CBS $25,000 Pyramid odd question

[wdm1219inpenna]

The higher Winner's Circle scorer returned as champion.  If both players tied, both returned.

What would have happened had one player gone to the Winner's Circle both times but struck out both times?

In other words, one player got their twice in the same episode and didn't win so much as a penny.

Would both players come back on the next show since both were tied at $0, with one player having $0 by virtue of never even making it to the Winners' Circle.

Very odd question...seeing the Tom Poston clip of the Winner's Circle round is what put this possibility in my head.

[BrandonFG]

My guess is they’re technically still the champion since they made it to both bonus rounds. Regardless, Bob Stewart is a very happy man.

[PYLdude]

It would have to be considered a sweep, wouldn’t it? Even though the one player doesn’t win anything in the bonus, the other doesn’t win a game.

[JasonA1]

I agree logic would dictate the player who won 2 front games should return solely. But FWIW, a show bible from 1984 doesn't detail this scenario. It only says if the players end up tied after 2 end games, they both return. So it would seem the official answer is "there is no official answer" because we never saw it happen.

The strict letter of the law would say they both come back; even though one player was clearly bested, they're still tied. It's not $0 to "--" it's $0 to $0. But again, YMMV.

-Jason

[calliaume]

Very odd question...seeing the Tom Poston clip of the Winner's Circle round is what put this possibility in my head.

I figured that's what did it.

Letter of the law would be both players come back. Realistically, there would be almost no chance of this happening. Adam Nedeff noted in his book Game Shows FAQ celebrity partners were tested carefully to make sure they could play the game well before they made it to the air. It would be unlikely both celebs would do that poorly in the Winner's Circle--although usually, they made sure the celebs had roughly equal skill level (Tom Poston was on with Anne Bloom, who had done the show a couple of times before, although she wasn't considered a stellar player).

I note from the Bob Stewart Wiki guide Poston never came back, but he appeared on Super Password 14 times during this period. Curious.

[chrisholland03]

I agree logic would dictate the player who won 2 front games should return solely. But FWIW, a show bible from 1984 doesn't detail this scenario. It only says if the players end up tied after 2 end games, they both return. So it would seem the official answer is "there is no official answer" because we never saw it happen.

The strict letter of the law would say they both come back; even though one player was clearly bested, they're still tied. It's not $0 to "--" it's $0 to $0. But again, YMMV.

-Jason

Chasing the theoretical rabbit - how would the 7/11 influence the outcome, if at all?

[BillCullen1]

Dick Clark always said the 7-11 was a bonus that did NOT count towards the money score. Only money won in the Winner's Circle counted towards that.

Regarding Tom Poston, he was on Goodson's shows since the 60s as a TTTT panelist, so that explains why he got more bookings on those. His bombing out on Pyramid that one time best explains why he was not invited back there. Also, Bill Cullen got the TTTT panelist gig because Poston turned it down when it was offered to him.