Anyone Know How to Beat A Carnival Game?

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t3a

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You know the ones where you get 3 shots at throwing a ring over a bottle, bouncing a ball off an incline into a basket, knocking down some milk jugs or shooting an incredibly bouncy basketball into an impossibly small basket.

I am taking my son to an amusement park Saturday, and I did win him a stuffed dog at the football toss there last year (throwing it through a swinging target with a hole in the middle of it) so I think I can do that again. Last year he wanted me to try the ladder climb but I didnt think it was possible so I let him try, he fell off right away and then I had to drag him away because he wanted to try it again (I think that was $5 a pop and his climb lasted about 3 seconds.) I would like to avoid that scene this year.

I know I could do one of the squirting water games and let him beat me but I figured there is a trick to some of these other games so if anyone has some secrets, I thank you in advance
 

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You know the ones where you get 3 shots at throwing a ring over a bottle, bouncing a ball off an incline into a basket, knocking down some milk jugs or shooting an incredibly bouncy basketball into an impossibly small basket.

I am taking my son to an amusement park Saturday, and I did win him a stuffed dog at the football toss there last year (throwing it through a swinging target with a hole in the middle of it) so I think I can do that again. Last year he wanted me to try the ladder climb but I didnt think it was possible so I let him try, he fell off right away and then I had to drag him away because he wanted to try it again (I think that was $5 a pop and his climb lasted about 3 seconds.) I would like to avoid that scene this year.

I know I could do one of the squirting water games and let him beat me but I figured there is a trick to some of these other games so if anyone has some secrets, I thank you in advance

throw the carny a fin and he'll give up the stuffed penguin...no questions asked
 

Woah, woah, Daddy's wrong, Mommy's right.
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You know the ones where you get 3 shots at throwing a ring over a bottle, bouncing a ball off an incline into a basket, knocking down some milk jugs or shooting an incredibly bouncy basketball into an impossibly small basket.

I am taking my son to an amusement park Saturday, and I did win him a stuffed dog at the football toss there last year (throwing it through a swinging target with a hole in the middle of it) so I think I can do that again. Last year he wanted me to try the ladder climb but I didnt think it was possible so I let him try, he fell off right away and then I had to drag him away because he wanted to try it again (I think that was $5 a pop and his climb lasted about 3 seconds.) I would like to avoid that scene this year.

I know I could do one of the squirting water games and let him beat me but I figured there is a trick to some of these other games so if anyone has some secrets, I thank you in advance

there is often one game with a laundry basket where you have to bounce a wiffle ball off a wooden backboard, the trick is to hit the backboard with the ball while the ball is traveling up, not down, and it will go in the laundry basket.
 

t3a

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is to hit the backboard with the ball while the ball is traveling up, not down, and it will go in the laundry basket.

I've tried that one before. The backboard is resting on the ground though and you cant lean over the counter. It seemed like when you released the ball you are already going to be too high up on the board.

By the way, we are going to Hershey Park so no carnys - last year most of these games were staffed by German or Russian sounding teenagers and they must have some kind of strict quota on how many prizes they give out
 

Woah, woah, Daddy's wrong, Mommy's right.
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you can try to put back spin on it, or, do what I do, spend about $50 on the water game until winning a large enough prize.
 

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I remember one as a kid, there was a pool table, an object ball on the head spot with a 90% silver half dollar ( heavier than post 1965 halves) balanced on top of it, and a circle of some forgotten diameter drawn around the spot. You had to strike the cueball and make the half land outside the circle to win a shotgun. The carny could do it. I couldn't, even practicing it at home !

It would have been funny to see a 10-year kid walk away with a shotgun !
 

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What blue said. Although the nice stuff is a lot more expensive than a fin. Even thought all refs aren't crooked.....all carnies are.
 

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I remember one as a kid, there was a pool table, an object ball on the head spot with a 90% silver half dollar ( heavier than post 1965 halves) balanced on top of it, and a circle of some forgotten diameter drawn around the spot. You had to strike the cueball and make the half land outside the circle to win a shotgun. The carny could do it. I couldn't, even practicing it at home !

It would have been funny to see a 10-year kid walk away with a shotgun !

I can remember the pool and coin game too. I used to play the game, and can remember jacking up my bridge and getting ready to masse` whitie, but the carnie said NOPE, None of that!!

So went to plan 2, as it also can be beaten by rolling the cue ball very slowly into the object ball, and this causes the coin to roll off outside the ring, rather than the ball slipping out quickly and leaving the coin inside the ring.

The temptation is to power-stroke that cue ball, but the harder you hit it, the higher the odds the coin stays in the circle. Similar physics at work as pulling the tablecloth out from under the place settings. Gotta do it fast or they will tumble.

How about the old shooting gallery with 22 shorts and rifles without restrictions? Could have shot the carnie, and any customers you wanted..........but no one ever did.
 

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Yeh, if you blast the ball, the coin drops straight down.
 

t3a

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Has anyone ever tried this? It is the ladder attached to a pulley - you have to climb up and ring a bell without letting the ladder flip over:

carnival-ladder.gif


stay off the rungs, that is the secret
 

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Stick to the water pistol game, as that's the only thing beatable at most carnivals. There's a guarenteed prize in each contest and usually you're competing against a bunch of kids. If you can't beat those snotty-nosed brats consistently then you've either been drinking or have no hand-eye coordination whatsoever.

Not to brag, but I've won my last 6 out of 7 and I protested my only loss as right from the gun I had a consistent stream of water going in the hole and yet my thingy was only half way to the winners line when it ended. It had to be defective. I stormed off in a huff and told the two-teeth bastard running the game that I would not return!
 

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Go to Toys r Us and buy your own before you get there. Carry that crap around all day and you will still have some left for a 12 teamer on saturday. Same odds of hitting those rigged carney games.
 

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there is often one game with a laundry basket where you have to bounce a wiffle ball off a wooden backboard, the trick is to hit the backboard with the ball while the ball is traveling up, not down, and it will go in the laundry basket.
also, the key this game is to put FRONT SPIN on the ball so when it hits, it will move upward. the majority put backspin on the ball and it kills you. i got shut off at our local carnivals, once you figure it out, it becomes ice cream:103631605
 

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You know the ones where you get 3 shots at throwing a ring over a bottle, bouncing a ball off an incline into a basket, knocking down some milk jugs or shooting an incredibly bouncy basketball into an impossibly small basket.

I am taking my son to an amusement park Saturday, and I did win him a stuffed dog at the football toss there last year (throwing it through a swinging target with a hole in the middle of it) so I think I can do that again. Last year he wanted me to try the ladder climb but I didnt think it was possible so I let him try, he fell off right away and then I had to drag him away because he wanted to try it again (I think that was $5 a pop and his climb lasted about 3 seconds.) I would like to avoid that scene this year.

I know I could do one of the squirting water games and let him beat me but I figured there is a trick to some of these other games so if anyone has some secrets, I thank you in advance

How to beat carnival games

Learn how to beat those carnival games, which have always been suspected of deception.

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It is nearly impossible to go from one end of a carnival or amusement park to the other without encountering the midway games. Even if you try to run through the gauntlet without spending money, chances are that at least one game operator will manage to hook you with promises of an easy win or a huge prize. All you have to do is knock down a few pins with a softball or climb a rope [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif]ladder[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color]. Anyone can throw a dart or a dime, right? "I bet I can guess your weight within 10 pounds". "You look like someone who's shot a basketball or two before. C'mon, give it a try. Just a buck." These game operators depend on a good hook to keep their games running at a profit.

But what happens after you've been hooked? Depending on the particular game, you have either thrown away your money on a pipe dream or stand a slim chance of getting a prize. Some games simply cannot be won, in spite of your best efforts. Other games can be beaten, however, if you know their secrets beforehand. Here are some common carnival games you may encounter, along with the secret to increasing your chances of actually winning a substantial prize.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--google_ad_client = "pub-6167988213978292";google_ad_width = 180;google_ad_height = 90;google_ad_format = "180x90_0ads_al";google_ad_channel ="5878910303";google_color_border = "FFFFFF";google_color_bg = "FFFFFF";google_color_link = "339933";google_color_url = "000000";google_color_text = "000000";//--></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><IFRAME name=google_ads_frame marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-6167988213978292&dt=1190208824546&lmt=1183312928&prev_fmts=336x280_as&format=180x90_0ads_al&output=html&correlator=1190208824515&channel=5878910303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvt.essortment.com%2Fbeatcarnivalga_rayx.htm&color_bg=FFFFFF&color_text=000000&color_link=339933&color_url=000000&color_border=FFFFFF&ref=http%3A%2F%2Faolsearch.aol.com%2Faol%2Fsearch%3Fencquery%3D7c4a2cc02a00204ad636fccfa107ed7c%26invocationType%3Dkeyword_rollover%26ie%3DUTF-8&ga_vid=969584374.1190208825&ga_sid=1190208825&ga_hid=1295408132&flash=9&u_h=1024&u_w=1280&u_ah=994&u_aw=1280&u_cd=32&u_tz=-240&u_java=true" frameBorder=0 width=180 scrolling=no height=90 allowTransparency></IFRAME></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>1. Plate Toss. This game is usually played with a series of cheap plates placed around a center square. The player is expected to toss a dime so that the coin lands squarely on the center of a plate. What usually happens is the dime slides off the intended plate and into a pit of other dimes. First of all, the plate surface is much smoother than you imagine, making it extremely difficult for a dime to slow down. Your toss must start in a very high arc with no spin or much forward motion. Ideally, it should simply 'die' on the plate. Another tactic is to intentionally deaden the coin's trajectory by bouncing it off one plate and onto another. This is a difficult maneuver at best, but it beats throwing dime after dime directly at plates that are working against you.

2. Guess your weight or birth month. If you have a choice, always go for the birth month. Seasoned guessers often develop a good feel for weight, so you stand a pretty good chance at losing that challenge. Besides, it's their scales, which shouldn't inspire much confidence in their accuracy. You stand a better chance of winning the birth month contest, as long as you claim 'October' as your birth month. Wonder why?
Here's the inside scoop. If the game operator says he or she can guess your birth month within two months, the odds are already fairly good with a random guess. But their guesses are not random at all. In a typical game scenario, the guesser will write down his prediction on a piece of paper, which he will understandably keep hidden. He'll ask you what your birth month actually is. If you answer 'July', he'll reveal his prediction-July. Your friend will go next. The operator goes through the same motions. Your friend's birth month is February. The operator reveals his guess- January. He beats the two month restriction. So where does 'October' fit into this scenario? The game operator writes down the same prediction every time. The scribbled note could look like January, June or July. Depending on which month you reveal as the truth, the guesser can always claim his answer as a month that makes him a winner. With one exception- October. No matter what your actual birth month happens to be, always say 'October'.

3. Balloon [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif]Dart[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color] Throw. If you really want that cool mirror or other expensive-looking trinket, play the Balloon Dart Throw. The chances of winning are very high, which is why most dart throw games limit winners to one prize a day. The darts themselves are usually a bit dull, and you are trying to pop underinflated balloons. The combination is what usually causes people to lose. On top of the obvious problems connected with throwing dull darts at uncooperative targets, you still have to find the best prizes. Most players aim for the middle of the board, because the odds of hitting a balloon are much higher. But the prizes hidden in the middle of the board are usually small. The really big prizes are hidden in the corners or along the sides. Aim for those areas for a better chance of walking away with a big prize.

4. Ladder Climb. This game appeals to the hidden [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif]athlete[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color] in all of us. The premise of the Ladder Climb game seems fairly straightforward- climb a rope ladder to the top and ring a bell. The catch is that the ladder itself pivots around a pulley system. Lose your balance just once and you will find yourself unceremoniously dumped off the ladder. This usually happens a few seconds after the thoughtful game operator lets go of the rope. A few minutes later, this same operator will scale the same ladder like a monkey, hitting the bell with style. After you regain your pride and balance, you decide to give it another try. Again, you get halfway to the goal and fall off the ladder. How does the game operator manage to climb without falling? He knows the secret.

In order to successfully climb the ladder, you must forget that it is a ladder. In other words, don't try to climb up the rungs step by step, as you would with an ordinary ladder. Instead, place your hands and feet on the ropes BETWEEN the rungs. If you watch the game operator climb again, you should notice that he does not touch the rungs. Once you've gotten both feet and hands on the ropes, you'll need to move carefully. Winning the ladder game requires great balance. Move one hand up to the next rope section while simultaneous moving the OPPOSITE leg up one section. Brace yourself by putting outward pressure on the rope, never the rungs. Continue moving in this manner all the way up the rope to the bell. Do not move both hands or both feet at the same time- you will lose your balance. Once you master the basic [COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT=verdana,sans-serif]climbing[/FONT][/FONT][/color][/color] maneuver, you can shimmy up the rope at will, which is why the game operator usually limits you to one win per day. 5. Stand the bottle. You may see this one at an amusement park. The object is to stand a bottle upright on a circular platform using only a 'fishing rod' with a ring on the end. If the bottle falls off, you lose. In general, most people can manage to maneuver the bottle halfway to vertical, but then the round bottom of the bottle causes it to roll off the platform. The game is not impossible to win, but the secret to winning is much harder than it may sound. Here's how to stand the bottle with the fishing rod. First, make sure the neck of the bottle is facing away from you, with the ring securely surrounding it. Next, lean over as far as you can without falling over or hitting the bottle. Think of your fishing rod string and ring as incidental to winning. The most important part of the whole operation is the tip of the rod itself and how you maneuver it. Instead of holding the rod horizontally and then trying to tease the bottle into position, start out by holding the rod VERTICALLY, with the string and ring hanging from it at nearly a 90 degree angle to the ground. Hold the rod high enough so that the string is completely taut and the ring is starting to pull on the bottle. Without changing its vertical orientation, move the rod up and back in a high, narrow arc. Allow the string to pull the bottle along with it. Once the bottle has become nearly vertical, you can pull it into place. In other words, move the stick not the string. Lift the stick almost straight up, then back in a smooth arcing motion. The bottle should be almost directly under the stick the entire time. You'll rarely stand the bottle up by using the traditional methods.
:toast:
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Woah, woah, Daddy's wrong, Mommy's right.
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also, the key this game is to put FRONT SPIN on the ball so when it hits, it will move upward. the majority put backspin on the ball and it kills you. i got shut off at our local carnivals, once you figure it out, it becomes ice cream:103631605

You are right, I just re-read my post and it said backspin. My bad. I know it has to go up after hitting the board. It is super easy after you get it once.
 
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when i took my high school girfriend to a carnival back in the 80's a carnie tried to get me to play that "softball in the wooden basket game". i couldnt even get close to him because he smelled so bad and i think he had shat himself...anyway i told him no and he kept saying "come on little boy, i know you can do it for the pretty lady"...i continued to walk away...he then started yelling at my girlfriend (who was smokin' hot by the way) that she was walking around with a "loser"...he then told me that because i wouldnt try then i was a big "loser" and that is why i would "always be a loser".

i thought about him all thru high school, college, grad school, law school, i even thought about him when i married the most beautiful, kind, woman i had ever met. i thought about him when both of my perfect children were born, i thought about him when i made my first million, when i became a liquid millionaire, and recently when i became a multi-millionaire.

i wonder how he is doing?
 

WVU

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I know the secret to dunking the clown. You have to hit that red target. God's honest truth
 

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Go to Target. But the same stuffed animal for $10 instead of the $40 you'll spend at a carnival. Take the extra $30 left over, buy a 12 pack of Sam Adams and play a $10 parlay on 10 random teams. My kid is happy with his new giant stuffed elephant, I'm drunk and maybe the damn parlay hits. Fun was had by all.
 

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