Three Jokers anamolies

[Sonic Whammy]

Hey guys. I\'m sure at some point or another this has been discussed when I wasn\'t around, but it just came up in a team discussion yesterday, so this is to update my knowledge.

 

In classic Joker\'s Wild play, we were debating the circumstances of how scoring and winning was handled when a player spun three Jokers. There were two key situations discussed that we wanted clarification on how they would be handled, assuming they ever actually happened.

 

1) In standard play, challenger gets to a score over $500. Champ spins 3 Jokers and gets it right to win. Do they only get $500 or do they at least get a match of the score the challenger reached?

 

2) In tournament play, the player at the first podium spins 3 Jokers, gets it right and goes to $500. Meanwhile, the #2 player has $350 at the time this happens. Should that player then spin a triple and get it right, that would mathematically put them ahead at $550 and give them the win. But are 3 Jokers allowed to get trumped like this in the tournament?

 

I think we had a 3rd scenario too about tournament play, too, but I can\'t remember it right now. So for now, what\'s the rulings on these first two?

[PYLdude]

Three Jokers is an automatic win with a correct answer, regardless of when they turn up. There wasn\'t any rule stating otherwise as far as I know.

 

IIRC, when Hal Shear had his famous three Joker spin after rubbing his suit, his opponent had just accumulated $550 but he got to $500 with the win. I am probably wrong, at least on the first half, but he received $500 for the win for sure.

[clemon79]

1) In standard play, challenger gets to a score over $500. Champ spins 3 Jokers and gets it right to win. Do they only get $500 or do they at least get a match of the score the challenger reached?

 
They automatically win the game and $500. 
 

2) In tournament play, the player at the first podium spins 3 Jokers, gets it right and goes to $500. Meanwhile, the #2 player has $350 at the time this happens. Should that player then spin a triple

...the game would be over, because they did not match the three jokers which are an automatic win.

[clemon79]

IIRC, when Hal Shear had his famous three Joker spin after rubbing his suit, his opponent had just accumulated $550 but he got to $500 with the win. I am probably wrong, at least on the first half,

Yes, you are.

[Bryce L.]

Now, if the three joker spin came during a tie-breaking round (meaning both players were already over $500), would the winner have their current score or just the minimum $500?

[PYLdude]

IIRC, when Hal Shear had his famous three Joker spin after rubbing his suit, his opponent had just accumulated $550 but he got to $500 with the win. I am probably wrong, at least on the first half,

Yes, you are.

Okay then.

[PYLdude]

Now, if the three joker spin came during a tie-breaking round (meaning both players were already over $500), would the winner have their current score or just the minimum $500?

Now this is an interesting query. Although I\'d operate under the assumption they\'d try to avoid that if at all possible?

[clemon79]

Although I\'d operate under the assumption they\'d try to avoid that if at all possible?

Um. How? And once again, when you answer that question, remember this is Jack \"I almost lost my entire career because I rigged game shows\" Barry we\'re talking about.

[PYLdude]

Although I\'d operate under the assumption they\'d try to avoid that if at all possible?

Um. How? And once again, when you answer that question, remember this is Jack \"I almost lost my entire career because I rigged game shows\" Barry we\'re talking about.

That\'s why I said \"if at all possible\". If there was some way to slightly tweak the wheels so you could avoid that situation only in a tiebreaker round, and that said slight tweak wouldn\'t affect the outcome all that much to seem like rigging and they could get away with it, I.e. changing out Jokers for category slides on one of the wheels while Jack explained the tiebreak rules, then I\'m sure they would.


At the same time I\'m pretty sure they couldn\'t because it would raise a red flag somewhere.

[jimlangefan]

During the tie breaker or \"Spin Off\" round(s), during normal game play, was the same as before.  If the the challenger scored 3 jokers and answered the question correctly, game over. If the not, quoting Jack Barry \"The game goes on as before.\"

[clemon79]

At the same time I\'m pretty sure they couldn\'t because it would raise a red flag somewhere.

This precisely. Really, there probably wouldn\'t be a C&P problem with switching out the slide carousel on the third wheel, since it affects both players equally, save for two things: it would likely involve a tape stopdown, and this is Jack Barry we\'re talking about.

That said, if I\'m Jack Barry, that thought doesn\'t even enter my mind. Not only am I NOT going to stop down to deal with a fringe case, I\'m hoping like hell it happens, because the three-joker moment is great television.

[That Don Guy]

Now, if the three joker spin came during a tie-breaking round (meaning both players were already over $500), would the winner have their current score or just the minimum $500?

 

Here\'s another one, which I doubt ever happened: if the second player is behind 500-350 and spins three Jokers, could the player ask for a $200 question?  (One thing I do remember: if the first player has 500 or more and the second player spins an amount that can tie/win but misses the question, the first player did not get the opportunity to answer for more money.)

[Casey]

My recollection is that spinning three Jokers and answering the question correctly only bumped your score to $500 and won you the game.  I don\'t think people were given the option for any other outcome other than that.  

[TLEberle]

Here\'s another one, which I doubt ever happened: if the second player is behind 500-350 and spins three Jokers, could the player ask for a $200 question?

Why would he? If he gets it right, he wins 500*-500, if he doesn\'t the question can\'t be stolen so the game ends 500-350.

[That Don Guy]

 

Here\'s another one, which I doubt ever happened: if the second player is behind 500-350 and spins three Jokers, could the player ask for a $200 question?

Why would he? If he gets it right, he wins 500*-500, if he doesn\'t the question can\'t be stolen so the game ends 500-350.

Because if someone behind 500-350 answers a $200 question correct, he wins 550-500 and gets $550 instead of \"only\" $500.


Of course, normally you would not do this - for example, if you were ahead 350-300 and asked for a $200 question, you run the risk of getting it wrong and then, since it\'s \"a normal $200 question\", the opponent then would get a chance to answer it, and would win 500-350.  However, in the situation I posed - being behind 500-350 - there was no \"additional penalty\" for getting it wrong, since you lost anyway.