The Four Most Common Claw Machine Mistakes” include neglecting maintenance, misjudging clamping force, choosing poor locations, and ignoring toy stacking strategies.
Neglecting the maintenance status of the machine
One of the common things people generally neglect when they play a claw machine is its maintenance.
Avoiding looking at that specific detail can lead to lower chances of winning and a generally unpleasant experience.
How can one notice the signs?
First of all, a claw machine in good condition should work smoothly and confidently.
Signs of poor maintenance can include the erratic behavior of the claw due to a bad calibration, loose claw or joystick, a non-reactive control plate, or any machine malfunctions.
Poorly maintained machines often feature a claw that is unable to open and close properly, leading to repeated failures.
According to the statistics, the right maintenance improves the success rate of the player by 30%.
The current maintenance might include proper tightening of the claw, maintenance and calibration of the joystick, and the software that performs all other machine operations.
The last detail is also worth maintaining to prolong the lifetime of a claw machine.
If one notices a poorly maintained claw machine, they do not need to keep the information to themselves.
They can file a complaint with the management of a place and encourage other players to do the same.
Most venue operators will fix the issue in their claw machine promptly.
Wrong estimation of clamping force
Another most common mistake is misjudging the clamping force of the claw.
You need to be able to figure out just how strong the claw’s grip is.
If you can’t make such estimation, you hardly have a chance to get the prize unless it is set on a no-reset.
Gripping strength will play a very important role in whether you will or will not win that favorite toy you have been chasing for the past 30 minutes.
Clamping Force Recognition
First of all, you have to go out of your way to think just how tightly the claw actually grips.
Sometimes, this can be determined almost the moment you start playing.
See how the claw grip reacts to the objects used for testing- especially the ones that are similar in size and weight to the object of your desire.
If it raises the object just a little and then drops it in a rather loose manner, you can expect the claw to be looser than you want.
Machine Settings Adjustment
Every claw machine is set differently: whereas some claws are rigged to always have a tight grip, others are adjusted to have that variable grip to make things a bit challenging.
You should be ready to adjust yourself based on the claw machine’s grip pattern.
For regular players, this is rather easy to figure out after a couple of plays and adjust your approach to “play along” that pattern.
Placement and Timing
When there is a variable clamping phase, your placement and timing will surely play a role.
Choose objects that can be set in such a way that even a loose gripper can hold on to them longer than they need to be held.
For example, try to get the objects close to the chute – a partial grasp may still be counted as a victory as the object is close enough to be classed in the drop zone.
Operator Communication
Lastly, if you feel that the clamping force is not tight enough when it should be, don’t hesitate to talk to the operator.
Perhaps, the machine should be set to be more loosely gripped as it was not calibrated to be fit for fair play.
Improper location selection
Picking the wrong place within the claw machine to try and grab will heavily reduce your odds of winning. The positioning is essential to make the most out of each play.
- Analyze the terrain; the first step would be to examine how the items are placed in the machine. Stuff that is tightly packed or one layered beneath another is more difficult to grab. Prefer to go for the ones that are isolated or on top as they are less obstructed and easier to grab onto
- Avoid the edges and corners; despite the suggestive presentation, items that are near the edges seem as if they are more accessible. However, they often come with a drawback. Claws may be unable to extend fully to the sides, or they may have a restricted range of motion. Avoid these if not sure how close the claw can get to the item.
- Reco that is situated centrally; things placed in the middle offer you the best chance of success. This is because the claw can fully extend and retract in this position, thus giving you optimal control over grabbing it. Items placed in central positions are also much less susceptible to getting caught on other prizes as they are being pulled back to the chute.
- Watch others; lastly, watch what others do. See what the successful grabs have in common regarding position and claw paths
