Do you play the games at amusement parks and carnivals?

[terdferg]

i rarely play games, but my girlfriend really wanted a domo, so at moreys we played the quarter-toss-onto-a-plate game and actually won. i was surprised.

[Canobie Coaster]

^^ I agree about the machine gun games being rigged. I've seen someone win it once though. Instead of just shooting directly at the star, they shot out a circle around the star. Afterwards, they said that you just had to aim slightly above where you wanted to shoot.

[triggernel]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post this, but Coaster Radio's show for the week is all about Amusement Park games, and was kind of interesting.

[mightbeawannabe]

I avoid anything like the mini golf things where you can physically see the bumps and imperfections to keep you ball as far away from any whole as possible. Another one I don't like are the ring toss ones. They are so spread out and sporadic at best that it's nigh impossible to land one.

 

The only games I ever play are guess your weight/birthday/age ones. I always win those.

[Fallen Heretic]

I have been present when one of the Brit Crew won an Xbox from a Stacker. Or was it an Xbox 360? Anyway, most electronic games will not let you win until they have taken a certain amount of money. Once they reach over a certain take, they suddenly become easier to win.

 

Same idea with those ones where you buy tickets and have to add up numbers to reach 21. most of the ticket numbers are even, making it almost impossible. Then when they have taken in enough cash, they pull some tickets out from a stack containing odd numbers, making a win much more likely. People seeing the win convinces more punters to visit the booth. I will say there are legit versions of this where the ticket stacks come pre-packaged with odd numbers distributed throughout the stack, even the carney doesnt know where they are. But its still designed to give a certain percentage wins against money taken, but thats fair enough for chance games.

 

There is also one where you have to throw a ball into an angled bucket. During the demo of how easy it is, the carny tosses the ball in and it stays. thats because there is another ball already in the bucket which traps the ball. When you try, the carny will empty the bucket, making it next to impossible.

 

I will relate two personal experiences of dodgy carnies, both in Blackpool.

One on south pier was doing a game with three pool balls and a golf tee. The tee was in the middle with three balls around it. You had to hit the balls with a cue in order to knock the golf tee out of a small circle. of course its a set-up gaff. He demonstrates it, and is successful, but when he sets it up for you to try, he does it so you cant win. i was there with friends during slow season. He called us over and said if we play, he would 'guarantee' a win if we made a big deal about it for the larger crowd approaching from behind. We decided to take him up on the offer and won, gave a cheer, and walked off with the biggest prize in the booth. Sure enough, the people following all had a go. None of them one.

 

The other story is nasty. Walking along the prom towards night time pleasure beach (it was still opening til 11pm in those days and was free entry) some woman stops me and two friends, and exudes the wonderousness of their new game, here for only one night, top prize a crate of beer. She manhandles us around and points us up a side street. I was already going to be hyper-rude to her and continue on, but my two non-coaster and non-streetwise friends were lured by beer, and despite my protests, headed to the game. It was a quick stall set-up, where you roll some balls up a board and add together the numbers they landed on to determine what prize you win if any. Here is how the scam played out. They guy said it was 3 goes for 9 pounds. Cant remember the single game price (not sure there was one). I wasnt for playing, but my two friends handed over 10 pounds each. I did mention it looked like a dodgy set up. All they said was "aye, but we could win beer, how cool would that be?" So the carny guy was a fast talking type. My first friend had his go. the balls settled (there were five of them, thrown all at once), and after about a second and a half the guy cleared the balls off and said "nope, not this time". Must be a fast counting maths genius. Could you count five numbers in a second and a half? All double digit numbers?. Same happened another once, then he turned to the second friend, and did the same thing. two goes, not enough time to check if we had won, and then he closed his little cash box, said "sorry guys, no luck this time. Im need to be off for my break". Locked up the prize box with the beer on display, and disappeared into the back of a van parked across from the stall. So both friends paid ten pounds to roll some balls twice (was meant to be three), no chance of winning, and didnt even get their pound change back. I at least hope they learned something.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Fallen Heretic

[jray21]

I've had a lot of practice on some games while I worked at a park. I'm pretty good, and have won quite a bit, with the Wacky Wire, and the Bowling Ball Game. I've also won two iPod Shuffles on the stacker game. I'm ok at the milk can toss game, but will only attempt it at a park, not a carnival. I'm about 50/50 on basketball as well. The one game I hate is the ladder climbing game. I practiced a ton (we had one at our park), but I could never do it. But for some reason, little asian people had absolutely no problem with it! I'm 1/2 asian, but I guess I don't have the ladder balance gene.

 

I forgot about the rings and bottle game. Yes it can, and has been won (I think it was the ring toss that was won by KT or Katherine at Kemah Boardwalk!) but it is absolutely luck, and it is next to impossible. Hence the largest prize. We once took the buckets of 50, and dumped the entire bucket from only about 3 inches above the bottles, and it took over 600 for one single ring to go around the bottle neck.

[Emiroo]

Where is the video of the stacker game?

 

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

 

[thrillrider]

What a scam.

 

You should send that to the company that makes the game, and ask them what's up with that.

[rcdude]

I used to play carnival games a lot, but I rarely play them anymore. I will still occasionally play a few of the games I like, such as the bushel baskets, pop a balloon with a dart, and break a plate, but I tend to avoid most of the other single player games. I'll do the racing games if my whole group is doing them, and sometimes I'll join in the ring toss if we get a bucket of rings. I avoid most other games because they are usually rigged to be nearly impossible to win or are just too difficult or not really my thing. Also, I only play them at carnivals because even though the games aren't typically rigged at amusement parks I have more important things to do.

[Joshuadrooney]

To be honest, with theme park prices in the UK, I often either don't have the money to spend on the games, but if I do, I quite like to have a shot, I once won an inflatable banana at Thorpe Park

[CoasterGuy06]

I have noticed a lot of parks have started going to $5 or so a play and you get a prize everytime, basically making the game a toy store where you just have to do something stupid to buy a toy.

[wumwip]

I play the claw machine all the time... always win.

[palmerleeberry]

As for me, the rider and amusement park flyer, I will never play any game because I feel it's a waste of money (and I would only have just a few quarters on me since I perfer to use the "Have your feet massage" machine).

 

Another reason is stated in this quote by Thrillrider:

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.

 

I hear you and wish I could answer you on that, but as a rider and amusement park flyer you want to get on a attraction and not have to worry about loose articles or that fact that if you leave a stuffed animal at the station, then someone could steal it.

 

I've seen that happened at Kings Dominion. While riding Rebel Yell, I teamed up with another single rider who had a stuffed Tweety Pie. When we boarded the train, I (being the perfect gentleman to this lady) decided to take the stuffed animal from her and place it on top of the shelves (I accidently dropped it between the train cars during the exchange and got a little grease mark on it, but I quickly picked it up and placed it upon the shelf). As I was heading back to my seat, I found my seat was taken (stolen actually) by a little girl (probably a eight-year old). I made a big deal to the ride attendant and he unlooked the restraints so that little seat thief could be ejected and I take my seat.

 

After riding the Rebel Yell, we came back to the station and found, horrors!!! , that the lady's Tweety Pie has been stolen. When we asked around, we found out it was that little seat thief who took the stuffed animal (actually, she asked the ride attendant to get it for her and that knucklehead complied - I mean, if the Tweety Pie was hers, then she wouldn't have placed it on the upper shelf; she'd placed it on a lower shelf). We ran to get security and placed an APB on that little thief ("she's a little black girl wearing a red dress with black squares on it and the Tweety Pie she has in her hands has a grease mark . . .") Security had no problems finding her and the lady got her stuffed animal back.

 

Like I said before, if you got a couple of quarters to get rid off, then use the feet massager seats. I do that a lot and never had regreted it.

 

"Say goodnight and come to bed. I miss you."

[KevinM]

Where is the video of the stacker game?

 

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

 

 

 

Whether Stacker is in "cheat mode" or not is based on win/loss ratios. The owner of the machine can set the ratio (and there is a limit) to guarantee a profit. After the game has been lost enough times, it becomes legitimately winnable.

[wumwip]

My sister won a Coach purse from a Stacker machine. I actually saw her win.

[monsterfan99]

I never really play any carnival games at the parks just due to cost. Now ticket games I am all over. Randomly, Cedar Point and Sea World Orlando have the best selection of redemption prizes that are souvenirs of the park itself.

[Angry_Gumball]

I usually just stay away from these as the prizes are worth much less than the cost ($5 for an inflatable hammer, I'll pass). Occasionally, if I have a quarter to waste, I'll play the "Bowler Coaster" game as I have a few techniques...I typically position the ball as far as I'm allowed and give a gentile push to get the ball to 'valley.' I guess knowing some coaster physics is a plus, lol.

 

I used to almost rock at the claw machines, but those were primarily in stores or in the mall arcade... UFO catcher game to be exact. I was able to pull up 3 things at once and win them. Theme park claws are adjusted to occasionally have a stronger grab. As with any electronic arcade game settings can be tweaked. On our pinball machines, the ending replay number successes can be adjusted, much like how a claw machine's strength can be tweaked or perhaps the electronic Hi Striker game...the physics I'm sure can be adjusted on that as well.

[larrygator]

25 cent skeeball at Adventureland, Iowa was very good to me.

[wumwip]

When it comes to carnivals they're lucky enough that I'm trusting their rides... LOL

Plus if you think about it, the prizes are just some cheap crappy knock-offs of Disney or Looney Tunes characters... They huge and annoying to lug around, and when you bring it home, it's only there for about 2 to 3 weks and then it's in your donation box to the second-hand store.

[fatdaddy]

From what I've seen, and sometimes it even says it on the machine, the adjustment of the tension on the claw machine is set by the manufacturer. What the vendors actually do is bend the claws with vise grips. Of course, at some point they gotta let people win. If people see the same prizes in there for a week, they stop playing.

 

I've actually seen a trend at fairs, where the prizes totally suck, but are really easy to win. So, kids keep puttin in dollars, because they win 25 cents worth of crap each time.

[wumwip]

^

So... you sound like a claw machine fan... I usually win every time, but I only play for name-brand characters... (unless the off-brand ones are REALLY cool or cute)...

Same goes for those huge claw machines they have in some places... I do however always pick up a few cool things out of the huge claw machine at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Other than that, I won't waste my money on cheap crappy prizes (which are usually found in the 25 cent claw machines).

[Columbia]

I'll play Skeeball at the Boardwalk - and more often "Fascination" but that's about it.

 

"Skill" games are there to make the bucks, that's about it.

 

I'll have more fun playing "Invaders from the Planet Moolah" slot machines than anything at an amusement park. (At least I can MAKE money on a slot machine!)

[doom1001]

I knocked the annoying clown into the water by hitting the target with a baseball,I think it was 2 balls for $5 and I knocked him down on the second ball so I only spent $5 but I think it would have been worth $20 to get him to fall off and stop talking trash.

[deathbydinn]

^ Those are somewhat rigged. While he will fall if you hit the circle right in the center, the person in the cage can make themselves fall by pulling a string in front of them thats supposed to be hidden by one of the supports. The clown at my local fair didn't do a very good job of keeping it a secret.

[omnio55]

I will say that one of the best places to play pretty much any game is Circus Circus, since they do not cost very much ($.50-$2) and you really do seem to win a vast majority of the time. Where they do get you is the prize levels. Most the lower level prizes are not very exciting but if you when X amount of small prizes you can trade for a slightly larger prize. Then again and again and $20 dollars later have a half decent prize having lost at least a few of those games. Last time I was at the one in Los Vegas Me and my friends split $5 to play a .50 cannon game and ended up winning a pretty decent stuffed bear(after trading up smaller fishes of course). Not to mention we had a ton of fun blasting clowns. I really only play games to have fun and win a stupid small bear but I do try to play at places like Circus Circus that seem very fair to the player because they bank on masses amount of players and trade ins to make money rather then tricking people.