Line up the perfect shot — Gottlieb’s Bank Shot is an electromechanical single-player wrapped in a billiards theme, and it comes from the legendary team of designer Ed Krynski and artist Gordon Morison, the partnership behind an incredible run of Gottlieb’s most cherished classics. With reel scoring and a scarce confirmed run of just 746, it’s an uncommon and handsome woodrail-era Gottlieb celebrating the pool hall.
The layout is elegantly focused in the classic Gottlieb tradition: two flippers, three pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, three standup targets, and two kick-out holes. The central objective ties neatly to the billiards theme — completing 1 through 15 lights the rollover and holes for a “WOW” award, giving a player a clear, pool-inspired goal to work toward as they run the numbered “balls.” It’s a straightforward, target-focused design that rewards accurate shooting and keeping the ball alive, with the three pop bumpers keeping the ball lively up top and the two kick-out holes offering captured-ball awards to chase, all in service of the timeless appeal of a game of pool.
Bank Shot is a fine showcase of the celebrated Krynski-and-Morison team’s craft, pairing an evergreen billiards theme with a satisfying, run-the-numbers objective and Morison’s warm artwork. With only 746 built, it’s a scarce find for the collector who prizes rarity, and the pool-hall motif translates neatly into rewarding pinball. For anyone who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its greatest creative teams, it’s a rewarding pursuit. Run those numbers 1 through 15, light the WOW, and sink the bank shot. Some machines make their theme come alive in the playfield, and this Gottlieb billiards gem lines up a beauty. Chalk up and drop a coin.