The Internet Pinball Database Presents

Jacks Open


Quick Search ] [ Advanced Search ] [ Game Lists ] [ Archives ] [ Pinball Glossary ] [ Playing Skills ] [ FAQ ] [ Settings ]

Jacks Open / IPD No. 1281 / January, 1977 / 1 Player
 
[ Submit Changes ]
Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    7.8/10  (49 ratings/40 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Company (1931-1977) [Trade Name: Gottlieb]
Date Of Manufacture: January, 1977
Model Number: 395
Type: Electro-mechanical (EM) [?]
Production: 2,975 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Cards/Gambling
Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), 9-bank drop targets (1) with trip arm. No slingshots. Open-elbow inlanes allow ball to pass from inlane to outlane and vice-versa.

Maximum displayed point score is 199,990 points.

The playfield shows a progression ladder of "Shoot For" inserts notifying the player which of the nine drop targets to hit to advance the ladder.

In 5-ball play, the play opens with the "2 Jacks" lit on the progression ladder. Achieving each step on the ladder when lit resets all drop targets for the next step. However, when Royal Flush is lit, hitting the five red A-K-Q-J-10 drop targets for this not only resets all targets but a drop target trip coil mounted on the drop target chassis operates a trip arm having four trip arm wireforms to immediately drop the four black Q-J-K-Q targets, leaving only the five red A-K-Q-J-10 targets to complete for an All Targets Down Special.

In 3-ball play, the two Jack drop targets are spotted by the game and thus play begins with shooting for the three Queen drop targets. After scoring the Full House when lit and the bank resets, the drop target trip coil immediately drops the four black Q-J-K-Q targets, leaving only the five red A-K-Q-J-10 targets to complete for the All Targets Down Special.

Scoring the Special resets all nine drop targets and again trips the four black ones to leave only the five red ones up, to score another Special with them, and this pattern will repeat until the end of the game.

Design by: Ed Krynski
Art by: Gordon Morison
Notes: The Add-a-ball version of this game is Gottlieb's 1977 'Lucky Hand' which was exported to Italy as Gottlieb's 1977 'Lucky Card'. It was remade as the 4-player SS game Mylstar's 1984 'Jacks to Open'.

The playfield in the manufacturer's flyer has white paint in the flipper "swipe" area and along the upper ball arch. All games pictured here show these same areas as unpainted.

Tim Arnold contacted us with the following information for 'Jacks Open', 1976 'Volley', and 1977 'Big Hit' that explains these playfield color differences:

I have noticed a mystery on these three games I can solve for you. I have had many examples of these machines over the years. Playfields with PAINT over [flipper] swipe area and top arch are made of CHIPBOARD! I first saw this at Cleveland Coin back in the day when we were thinking of buying the game off the floor. Our salesman told us to take one in the box as the painted over area was "Pressed wood". I later talked to Cliff Strain [in Sales] at an annual trade show. He told me they were trying new materials because of a spike in the price of plywood. I have had two of these three machines since then, and the paint seems to stick to the wood just fine, but the surface turns rough and bumpley (sic) under the paint.

We previously showed a date for this game of February 1977. The new date is per Gottlieb documentation.

Price to operator: $965 FOB Chicago, per newsletter from authorized distributor dated March 1977.

Photos in: The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, page 170
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 110
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R
Pinball SnapshotsExternal Link, pages 16, 115-118
Pinball PerspectivesExternal Link, page 83
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1281  (External site)
Documentation: 1 MB PDF Manual (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Company]
  148 KB PDF Miscellaneous Notices to Operators (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Company]
  591 KB PDF Schematic Diagram (continuous) (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
Files: 266 KB PDF Score Cards (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Company]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 1215: Jacks Open Backglass
Backglass

497x552
 
Image # 1216: Jacks Open Playfield
Playfield

368x550
 
Image # 1217: Jacks Open Upper playfield
Upper playfield

328x243
 
Image # 5848: Jacks Open Flyer
Flyer

875x1129
 
Image # 8906: Jacks Open Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8907: Jacks Open Backbox - Left
Backbox - Left

1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8908: Jacks Open Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8909: Jacks Open Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

1024x768
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8910: Jacks Open Playfield - Detail
Playfield - Detail

1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8911: Jacks Open Drop Targets Detail
Drop Targets Detail

1024x768
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8912: Jacks Open Lower Playfield Detail
Lower Playfield Detail

1024x1365
[Vic Camp]
Image # 8913: Jacks Open Upper Playfield Detail
Upper Playfield Detail

1024x768
[Vic Camp]
Image # 17796: Jacks Open Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse

500x594
 
Image # 27906: Jacks Open Backglass
Backglass

1024x1365
[Philippe Thibault]
Image # 40205: Jacks Open Illuminated Backglass - Detail
Illuminated Backglass - Detail

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 40206: Jacks Open Illuminated Upper Playfield
Illuminated Upper Playfield

640x480
[John Gray]
Image # 40207: Jacks Open Illuminated Lower Playfield
Illuminated Lower Playfield

640x480
[John Gray]
Image # 40208: Jacks Open Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

584x480
[John Gray]
Image # 40209: Jacks Open Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

640x480
[John Gray]
Image # 40210: Jacks Open Backbox - Right
Backbox - Right

433x605
[John Gray]
Image # 40211: Jacks Open Under Playfield
Under Playfield

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 40212: Jacks Open Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 40213: Jacks Open Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 40214: Jacks Open Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

480x640
[John Gray]
Image # 55478: Jacks Open Instruction Card - 5 Ball
Instruction Card - 5 Ball

1200x845
 
Image # 55479: Jacks Open Instruction Card - 3 Ball
Instruction Card - 3 Ball

1200x850
 
Image # 55480: Jacks Open Score Card List
Score Card List

1200x850
 
Image # 60047: Jacks Open Center plastic
Center plastic

1200x332
 
 

[ Support the IPDB ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ About Us ]
All copyrighted and trademarked Gottlieb® material licensed from Gottlieb Development LLC.
Copyrighted and trademarked material from Planetary Pinball Supply, Inc® used with permission.
All photographs licensed from original photographers, who retain their copyright. Do not use without permission!
Site design, phrasing, and other local content copyright 2004-2024 by The Internet Pinball Database™.
Where appropriate, other trademarks & copyrights remain property of their owners.
[ Database Change Log ]

ipdb.org hosted at pair.com

 
blank line