I went to the movies last night and got sidetracked by a prize arcade machine in the lobby on the way out. Stacker is a deviously charming game that creates the illusion that you are a button push away from landing a choice prize like a cell phone or Nintendo DS, but in fact have little to no change of ever hitting your goal.

The game is very simplistic. There are 15 rows of blocks that light up one row at a time.

The game starts with three lit blocks in one row zooming back and forth. You just press a button to stop them. Then three more start zooming back and forth in the next row and you have to stop them on top of the first. After a few more rows, only two are lit and then only one. The object is to stack the lit boxes all the way to the top. If you make it to row 10, or so, you're given the option of some crappy-ass prize that is usually worth about 20 percent what you paid to play, or 20 cents if you're paying a dollar.

If, like just about everyone, you elect to go for the big prize, you have to stack five more boxes successfully and then you win something usually worth about $150.

According to the game's manual, the setting for the major prize can be cranked all the way up to an estimated one-in-800 payout.

I played a few times and almost always got within two of the top prize (I was shooting for a DS), but never made it. The fact that I got so close made me want to keep trying, which is the point of course. That's how these games make their money.

What's your favorite swindle machine? Brian Crecente

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