Pro-Score

The Pro-Score, manufactured by George Ponser Co. of Chicago in November 1947, holds a notable place in that company's history: it was the very first game produced by Ponser, who had previously worked only as a distributor of games for other manufacturers. Marketed as a 'Progressive Scoring Alley Roll Game,' it is an electro-mechanical (EM) rolldown machine typical of the postwar era.

Gameplay on the Pro-Score offers 5, 6, or 7 ball play, with eight rollover buttons contributing to the score. A one-way gate prevents the ball from returning to the player, keeping the game moving briskly. The maximum displayed point score is 899,000 points, reflecting the escalating scoring schemes popular in rolldown games of the period.

Housed in a birch wood cabinet, the Pro-Score has a distinctive appearance among its contemporaries. Little is documented about its designer or specific theme, but as George Ponser Co.'s debut manufacturing effort, it marks an important milestone in the company's transition from distributor to manufacturer.