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About Me

Well, I guess I will give you a little about me first. My Dad was in the carnival business. I started working in the games when I was 10 years old. I was a ball boy first. You know I had to pick up all the balls that were thrown. Being the boss's son I had to go around to all of the ball games we had picking up the balls. I got to spend time in a lot of different games. Then, when I was 12 years old I started working a game by myself. I worked what was called a duckpond. It's a prize every time mainly for little kids. It was an easy game to work except for the fact of having to deal with kids all day and night. It was usually some type of floating thing like a duck or rolly-polly. Anyway, I use to get so upset with kids and adults picking up the ducks without paying for them. Are you ready for this. The price then was 15 cents, two for a quarter. The rides were 15 cents to 25 cents. This was back in the late 1960's.

    Then the summer I was 14 my dad said I had so many alibis{excuses} that I should be working the bushel baskets. So I got my first experience with alibi games. As the years went by I got to work many, many different games and worked for many different owners. My dad died when I was 15 and my stepmother sold the games out from under me. So I had to work for others. Until later when I started managing and then building my own games.

    Before I retired from the carnival business I worked for 27 years on the road. I was a true Carny. From being a carny brat to a lot man laying out games on a midway. I have seen a lot of changes in the carnival games through the years from being all wood frame and canvas to trailers galore. From games that were fixed and rigged to high tech games working on averages and games that if you didn't have the skill you didn't win.

    I will be taking you through over 50 different games. Some you probably never heard or saw. But some of the older folks might remember them. Some of these older games were the ones that really ripped people off and made a bad name for carnivals. Nowadays most all the bad games are gone. Most all fairs and state fairs are inspected. Crooked games aren't allowed on most midways now.

    Most all the show owners don't want the heat or beefs they cause. Now there are always exceptions to the rule. There are some shows that still allow some games of questionable reputation. They have what is called a patch. When a beef makes it to the office they will come out and solve the problem. Usually to the marks benefit. But some, you have to pay for, some they just tell you if I have to come and solve a problem you lose the mark wins.

    But if you read and follow directions of this eBook you won't need to worry about getting ripped off or hustled. This ebook will save you hundreds of dollars, some of you thousands. You will become much more successful at winning games and knowing which ones are bad.

   I am going to give you the do's and don't. But I can't make a blind man see. You need to be honest with yourself. There are some of you out there that couldn't hit your own fanny even with you hand tied behind you. I am sure you all have seen the guys walking around with arms full of stuffed animals. I assure you they didn't win them on the first try. So many times I have had people come up to a game they spent a buck or two whatever it cost, lose and say what a rip-off. I can give you all kinds of tips and tricks to use, but you still have to do what it takes to win. There are no miracle fixes. Some games are easier than others. Some of you will find that you throw darts better than balls or visa-versa.

What I am saying is that you still need to practice and learn the techniques that wins.

But from now on you won't be hustled or ripped-off, you will learn the difference between a rigged game and a game of skill. The rest will be up to you.