Current Pyramid Incarnation Question

[Denials]

I apologize if this has been addressed before or has happened on a show already - I've watched most (if not all) of the episodes of the newest incarnation of Pyramid, and have wondered about the tiebreaker rule about fastest time.

What happens if there is an 18-18 tie where each contestant got six right in each of their three categories in the front game?  Presumably, neither is faster, because they both needed the full time for each category.  How would the tie be broken then?  Would they look to when the 6th answer was given and only time each category to there (doesn't seem fair/correct to me).  Would they flip a coin?  Some other method?

I know some of you folks have attended tapings, just wondering if it's ever come up.

[chad1m]

Would they look to when the 6th answer was given and only time each category to there (doesn't seem fair/correct to me).

Yep. An individual with knowledge of the procedure has told me that the time calculated is how long it took them to accrue their points, not how long it took them to finish the subject. So if a team whipped through six correct answers in 15 seconds, but couldn't get the seventh, their time for that round is 15 seconds.

[Denials]

Thanks, Chad.  Although I don't necessarily agree with this, I can see how it makes sense as a way to break the tie to not have to resort to something random.

[Neumms]

Thanks, Chad.  Although I don't necessarily agree with this, I can see how it makes sense as a way to break the tie to not have to resort to something random.

It's pretty close to random, though. I'd rather them play a tie-breaker during the commercial and post it online.

[WilliamPorygon]

I'd rather they cut a little bit of the chatter/goofing around between each category and play a 4-word, 20-second max tiebreaker.

[Otm Shank]

I always thought that an abbreviated tiebreaker could be squeezed in; 4/20 seems like a good compromise. Timing would likely need to be done in tenths, and they would probably would need to edit out a small amount of slack time while they check the clock on the final word. (For consistency, it would have to be the time when they begin saying the final word.)

Since the subject board is digital, they can easily put the letters on the board, rather having them overenunciated. It also gives them the flexibility to have 3 different letters at the top spaces of the subject pyramid, so that the second team has a choice.

Trim the winner's walk and the setup at the Winner's Circle, and you've made up the time.

[TimK2003]

What is the % of Strahan games that have ended in a tie?  It feels like the frequency is less than in the Dick Clark era.

In fact, outside of last Sunday's episodes, I can only recall seeing one perfect 21-21 tie in the 3 seasons of the Strahan era.   I'm probably missing a couple, but those 21-21 matches are not as common. 

And if they are not common anymore, would it hurt to throw in a $1-$5k bonus for the winner of a 21-21 game like they did on the Clark/Davidson era?

[BrandonFG]

And if they are not common anymore, would it hurt to throw in a $1-$5k bonus for the winner of a 21-21 game like they did on the Clark/Davidson era?

It’s not my show, but one thing I liked about the GSN version was that they awarded a $500 bonus for every 7/7. They also managed to get a modified tiebreaker round in, but the bonus money at least helped a player who didn’t make it to either Winner’s Circle.

[Brian44]

[W]ould it hurt to throw in a $1-$5k bonus for the winner of a 21-21 game like they did on the Clark/Davidson era?

No bonus was offered for a 21-21 tiebreaker in the Davidson incarnation.

[Jay Temple]

Yep. An individual with knowledge of the procedure has told me that the time calculated is how long it took them to accrue their points, not how long it took them to finish the subject. So if a team whipped through six correct answers in 15 seconds, but couldn't get the seventh, their time for that round is 15 seconds.

That takes care of a situation that could have arisen. I wondered, if a team only needed one item in their third turn to win and got none, would they be charged with the entire 30 seconds or just the time that they took in the first two rounds. Now I know.