[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 30 2004, 11:14 AM\']I'll agree that having it down to 50/50 changes things quite a bit. Still, since part of the issue seems to be how you feel about yourself afterwards, in a 50/50 situation consider which of the two would be worst: Feeling bad because you had half a million dollars in your hand but you threw $468,000 of it away or feeling bad because you COULD have had a million BUT YOU STILL HAVE $500,000!!!
I think a lot of you aren't comprehending the actual dollars that are involved.[/quote]
I agree with itiparanoid here. I don't like the insinuation that just because I am young, I have no concept of the value of money. It doesn't matter if you're 17, 27, or 87, $500,000 is a LOT of money. At your ages, Mr. Ottinger, Mr. O'Brien, and Mr. Lemon, I can understand that you may be more risk averse, depending on your situation. I'm just that saying that at this particular stage in my life, I would not be ashamed if I missed the last question, seeing as how I would STILL have $32,000.
I know my view may seem strange to you, but it stems from what I think is one of the reasons Millionaire is so good, the constant What If? factor. I guess seeing so many people blow a chance to win more money because they don't have confidence is the only reason I hate the show sometimes. Like the contestant on today's Millionaire Bowl, for example. His gut, his Phone-A-Friend, and 2/3 of the audience said Florida State, so of course...he walks and loses a chance at $250,000 and more. That is the kind of contestant I could never identify with. The kind of contestant I love to watch are people like Kevin Smith, Nancy Christy, and Armand Kachigian. They all took big risks on Question 14 and won. Two of them went on to become Millionaires. Armand didn't answer the last question (even though on the promos in Michigan, he said he would risk it), but I don't remember if he would have answered it right or not.
Let me clarify one thing, though. I never said that I would GUESS on the last question. What I meant is that if Question 15 came up, and I thought that I knew the answer with some confidence behind it, I would go for it, even if I wasn't completely sure. I don't know what I would do on Super Millionaire, though.
I do agree with you on one thing Mr. Ottinger. Guessing on the $1 million question would be really stupid. Guessing on the $10 million question? Get the men in white coats ready.