Double-Shuffle
About This Machine
The Double-Shuffle, manufactured by Ad-Lee Company of Chicago in 1932, is an early pure mechanical (PM) pinball machine notable for its unusual control scheme. Rather than a plunger, the game uses two levers, each simultaneously controlling four mechanical flippers, to raise the ball from the bottom of the playfield toward higher-scoring holes at the top.
The machine was produced in two sizes: a Senior model (advertised at 22 by 45 inches) and a Junior model (advertised at 15 by 31 inches), both offering 1-cent or 5-cent play. A wood or steel stand was sold separately to support the cabinet. Little is documented about the machine's original artwork or theme.
Double-Shuffle has a tangled manufacturing history: it appears to be a private-label version of Hercules Novelty Company's own 'Double-Shuffle (Junior),' and its game image traces back to Charles Gravatt's original 1932 'Double Shuffle,' which reportedly spent six months on location in North Carolina. Whether Ad-Lee's and Hercules's versions differed in any meaningful way remains unclear from surviving records.
Images (9)
Technical Details
- Notable Features:
- 1-cent or 5-cent play. Mechanical flippers (8). Each of two levers control four flippers simultaneously. The game has no plunger. Ball starts at bottom of playfield and is manipulated via the levers to raise the ball toward the higher scoring holes at the top. Senior model advertised as 22 inches by 45 inches. Junior model advertised as 15 inches by 31 inches. A choice of wood or steel stand was sold separately.