Ante up on the riverboat — Bally’s Aces High is an electromechanical single-player that deals out a gambling-poker-riverboat theme with real period style, designed by the prolific Ted Zale with art by Art Stenholm. With a confirmed run of 1,275 and reel scoring, it’s a handsome woodrail-era machine that captures the smoky, high-stakes romance of a Mississippi card game.
The playfield has a distinctive, bumper-heavy character that sets it apart: two flippers, four pop bumpers, a whopping five mushroom bumpers, a pair of slingshots, and two rollover buttons. That generous complement of mushroom and pop bumpers promises a lively, unpredictable ball that ricochets and caroms across the playfield, demanding active nudging and quick reactions to keep your turn alive. It’s the kind of bumper-driven design that gives EM machines their signature bounce and energy, the ball pinging from cushion to cushion like a poker chip skittering across the felt.
Aces High is a fine example of Ted Zale’s electromechanical craft and Bally’s knack for pairing a popular theme with a satisfying, energetic layout. The gambling-and-riverboat motif was a perennial favorite in these years, all cards, luck, and old-fashioned river-town glamour, and this machine wears it well. For the collector who loves the chiming, bumper-bouncing heart of EM pinball, it’s a warm and worthy find. Ride those mushroom bumpers, work the rollovers, and try your luck at the table. Sometimes the best hand in pinball is simply keeping the ball alive long enough to rack up the points. Deal the cards and let it ride, high roller.