he developed the "Masamura Gauge" -- the arrangement of nails that became the basis for most of today's pachinko machines. I actually have an old Pachinko machine buried in my basement that is full of promise, but so far this writer has lacked the ambition to restore it.

Side note: Friend of mine saw lines of people in Tokyo on lunch break, waiting to get to one of the several dozen pachinko machines in open-air pachinko parlors. Since the fall of the balls forms a perfect bell-curve foretelling the inevitable outcome, Friend couldn't understand why anyone would play. But he did not appreciate the difference between faith-based and thought-based practices.

Upgrading in Slots

Dear Mark,

If I win at nickel slots, should I then move up to quarters, win there, then
proceed to dollars?

Sally R.

Mark Pilarski’s Answer
At first glance, a natural progression to a higher limit seems appropriate, but only you know for sure if you should experiment with higher denominations. Most players have a favorite level that they are comfortable with within their gaming budget. Understood, betting more means winning more, but along with that comes greater risks. You can lose five times as much money on quarters, and twenty times as much on dollars, and all in the same amount of time.

Your need for greed, Sally, proportionate to your working capital, will determine if you should be bumping up to a new caste of gamblers.

Start playing now!