2011-12 Millionaire...

[TimK2003]

..if they are keeping all the gameplay the same for a second consecutive year, or will we be seeing yet another round of "format tweaking" -- either of the major or minor variety?

[chad1m]

Iwas looking over the rules on the website, since they were apparently updated today. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a new feature listed in 4B, section iii.

iii. Double Your Money

Producer may, in their sole discretion and subject to the rules related to Game Play herein, for a period of time to be determined by the Producer, allow for the value of one question in Round 1 to be doubled ("Double Your Money"). The question whose value may be doubled is randomly selected. If the question is answered correctly, the value of that question is doubled. Should the contestant "Jump the Question" (see below 4.C.iii), they give up the opportunity to win the prize money assigned to that question and the Double Your Money opportunity. Double Your Money winnings are subject to same rules as described below in 4.C.

Double Your Money is only in effect on the day(s) designated by the Producer. Should the Contestant become a Holdover Contestant (see 4.A above), and continue game play on a day that is not designated Double Your Money, then the Double Your Money feature will no longer be available to the Contestant. Conversely, a Holdover Contestant may continue game play on a day designated as Double Your Money, wherein the Contestant may get the opportunity for a Double Your Money question in Round 1.

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That's interesting. It could potentially make a round one bank total $93,600, making a $100,000 guess unless absolutely certain fairly idiotic.

[bandit_bobby]

In that case, I think the first Classic Millionaire question should be raised to $125K.

[Dbacksfan12]

In that case, I think the first Classic Millionaire question should be raised to $125K.

Of course you do.  Do tell how many contestants are going to reach that $93,000+ figure Chad mentioned, and do tell how raising it to $125,000 is something that should be done.

I suspect I'll hear silence in return.

[J.R.]

I suspect I'll hear silence in return.

Just like his blog posts.

[NickS]

In that case, I think the first Classic Millionaire question should be raised to $125K.

Of course you do.  Do tell how many contestants are going to reach that $93,000+ figure Chad mentioned, and do tell how raising it to $125,000 is something that should be done.

I suspect I'll hear silence in return.

Geez - he's giving an "if/then" statement, for crying out loud.  I'm not saying it's going to happen but I see where the logic is coming from.

[TLEberle]

Geez - he's giving an "if/then" statement, for crying out loud.  I'm not saying it's going to happen but I see where the logic is coming from.

The problem is that if you have $93,600 in your bank (and that's a one-in-ten shot anyway, assuming you got all ten right) then the amount that $93,600 is equidstant from $25,000 is over $160,000. $125,000 still means you bet a bundle of money for a smaller payoff than the risk. And that was from a guy who I bet doesn't even balance his own checkbook, given the number of times he's suggested "$100,000" as a payoff to imaginary situations.

They don't need to make an already random game more random, thereby making a fluid and dynamic budget moreso. They need to have a contestant look at the million dollar question in live play and not in a dopey and anti-climactic sweeps stunt.

[Joe Mello]

They need to have a contestant look at the million dollar question in live play and not in a dopey and anti-climactic sweeps stunt.

My reply

Is having a Double Ride question going to kill the game?  No, not really, but I don't think it's going to help.

[TLEberle]

Is having a Double Ride question going to kill the game?  No, not really, but I don't think it's going to help.

It certainly doesn't fix any problem that the show had at that point.

[Joe Mello]

Is having a Double Ride question going to kill the game?  No, not really, but I don't think it's going to help.

It certainly doesn't fix any problem that the show had at that point.

Well, if you thought that making the first 10 questions randomized didn't add enough variance from Original Recipe, then yes, Double Ride will help that.  However, if you did think that R1 needed more variance, I'd think you either sat in front of a slot machine recently for 6 hours straight, or are a magpie.

[Kevin Prather]

However, if you did think that R1 needed more variance, I'd think you either sat in front of a slot machine recently for 6 hours straight, or are a magpie.

Beg pardon?

[NickS]

The problem is that if you have $93,600 in your bank (and that's a one-in-ten shot anyway, assuming you got all ten right) then the amount that $93,600 is equidstant from $25,000 is over $160,000. $125,000 still means you bet a bundle of money for a smaller payoff than the risk. And that was from a guy who I bet doesn't even balance his own checkbook, given the number of times he's suggested "$100,000" as a payoff to imaginary situations.

They don't need to make an already random game more random, thereby making a fluid and dynamic budget moreso. They need to have a contestant look at the million dollar question in live play and not in a dopey and anti-climactic sweeps stunt.

Point taken; I guess where I was coming from is that while Senor Bandito is having math issues, even he knows there's something wrong.  If he's finding something wrong, there's an issue with your format, no?

/needle, haystack, etc.

[clemon79]

Point taken; I guess where I was coming from is that while Senor Bandito is having math issues, even he knows there's something wrong.  If he's finding something wrong, there's an issue with your format, no?

"But it COULD!" doesn't necessarily mean a format is broken. "Is it likely?" is a better question.

If it's a situation that has never come remotely close to coming up before, and all it does is make for crappy odds on one question (even though a correct answer still means winning money and a wrong answer still means losing it), I'm not going to overly worry about the extreme fringe case.

[chad1m]

For reference, I believe only one person last season took the whole $68,600 into round two.