Win the game and still win nothing?

[MSTieScott]

-Card Sharks from 2001...the winning contestant received $2,100, which was then split up over three levels on the Money Cards. A few contestants bet it all and lost as a result*.

Card Sharks from 2019, too. The $10,000 each contestant receives for winning the main game is what they're betting in the Money Cards.

I know I've seen at least one game of Classic Concentration where a contestant had no prizes when time was called, solved the rebus, and then failed to win a car. But I can't remember if they won anything in a previous/subsequent game.


And since the subject is games where you can *theoretically* win and still receive nothing...

- Any version of Family Feud where the main game is played for points. But I can't imagine anybody's ever been completely shut out in Fast Money.

- The second season of Liza Koshy–hosted Double Dare is played for points in the main game. I would hope that there aren't any episodes where the team fails to complete the first obstacle.

[whewfan]

Regarding Double Dare, it would have to be an obstacle like "Nightmare" where you have to find the flag in a pile of something for a team to bomb out with the first obstacle. I think the crew learned something from that first episode and made the first obstacle a sort of "gimme". The current version made Sundae Slide significantly easier by not having a ramp with gunk to climb up.

[WarioBarker]

Doug Davidson's Price Is Right had it happen a couple of times where a contestant got nothing in their Pricing Game, won the Showcase Showdown, and lost the Showcase round.

What happened the one time a champion on Merv Griffin's Crosswords won with a negative balance?

Croton watch and the "honor of being our champion."

/also a bill came in the mail 90 days later.

And Ty was all "You have no money, but you have your pride." ...no, he doesn't really have that either.

[BrandonFG]

-Card Sharks from 2001...the winning contestant received $2,100, which was then split up over three levels on the Money Cards. A few contestants bet it all and lost as a result*.

They got $700 as a consolation prize.

Ah, I forgot about this. Thank you.

Would you count Treasure Hunt where you could win the choice to pick a prize and end up with a klunk?

For the occasions when the klunk didn't end up being a nice chunk of money, I'd count it.

[Dbacksfan12]

If I'm remembering correctly, you didn't get anything for winning the game on Nick Arcade.  I'm pretty sure I saw teams fail to make it past round 1 in the bonus--depending how badly they did, it could mean bupkus.

[chrisholland03]

I may sound crazy, but the experience has to count for something too. 

[Matt Ottinger]

It's not nothing, but it's always amused me that a player could win Jeopardy! with less than $1000, then come in third on their second appearance, and win less in total than somebody who came in second.  I think it's actually happened a few times.

[ivoryman1986]

Nobody mentioned this, but the first 2 seasons of Stump the Schwab fits into this category, as well as the Joker's Wild when it originally had the Joker's Jackpot, now for Nick Arcade, I believe the team still picked up some money for each individual item they pick up even if they don't get past the first level in the end game. I'm also thinking about Get the Picture Season 2, when the opening toss-up picture and the nametags were added but also switched to points in the main game, this can also fit into this category as well.

[Casey]

I may sound crazy, but the experience has to count for something too.

Oh sure - I mean I think all of us would love just being there playing the game  It's just that very few games rewarded a contestant with nothing for winning the main game, and  then give the possibility of a wipeout in the bonus round. 

[TLEberle]

Both Hollywood Showdown and The Rich List awarded nothing for winning the main game and had a ladder where if the contestant(s) fell off there was no safety net.

[TLEberle]

Would you count Treasure Hunt where you could win the choice to pick a prize and end up with a klunk?

For the occasions when the klunk didn't end up being a nice chunk of money, I'd count it.

I would argue that while whoever was dealt the box with the surprise inside did win something that ending up with a klunk is not really winning the game in the spirit of something like The Newlywed Game.

[WhammyPower]

I'm just surprised nobody mentioned Pitfall until now.

/Yes, it's a technicality, but it counts in my book.

[MikeK]

On Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour, the Match Game winner could put up a goose egg in the Hollywood Squares portion.

[aaron sica]

I'm just surprised nobody mentioned Pitfall until now.

/Yes, it's a technicality, but it counts in my book.

By the same logic, you could also include Reel-To-Reel.

[Casey]

Classic Concentration also allows you to win the game and go away with nothing but the lovely parting gifts... If you solve the puzzle with no prizes in your column (in a shortened game for instance), don’t win a car in the car round, and then lose the next game when you return the next day, you just get the Lee Press-On Nails...