Question about Price is Right's big wheel

[DoorNumberFour]

Why are the numbers on the wheel in the order that they are?

Is there some sort of strategic significance, is it random, or what?

[dale_grass]

[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'207067\' date=\'Jan 28 2009, 12:51 AM\']
Why are the numbers on the wheel in the order that they are?

Is there some sort of strategic significance, is it random, or what?
[/quote]
Starting with the 85, it's the Social Security Numbers of Bob Barker, Mark Goodson, Roger Dobkowitz, and Frank Wayne, with retail price of the thirty-seventh showcase filling in the last four digits.

Seriously, though, it was probably an aesthetic choice with variations from high and low spaces to prevent "aiming." (Think of a dartboard; statistically, if you're a beginner, you should aim for the area just below and to the left of the bullseye.)

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'207067\' date=\'Jan 27 2009, 11:51 PM\']
Why are the numbers on the wheel in the order that they are?

Is there some sort of strategic significance, is it random, or what?
[/quote]
Wild guess at 7:30 am. Probably to keep the spins a little more random or luck-based. Otherwise, you could easily have someone aiming for the 50 every single time, which could get anti-climactic (and expensive!), since everyone would know that it's right between "45" and "55".

[tpirfan28]

I did this a while ago:

1.00 + .50 = 1.50
.15 + .85 = 1.00
.80 + .30 = 1.10
.35 + .65 = 1.00
.60 + .10 = .70
.20 + .45 = .65
.40 + .70 = 1.10
.75 + .25 = 1.00
.55 + .90 = 1.45
.95 + .05 = 1.00

Many of the spaces are paired 1/2 wheel (10 spaces) apart from their $1.00 counterpart (and the $1.00 and .50 spaces are paired because it takes either one or two direct hits to make $1.00).

Now I donno if that's random fluke or whatnot, just an interesting stat.

[kesqchris]

Except for a few anomalies, it makes perfect sense how they came up with their sequence. They surrounded the dollar with the lowest odd amounts, then they picked the highest remaining even amounts on either side and so on. I would've done it consistently though and had:
.10, .85, .30, .65, .50, .45, .70, .25, .90, .05, 1.00, .15, .80, .35, .60, .55, .40, .75, .20, .95
(Nearly identical to the actual wheel, they simply swapped .55 with .20 and .50 with .10.)

Even as a kid it bothered me that they had 3 even amounts in a row followed by 3 odd amounts, not only was it inconsistent but it wasn't aesthetically pleasing.

[Sonic Whammy]

Let's try this from another angle...

1.00 + .05 = $1.05
.15 + .90 = $1.05
.80 + .25 = $1.05
.35 + .70 = $1.05
.60 + .45 = $1.05
.20 + .10 = $0.30
.40 + .65 = $1.05
.75 + .30 = $1.05
.55 + .85 = $1.40
.95 + .50 = $1.45

Starting from the connecting spaces of the highest and lowest values on the wheel, and separating from that point, you get sums of $1.05 in 7 out of 10 pairs. Not bad.

To balance the other 3, the .20, .55 and .95 would have to cycle. That would also keep the 5-0-5-0 pattern consistent throughout the entire wheel. But admittedly, having the .50 and .55 together doesn't look pleasing in its own right, being adjacent values that reintroduce the aiming problem mentioned before.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'dale_grass\' post=\'207073\' date=\'Jan 28 2009, 07:40 AM\']
Seriously, though, it was probably an aesthetic choice with variations from high and low spaces to prevent "aiming." (Think of a dartboard; statistically, if you're a beginner, you should aim for the area just below and to the left of the bullseye.)
[/quote]

Speaking of aesthetic choices, cripes, what's with the silver dollar signs and the new bulbs? Who could have thought that when they finally remodeled and painted a few things, they'd end up even more dated?

[urbanpreppie05]

I refer you to this picture then, Yikes.

I don't think the show's going after a modern update to the set ala American Idol (well, anymore) just a slight update/twist on the old style?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' post=\'207176\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 10:58 AM\']
I refer you to this picture then, Yikes.[/quote]
What's wrong with that? Looks fine to me.

[urbanpreppie05]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'207178\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 02:04 PM\']
[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' post=\'207176\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 10:58 AM\']
I refer you to this picture then, Yikes.[/quote]
What's wrong with that? Looks fine to me.
[/quote]

To each his own, but I (and quite a few others) thought it looked particularly garish.

Apparently so did Drew.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' post=\'207183\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 12:26 PM\']
To each his own, but I (and quite a few others) thought it looked particularly garish. [/quote]
I don't have problems with bright colors on game shows.

But you're right, to each their own.

/"garish" is the new "different"

[bclark71]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'207185\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 03:35 PM\']
/"garish" is the new "different"
[/quote]

Just as "eccentric" is "weird" with money.

[TroubadourNando]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'207178\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 02:04 PM\']
[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' post=\'207176\' date=\'Jan 29 2009, 10:58 AM\']
I refer you to this picture then, Yikes.[/quote]
What's wrong with that? Looks fine to me.
[/quote]

Seconded. A dark blue might have been more complementary than that green, but overall I thought it was a nice change.