From Ideal . . . Ker-Plunk! took a steady hand, as you slowly (or really quickly) remove the sticks from the marble-filled tube.
A clear plastic tube was filled with marbles, which were supported by crisscrossing sticks inserted through the tube.
Each player took a turn to remove a stick from the tube, trying to dislodge as few marbles as possible.
As the game progressed and fewer sticks remained it naturally grew harder to keep the marbles from going Ker-plunk!
Play continued until all the marbles had fallen (or your sister accused you of cheating by bumping her and/or the table).
The player with the least marbles in their compartment at the end was the winner.
Like Buck-a-roo and Mousetrap, Ker-Plunk was one of those games which used as many plastic bits as possible, thus ensuring they were unplayable after three days because bits would invariably go missing.
You can still buy Ker-plunk! (now from Mattel) but the tube and tray (and sticks) are made of much flimsier plastic.
With the modern version, you have to hold the tube as you pull the stick out or the whole thing falls over – Where’s the fun in that?
