TPiR Recap - 4/26/2013 (Big Money Week: Day V)

[Roadgeek Adam]

[GameShowKid]

I'm not a huge fan of Plinko, but today's playing was indeed exciting, especially with the chip that ended up going in a zero slot.


Drew has mentioned the money in Money Game before, but I'd never before seen him place so much emphasis on it as he did today.


10 Chances! Yay! With the prices she gave for the car, I'm pretty sure Joyce would have won it if she hadn't used up valuable chances on the tea brewer and the computer. Just thinking here, and it's probably been said before: More people would likely remember "the zero rule" if the game was played more often. (Let's see it played more often. )

[MannyCav]

Of all of the big money pricing games this week, I felt that this one provided the best example of tension, anticipation, and excitement without severely altering or Frankenstein-ing the game play, or otherwise coming off as gimmicky. Each Pinko chip could be worth $100,000 each. Watching the contestant picking up small prizes that could each individually mean a lot of money. Each miss potentially taking a lot away. The small prize selection was even providing some tension and excitement. Then came for the chip dropping itself. Watching the contestant hold the chips over the board, then watching them drop. This was actually capturing my attention in a positive way.

Unfortunately, that excitement started getting replaced with mild frustration when I saw the contestant constantly seeking the very edges of the board and ignoring the center completely, and seeing the chips constantly wander towards the sides (and $0). Still, it's no fault of the show that the contestant chose the edges of the board. For most of the time, I was genuinely waiting in anticipation to see what would happen.

Regardless, I was glad to see the (presumably created months ago) unused Publishers Clearing House $100,000 Plinko slot finally get some screen time.

[Paranoia_Survivor]

Each plinko chip dropped was the equivalent for a single pay the rent playing.

And in typical Pay the Rent fashion (barring the last playing), the money was not won.

[Bobby McBride]

After the PtR win on Wed., I just wasn't feeling a megawinner the rest of the week & I was right. At least neither car game players or the PL!NKO player today made the Showcases anyway.

[vadernader]

Wow, this is a great example on how you can't judge a show by its win count. There was just so much excitement and suspense at key points (Both 10 Chances and Plinko in particular.)

Now, as far as Plinko is concerned. Like the concept of 10x the center slot or not, it happened, and created for SERIOUS tension. I was more drawn to my seat then I have been in a long time. Even losing 1 Small Prize made me feel gut-wrenched. Needless to say I was very disappointed when she didn't even hit the center slot once, but that's Plinko for you... It still created excellent television.

Regardless, I was glad to see the (presumably created months ago) unused Publishers Clearing House $100,000 Plinko slot finally get some screen time.

That was not the PCH Graphic.

[MultiMediaWill]

Post redacted. There is absolutely no need for vulgar statements about contestants such as this.

-- Adam

[goldroadfanatic]

Honestly, with the exception of the Pay the Rent win and the BMW in a showcase on Monday, this week was a letdown.  Don't get me wrong, when there are big ticket items offered, it is exciting and you do root for the contestant playing the games.  However, when the prizes aren't won, the whole effort comes off as wasted, especially if no other more expensive than usual prizes are offered.

10 Chances was painful to watch; it could have been won if Joyce had one or two more chances, or didn't write $609 for the laptop.

Money Game was kind of neat, however; I can't remember the last time a setup included mostly, if not all, double digits on the board, and the double digits wound up being correct.

[PriceBusterXL]

While Plinko was quite edge-of-my-seat when Samantha got those 4 chips, it left a lot to be desired in the end, unfortunately. All Samantha can manage was $1600. I was really hoping she would at least hit the $100K slot, just once.

The same goes for 10C.............Shame that Joyce was so close and yet so far away with the Fiesta.

I practically hit the nail on the head on Money Game and ORP. Money Game was easy enough, seeing that the 22 and the 11 (pseudo El Cheapo) were together like that. As for ORP, I pretty much relied more on distance on the Seattle (Amber's hometown) and Austin trips.

Pushover was a "Gimme A Win" setup. 'Nuff said.

Debra, the Pick-A-Pair winner, end up winning her SC.

Bottom Line: I guess after the Pay The Rent win from Wed., it seemed to be next-to-impossible to top that. Then again, yesterday's 3X was way too big of a crapshoot, and you really don't see a average person driving a Ferrari. Unless your last name is Kardashian..........(Just kidding. )

Nevertheless, the week really did have some good moments and the next time Mike decides to present a Ferrari or (God forbid) a Lamborghini, I hope he puts it on Golden Road. Three Strikes, as fun as it is, is hard enough already that he doesn't need to put a super pricey car on it and add a extra digit. Maybe next season.

[MannyCav]

Regardless, I was glad to see the (presumably created months ago) unused Publishers Clearing House $100,000 Plinko slot finally get some screen time.

That was not the PCH Graphic.

Interesting. I just assumed it might have been, based on the fact that the rolling jackpot was won at an earlier point, disallowing any theoretical $100,000 panel from every being displayed on that show.

[GuyWithFace]

Unfortunately, that excitement started getting replaced with mild frustration when I saw the contestant constantly seeking the very edges of the board and ignoring the center completely, and seeing the chips constantly wander towards the sides (and $0). Still, it's no fault of the show that the contestant chose the edges of the board.

Yes, that was my problem with the segment as well (that, and the fake 0 for the third small prize) -- it was almost as if she was trying to not hit the center slot.

That was not the PCH Graphic.

You know this...how, precisely?

[Swingbatta0]

You know this...how, precisely?

Well, the PCH one wouldn't be flashing, whilst the one seen in this episode was.

[vadernader]

Unfortunately, that excitement started getting replaced with mild frustration when I saw the contestant constantly seeking the very edges of the board and ignoring the center completely, and seeing the chips constantly wander towards the sides (and $0). Still, it's no fault of the show that the contestant chose the edges of the board. For most of the time, I was genuinely waiting in anticipation to see what would happen.

Yes, that was my problem with the segment as well (that, and the fake 0 for the third small prize) -- it was almost as if she was trying to not hit the center slot.

Wait wait wait wait...I remember the days when everyone said the best strategy was to go for the L, now everyone is saying the optimal strategy is the center? I know the math behind it, but no matter how much of a mathematical difference there is, it frankly doesn't matter. She could have dropped it from the farthest slot to the left and it could have still gone in the center. It's nothing more then simple luck, which was not on her side today. Faulting her for chip placement is preposterous. (And Frankly, I'm really hoping she does not find out about this site because of some of the comments in this thread....)

/Also to note, I'm still of the belief that it's impossible to mathematically calculate the odds of a chip falling in the center from any slot simply because it's not always as simple as right or left, the chip does weird things on that board. Sometimes it goes over 2 to the right or left, sometimes it stops on a peg, unless someone can perfectly simulate gravity (within a .001% margin of error of course, because I'm generous.), I'm not going to believe any mathematical proofs to be 100%.

You know this...how, precisely?

Simple. I have seen the PCH $100,000 Graphic.

[MannyCav]

Wait wait wait wait...I remember the days when everyone said the best strategy was to go for the L, now everyone is saying the optimal strategy is the center? I know the math behind it, but no matter how much of a mathematical difference there is, it frankly doesn't matter. She could have dropped it from the farthest slot to the left and it could have still gone in the center. It's nothing more then simple luck, which was not on her side today. Faulting her for chip placement is preposterous.

Funny things do happen a lot. You can place the chip at or near the center, and it might veer off to $100. You could place it at the very edge, and it might find its way to $10,000. You could place it in the same place every time, and get a different result each time. There is no perfect place to put a chip, and no guaranteed strategy. Nevertheless, I do feel that your best general odds are going for the center each time. While anything can happen, I do see that, generally, if you go for the edges, the chips will tend to stay around that side. I wasn't at all surprised that she didn't hit $100,000 (though there was certainly a fair chance that it could have happened), and I don't feel preposterous in feeling that she would have had a slightly better chance at big money by gunning for the center and trying to gravitate the chips in that general area.

I've heard the term "bell curve" bandied about sometimes in reference to this.

[CJBojangles]

Yes, that was my problem with the segment as well (that, and the fake 0 for the third small prize) -- it was almost as if she was trying to not hit the center slot.
You know this...how, precisely?

The PCH graphics were separate signs - with gold, glittery numbers - that were shaped to cover the center slot after the game was played with the normal $10,000 slot. This slot was preinstalled with the numbers transparent to allow the LED's to shine through.

What a shame... I gotta agree with others that this was the most dramatic of the Big Money games. I thought Drew mentioning how nervous he was added to the tension. Too bad she didn't hit that $100K even once, but as others have mentioned, she picked terrible places from which to drop the chips. I don't know the physics and mathematics involved in the odds, but too often do you see a chip dropped on one side that just ends up skirting down the edge and into a $100 slot.

Surprised no one's mentioned Push Over's new lights.