Straight Flush

Straight Flush, designed by Norm Clark and manufactured by Williams Electronics in 1970, is a classic example of early-1970s electro-mechanical (EM) pinball built around a poker theme. The single-player game showcases Clark's approach to combining flippers, slingshots, and pop bumpers into an engaging playfield layout, with artwork by Christian Marche.

The gameplay offers 3 or 5 ball play options, with a replay wheel maximum of 37. The machine features four standup targets, a kick-out hole, and an up-post between the flippers, while a playfield spinner adds an extra layer of challenge. A curious quirk noted by historians: the backglass is silkscreened to show a 1,000,000-point score with backbox lamp sockets for it, but the wiring and relay needed to actually light that score were never installed at the factory, so the feature never functioned as pictured.

The poker theme is carried through in both the mechanical design and the artwork. Straight Flush also falls within a brief transitional period (1969-1971) when Williams experimented with six score reels before settling on five in 1971, making it a notable example of that short-lived design phase.