Customer Reviews

Carnival Secrets

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This books talks about over 35 different carnival games, their strategies, and how they work. Some parts are so detailed, that it is easy enough to build your own attractions from the description. Just to pick two games that can be used in the classroom, Roll Down (Chapter 10) is good for a probability exercise, and Bottle Set Up (Chapter4) is good for a center of mass lab or demonstration. This is a fun book that will cause you to look at carnival games much differently, and for the creative teacher, has extensions for use in a classroom.

This book explains some of the "mystery" of carnival games. It was fun to have some of my suspicions confirmed and uncover even more explanations for why I never win the big prize!

Sorry to say, but I was very disappointed with this book. The title promised to tell us "how to win carnival games and how to make your own games." The author does tell you how hard, if not impossible, it is to win each game. But he provides very little in the way of how to construct your own practice setup or how to best win the games. He also sites very old statistical data for how often people win - which isn't very often. After reading this book I was more discouraged than anything. My son wanted to learn how to win the big prizes, but this book's message is mostly "Don't bother, kid, you'll lose."

Matthew does a great job in showing patrons of carnival games how they can win and gives information on those games which cheat a player. I have recommended this book to the general public and law enforcement when I lecture on crooked and gambling carnival games. I have many of the games he describes in my collection of confiscated or homemade games. I am writing a book on carnival games at this time from a law enforcement perspective that exposes the secret methods of cheating. People should remember that many of the games do require practice. Just because you do not win does not mean a game is crooked. Any game can be altered to cheat a player, the trick is to watch the operator and others play. Know the written rules up front. If you feel you have been cheated, seek an officer on the grounds and make a complaint.