How to Win Ring Toss Every Time

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The best hacks to win the ring toss carnival game

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 8, 2024 Fact Checked

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Throwing the Ring

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Practicing at Home

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Ring toss is a popular carnival and fair game where your goal is to throw a ring around the top of a bottle. The trick is that the ring is just large enough to fit on the bottle and it’s much more common for the ring to just bounce off the bottle than to land on it. While much of ring toss is luck, there are a few things you can do to maximize your chances of winning. You can also set up a practice ring toss game at home to hone your skills and improve your accuracy.

Tips to Win at Carnival Ring Toss

Hold the ring in your dominant hand,keeping your wrist as straight as possible.
Flick your wrist quickly to toss the ring, throwing it flat and low like a Frisbee.
Aim for the center of the bottles closest to you to increase the chances of the ring bouncing off of one of them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Throwing the Ring

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1
Ask the game facilitator for the rules before you start. Ask the game facilitator what the prizes are, how many rings you get per try, and how much it costs. Look for a ring toss game that offers a large number of rings for a low cost, as this will maximize your chances of winning.^{[1]
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- While most ring toss games have the same universal rules, every fair is different so the rules may differ.
- If you're skeptical, you can ask the ring toss facilitator to prove that the rings fit on the bottles.
2
Hold the ring in your dominant hand. Place the ring over your index finger and hold it in place with your thumb. Keep your wrist as straight as possible and hold it near the center of your torso.^{[2]
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- Using your dominant hand will improve your accuracy and ability to keep the ring straight.
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3
Snap your wrist and toss the ring. Fling the ring out towards the bottles and let go. Keep your arm and your wrist as straight as possible as you do this so that the ring is flat as it flies through the air.^{[3]
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- Try to throw the ring as low as possible, as this will improve your chances of winning.
- The ring should spin as it leaves your hand.
Aim for the bottles that are closest to you. Aiming for the center of the bottles will just increase the chance that the ring will bounce off of one of them. Aiming for the outer edge of bottles will decrease the chances of accidentally hitting another bottle.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Practicing at Home

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Stand 6-10 glass bottles on a table or another flat surface that’s waist level. Keep the bottles in a cardboard 6 or 12-pack beer container or use double-sided tape to hold them to the surface as you play.^{[5]
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Buy plastic rings that are similar to the ones at carnivals and fairs. You can purchase hard plastic rings online. Search for “ring toss rings” online and order them. Make sure they are hard plastic or they won’t bounce like the ones used at fairs and carnivals.^{[6]
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- You can usually buy a pack of rings for $5-$10.
Use a tape measure or estimate 3 feet (0.91 m) from the bottles and stick a piece of tape to the ground. Use this point as a designation of where you would normally stand at a fair or carnival.
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Practice throwing the rings on the bottles to refine your technique. Stand at the piece of tape and practice your throwing technique. Fling your wrist forward and try to keep the ring as straight as possible as it flies through the air.^{[7]
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- You should start to win the ring toss game more often if you practice at least once a week.