BUZZR "Prime Time Party" beg. February 6th

[PYLdude]

By chance, how many busts and under $1k wins were in the first 6 weeks?  It felt like a lot, would be nice to see what the data says.

I'll see what I can find tonight, but in looking for it I found some fan-made webpage that put forth the idea that on the CBS version after giving away $90k in one week with the change rules where you could use your three cards as you saw fit, that the rules were changed to one card per line, but anywhere on that line.

I have an example from very early in the run where the contestant changes 2 cards on the same line - if I find it, I'll throw it up on the YouTubes and link it here. 

If I remember correctly, the $29,000 win on the Money Cards was done under that rule.

[parliboy]

If I remember correctly, the $29,000 win on the Money Cards was done under that rule.

That was under the one-per-line rule, though there was a $28k win that was under the "any three cards" rule.

[chrisholland03]

Switching back to Eubanks - I recall at least a couple of episodes where no Money Cards were played.

Sir Travis - thanks for the research - the results were slightly better than what my gut was telling me.  Although it averages out to ~$3k per episode, which may have been what they were after?

[PYLdude]

Sale just started Michael Friedman's run last night, so we should be seeing lot run #3 start next week. Operative word being should because they cut off just before John started his (and in the middle of it) and we got one episode into Helaine's run before they reset (this while the show aired Sundays).

If my math is right Alice Conkright should be there Wednesday night.

[Sodboy13]

Alice came in on Friday. I wasn't aware she came in in such a fashion. Into night two now, and watching her play is something to behold.

[TLEberle]

Alice came in on Friday. I wasn't aware she came in in such a fashion. Into night two now, and watching her play is something to behold.

Had you not seen it before?

And yes, when your low score across six nights is 100, that's something. Last year I had made it all the way to week five of season two before the uploader had a hissy and pulled everything, and it was interesting in that Alice Conkwright declared our reality invalid and substituted her own. As it happens she finished with $770, so she could have bought the trip to Hawaii on her lot night.

[Sodboy13]

Haven't seen it before, no. I'm two nights in and can't wait to see the steamrolling, despite knowing the outcome.

And you're right on the "substituting her own reality" line - if Alice doesn't break the game, she certainly alters it significantly. On the first Fame Game of night two (at which point she already had $55,) she loses the buzzer race, and the guy who picks gets "$400 or Pick Again." And you can see him doing the mental calculus, realizing "Well, I need to get out of this game with something," and pocketing the $400. She had her opponents tapping out by the first break.

[MSTieScott]

This is also my first time seeing these episodes.

I think both Michael and Alice demonstrated the major flaw in Sale's format: Because the questions were relatively easy, a good trivia player just needed to hit the button the millisecond before Jim began to read the key word in the question. Even in the rare instances they didn't know the answer or buzzed too early, they were still controlling the game.

Winning Sale of the Century was never about being the best at trivia. Witness how many times Michael was beaten to the answer in the Fame Game (or forgot to shift out of his "buzz in at the first key word" strategy and then got the answer wrong). It was about knowing how trivia questions are written and having the sharpest reflexes. A contestant who accomplishes that dominates the speed round and renders the rest of the game moot.

The difference is that Michael at least participated in the premise of the show and purchased some Instant Bargains.

It makes me wonder how different things would have been if, after a contestant got a question wrong and lost $5, Jim kept reading the question and allowed the other two contestants a chance at the rebound.

[Dbacksfan12]

The difference is that Michael at least participated in the premise of the show and purchased some Instant Bargains.

I'm not sure why people get so hung up on this aspect of Sale.  The majority of the stuff was overpriced luxury items with no realistic use.  Or, as the series came to a close, worthless junk.  But if I'm building a bank to win thousands of dollars in cash, I'm passing on the imported European sofa.

[Nick]

It makes me wonder how different things would have been if, after a contestant got a question wrong and lost $5, Jim kept reading the question and allowed the other two contestants a chance at the rebound.

Probably would address most of the flaws you mentioned, but I would say it was probably not worth the disruption of the game.  I always appreciated how Sale moved at a pretty good clip, even if it just became a battle of reflexes with victory based first buzz-ins over dollars lost on incorrect answers.  Plus, there was still the motivation to try to finish the game with as high a score as possible to get to buy the better prizes... until the switch to the Winner's Board took the wind out of Sale's sails in one fell swoop.

I'm not sure why people get so hung up on this aspect of Sale.  The majority of the stuff was overpriced luxury items with no realistic use.  Or, as the series came to a close, worthless junk.

To this point, and to this flaw, this is where I highlight Jim Perry's excellence as MC of this game.  I often find myself rooting for Jim over the contestants.  When a contestant waxes eloquent about how much he'd like the prize and then agonizes over pushing the button, and then comes the price cut or a few Benjamin Franklins that gets the push... It makes for great television.

Granted, what I didn't like, which seemed to be the case as the syndicated version dragged on, was how the Instant Bargains started falling along one of three lines: If you have a lead over the sale price, you can buy the bargain at list price and get some extra cash; or if you have a lead less than the sale price, you get the price cut to the value of your lead or some extra cash for losing your lead by buying at list price.  I'd like to have seen more stunts such as forcing to buy at a loss of the lead or letting the contestant keep the lead by a buck or some nominal amount.  I want to say the early part of the daytime run had more flexibility on the Instant Bargain bargains, but I suppose if they fell into the aforementioned pattern, it was what worked for the budget.

[MSTieScott]

But if I'm building a bank to win thousands of dollars in cash, I'm passing on the imported European sofa.

I agree that many of the Instant Bargains were nothing more than a tax burden (there are plenty of instances where it's evident that the contestant buys only because Jim offered them a sufficient amount of cash). But from a producer's and home viewer's perspective, neck-and-neck games are more interesting to watch than runaways, and Instant Bargains keep the scores interesting.

From a contestant's perspective: Sure, if your end goal is "cash jackpot or bust," then the best strategy is to pass on every Instant Bargain. But -- barring certain extreme exceptions -- it takes at least seven wins to get there. And you never know when the contestant coordinators are going to throw an Alice Conkright into the mix to stop you (it's a different game, but look at how rare seven-day champions are on Jeopardy!). If you're content with failure meaning that you receive only whatever consolation prizes you got from the Fame Game board, then that's fine. Otherwise, you're not going to have much to show for all of your work.

[SRIV94]

I hate to throw a wet blanket over this, but it is possible Buzzr will be rejiggering their sked again on 3/27.  The funny thing is that each of the three main listings services (TVGuide, Screener/Zap2It and TitanTV) each show Buzzr carrying different lineups (TVGuide has them continuing with the current lineup, Screener has a much older lineup and TitanTV has something else--LMAD at 8PM/8:30 ET then the B&W shows starting at 9PM ET plus other differences throughout).  And of course Buzzr's website has no info beyond 3/27 at 4:30 AM CT.

Don't kill the messenger.

[PYLdude]

It wouldn't surprise me if this happens, especially with Sale because it took so long to get through the first lot win. And if I remember, the furthest they got before Sale went nightly was just past the start of the first champ to retire before getting to the lot. (We would get through lot win 3 this week, right?)

[snowpeck]

I think the problem is that Buzzr just hasn't provided anyone with any listings past that date and the listings services all have different fallback schedules.

[PYLdude]

I think the problem is that Buzzr just hasn't provided anyone with any listings past that date and the listings services all have different fallback schedules.

I'm almost positive that's what's really going on, but considering how quick Buzzr has been to rejigger things...