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From a very early age I was taught that boardwalk games are a rip off. That no one ever wins. Well, after working here for over 3 years I have seen plenty of winners. Plenty of people walking down the boardwalk with stuffed animals that are bigger than they are. My first thought is that that kid’s dad is NOT going to be happy when he picks them up tonight. I bet his first line is, “I’ll take you or the bear home… Your choice.”

A few weeks ago I was taking an evening walk on the piers, people watching and eating ice cream when I stopped by the Quarter Pitch game on Mariner’s Landing to see if my change from a delicious cone of peanut butter and chocolate twist from Kohr Bros would win me an Angry Birds plush. I eyed up the corner spot closest to the arcade (which I found out later is the HOT spot) and lined up my shot. My first shot hit the top of the first plate and fell right off the side. My second and final shot (I’m cheap) hit the first plate, jumped over the second and hit the third and fourth plate before sliding off the edge of the fifth plate. If I didn’t have ice cream in my hand I would have slammed my fists on the side of the game and called it a rip off!

Just as I was about to leave I saw a lady with 5 shopping bags overflowing with Angry Birds, Pigs, Smurfs, Puppies and everything else you can win at the Quarter Pitch. I HAD to ask her how she did it (and see if I could get an Angry Bird from her).  She told me about a shoulder surgery she had a little while back and ever since, her arm just stops at the perfect point when she throws the quarter down the line of plates and about half of her tosses end up on the plates. WHAT? That’s some “Rookie of the Year” stuff right there!

I had to ask the game manager, Mike, if Eva Dinicola really won all of this stuff and didn’t cheat or buy all of those prizes. He told me he almost cringes when he sees her every year! They ended up giving her a COACH PURSE to stop playing!!!!! She comes down every year for a week and sits on the Quarter Pitch for about an hour a night until she has too many prizes to carry home. I asked Eva what she does with all of them and her reply was perfect, “I walk down the boardwalk and hand them out to kids and take the rest home for family and friends.” What a cool lady!

What’s your favorite game? Do you win as much as Eva?