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Everyone has tried the Claw Machine game. You insert a quarter or two, you move the claw, and you try and pick up a stuffed animal, ball, toy, or other small trinket. It takes some skill, some patience, a little planning, and maybe a couple of friends to master this game. Here are some tips and tricks:

Identify which machine you will use: they're usually in groups, each offering different prizes. Depending on the machine, your chances will be better with a game that has toys that are loosely piled on top of others. Other machines will have prizes that are more firmly packed, making them harder to pick up with the claw.

Some machines will only allow the controller to move once in one direction, i.e. once forward, and once right. Be sure to know how much time and how many moves you are allowed before playing.

Pick out a specific object that you are going to try for. Again, choose a prize that is on top of others that is not packed in. The thing you want may not be attainable, so look for something simple to reach to begin with. Make sure the claw is able to go far enough in that direction to reach your prize.

To better line up the claw with your choice prize, it's best to stand in front of the machine to survey the potential pick, then move to the side of the machine for a different view. This will let you see what else may interfere with your pick-up. Having a friend stand on the side of the machine is a very handy trick, as they will be able to let you know how close you are or need to be while you're maneuvering the claw control. Using the proper techniques, you may even be able to obtain two prizes at once!

Be aware of how much the claw swings, and of how the claw prongs rotate while it is dropping. Based on the width of the claw opening, you can better gauge where you need to position it over your prize in order to pick it up.

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Or until you run out of quarters. Either way, you'll get better at this game!

Learn more about this author, Helen Garda.
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