Intangibles that improved a show

[BillCullen1]

IIRC, later on in TTD's run with Wink, $250 was put in a pot for each tied board that was created. The losing contestant would get that money.

On PYL, if two contestants got four Whammies and the remaining contestant had spins, they got to play "against the house."

[Kevin Prather]

Also, with the contestant giving, it's on him or her if they blow it with an illegal clue.

Especially without the benefit of returning champions. In the old days, if you blew it in the WC, you could still win the same $25,000 tomorrow.

[GameShowGuru]

While we're talking "Pyramid", I should submit this major change with the Strahan version: Contestants giving the clues in the Winners Circle. With $50K or $100K at stake with every playing, it only makes sense---at least to me---for the contestant to do the heavy lifting.

That was always an option though, just rarely invoked.

I'd submit the tightening of the WC rules in the 80s as a change for the better.

Part of the reason why this rule was rarely invoked, was because contestant coordinators often suggested to contestants that they opt to receive in the Winners Circle because the celebrities usually practiced in giving the clues as opposed to receiving.

[GameShowGuru]

I think with each incarnation of High Rollers, there was an element that improved on itself, but also added its own unique brand in the process.

1978-80: Went from prizes claimed by individual number eliminates to prizes claimed by columns of three numbers being eliminated, the last number eliminated allowed the player to claim the prize(s).  Also, with the addition of contestants being allowed to roll the dice instead of deferring to Ruta Lee rolling gave more of an impression that the contestants were moreso in control of their own fate.  Personally, I loved the wide variety of numeric fonts the show incorporated into its games.

1987-88: Added single die mini-games as its own prize, which when won, allowed contestants to win even more prizes.  Bringing back the  Big Numbers in "tribute" to the original 1974-76 era was a pleasant surprise as well.  I was a little disappointed with the low variety in the numeric fonts in this version.  But overall, a solid show in its own right.

[JakeT]

I think with each incarnation of High Rollers, there was an element that improved on itself, but also added its own unique brand in the process.

1987-88: Added single die mini-games as its own prize, which when won, allowed contestants to win even more prizes.  Bringing back the  Big Numbers in "tribute" to the original 1974-76 era was a pleasant surprise as well.  I was a little disappointed with the low variety in the numeric fonts in this version.  But overall, a solid show in its own right.

Actually, I saw the mini-games as typically a huge timewaster and an opportunity for the producers to hype a larger potential prize but, more often than not, the contestant winning a much smaller one instead...the mini-games were a help to the budget but often not that interesting to watch...

JakeT

[splinkynip]

IIRC, later on in TTD's run with Wink, $250 was put in a pot for each tied board that was created. The losing contestant would get that money.

If the current champion lost, he would not get theb$250 per tie game. That was given only to the challenger if he lost.