Do you play the games at amusement parks and carnivals?

[thrillrider]

I just watched a story about how carnival games are rigged.

 

http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/money/consumer/call_for_action/before-you-head-out-to-a-summer-carnival%2C-we-tell-you-why-you-need-to-beware-of-some-carnival-games

 

I have always had my doubts about how "honest" these game joints are.

 

Does anyone on here still play these games?

[davisal771]

I don't play them at carnivals, but at Elitch Gardens I'll play, but rarely. I used to play alot when I was little (Parents had more money) and I'd win occasionally. I'm positive the carnival games are rigged but at established theme parks I'm not so sure.

[Emiroo]

I avoid games at ghetto fairs and carnivals as all costs. Besides, how many framed Budweiser mirrors could you possibly need?

 

In legit parks, I still avoid the highly suspicious ones (Peach Basket Toss, Milk Bottle Knock Over, Ring Toss, etc.) If you find a basketball game that isn't rigged like in the video, either it costs $5 a shot or the prize is super crappy. I try to stick with "proven" games like Skee-Ball or "Whack the Frog onto the Lillypad". I learned the truth at an early age after a $30 beatdown from a wacky-wire. I am quite confident that when I arrive at the gates of Hell, Satan himself will hand me a wacky wire and tell me that I am free to leave as soon as I beat it.

 

Still, one of my fondest memories is winning a giant Scooby Doo when I was about 12 after $20 worth of attempts at a basketball shoot.

[spaceace12]

I only play one game when I go to a certain park. I play Fascination at Indiana Beach. I was there for an ACE event last weekend and we had the place to ourself for an hour. I almost won the whole tourney thing they were doing, but got third instead (out of probably 50 people).

[John Peck]

I used to always play the balloon pop game. I still have a Square mirror prize with a 1970's Trans Am silk-screened on it

[B-RadG]

Occasionally I will, but only when I'm with friends or have change to blow. The ones I'll do are guess your weight and the quarter toss. All four times I've played guess your weight I've won, they always guess way under. Never have I ever won at the quarter toss game, but whenever I have extra quarters I'll entertain the hawker and play.

[Mantaeus]

The last couple parks we went to (Seabreeze, SFGAdv), the times we played anything was when they were competitive games (Whack-A-Mole, various water gun games), and when we would be the only group playing, guaranteeing us a win.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Mantaeus

[thrillrider]

The only game I ever play is skee ball.

 

I never did understand why people play the games early in the day, and then have to carry a large stuffed animal around with them all day.

[chemical_echo]

I'll play games like Guess your Age or Weight at Cedar Point because I always have a 2 for 1 coupon when I go, so a friend and I will split the cost.

 

I'll also play the roller ball racing games at the CNE because they one that only costs a dollar and aren't rigged.

 

Best bet is to just bribe the workers. Once at the CNE I played the Mr. Frog game and my girlfriend offered the kid working it some Tiny Tom donuts for an extra frog. When one of my frogs landed half in the lillypad, we offered him somewhere and had him count it as a win.

[Reality15]

I only play one game when I go to a certain park. I play Fascination at Indiana Beach. I was there for an ACE event last weekend and we had the place to ourself for an hour. I almost won the whole tourney thing they were doing, but got third instead (out of probably 50 people).

This. In all of my years going to amusement parks, the only game I've EVER played is Fascination, at Cedar Point when it was there and at Indiana Beach. Best amusement park game ever. I'm seriously considering trying to build my own Fascination table.

[traincrossin]

The only game I usually play is skeeball because it's not rigged, cheaper than most games, and I can usually win something

 

I just don't trust any games with a computer chip in them. I've seen videos of those Stacker games where the final block actually jumps a space so the player doesn't win the grand prize.

[adeuce02]

As a person who was a team leader in games at cedar point i miss fascination. But the games aren't rigged it just takes skill. The only games that are really rigged are the stacker and lighthouse games.

[Sidra]

Neither the games or the prizes ever interested me.

[thrillrider]

One thing I can't stand about the games, are the damn basketballs.

 

Not sure why parks hand them out with air in them.

[IBtacoDave]

I found this article a few weeks ago: How to Beat Carnival Games

 

Theres a few good tips in there, and a few ridiculous ones so take it with a grain of salt .

[SharkTums]

All of the articles I've read lately basically state that only 'fairs' still really 'rig' games. At amusement parks there's nothing really rigged anymore, it's just the better the prize the tougher the game.

 

That being said, I am a bushel basket queen!!!!

 

I've seen that Stacker slow motion video though...very sneaky indeed!

[Band-Aid]

Almost never. Mainly because the prizes are crap. One time, I was at a carnival when I was 9 and saw a big plastic bucket that says "throw 3 in, get the grand prize" which was an electric scooter. The catch was, the bottoms of the containers make the balls bounce out easily. After about $20, I won the electric scooter.

 

It was crap. The top speed was only about 10 MPH and only lasted a month without dying

[Meteornotes]

I'm an uncoordinated dolt and have crap eyesight, so I usually don't play games. I do like Fascination and Skee Ball, though.

 

dt

[thrillrider]

Where is the video of the stacker game?

 

I always thought of trying the game, but not after hearing this.

[Capitalize]

I used to play them at SFA and KD, we would play the water gun games with just two of us so we were guaranteed to win ... Last time I played a game at a park was SFA and we played the game with the rolling balls. We went up thinking it would just be the two of us when naturally another random person walks up. The game starts and I'm doing well, but the random person totally destroys both of us, we're like "WTF???" My dad was there as well and watched the whole thing, the one random person's game had FOUR balls at one time while the rest had ONE. We yelled and ******d but the person ignored us and just left since it was the end of the night.

 

Never again after that.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Capitalize

[Canobie Coaster]

Where is the video of the stacker game?

 

I always thought of trying the game, but not after hearing this.

 

At the one at my local arcade, it is very easy to get to the very final level. There, the little thing is delayed one extra square from what I've seen. In other words, you have to hit the button one square earlier than you would. I'd love to see a video to see if I'm correct about this.

 

Generally, I'll avoid games. At carnivals, I would play skee-ball and water-race games when I was little. At amusement parks, I almost never play games unless I go with my friends and they insist on playing them. At Six Flags New England, I've played ring toss and the mini-basketball game. While I've never won ring toss, I have won the mini basketball game 3 times.

 

I remember reading a book a while ago that described how each carnival game is rigged and how to manipulate each game to win.

[fatdaddy]

If you have kids, you gotta play. I think a lot of people confuse their lack of skill for games being rigged. Really, now i see a lot of games that are set up in a way that you win, it's better to see people walking around with prizes to get more people to play. Most places charge you 3 bucks to win something that costs them less than a dollar. Even those big prizes cost um next to nothing, so just the fact that you play at all makes them money.

[Canobie Coaster]

It really depends on the game and the place. As Elissa said, fairs tend to "rig" games more. Now some games are simply more difficult than others, but carnivals have ellipse-shaped basketball hoops, over inflated balls, inaccurate guns, and several other minor adjustments to several games that makes them near impossible to win.

 

Amusement Parks have much better games in my opinion since the employees I think receive hourly pay versus carnies I think getting the money that their own games makes. For carnies, the amount of money that they hustle/steal from you is what they live off of so they have to cheat in order to make a living.

[BRTeller]

I'm one of the few people that actually can do some of the harder games. The one I always seem to win is surprisingly Wacky Wire, this year alone I won two prizes from CP and a Guitar at Dorney, and some giant frog at Hershey. I've won anything from giant shreks and motor scooters in the past. It's just one of those things I can do. I normally win stuff for my friends now, since I have plenty of worthless junk for a lifetime.

 

The games I can't stand are chance games like Ring Toss's and when you throw the ball and hope it lands in the Golden Cup, etc. I try to stick with games I know are possibly to win, and only try if I can win. But if anyone cares I'll share a few of the tricks the people at the stands don't want you to know. But it's just normally a few basic things to keep in mind.

 

My personal favorite story of owning a rigged carnival game was this one time at the Frederick County Fair, at a stand where they literally made it impossible to win. They oval the hoops so much the ball could only be jammed through, I threw the basketball and it hit the rim, and had a spin. It then flew about 10 feet in the air, and the guy literally says better luck next time. Then it goes right in, and he just hands me the prize quickly and wants me to get away before saying anything since the ball forced itself through, and ten other people saw.

 

I wouldn't ever play carnival or fair games, the parks care much less about handing over prizes when you win, while the carnies seriously will try to haggle you even if you win. I did the one game were you have to hit the whiffle ball and get in the little square box. I won fair and square, and they guy said it didn't count. Had no reason except that I wasn't supposed to win. So I boycott all fair games regardless because of this.

 

I'll give a small list on what ones no matter how many times you try, you will loose unless your that one freak incident.

 

Machine Gun games, they are the worst! Don't even bother, you won't ever shoot the star out.

 

Basketball hoop games. While the ones at amusement parks are normally fine, just about 95% anywhere else are all rigged and only freak accidents when you win.

 

Water Gun/Ball Rolling/ anything else of the sort. Again a Carnival situation most of the time, but they plant people at the booths that ALWAYS have an advantage at big games. Reithoffer Shows in particular has employees that go around and master the games to give an illusion that you can win. It's disgusting, but not surprising. I've talked to people that have literally done this, and working at the Frederick Fair for charity over the years, I've seen a lot of people do this. You can normally tell if they are wearing something over their uniforms, and they go around to EVERY game and win.

 

These are just a few of the things, I may be young, but I've been around a lot of Carnivals and Fairs. I personally know people that work in them. I always say theres the few good people that do work at em, but I'm sure everyone knows what kind of people really do work at them the majority of the time. But the owners are to blame, employees risk loosing their jobs even if fairly giving away prizes. I've only seen a few good quality fairs, with quality people. The smaller ones are normally more friendlier and family owned. So you run a smaller risk of being completely ripped off. But your always being ripped off no matter where you go to some degree.

 

I could go on and on, but I hope some people find that useful, or at least informative.

 

-Brandon

Edited July 27, 2010 by BRTeller

[Tmcdllr]

The games make money for the park kind of like the way slot machines make money for the casinos.