WOF Wild Card

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'139078\' date=\'Nov 28 2006, 10:58 PM\']
How the heck I know when the Wild Card is supposed to be taken away from contestants more than Pat Sajak does is beyond me.[/quote]
The rule has been in effect for just over a month, maybe you should give him time to get adjusted to it, esp. since it seems pretty confusing.

No wonder why he hasn't gotten an Emmy nomination in a while, when he forgets these things.

And going by your bass-ackwards logic, Bob Barker shouldn't have even have an Emmy awards, let alone nominations, considering he makes up TPiR records every other week.

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'139064\' date=\'Nov 28 2006, 07:54 PM\']Can someone explain to me the point of using the Wild Card RIGHT after you pick it up, when it is worth only $500 (The fifth-lowest amount on the wheel)?[/quote]

Because it's not 300.  Also, with a word like "the" apparent in the puzzle, it makes some sense to knock that out of the way for the quick monies without worrying about bad luck.  I could see that happening at the end of puzzles, too, where someone lands on a not-300 and uses the Wild Card to take up two of the remaining consanants before solving the puzzle because it takes out the penalty for being greedy.

I do have to say you could see the wheels turning in that player's mind during at least one of the puzzles.  She may have not have been the smartest cookie, but she was sure trying.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'139068\' date=\'Nov 28 2006, 08:05 PM\']I saw something last week, where a lady had the Card, then hit $3,500. She got a letter or two on her first guess, but she either neglected to use the Card or called a letter that there was only one of instead of going for multiple letters. She might've used the Card on a lower amount, but either way, I remember shaking my head at the cluelessness. [/quote]
It's not *quite* as bad as you recall. Before she had the puzzle figured out, she hit the $3,500, found a single consonant, then wanted to spin again. Pat mentioned the Wild Card, so she elected to use that, and called a letter that wasn't in the puzzle. Not a terrible risk, but you could tell she had no idea what she was doing.

And, on another note, the Wild Card hasn't been Pat's only problem this season. (And seriously, the rules for the thing are not nearly as complicated as he's been making it sound.) He's also ignored house minimums on numerous occasions, resulting in multiple post-commercial corrections. Granted, it's apparent that the off-stage scoreboard hasn't updated yet when he does that, but come on, you've gotta know the rules to a game you've been hosting that long.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'139082\' date=\'Nov 28 2006, 11:06 PM\']
[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'139078\' date=\'Nov 28 2006, 10:58 PM\']
From time to time, we can expect people to fizzle out under pressure in the maingame, when they use the Wild Card, despite the fact that they land on a low dollar amount the last time they spun the wheel. Doing such a thing can be understandable, however, if you are aware of a extremely good contestant next to you.

How the heck I know when the Wild Card is supposed to be taken away from contestants more than Pat Sajak does is beyond me. No wonder why he hasn't gotten an Emmy nomination in a while, when he forgets these things.
[/quote]
What I have bolded in this quote is the most mental thing I've ever heard in an extrememly long time.  It's a new feature of the game.  Just because he forgets to get the card from them doesn't automatically say he a crap host and never deserving of an Emmy nomination in the future.  Lay off of him.  Seriously.
[/quote]

As has been said many times before, considering the Bandit's posting history, he is the last person that should be criticizing someone else. His comments hold absolutely no water in my book.

[gsfreak82]

[quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'137256\' date=\'Nov 7 2006, 07:58 PM\']
The day someone gets to use the wild card will be the day someone wins $1,000,000 on Deal or no Deal.  Players should not lose the wild card when they land on bankrupt.  It could take months before we get to see someone actually use the WC.  Players get to keep the free spin when landing on a bankrupt.  Why should they lose the wild card?
Just a thought.

Nate
[/quote]



I saw it used in a bonus game earlier this month.  I think it was during Family Week 'cause there was two people playing the bonus.  With the extra help they still didn't solve the puzzle.  



Brian

[Joe Mello]

According to GSNN's recaps, we are now up to 5 plays of the Wild Card, including a couple in the bonus round with varied degrees of success.  Therefore, I think we really don't have reason to complain about no one ever using it.  However, I still think it should be treated like a Free Spin in that you keep it till you use it.  It just seems like it's that kind of token.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'139101\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 01:17 PM\']
According to GSNN's recaps, we are now up to 5 plays of the Wild Card, including a couple in the bonus round with varied degrees of success.  Therefore, I think we really don't have reason to complain about no one ever using it.  However, I still think it should be treated like a Free Spin in that you keep it till you use it.  It just seems like it's that kind of token.
[/quote]

But I like having the element of risk in the game.  In the case of the Wild Card, it is a risk that can carry over from round to round -- unless you hit Bankrupt --  vs. a single round risk.

Sort of like the Woolery days when any money left "on account" could carry over from round to round, but would be gone if unused by game's end or if you hit Bankrupt.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'139108\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 01:50 PM\']
But I like having the element of risk in the game.  In the case of the Wild Card, it is a risk that can carry over from round to round -- unless you hit Bankrupt --  vs. a single round risk.
[/quote]

I like having an element of risk in the game, too. Namely, when people would keep spinning after they knew the answer, which they never do anymore. The Wild Card just seems like another complication to a game that used to work a lot better than it does now.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 02:19 PM\']Namely, when people would keep spinning after they knew the answer, which they never do anymore.[/quote]
Well, there was one contestant on the 13 October episode who did that in three separate rounds.

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'139110\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 02:19 PM\']
Namely, when people would keep spinning after they knew the answer, which they never do anymore. [/quote]

I'm going to say that's very false, especially when there's a change of control late in the puzzle.  If someone gets the wheel with little monies and not too many letters left, they normally spin to build up a total before reading the puzzle.

[parliboy]

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'139116\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 02:35 PM\']
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'139110\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 02:19 PM\']
Namely, when people would keep spinning after they knew the answer, which they never do anymore. [/quote]

I'm going to say that's very false, especially when there's a change of control late in the puzzle.  If someone gets the wheel with little monies and not too many letters left, they normally spin to build up a total before reading the puzzle.
[/quote]

It does happen more often, however: the advent of the prize puzzle is the cause of that (for all of the hate the show's gimmicks get around here, that's really the only recent one that's a big problem with me, because of the way it imbalances the game).  And of course, you've got defensive solves from time to time (protecting a lead)

[Tony]

[quote name=\'parliboy\' post=\'139117\' date=\'Nov 29 2006, 04:41 PM\']
It does happen more often, however: the advent of the prize puzzle is the cause of that (for all of the hate the show's gimmicks get around here, that's really the only recent one that's a big problem with me, because of the way it imbalances the game).  And of course, you've got defensive solves from time to time (protecting a lead)
[/quote]
How about keeping a puzzle's "Prize Puzzle" status a secret to the players (but revealed to the home audience) at the start of the given round?  This could be done by inserting a flashy graphic/SFX in post, while whoever solves the puzzle would afterwards be told by Pat that it was a Prize Puzzle, and the show continues normally (with the trip description and the SPIN ID).

[Joe Mello]

I think the announcement gets lost among the gameplay to about half the players, which is somewhat refreshing, I guess.

[uncamark]

Somehow, it seems to me that if Sajak is making the new option harder than it is, shouldn't Friedman have written up some clear, easy-to-understand verbiage at the beginning of the season, put it on cue cards and made Sajak follow it word-by-word for at least the first several weeks of the season?  Of course, he's been doing the show forever, but if you want the hosts to get it right, you write it up and make them read it.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'139271\' date=\'Dec 1 2006, 01:48 PM\']
Somehow, it seems to me that if Sajak is making the new option harder than it is, shouldn't Friedman have written up some clear, easy-to-understand verbiage at the beginning of the season, put it on cue cards and made Sajak follow it word-by-word for at least the first several weeks of the season?  Of course, he's been doing the show forever, but if you want the hosts to get it right, you write it up and make them read it.
[/quote]
I'm gonna guess that when your host has been at the job for twenty-plus years, you do not give him line-readings.