At some point or another you’ve probably played one of these claw machines, hoping to score the plush toy of your dreams. But despite your skill at perfectly positioning the claw over the prize and activating it, you’ve found that the pincers just don’t grab tightly enough to pick up a stuffed animal. It’s not your imagination. Those claw machines are rigged. But they’re rigged in a surprisingly clever way — and not the way most people suspect.
