OFFICIAL Reason for Retirement of Joker and Poker Game (From "The Dob" Himself!)

[WarioBarker]

Drew never rehearsed Joker.

During Tuesday's Step Up, Drew states that he has now learned "all 75 games"; this now-incorrect count was given to him before Poker Game and Joker were retired.

...So he learned all the games yet never rehearsed Joker? Does that make sense?

...Anyway. Poker Game's leaving was a matter of time. Joker's leaving...at least reuse the small prize thingy, hm?

This show, due to its long history, has reused many of its props - such as the 1986 Special "spotlights" in the 1993 TNPiR Pilots and a Showcase in which Kathleen was a Studio 33 tour guide...

The Bullseye '72 board for Double Digits... (I'm sticking by it and the evidence I have presented before!)

...The price display from Add 'Em Up for Pathfinder (and is still a separate prop), etc.

That's my thoughts.
-Daniel

[PriceFanArmadillo]

I still say they should have figured out a way to retool Poker Game into Texas Hold'Em game with a car and some SP's.

[Scott5114]

Thing about Poker Game is, how would anyone (aside from Enzo Aquarius) know the difference between a $999 prize and a $971 prize just by looking at it? Everyone should be able to ballpark prices, but nobody (aside from Enzo Aquarius) can give you the exact dollar amount unless they had happened to see that prize on the show and somehow remembered the price. That's why the $500 bonus for perfect bids exists...most of the time when people stumble on the ARP, it's pure luck.

That said I liked seeing Poker Game; it had a unique prop and seeing it pop up after a long absence was always special.

[JokerFan]

I remember when I first saw Poker Game.  I thought it was just numbers that counted (not pairs, full house, etc.)  Therefore, a hand of 98633 would beat a hand of 88877.  I wonder if the game was really played this way, it might have had a better chance to not be retired.

[left4thehouse]

The Poker Game was one of the first games that stuck out at the age of three. Big ol' Joker, the sliding of the passed hand, Big Banana Remix (now willed to Danger Price?) Bob's explaination, and my STINKING USER NAME! Better. Still, a $999 and $500 pairing could get trumped by a sneaky $1000 espresso machine and, say, a $17,980 Vibe (just an example) which would reward the loyalist, the lucky, and poker skilled. Cash bonuses by strength of PLAYER hand could have worked just as well.

Joker to me meant that 5PT, Bonus, Shell, or even Plinko would not get a play that day. Maybe we send the podium back to 1973 and it can be used for Give or Keep? Oh well.
   

[JasonA1]

Thing about Poker Game is, how would anyone (aside from Enzo Aquarius) know the difference between a $999 prize and a $971 prize just by looking at it?

Exactly the reason I think Range Game should go from a $600 range with a $150 rangefinder to a $2,000 range with a $500 rangefinder. Saying a trailer is $9,171 versus $9,229 is trifling. A bigger range would make it a true game of pricing again, instead of a game of chicken against the producer.

-Jason

[JohnHolder]

... rewarding for LFaTs who memorize the prices of the prizes offered.

Many of the games are like that, as they should be. I've always thought that the best way to succeed on the show would be to watch carefully for several months and memorize as many prices as possible. If it weren't for TPIR, I'd have no way of knowing that the Libman Wonder Mop is $13 or that Hot Pockets are $2.49. Nor would I have a particular reason to care.

John