Machine Description

Hi-Deal was an electro-mechanical pinball machine released by D. Gottlieb & Co. during the mid-1970s, representing one of the company's later EM offerings before the industry's transition to solid-state electronics. The machine exemplified the classic styling and mechanical precision that Gottlieb was known for during this era.

The game featured a card-playing theme, as suggested by its title 'Hi-Deal,' likely incorporating playing card imagery and poker-related scoring combinations. This theme was popular during the 1970s, as card games and gambling motifs resonated with adult players in bars and arcades. The playfield likely included standard EM features such as pop bumpers, drop targets, and spinning targets, all operated through relay-based scoring mechanisms.

As one of the later electro-mechanical machines, Hi-Deal would have represented the culmination of nearly three decades of EM pinball engineering expertise. The game would have featured the characteristic mechanical chimes and bells, score reels, and the satisfying clunk of relay switches that defined the electro-mechanical era. These machines were built to last, with many surviving examples still operating today thanks to their serviceable mechanical components.

While production numbers are not readily available, Hi-Deal was manufactured during a period when pinball was still a major force in American amusement, though it was on the cusp of the solid-state revolution that would transform the industry beginning in 1976 with the release of the first microprocessor-controlled games.