Big Shot (1-Ball)

Big Shot (1-Ball), manufactured by the California Exhibit Company of Los Angeles in January 1936, is an electro-mechanical one-ball payout machine from the mid-1930s, when gambling-style pin games were a major segment of the coin machine trade. The company itself was short-lived, operating only from 1935 to 1936, which makes its games uncommon survivors.

The game's format was simple and direct: one ball for 5 cents, with everything riding on where that ball landed. The machine was advertised as 46 inches long and 23 inches wide and used a 1-inch steel ball. For operators in territories where payout games were restricted, California Exhibit also offered a companion model, the 5-ball non-payout 'Big Shot (5-Ball)' of the same year.

Little is known about the game's designer, artwork, or theme, which is not uncommon given the scarce documentation for these vintage machines. Even so, Big Shot (1-Ball) is a telling artifact of the one-ball payout era and of a fleeting West Coast entry in an industry dominated by Chicago manufacturers.