Gameplay
Gameplay varies depending on the skee ball machine, but is generally similar. The player, after inserting appropriate coin payment or token equivalent into the coin slot, is given a set of baseball-sized balls to use, made from either smooth polished compressed masonite or heavy plastic. Most machines provide the player with nine balls per game; this can vary from machine to machine, however. Each machine has an inclined ramp 10-13 feet long, up which the player must roll the balls. A sudden increase in incline at the end of the ramp (the ball-hop) launches the balls above the plane of the ramp toward a series of rings that direct the balls into holes of varying point values, the harder-to-reach holes usually giving the most points. When the balls are exhausted, the player is given tickets dispensed by the machine based on how many points were earned. These tickets can be traded in at the arcade for prizes. The more tickets required for redemption, the more valuable the prizes. In some locations, a player who achieves a posted, exceptionally high score can earn a large ticket bonus reward.
In some installations, particularly traveling carnival midways, prize-winning is achieved by scoring a certain minimum number of points within one game. This requires an attendant to hand out prizes immediately at the end of games, and is not common in arcade settings. Usually small prizes can be traded up for medium prizes and mediums for large. Perfect or nearly perfect scores earn the largest prize available. On the other hand, low-scoring games earn nothing, not even tickets.
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