Improved Sportsman ("Huck Finn")

Improved Sportsman, also known as "Huck Finn," is a rare electro-mechanical (EM) payout machine from May 1935, designed by Cliff Dumble and produced by O. D. Jennings and Company. It is a fishing-themed variant of Jennings' "Sportsman," with playfield art depicting a fishing scene and, at the top of the playfield, an image of Mark Twain's Huck Finn in place of the hunter seen on the standard Sportsman version.

The machine offers 10 balls for 5 cents, reflecting the value-driven payout machines common in coin-operated amusements of the Depression era. According to the Encyclopedia of Pinball, this Huck Finn version was on the market by spring 1935 alongside a non-payout counterpart, Sportsman (Non-payout).

Beyond its distinctive fishing artwork and Huck Finn imagery, few details survive about this machine's broader design or reception. Its rarity and close relationship to the standard Sportsman make it a notable variant for collectors tracing the lineage of Jennings' 1935 payout machines.