Pockets
About This Machine
Pockets, manufactured by Bally in 1936, is an unusual electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine that departs sharply from typical pinball design of its time. Its flat, pinless, felt-covered playfield and billiard-style scoring make it a distinctive entry among Bally's early output.
Gameplay on Pockets revolves around gauging the ball shooter and using the rubber bumper rails to manipulate Catalin balls toward six billiard-style pockets. Players can hit balls remaining on the playfield with the next shot, causing them to carom into pockets. The machine's 10 balls for 5 cents was an attractive feature at the time, and its simplicity belies a challenging gameplay experience that requires strategy. At the end of a game, any balls still on the playfield are cleared when the entire playfield tips forward as a new coin is deposited.
Pockets' design is notable for its minimalist aesthetic: a 20-by-41-inch cabinet with a backglass featuring numbered lights and an electric anti-tilt system powered by a 6V battery. There is limited information available on Pockets today, making it a fascinating and rare find for collectors and historians who can appreciate its unusual design and place in Bally's early history.
Images (18)
Technical Details
- Model Number:
- 123
- Notable Features:
- 10 balls for 5 cents. Playfield is covered with felt, has no pins, and is flat with no slant. Balls are made of Catalin. Six pockets positioned like a billiard table. Ball action depends on the player's gauging of the ball shooter and the rubber bumper rails. Balls that come to rest on the playfield can be hit with the next ball to carom into a pocket. All balls remaining on playfield at end of game are cleared by the entire playfield tipping forward when a coin is deposited. Cabinet was advertised as 20 inches by 41 inches. The backglass numbered lights and electric anti-tilt are operated by a 6V battery.