Jacks Open

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. Gottlieb Domestic & Export Sales Sheets for Jacks Open: 2975 total Domestic Sales: 1949 Export Sales: 1026 The above total does not include 113 Sample games produced in 1976 per handwritten documentation identified by Wayne Neyens as coming from Bob Malvasio, a draftsman for Gottlieb whose initials RHM can be found on schematics. Price to operator: $965 FOB Chicago, per newsletter from authorized distributor dated March 1977.