Place your bets — Williams’ 1974 Dealer’s Choice is an electromechanical four-player wrapped in a classic cards-and-gambling theme, designed by the veteran Norm Clark with art by the great Christian Marche. With reel scoring and a hefty confirmed run of 8,850, it was a genuine blockbuster on the route, one of the more popular EM machines of its era and a familiar sight in arcades and taverns everywhere.
The layout is a clean, engaging spread built for lively play: a full four flippers, three pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, a generous ten rollover buttons, and eight standup targets, all crowned by an end-of-ball bonus. That’s a wealth of scoring opportunities — the ten rollover buttons and eight standups give a player plenty to work through, while the four flippers open up extra angles to attack the playfield. The end-of-ball bonus is the strategic heart of the game, rewarding a player who works the rollovers and standups to build up their haul before the ball drains. It’s the kind of well-balanced, feature-rich design that made Dealer’s Choice such a big seller.
Dealer’s Choice is a fine example of Norm Clark’s dependable craft and Williams’ mid-’70s design sensibility, pairing the evergreen appeal of a card game with a satisfying, target-rich playfield. That huge production run is a testament to its popularity, introducing countless players to the pleasures of EM pinball. The gambling theme was a perennial favorite, and Marche’s art brings it to life. For the collector who loves the golden age and a proven crowd-pleaser, it’s a rewarding find. Work those ten rollovers, build your bonus, and play your hand. Sometimes the best games are the ones everybody loved, and this one dealt a winner. Ante up.