Dealer

The Dealer, manufactured by the Automatic Amusements Company of Los Angeles in May 1935, is an early electro-mechanical machine from pinball's formative years - and notably, it was designed by Harry Williams, who would go on to found the Williams Manufacturing Company and become one of the most important designers in pinball history.

The game offers five balls per play and features two automatic ball kickers, which drive its clever blackjack-style premise. According to the manufacturer's advertising, the player competes against the dealer's score, which is registered by three balls in a center area controlled entirely by the automatic kicker. If the dealer gets 1400, the player must make a higher total but still not 'go bust' by exceeding 2100; if the dealer goes bust, the player's score must be 2100 or under to win.

The gambling theme was a common one in the 1930s, and Dealer proved appealing enough to be licensed: Exhibit produced its own 1935 'Dealer' with a rounded curve to its lower playfield edge. Though production numbers are unknown, the game remains an interesting piece of pinball history with a direct link to one of the industry's great designers.