Claw machine?

[BronyPony1418]

I was just curious, would it be considered stealing if you won multiple prizes from a single claw machine? I guess it wouldn't considering you paid to play it, but is there actually a limit? Like, say you were at Wal-Mart and you played 5 times and won every time would it be considered stealing? Heck, why stop at 5 right, you are on a hot streak and win 15 times, and you walk out with 15 different prizes. Sorry if this seems kind of stupid to ask, but I was just curious. (Let's just say that I have a bit of an obsession with these, and I am pretty good at them.)

 

[Snivy]

I would be in jail a loooooooooooooong time ago if I won several prizes from the machine when I was 13.

 

[MarchinBunny]

No, it's not considered stealing.

However, you couldn't really win at the claw game multiple times in a row anyway, due to the way they are set up. They are made to give a certain amount of losses before it gives a win. The amount varies depending on how it's set up by the place that owns it.

You can actually spy on the machine and wait for players to use it. Keep track of all the losses and wins, and you will find a pattern. You can then only play the game when it's suppose to give you a win.

Almost all prize giving machines work in this manner.

 

[BronyPony1418]

I know that some are set up to payout. I found a YouTube channel of a couple of guys who go around just playing them and they win like crazy. Thank you both for clearing it up.

 

[foxkits]

Sugar loaf machines are such a rip off claws set not to grab stuff.
And they pack them in tite it has to look right for me to try .

 

[Jonnythepony]

Ya, it's just luck if you win multiple prizes.

 

[dogboy]

It's funny, but the same thing applies if you play poker at the casinos and keep winning. They'll throw you out for "card counting". My feeling is, so what if you count cards. That just means you're smart. But the casinos don't want smart people gambling, just the dumb ones who will keep losing their money. Somehow, that doesn't seem right to me. If the casino can't take the heat, they should get out of the kitchen, or maybe they should just be a restaurant.

 

[MarchinBunny]

It's funny, but the same thing applies if you play poker at the casinos and keep winning. They'll throw you out for "card counting". My feeling is, so what if you count cards. That just means you're smart. But the casinos don't want smart people gambling, just the dumb ones who will keep losing their money. Somehow, that doesn't seem right to me. If the casino can't take the heat, they should get out of the kitchen, or maybe they should just be a restaurant.

Counting cards is cheating. That is why they throw you out if you are caught doing it.

 

[BronyPony1418]

You can cheat at just about anything though.

 

[gigglemuffinz]

I'm reasonably sure that counting cards and what you are describing are completely different. There is no legal limit to how many times you can win at the claw machine. Pinky swear. If you win a bunch of toys, all that's happened is you've won a bunch of toys. The FBI won't be knocking on your door demanding you return your plushies. You pay money for that chance, you "paid" to play. No stealing has happened.

 

[tiny]

Counting cards is cheating. That is why they throw you out if you are caught doing it.

It's not cheating at all! You're just playing the game as agreed.

If you can remember the previously dealt cards, you have the competitive edge instead of the casino, but there's nothing wrong or immoral about it. Of course you can't force the casino to play with you (just like they can't force you to play). So if they realise what you're doing they'll probably exercise their right to ask you to leave.

Casinos prey on people who don't understand probability, so if you can beat them at their own game, they can't honestly claim that it isn't fair.

---------------

About ten years ago there was a brand of pub quiz machine that I could make a modest profit on. For about a year it was great -- I'd go into a pub, drink a pint, play a fun game and it wouldn't cost a penny (on average).

Playing with a group was like walking up to an ATM! Albeit a very slow one with a menu-system from hell! We'd get a round of drinks within just one or two games.

Unfortunately they updated the machines a year later, with a larger database of questions, and hardly any time to answer. So that was the end of that.

 

[WildRoseBaby]

Counting cards is cheating. That is why they throw you out if you are caught doing it.

It's not cheating. They have the right to refuse service to anyone. If you are actually cheating with electronics or fake chips the police get involved.

They could ask you to leave or stop playing if you were cleaning a machine out. My personal best is four in a row and I think they asked us to give it a rest.

 

[MarchinBunny]

It's not cheating at all! You're just playing the game as agreed.

If you can remember the previously dealt cards, you have the competitive edge instead of the casino, but there's nothing wrong or immoral about it. Of course you can't force the casino to play with you (just like they can't force you to play). So if they realise what you're doing they'll probably exercise their right to ask you to leave.

Casinos prey on people who don't understand probability, so if you can beat them at their own game, they can't honestly claim that it isn't fair.

It's not cheating. They have the right to refuse service to anyone. If you are actually cheating with electronics or fake chips the police get involved.

They could ask you to leave or stop playing if you were cleaning a machine out. My personal best is four in a row and I think they asked us to give it a rest.

Ok . .well not exactly cheating, but it's still against most casino's "rules" (It's not actually on the rules I don't think, but it's still sort of considered as such) because it's a method to have an advantage over the game, which defeats the purpose of it being gambling. They don't like it, and that pretty much sums it up. Nothing you can do about it. That is just how it is.

 

[ArchieRoni]

Most crane games the hand doesn't actually grip. It closes, then opens and pulls up. You can win them multiple times in a row if there happen to be toys with tags, loops, or other bits sticking up that you can catch or push over without needing the crane to actually pick it up, though.

Also, counting cards is useful in blackjack. It's very rare that poker games are dealt with anything other than full deck, making counting somewhat useless. Though the 3 card poker variant that's done in some casinos allows for counting, albeit usually dealt from more than one deck of cards. Blackjack, these days is also frequently dealt from 6+ decks of cards. You can still, in theory, count for a small statistical advantage, but it takes a long time to even manifest, during which time you're going to lose money.

 

[dogboy]

When I was a kid in 7th grade, we studied laws of probability. I lived near the beach, Seaside Heights on the Jersey Shore. On the boardwalk they had all these games of chance, like tossing nickels onto colored squares, and wheels, etc. Back in the day, you could win packs of cigarettes. My friend and I roamed the boardwalk as we practically lived there during the summer. I'd watch a particular game and would count how many times certain colors came up.

Some had more of one color, and those would only win you three packs of cigarettes. One color only appeared once or twice and that would win you a carton. I would wait until a numerous color hadn't hit for a while and then I'd place my bet. Back in 1960, a 12 year old could gamble. I won so many times it was ridiculous. Eventually I had won more than I could hold and so my friend had to help hold. Then we'd walk up and down the beach, selling the cigarettes at half price. We'd keep a pack for ourselves. With all the money, we'd buy stuff, food, and go to the movies. Ah, to be that young once again.

So no one ever stopped us or said anything. If you run a game, you have to take the wins with the losses.

 

[WildRoseBaby]

Most crane games the hand doesn't actually grip. It closes, then opens and pulls up. You can win them multiple times in a row if there happen to be toys with tags, loops, or other bits sticking up that you can catch or push over without needing the crane to actually pick it up, though.

It is more about how well they are jammed in there. If the operator just throws they in randomly you can usually grab the one sitting on top fairly easily. If they take the time to pack them in and lace them together they stay in the machine a long time.

 

[MarchinBunny]

Most crane games the hand doesn't actually grip. It closes, then opens and pulls up. You can win them multiple times in a row if there happen to be toys with tags, loops, or other bits sticking up that you can catch or push over without needing the crane to actually pick it up, though.

Also, counting cards is useful in blackjack. It's very rare that poker games are dealt with anything other than full deck, making counting somewhat useless. Though the 3 card poker variant that's done in some casinos allows for counting, albeit usually dealt from more than one deck of cards. Blackjack, these days is also frequently dealt from 6+ decks of cards. You can still, in theory, count for a small statistical advantage, but it takes a long time to even manifest, during which time you're going to lose money.

The crane games hands don't grip because they are made purposefully to only grip once every so many losses.

 

[Fire2box]

However, you couldn't really win at the claw game multiple times in a row anyway, due to the way they are set up.

Uhhhh

[video=youtube;z-tseZDmBWo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tseZDmBWo[/video]

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The crane games hands don't grip because they are made purposefully to only grip once every so many losses.

Except when they aren't and they always have the same grip strength.

 

[MarchinBunny]

Uhhhh

[video=youtube;z-tseZDmBWo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-tseZDmBWo[/video]

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Except when they aren't and they always have the same grip strength.

Ya I guess there are some machines that can be set up that way. Though it's not often that is the case. Just saying.
Going to drop this link here.
http://kotaku.com/5929888/why-yes-those-claw-machines-are-rigged-says-arcade-operator


But I admit, I am wrong with that statement. I didn't really think a company would set up their machine to have the same claw strength every game.

Also . I have to point out he owns one of those machines, so he knows more knowledge about them, than your average person would. So do please try to keep that in mind.

 

[willnotwill]

One of the bars near us had a claw machine in which you could try to pluck lobsters out of the tank.