Machine Description

Mini Pool, released by Chicago Coin in the late 1950s, represented an innovative fusion of pinball and pool/billiards mechanics during the golden age of electro-mechanical arcade games. The machine capitalized on the surging popularity of pool halls in post-war America while offering a unique twist on traditional pinball gameplay.

The machine's design featured simplified pool-themed artwork and playfield elements that mimicked billiards gameplay, including special scoring pockets and ball-return mechanisms. Unlike traditional pinball machines of the era, Mini Pool utilized a more horizontal playfield orientation to better simulate the feel of an actual pool table, while still maintaining core pinball elements like flippers and bumpers.

Mini Pool helped establish a sub-genre of sports-themed electro-mechanical pinball machines that would become increasingly popular throughout the 1960s. Its success demonstrated the market's appetite for hybrid arcade concepts and influenced subsequent designs that borrowed elements from other popular games and sports. While not as widely remembered as some other classics from the era, Mini Pool represents an important step in the evolution of themed pinball design.