Satomi Hustler Miracle Arrange ball

What do you get when you mix a Mystic Lines bingo machine with a Pachinko machine?

Mystic Lines card

Mizuho Pachinko circa 1971

You get the Hustler!

Satomi Sammy Miracle Arrange Ball

Hustler was produced by Satomi Co. Ltd.
I wish I knew the year it was produced. I suspect 1976, since all the assemblies are labeled 7610 and 7609... I could be wrong, dates in these machines are usually expressed in Shōwa era (1976 should be indicated as "S51".
There is little information about these games but from what I read so far about Arrange Balls, they occupied the equivalent ecological niche in Japan as Bingo machines in most parts of Canada / USA. Back of the shop hush hush dubious legality. But then there's this video on Youtube clearly showing Arrange balls in a Smart Ball parlor.

How do you play the Hustler?

First, insert Token:

16 balls are released to the ball shooting mechanism. Like an Arepachi (or unlike a traditional pachinko machine) the player cannot directly handle the balls. They can be seen behind a clear plastic chamber.

Shoot balls to achieve winning number combinations.

Balls land in pockets numbered 1 to 16, lighting corresponding numbers at the center of the backflash. Leftmost and rightmost alleys marked Re-play return balls to be shot again. Multiple balls can land in the same number pocket.

2 - 6 - 14 awards 1 token
1 - 5 - 11 - 15 awards 1 token
3 - 7 - 9 - 13 awards 2 tokens
4 - 8 - 10 - 12- 16 awards 3 tokens

When all the balls have been played, inserting another token or pressing red button on the left side of the game pays out tokens*

Features are awarded when balls go through award pockets. These pockets do not hold the ball. The ball goes through, tripping a micro switch.

Green Zone

Lights the Green Zone award. Hitting 1, 6 and 11 awards 1 token

Red Zone

Lights the Red Zone award. Hitting 3, 8, 9 and 16 awards 2 tokens

Double-Up

Instantly pays out 1 token and lights the double-up. Bottom 2 lines payout double indicated*. Does not apply to Red zone

Full Chance

Instantly pays out 1 token and lights the Double-up, Red Zone and Green Zone.

*This machine can pay out a maximum of five tokens (total) per play as indicated by the blue oval-ish label at the top of the machine.

As for repairs...
The payout mechanism was gummed up with old grease. It was completely disassembled, cleaned and re-lubed.
Edge connectors were cleaned
A few old Electrolytic Capacitors were changed on the Main board.

Control Board. Notice the sticker on the ROM

Dim or burnt lamps were changed. Replacement bulbs used are 2182. Although I find they run a bit hot. I do not keep the game on when not playing it as a precaution.

Everything inside was coated in nicotine. Balls would not release properly, coins would not even slide down the coin chute. Cleaned everything with 99% Isopropyl and Novus 2.

Back of door

Main control board and payout mechanism

The machine is for Japanese domestic market, which means it runs on 100VAC instead of the North american 120VAC standard. A large ceramic resistor was installed somewhere in the machine's turbid past. Crude, but it works. Converting angry pixies into heat.

OK. This is dodgy AF

There is a switch at the bottom right of the cabinet. If the front door assembly is opened mid play, the game will not pay out winning combinations as an anti-tampering feature.

For a condensed history of Pachinko, check out Pachinko Boy's history page