1. #1

    How do claw machine games work?

    OK, me and my wife have been fighting over this for the past year and there doesnt seem to be any clear answer...

    Here is what a typical claw machine game looks like:



    Now my argument is that the machine will only pay off a certain amount of tries. E.g., every 10 tries.

    However, the other argument is that there is skill that goes into this... and that certain toys cant be won because of the way they are sitting in the machine and some toys can be won if you position the claw just right.

    Ive seen youtube videos and lengthy articles arguing each point but there is no clear answer...

    I really want to know so that I can win everytime I play the game,

  2. #2
    Titan Tierbook's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Charleston SC
    Posts
    13,870
    you wont win everytime
    Quote Originally Posted by Connal View Post
    I'd never compare him to Hitler, Hitler was actually well educated, and by all accounts pretty intelligent.

  3. #3

  4. #4
    Deleted
    There is often a number of tries where the claw won't be able to grasp or hold anything. be it 7 or 8 times in a row, or even more, followed by ONE try where the claw actually works.

    The trick is to just hang out around the machines for a few hours, and figure out what those numbers are.

    Saw this on a documentary a year ago or so, can't say if it works since I've never tried it. But that's my 2 cents


    Thing is, it's not always say.. 7 tries.. Since you can change the number as operator.. So one machine may have 8 tries where another machine may have 17 tries before a working claw.

  5. #5
    In the theme park i worked at, the machines were programmed.

    Inside the machine there is a switch that sets up how many people it'll take before it "pays out". I think we had it set at 50 or something, It's exactly the same as one armed bandits. You can still atempt to get a toy every go, but for the most part the claw will only stay closed unless it's going to let you win. Once though, the boss filled the bin up over the "fill line" and it borked the machine, allowing everyone to win untill it went below it.

    Best way to win everytime, is either go and ask one of the guys running the machine if you can give them a fiver to open it up and give you one...or push your hand in through the hatch and nick one

  6. #6
    Interesting. So, the best time to play is after somebody does a losing streak, eh?

  7. #7
    The typical person having a go will aim right for the biggest thing in there. It's greed and it doesn't pay off. The claw is never going to pick that shit up in a million years. Most of the things are too tightly packed to take. Pick a small, loose one on top. It's got a chance of picking it up that way.

    Of course there may be other things at play, like if it's paid out recently, then the next 20-30 goes will only supply half the air to the claw so it can't even pick up the little ones. Who knows without getting a good look at the programming for one. It's hardly Vegas, so they're unlikely to be audited in any way.

  8. #8
    I've seen various TV shows showing how they are rigged and set to like give a prize 1/10 1/20 and the other times it just shakes inside or some shit, it's like that for a lot of RNG arcade games, but saying that I have an uncle who can literally go to one and win 1/3 or so. I remember we went as a family and he won us all teddy bears (when we were kids) so i'm not sure if there's a clique to it or if it is rigged.

    But I really hate how they put the best toys in there!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Blackmist View Post
    The typical person having a go will aim right for the biggest thing in there. It's greed and it doesn't pay off. The claw is never going to pick that shit up in a million years. Most of the things are too tightly packed to take. Pick a small, loose one on top. It's got a chance of picking it up that way.

    Of course there may be other things at play, like if it's paid out recently, then the next 20-30 goes will only supply half the air to the claw so it can't even pick up the little ones. Who knows without getting a good look at the programming for one. It's hardly Vegas, so they're unlikely to be audited in any way.
    Nah, I go for what seems I have the most likely chance to get.

    You can get lucky if they have tags, and the tags hook on the claw.

  10. #10
    Epic! Sayl's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Scrubbity Burrow
    Posts
    1,638
    Quote Originally Posted by Seegtease View Post
    Interesting. So, the best time to play is after somebody does a losing streak, eh?
    I wouldn't even bother, personally. If someone wants to take home a chintzy reward or stuffed toy that badly they should just go buy one.

  11. #11
    Well, I have kids, so they enjoy it anyway.

  12. #12
    They aren't all rigged. My dad has a knack for them, and I've seen him win as many as 8 in a row(big prize side). Some definitely are tho.

    My advice, never play more then a single play. If you win you win, if not you walk.

  13. #13
    They are rigged but not in the way you think most have claws that are spring loaded so you can set the spring tension and so what it will pick up or not. i used to drive truck and that was one of my big entertainments i could grab 80% of the stuffed toys out one for 10$ its all in how the toys are packed and how the claw is set. the feds got involved a long time ago because most places set it up so you could not win. but now they need to make it pay. so with some skill and a lot of luck you can win a lot on those.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •