'Secret' claw machine trick helps you win every time, according to expert

Claw machines, or crane games, are a staple at any decent arcade - but as well as being incredibly fun they are also notoriously hard to win at. A claw machine, which is usually coin-operated, is controlled by a joystick or buttons.

The person attempting to use the machine will guide a claw over the prizes, before lowering it and hopefully picking something up - before guiding it safely to the exit chute. In reality, even if you do manage to pick a prize up, the machine seems to simply loose grip on it before it makes it to the chute.

But some claw machine experts claim there are ways not many people know about to help you win. Erik Kane, also known as The Arcade Warrior, is a YouTuber and content creator who recently shared the "secret trick to win claw machines".

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In the recent TikTok clip, Erik could be heard saying: "This secret claw machine trick will have you winning almost every single time. According to Erik, the trick is to "swing" the claw before it descends down to pick up the plushie toy. "Swinging the joystick can manoeuvre the claw into a more favourable grab position," he explained.

With this, you don't want to hit the head of the plushie when you lower it down, you want to hit the body. He explained: "This method is called the Diaper Grab and by grabbing the prize by the body, it forces the claw to close and balance the prize better, which in turn gives you a lot more wins."

However, Erik informed the Diaper Grab technique doesn't work on all claw machines. It depends on what the prizes inside are, as there needs to be a 'body' for the claw to grab onto. If the prize is just one big circular size for example, the claw might just slip straight off.

Erik still has a strategy for these. He explained: "Simply double-tap the claw and try to get a really nice grab on the prize itself. Sometimes you can beat the claw, sometimes you can't."

In the comment section people were amazed to hear how they could increase their chances of winning. One person shared: "Went to an arcade yesterday, I used your videos as a tutorial, I ended up winning a lot of stuff."

A second person wrote: "Great Tips! Love winning from Claw Machines!"

However, others pointed out these tips might not work on every claw machine, or in every country.