Play a Hand
About This Machine
Play a Hand is an intriguing example of an early mechanical, playing-cards-themed tabletop/counter pinball game. Its manufacturer is unknown, though it may possibly be Giepin Associates, Inc. - a company better known for coffee machines that is also known to have made at least one other counter game, 'Skill Cards' (1960) - though this connection is unconfirmed.
As a Pure Mechanical (PM) game, Play a Hand takes five steel balls for ten cents, operating on US dimes. The playfield carries the text "For amusement only," "A Game of Skill," and "patent pending." Its cabinet has polished tin edges, and it measures a compact 27 inches long by 17 1/4 inches wide.
Surviving examples have turned up in locations including near Boston, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, with owners reporting no manufacturer markings anywhere inside or outside the cabinet. This lack of identifying information leaves Play a Hand's true origins an open question for collectors and historians.
Images (9)
Technical Details
- Theme:
- Playing Cards
- Notable Features:
- 5 balls for ten cents. Operates on US dimes. Uses steel balls. Playfield text shows "For amusement only", "A Game of Skill", and "patent pending". Cabinet has polished tin edges. Game measures 27 inches long by 17 1/4 inches wide. Unknown if coin slide has patent or date info on it.