Tricks to Playing the Carnival Games at The Fair

My family and I had a lot of fun at The Twin Falls County Fair. We ate, we rode rides, we went to the concert and somehow we were sucked into playing some of the games. Before I knew it I had handed over all the cash that we had left and I was given two small stuffed animals. WHAT HAPPENED?

I walked away with empty pockets and the knowledge that not all of the darts at the balloon throw are sharp enough to break a balloon. Somehow the more I paid the game attendant, the sharper my darts got. Weird, huh? This made me realize that I need to know more about the games before I play them. How in the world do I get a BIG stuffed animal under $50.00? Is it even possible?