Press Your Luck
Host: Peter Tomarken
Announcer: Rod Roddy
Premise: Three contestants earn spins to use on the big board to win money, but the Whammies are laying in wait to take it all away.
Rules: In the question round, four questions are asked of the players. The first to buzz in could give their answer. That answer and two others were provided for the two other players. Those that chose the correct answer got one spin, and if a player buzzed in with the correct answer, he or she got three spins. If no one buzzes in for the question, Peter reads three choices and each player gets a guess. After four such questions, the players take the spins earned to the big board in the seond half of the round.
On the big board, there were eighteen video monitors displaying one of six slides, and lights flashed around the monitors. When the player pressed down his or her plunger, the lights stopped, and the player got whatever was displayed on that screen, be it cash, prize, direction or whammy.
In Round one, the screens had money amounts from $200-$1500, along with prizes worth up to $1000. Also on the board are nine whammies, who take away all the money of a player unfortunate enough to land on one. Players had to be careful, since any player who hit four whammies in the game was knocked out.
The player with the fewest spins went first in round one. In round two, it was the player with the lowest score (spins if there was a tie) If there was still a tie, the player on the left went first.
Round two had money amounts from $500-$5000, as well as prizes worth between $750 and over $6,000.
PASSING: At any time, a player may pass all of his or her spins to the leading player if the passing player wants to protect his or her score. The player was then forced to deal with the passed spins when his or her turn came. Passed spins could be converted to earned spins by hitting a whammy or getting cash plus a spin. If there was a tie for the lead, the passing player got to pick who got the spins.
After everyone takes their spins, whoever has the highest cash total was the champion, kept everything, and returned the next day. If two or more players tied, even at zero, all those tying returned to play again. If two players were knocked out on account of getting four whammies, the last player could "spin against the house". That player could spin as many times as he likes, until the spins are gone, he chooses to quit, or spins a fourth whammy, and is also knocked out. Most likely, the last situation would never occur.
The CBS winning limit raised from $25,000 to $50,000 in 1984.
BONUS SPACES:
Various 'fun' spaces gave players enormous cash amounts, excruciating dilemmas, and other goodies.
"Add-a-One" Puts a one in front of the players' score, i.e. $100 becomes $1100, and $1500 becomes $11500, $0 became $10. Only offered in round one, it changed to a prize when hit. More often than not, players didn't have too much money when hitting Add-A-One.
"Big Bucks" Moved the light to square four, always offering the most money on the board ($1000, $1250, or $1500 in round one, and $3000, $4000, or $5000 + One Spin in round two) Offered always, and directly below square four.
"Pick A Corner" Gave the player the option of cash or prizes. Usually, square one gave three cash amounts, two gave cash-and-a-spin, and the third corner a prize.
"$2000 or Lose-1-Whammy" If a player had too many, this one could give the player another chance. Offered only in round two, and was put in the lower left corner in 1985.
"Double Your $$" Did just that, no matter what the score, whether it was zero or $7000.
"Double Your $$ + one spin" When the producers decided that just the money wasn't enough.
NOTABLE CONTESTANTS:
Michael Larson: Subject of perhaps one of the greatest "urban legends" in the genre. Larson was an unemployed ice cream truck driver in 1984 when he obsessively began watching "Press Your Luck". He noticed that the light pattern was not random, and that in fact the lights followed one of five distinct patterns. He borrowed money for plane fare to LA, bought a 65 cent shirt for the interview, and got on the show despite the caution of one of the producers. After getting a Whammy on his first spin, Michael found the timing and pattern of the lights, and racked up $2,500 with his next two spins. Even so, the total was still not enough to get him out of third place.
In round two, Michael won seven spins, and went on a tear. Playing first, he spun the board over thirty times, managing to hit "cash plus a spin" all but three times. Methodically, he won $30,000; $40,000; $50,000, and so on, finally stopping at $102,581. He then passed his spins to Janie Litras, the other incoming challenger. Finally getting to play, returning champion Ed Long ($11,516) promptly whammied on the next spin, and lost $4,000, then racked up $10,000 in two spins, and whammied again on the last spin. Janie played a few of her spins, reaching $9,385, then she passed three spins back to Michael. He won a Bahamas trip and more cash, reaching $110,237. He then passed two spins back to Janie, who won $1,400 and a Mexican Cruise, ending the only game to ever span two half-hour episodes.
The producers had no idea what to do. Eventually, Michael was paid his money, and the board programmers added another twenty-seven patterns to the board.
Michael got into trouble with telephone scams and various other get-rich-quick schemes. One such scheme revolved around a local radio station offering $30,000 to a person who could match the serial number on a one-dollar bill. Michael withdrew all of his winnings in $1 bills and spent days riffling through the money hoping to find the magic bill.
With $50,000 yet to count, Michael and his common-law wife Teresa left for a Christmas party. They came home to find the back door kicked in, and $40,000 stolen (which was laying out in plain sight). Michael even blamed Teresa for the theft, and was kicked out of the house.
In 1994, Michael was interviewed about his moment in the sun to coincide with the release of the film "Quiz Show."
Michael Larson died February 16, 1999 from throat cancer, leaving behind three children from three different women, penniless and fleeing the law.