Hold all the aces — Williams’ 4 Aces is an electromechanical two-player wrapped in a classic cards-and-gambling theme, designed by the legendary Steve Kordek, one of the true titans of pinball history whose career helped shape the entire modern game. With reel scoring and a confirmed run of 1,650, it’s a handsome woodrail-era machine from a genuine master of the craft, full of distinctive period features.
The layout has a genuinely unusual and characterful configuration: four flippers, a pair of slingshots, a striking seven hanging targets, two standup targets, two stop magnets, spinning posts, and dual outlanes on both the left and right. Those seven hanging targets are the machine’s calling card, an unusual target style that gives the playfield a distinctive look and feel, while the stop magnets and spinning posts add clever mechanical wrinkles that shape ball movement in interesting ways. The four flippers open up extra angles to attack that array of targets, making for a busy, engaging game in the classic Kordek mold.
4 Aces is a lovely example of Steve Kordek’s design craft, pairing the evergreen appeal of a card-game theme with a genuinely unusual, feature-rich playfield. Kordek was a legend whose innovations echoed across decades of pinball history, and playing one of his creations is a small brush with that towering legacy. Those hanging targets, stop magnets, and spinning posts make it a distinctive play among its EM peers. For the collector who cherishes the golden age of pinball and its foundational figures, it’s a rewarding find. Work those seven hanging targets, ride the spinning posts, and hold your aces. Some machines are treasured for their maker and their mechanical creativity alike, and this Kordek gem is one of them. Deal ’em out.