[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 18 2003, 09:47 PM\'] But, see, there you are...it strikes me that the only time you would do this is if you were up a game. Even THEN, if I can go in for the kill and stare down the Big Numbers by myself, I think that's strategically the better option. I'd have to have a couple of Insurance Markers in my pocket and a favorable looking board (say, one I could clear off in no more than two rolls of 6 through
to even think about it.
Here's a thought, and it's simple. Maybe too simple: Clear the board, you win the match. Period. A player on the ropes down 1-0 might keep the dice if they have a Marker and can win the whole shooting match with a 10. It might keep someone up a game from passing the dice, too. I dunno, just a thought. [/quote]
The idea of an instant win in the course of a match consisting of a series of games seems a bit ooky to me.
Three jokers (plus a correct answer) create an instant win on The Joker's Wild, and the Instant Win card creates a... uh... well, you know, instant win on Shoot for the Stars. But these were single game situations. Creating a situation where a special (albeit remarkable, in this case) instance betrays the whole match structure makes me uncomfortable.
What I suggested was a patch, as is what you suggested. I'd like to think my patch is cleaner, if less effective. Nevertheless, they're both patches, not solutions.
Not that I'm doubting our (collective \"our\") creative abilities, but I'd like to think that somewhere in the 14-year lifespan of the High Rollers format, someone in a paid position in Merrill Heatter's ranks brought up the same issue, and they kicked around ideas as to how to fix it, came up fruitless, and decided to stick with what they had. I'm not saying a solution is impossible, but it's my gut feeling that this is as good as \"Shut the Box\" is going to get when it comes to being a television game format.