Contestants Without Strategies

[Jeremy Nelson]

I always wince when a TPIR pricing game (like One Right Price, Pick A Number,...) offers a PAIR of identical items (like motorbikes) and they choose a price that ends with an ODD number.

It is very possible for 2 identical items to have an odd price.  Suppose a motorcycle has an MSRP of  $1999.49.  2 x 1999.49 = $3998.98.  Rounded to the nearest dollar = $3999.  What I am not sure of is:  Would they take the total of the 2 items and then round to the nearest dollar? Or would they round each individual item's MSRP and then add them together for the prize package total?

I would assume that the prices of all prizes in a package are added, then they deal with the cents.

As far as Ten Chances goes, it's been played since 1975, and I've seen the zero rule in effect for the car in a 1980 episode. I think for the first two prizes, it always has been. I think Drew hates playing this game for the same reason that I hate watching it now- you know the rule, and it can irritate you to see that people who claim to have watched the show for years don't get it. Honestly, this is a game that should be getting little play because it's really not that hard. But then again, it could just be the peanut gallery.

[BrandonFG]

While we're discussing TPiR, I guess Hit Me goes without saying? ;-)

[William_S.]

A lot of shows, if you read the rules correctly, allow for some sort of strategy to be used to maximize dollar totals. Which one irks you the most when it's not used?

TPiR, in contestants row.  If the bids are, say, $1200, $1450, and $985; the last person bidding should bid either $1201, $1451, $986, or $1.  Bidding something like $1250 makes no sense at all.

Sigh, And the Game becomes Less fun. Even less watchable when somebody tries to botch a bid.

[Mr. Armadillo]

I always wince when a TPIR pricing game (like One Right Price, Pick A Number,...) offers a PAIR of identical items (like motorbikes) and they choose a price that ends with an ODD number.

It is very possible for 2 identical items to have an odd price.  Suppose a motorcycle has an MSRP of  $1999.49.  2 x 1999.49 = $3998.98.  Rounded to the nearest dollar = $3999.  What I am not sure of is:  Would they take the total of the 2 items and then round to the nearest dollar? Or would they round each individual item's MSRP and then add them together for the prize package total?

In theory, they would take the $3999 price, but in practice, this pretty much never happens.  The even choice is correct 98% of the time.

[Kevin Prather]

In theory, they would take the $3999 price, but in practice, this pretty much never happens.  The even choice is correct 98% of the time.

Seems to me that since they "round all prices to the nearest dollar", they would round each price before adding them together.

[Matt Ottinger]

Seems to me that since they "round all prices to the nearest dollar", they would round each price before adding them together.

This may be one of those rare times when Words don't have Meanings after all.  The on-air language is clearly designed simply to tell contestants not to bid in cents.  I don't think you can extrapolate one way or another how they handle a group of prizes based on that one line.  Besides, they don't "round ALL prices to the nearest dollar" anyway, or else some of the grocery games would be awkward.

[clemon79]

Sigh, And the Game becomes Less fun. Even less watchable when somebody tries to botch a bid.

When I think about people deciding the show is unwatchable because the person in the fourth seat in a guessing game with absolutely no pre-screening exam didn't use optimal strategy, I start to think my girlfriend has a point about the whole Final Jeopardy thing.

Besides, they don't "round ALL prices to the nearest dollar" anyway, or else some of the grocery games would be awkward.

"You need between $20 and $21 to win. Where would you like to start?"

"20 of the Snickers bars, Drew!"

"Dammit."

[JasonA1]

Seems to me that since they "round all prices to the nearest dollar", they would round each price before adding them together.

The rounding happens after they're all added together. I can double check my sources (I have the info itself saved on my home PC, and I'm at work) but this was covered on G-R in the past.

-Jason

[Neumms]

The Contestants' Row thing that cheeses me off is when somebody bids one dollar higher and he or she isn't even the last bidder. I'd love to see this rule: if you bid within, oh, $20 of someone else and don't win, you go home. They just call two (or three or four) new people next time. Then people won't just keep doing it over and over.

[TLEberle]

The Contestants' Row thing that cheeses me off is when somebody bids one dollar higher and he or she isn't even the last bidder. I'd love to see this rule: if you bid within, oh, $20 of someone else and don't win, you go home. They just call two (or three or four) new people next time. Then people won't just keep doing it over and over.

Which unfairly punishes those who are there to profit from another's stupidity.

[clemon79]

I'd love to see this rule: if you bid within, oh, $20 of someone else and don't win, you go home.

You're really suggesting a rule that effectively forces the person in fourth seat onto the bubble if they employ optimal strategy?

(And I haven't even gotten to the WTF-ness of trying to explain that one to the folks at home.)

[PYLdude]

. I'd love to see this rule: if you bid within, oh, $20 of someone else and don't win, you go home. They just call two (or three or four) new people next time. Then people won't just keep doing it over and over.

I'd love to see everyone who bids 420 get their ass kicked on air. But that's just like your suggestion- solves nothing and is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Gerald78]

I'd love to see everyone who bids 420 get their ass kicked on air.

Isn't public ridicule from this board enough?

/:)

[Steve Gavazzi]

The rounding happens after they're all added together. I can double check my sources (I have the info itself saved on my home PC, and I'm at work) but this was covered on G-R in the past.

I'll vouch for that.  All packages' prices are calculated this way, including showcases.

[Neumms]

The Contestants' Row thing that cheeses me off is when somebody bids one dollar higher and he or she isn't even the last bidder. I'd love to see this rule: if you bid within, oh, $20 of someone else and don't win, you go home. They just call two (or three or four) new people next time. Then people won't just keep doing it over and over.

Which unfairly punishes those who are there to profit from another's stupidity.

Now, though, if the second bidder bids $1 over the first, the first player is unfairly punished for another's stupidity. The stupid person presumably gets his just desserts if the third or fourth bidder bids $1 over him.

I suppose a simpler rule would be you simply aren't allowed to bid within $20 over another player. And no, I don't see them doing it.