Hi Straight

The Hi Straight, manufactured by J. H. Keeney and Company Incorporated of Chicago in December 1959, is a fascinating electro-mechanical pinball machine from the tail end of the 1950s. Its release was itself noteworthy: a Billboard article from December 1959 reported that it was the first Keeney pin game to be introduced in a number of years, marking the company's return to the pinball market. The game was designed by Ed Krynski, who would go on to become one of the most prolific pinball designers of all time, with artwork by veteran artist George Molentin.

The gameplay on the Hi Straight is built around its poker theme. Players get five balls per play, navigating a playfield equipped with two flippers, five pop bumpers, two slingshots, and a gobble hole. The score reels are particularly notable, displaying both numbers and letters to represent poker hands, adding an extra layer of strategy and excitement to the gameplay. Sounds come from a single bell and a knocker, typical of the era.

With its playing card theme and single-player poker-hand scoring, the Hi Straight is a distinctive piece of Keeney history, produced in at least two runs around the 1959-1960 holiday season. For collectors, it offers both an early example of Ed Krynski's design work and a snapshot of a smaller Chicago manufacturer's late return to the pinball business.