The Claw Machine

[Dynamo Pad 11,305]

I remember playing claw machines when I was younger. They are pretty fun, but so infuriating when you know you got the prize in the machine. I remember once getting the Pokemon Mantyke plush, a Mario plush, and a Stewie Griffin plush. I also remember getting a Pikachu plush and it was actually pretty funny. I was able to get Pikachu, but when the claw dropped my prize in the prize dispenser, Pikachu got stuck and I couldn't get my prize. I had to call one of the people who worked at the arcade to see if they could fix it. When they couldn't get my plush, they had to open the machine and gave me one since I still technically won my prize. 

[Dreambiscuit 9,691]

These games are diabolical! Designed strictly to get gullible fools (like me) to waste hours of time, countless dollars and diminish whatever confidence we may have while the 8 year old on the next machine over reels in toy after toy without effort. I know I got no skills, but I don't need some vile machine reminding me of it.   Die, claw machine, die!

Edited May 24, 2016 by Dreambiscuit

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

My boyfriend insisted on having a go at one in Margate; it had giant My Little Pony plushies in it, worth about £20. He only had to put in £4 before winning me a giant Twilicorn. XD

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,463]

If I recall, some of these things are purely designed to rip you off until a certain threshold is met. Needless to say, I hate these things. It is essentially gambling.

[Thuja 3,659]

I haven't tried playing one of those in years!  I have had rotten luck with those things in the past, I could put in all of my money into one of those and never get a thing from it.

[cmarston1 5,959]

Those things are really really annoying.

I could never to manage to win any of the ones I've tried.

[Invincible 2,091]

You do know most of these are programmed to yield 100% claw grappling strength about once evry 10 tries, right? Anyway, yeah i never got anything good out of it.

[Hocus Pocus 636]

If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that you can't rely on luck... So what you need to do is create your own luck.

 

Inside the claw machines there's a little yellow box with a black lever-type switch that can be set to make one in x plays a possible win (which is why claw machines almost never have any grip when they are lowered).

 

So all you have to do is sit back like a creeper and watch people play it, once somebody wins, keep count of the number of plays until the next win, and then you'll know when you can play the game... That being said, a lot of business owners know that other people know about the trick to the game and will kick you out for loitering if you just sit around with a clip board watching the claw machine all day XD

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

The claw machine is quite fun. Though in the long time I've been alive, I've won nothing. After watching Pixels, which I thought was actually pretty good, I decided to head to the claw machine to try and get a PAC-MAN plushie. Unfortunately, I was unable to get it, which I found quite werid, because the claw was a perfect shape for the plushie. Whatever, I could still get a better plushie online.

[Midnight Solace 5,132]

I remember seeing a Twilight plushie in a claw machine. But I never trusted claw machines...

[Lucky Bolt 35,063]

I've never been good at them. They're rigged I tell ya!  

My dad has always been good at them, though. 

[Cyclone 1066 3,619]

Honestly, never tried one. I wouldn't count the one at the bar we'd always watch races at. That one you got to play till you won something and it was filled with candy not toys.

[RaraLover 10,414]

My sister managed to win about 10 small-medium sized ponies, 5 of which are of Rainbow Dash and gave to me. I won a couple myself. That's how I got all my MLP plushies. My sister is a master of claw machines. She knows when it is at full strength, best way to grab a plushie, when you should give up, when it is rigged, or even when it has poor grip. Shes won like 100 non-MLP plushies in total.

 

I find claw machines rigged, its clear my sister doesn't. I don't I even remember a time when my sister walked out of the arcade WITHOUT a plushie.

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

There was a claw machine full of candy at a vacation spot I was at where you could easily get a lot of candy! That one was totally worth the money!

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

I won a Tails plushie at a claw machine at Pizza Hut when I was 16

I was very happy. I miss that plush

[DixonTheAdversary 1,632]

I used to play the Claw Machine a lot when I was younger. My parents were in a bowling league and I had to find a way to pass the time, so that's what I played.

[Lucky Bolt 35,063]

Like most people, I'm not good at them. 

[Espy Vibe 4,280]

They're rigged! Rigged i tell you! So many plushies and other prizes slipped away from me....

[Fluttershutter 2,453]

This is relevant. aaa