How to win games at NC State Fair: Tips and tricks + which ones to avoid

The games at state fairs always look so simple, so easy to win.

Popping balloons with darts, knocking over milk bottles with balls, shooting a few hoops — it’s child’s play.

But more often than not, we plop down our tickets to play and walk away with nothing. The darts bounce off the balloons, the milk bottles wobble but never fall, and the basketball bounces right off the rim.

And yet! We see folks walking around the fair carrying giant stuffed animals on their shoulders, so someone has to be winning. But how...

The Wake County Sheriff’s Department tests out games at the NC State Fair each year to make sure they are “fair” for players. But “fair” doesn’t mean “easy.”

So we did a little research to see if there are tricks to conquering some of the most popular carnival games. Here’s what we learned.

General advice for winning games at fairs and carnivals

▪ Before playing a game, stand back for a while and watch others play. If you observe the action for a few minutes, you can sometimes spot mistakes players are making. Similarly, if you see someone who is successful at the game, try to figure out what they are doing differently than the other players. When that player collects their prize and walks away, you can even ask them if they have any tips.

▪ While observing the gameplay, if you don’t see anyone winning, move on. Find a game where there is at least some success.

▪ Games offering the biggest or most expensive prizes will be the hardest to win.

▪ Look for multiplayer games — like a water gun race — that will guarantee one winner each round. (Ranker suggests that to beat your competitors, you should line up your shot and squeeze the trigger before the bell rings.)

How to win the balloon - dart game at the fair

The problems: There are several obstacles to winning this game, with the two biggest being that darts are often a little dull and balloons are under-inflated. The lower the surface tension, the harder it is to pop the balloon.

The solution: Unfortunately, you can’t bring your own super-sharp darts to compete, so working with what you have, gamers suggest solutions that seem fairly obvious: throw as hard as you can (but of course, be accurate in your aim) and try to aim for any balloons that seem slightly larger than the others. Also, WikiHow says to “try to hit the balloons at a downwards 45 degree angle for the best chance at popping them.”

How to win the milk bottle toss at the fair

The problems: The bottles are usually weighted, to make them harder to knock over, and the ball you’re given to throw is light.

The solution: MindWarehouse says to throw the ball as hard as you can (obviously) but also, aim for the spot between the two bottom bottles. If there are more than two bottles on the bottom row, WikiHow offers this: if there is an even number of bottles on the bottom, aim for the space between the two center bottles. If there is an odd number of bottles, aim for the middle bottle on the bottom.

How to win the basketball hoops game at the fair

The problems: The hoops are smaller than you’re used to, sometimes a little crooked or slightly oval-shaped, and also much higher than you might think. Also, the ball is likely over-inflated, to make it “more bouncy.”

The solution: Nothing but net is the goal here. ”Try throwing (the ball) as high and as hard as possible, drawing an arc with the ball,” suggests a video by MindWarehouse. The higher the shot, all experts seem to agree, the better your chances. What you should not do, they all say, is try to bank it off the backboard or touch the rim at all, because the over-inflated ball will bounce away.

Should you let them guess your age, weight or birth month?

Ranker suggests that “unless you are significantly overweight or really don’t look your age,” your best bet is to let the game operator guess your birth month — but, you should say your birth month is October, even if it isn’t.

Here’s their reasoning: The guesser must come within two months of your birthday month, and one trick that some game operators (not all) use is that they will scribble down something that starts with a “J” but the rest is hard to decipher, passing for Jun, Jul or Jan on the notepad. That puts them within two months of any month except October.

Carnival or state fair games to avoid

Ring toss: Nearly every site we visited advised against playing this game. Experts say this is nearly impossible to win unless you have absolutely perfect aim.

Basket toss and coin toss: These games are also very difficult — difficult enough that WikiHow says they’re basically “games of chance” instead of games of skill.

Rope ladder: This one isn’t impossible, but it takes lots of practice and perfect balance. The reason it’s so hard is because the ladder is only secured at one point at each end, so “it requires the same balance as scaling a single line of rope,” says WikiHow.