Top Card

Top Card, released by D. Gottlieb & Co. in 1973, represents a classic example of electro-mechanical pinball design during the early 1970s card game-themed era. The machine capitalized on the popularity of poker and card games, incorporating playing card imagery and scoring mechanisms that mimicked poker hands.

The playfield design featured card-themed targets and drop targets arranged to create poker-style combinations. Players could complete various card hands for increasing point values, with royal flushes offering the highest rewards. The backglass artwork typically displayed elaborate card imagery with classic Gottlieb attention to detail, making it visually appealing to casino and card game enthusiasts.

As one of several card-themed machines produced during this era, Top Card helped establish a popular sub-genre of pinball themes that would continue throughout the 1970s and beyond. The game's straightforward but engaging ruleset made it a common sight in bars, arcades, and other entertainment venues of the period. While not as well-known as some other Gottlieb titles from the era, Top Card represents an important piece of pinball history during the final years of the electro-mechanical era.