How To Win Carnival Games at Western Montana Fair

Every year I try at least once to win a stuffed animal the size of a VW Bug. Every year I FAIL! Just like a casino, we know that the odds are in favor of the house. On the midway carnival games, the odds are nearly impossible to beat. But, with a little knowledge on how the games work, you might be able to pull off the BIG WIN this year at the Western Montana Fair.

According to mentalfloss.com, the 5 most commonly "fixed" games are:

1. KNOCK OVER THE MILK BOTTLES

Bottles stacked on the bottom are often filled with lead and weigh in at 10 pounds, and the softball you’re given puts an emphasis on soft.

2. BALLOON DART THROW

Dull darts (and often ones that are lighter to throw than store-bought darts) are often used in the game, and some carnival employees even heat the tips to make popping balloons more difficult.

3. FREE THROW

Smaller than regulation hoops. Even with a perfect shot, there’s only a half-inch margin of error for shooters.

4. RING TOSS

The rings are just barely wider than the bottlenecks, and are made of hard plastic so they’re more likely to bounce around than loop around your target.

5. BALL BOUNCE

Bouncing a plastic ball off a vertical board and into a basket is no easy task. What players don’t see is a spring behind the tub that bounces the balls back out.

Is knowledge of the odds being against me going to stop me from trying for that giant purple gorilla? It hasn't stopped me from gambling my paycheck in Vegas. So why would it stop me now. Simply check out the following video to gain an edge on this year's Western Montana Fair games.