Question about smart shoppers winning

[Priceisrightsuperfan93]

So if contestants are said to be awarded for smart shopping, why do games like plinko, secret x, and punch a bunch exist where you can win even if you don't have any correct guesses but lose even if you got everything right?

[gamesurf]

Good point. Those games should be retired.

[gamesurf]

Just kidding.

Real answer:  The show isn’t actually about smart shoppers winning first and foremost. It’s about being interesting and fun to watch. “Rewarding smart shoppers” is secondary to all of that.

Sometimes that means the smartest shopper doesn’t win 100% of the time.

[Alfonzo]

While the games mentioned don't necessarily give an automatic win for smart shopping, being a smart shopper certainly improves your chances.

[BillyGr]

Also, while you can win money (even $10,000) in Plinko with no correct answers, you actually can't win anything in the other two without at least one right guess (only 1 free X and no free punches).

[Priceisrightsuperfan93]

While the games mentioned don't necessarily give an automatic win for smart shopping, being a smart shopper certainly improves your chances.

But it goes against the mantra that all smart shopping will be awarded.

[tpiradam]

I thought this was a topic about Supermarket Sweep at first. Where is this 'smart shopper' mantra coming from? The only games I can really think of that it could relate to are Grocery Game and Check-Out maybe?

[GRWHAMMY the 2nd]

think back to episode one of Bob's tenure

[gamesurf]

But it goes against the mantra that all smart shopping will be awarded.

1) It is awarded. They win small prizes and significantly increase their chances of winning a big prize.

2) That’s not the show’s overriding mantra.

The show isn’t actually about smart shoppers winning first and foremost. It’s about being interesting and fun to watch. “Rewarding smart shoppers” is secondary to all of that.

A remark Bob made at the first show is a good way to make an initial impression in the minds of viewers, but it’s still just an entertaining game show, not the Olympics of pricing.

[TPIRfan#9821]

But it goes against the mantra that all smart shopping will be awarded.

Back when that mantra was stated, the only five games were Any Number, Bonus Game, Grocery Game, Double Prices, and the Bullseye where you had seven guesses to get the price of the car. Yes, these five games did encourage smart shopping, but repeating those same five games would be boring. So, each game has to be memorable for something. Every new game should have its own memorable motif, and the games that currently don't are either retired (like Step Up) or refurbished (like Bullseye II).

To be memorable, some games introduced needed to have an element of luck. The first game that it was possible to play "perfectly" but lose was actually introduced two years later, with Card Game. With the original rules, it was possible to have really rotten luck, and pull a $200 range card, get an ace early on but could only use it for up to $1,000, and draw a face card that threw you over the edge. If the show truly was only based on smart shopping, this would have been fixed right away.

After its debut in 1974, it took nearly a decade for the aces to be an instant "say the price and stop", and until 2005 when finally, the lowest range card was $1,000.

Also, you stated that "all smart shopping will be awarded". That wasn't what was said in the mantra on the first episode.

that is your favorite game still based on the pricing of merchandise, with wonderful awards for smart shoppers.

This doesn't mean that smart shopper are guaranteed an instant win, but are guaranteed a chance at wonderful awards, which could simply mean winning the IUFB. In fact, "smart shopping" is actually awarded on the show with a IUFB worth more than $500 and another $500 in cash.

Does this mean not everyone wins their pricing game? Yes, it does. But that doesn't mean smart shoppers get no edge at all.

[GRWHAMMY the 2nd]

he also didn't say that would ALWAYS will be rewarded

[JayC]

But it goes against the mantra that all smart shopping will be awarded.

There's nothing wrong with some games being luck based as opposed to pricing knowledge being the only requirement to win. The small prizes in games like Plinko and Punch a Bunch are intentionally usually easy to price correctly because it gives the contestant more chances to win the big prize, which is the real draw of the game not the knowledge of the small prizes. The grocery cash games are both exciting because of their higher prize and they reward smart shoppers, providing the best of both worlds. Games like Secret X and 1/2 Off can be frustrating because they don't guarantee a win even if the contestant gets all the pricing correct, but it's only every so often they're lost despite perfect pricing.

[COINBOYNYC]

Fun fact: on the very first episode, during Paul Levine's pricing game (Bonus Game), after Paul got the second item in a row correct, Bob commented, "Say!  You're a good shopper!"