By Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz

Copyright dailyrecord

Claw machines are a fundamental feature of any arcade. You might have plenty of joyful, though exasperating, childhood memories, blowing all your pocket money attempting to snag the item you desperately wanted. Utilising a joystick or buttons, players are meant to operate a claw to position it above their chosen prize, before dropping it down, and praying it will grasp it, lift it up, and steer it towards the exit slot. However, they’re famously difficult to conquer, and even if you succeed in picking up the prize, more often than not the claw appears to simply release its grip. This can be torturous, and you can wind up splashing loads of cash on them, believing you’ll ‘nail it next go’. Yet according to some claw machine experts, there are tactics you can employ to boost your odds of eventually succeeding – and claiming that coveted prize. Katie and Spencer, claw machine experts who frequently visit theme parks, arcades and funfairs and record the experience on their Winner Every Time social media platforms, recently revealed their strategies to their TikTok. Initially, they clarified that if the “plush is stacked higher than the chute”, what you should do to secure a victory is “grab the plush part away from the chute to attempt to roll it in”. In the demonstration clip, the toy can be observed tumbling into the chute owing to the positioning and the weight of the claw itself. In certain situations, you can even utilise the arm of the claw to “push a prize in,” reveal the specialists. According to experts, you should avoid playing a claw machine immediately after someone else has won, as it’s unlikely you’ll be able to win again so quickly. They suggest aiming for prizes that are isolated and not too close to other prizes. They further explained the “double tap feature,” which some claw machines possess. “This will stop the claw during the drop to grab the prize,” they clarified. This technique involves pressing the button an additional time when the claw is about to pick up the plush toy, ensuring a firm grip. However, they cautioned: “It is not a guaranteed win! It should be used as a skill to stop the claw where you want.” While many were eager to test these tips themselves, others remained understandably sceptical. One individual argued: “Not really a skill. Machines are set not to grab full strength, except after a set interval.” Another commented: “For most claws in the UK this wouldn’t work.”