Concentration question

[danderson400]

When time ran out, the game was declared a draw. the players kept their prizes, and a new rebus was substituted.  However, in the later years, the game simpy straddled to the next show. When did that start?

[blozier2006]

To answer your question with another question... was the show ever produced live? If so, I'd assume the switch to allowing straddling games came with the switch to videotape.

[Ccook]

The earliest shows were live. A game was only declared a draw if the puzzle was about halfway exposed (the whole puzzle was shown) as a new game started on the next show. Each contestant was allowed to retain up to  three matched prizes from the draw game.

A straddled game occurred when time ran out and, say, four or six portions of the puzzle were exposed.  When the game resumed on the next show, the prizes were the same but rearranged on the board and a new puzzle was used.