I know some of the more mathematically inclined members here figured this out years ago, but over at the statistics website fivethirtyeight.com, they recently puzzled out when each Showcase Showdown spinner should stay or spin again in order to have the best odds of winning.
Here's the link (scroll down to "Solution to last week’s Riddler Classic").
In short, if you're the first spinner, you should stay on an opening spin of 70 or greater. The second spinner should stay on an opening spin of 60 or greater, with 55 presenting its own decision-making process (but if the second spinner's opening spin ties for the lead, then the second spinner should spin again on 65 or less). Obviously, the third spinner simply plays to win, but if their opening spin creates a tie, then they should spin again on 50 or less in a two-way tie situation and spin again on 65 or less in a three-way tie situation.
These statistics do not account for the financial costs of any hostility that may occur among your family and friends if you do not say hello to everybody you should have said hello to during your first spin.
