PIR Game That's Easiest to Win

[CarShark]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 02:50 PM\']-Grocery Game (another common sense game, you should be able to pretty much form a price range for each item, say, +/- $0.50)
-Bullseye (see Grocery Game)
[/quote]
I don't know about that. A range that wide may be okay if you're just taking one or two of each item, but in Bullseye and Grocery Game both you multiply the prices. That means you multiply your mistake, too.

In Bullseye, it doesn't hurt that much since there's a $2.00 margin for error, plus there are three chances. (9-2 record, 3 wins from hidden Bullseyes) Grocery Game offers just the one shot, with a scant $1.00 margin. Ex: If you buy 4 bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesia (shown nearly every day) because you think they're 5 bucks a pop, you'll lose right out of the gate (painfully, by 25 cents), even though you were just 25 cents off ($5.25, total $21.25). Unless you know one item for sure, Grocery Game proves to be one of the toughest games in the rotation. (2-9 record, hasn't had a winning record since Season 29) It's best just to go a little at a time, but then you risk running out of items if they're especially cheap that day. Nothing is more astounding to me than their records in the past four years. Both games were played 50 times, but Grocery Game was won 17 times, Bullseye was won 40 times. I think that shows how hard the game is, or at least how bad the contestants are at it.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 12:28 PM\'] just like everyone says when they're in the Hot Seat on WWTBAM, it's alot different sitting at home. [/quote]
 Everyone? That's strange; I was blown away by how much playing the game in the hot seat was just like playing it in front of my computer.

[Frank15]

[quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 07:08 PM\'] Grocery Game offers just the one shot, with a scant $1.00 margin. Ex: If you buy 4 bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesia (shown nearly every day) because you think they're 5 bucks a pop, you'll lose right out of the gate (painfully, by 25 cents), even though you were just 25 cents off ($5.25, total $21.25). [/quote]
 You may want to check your math again ....

[Thad Dixon]

[quote name=\'Frank15\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 08:41 PM\'][quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 07:08 PM\'] Grocery Game offers just the one shot, with a scant $1.00 margin. Ex: If you buy 4 bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesia (shown nearly every day) because you think they're 5 bucks a pop, you'll lose right out of the gate (painfully, by 25 cents), even though you were just 25 cents off ($5.25, total $21.25). [/quote]
You may want to check your math again ....[/quote]
Never mind.  I checked it for him.  You would win in that case, wouldn't you?  (Four bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesia at $5.25 a pop would be $21 exactly)

[CarShark]

[quote name=\'Frank15\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 07:41 PM\'][quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 07:08 PM\'] Grocery Game offers just the one shot, with a scant $1.00 margin. Ex: If you buy 4 bottles of Phillips Milk of Magnesia (shown nearly every day) because you think they're 5 bucks a pop, you'll lose right out of the gate (painfully, by 25 cents), even though you were just 25 cents off ($5.25, total $21.25). [/quote]
You may want to check your math again ....[/quote]
I did. Thanks very much Frank. Let me try it again without the MoM.

If a laid-back beach bum thought a bottle of Greased Lightning cleaner is $3.49, he'll lose, even though he was only off by 50 cents.
6 x $3.49=$20.94 In his head
6 x $3.99=$23.94 Actual total
LOSS
 
Grocery Game is very unforgiving.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 06:21 PM\'] Grocery Game is very unforgiving. [/quote]
 Which is why you can use more than one item to get to the desired range. Sheesh.

[SamJ93]

[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 09:35 PM\']Which is why you can use more than one item to get to the desired range. Sheesh.[/quote]
Unfortunately, with Bob now erroneously telling contestants "if you want to try and win with just one product, that's fine," or something to that effect, it seems a lot of people would rather take the stupid-but-quick route.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 10:43 PM\'] Unfortunately, with Bob now erroneously telling contestants "if you want to try and win with just one product, that's fine," or something to that effect, it seems a lot of people would rather take the stupid-but-quick route. [/quote]
 What's the error?

Brandon Brooks

[SamJ93]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 11:07 PM\']What's the error?

[/quote]
It's not the way the game is designed to be played.  Contestants are supposed to pick several different items that add up to $20-$21.  Yes, you are allowed to try and go for it with just one item, but as others have demonstrated in this thread, that leaves you with very little margin for error and makes the game unnecessarily difficult.

But obviously, if people want to do that, that's their prerogative.  It's Bob's promotion of the incorrect strategy I'm a tad bothered by.

[CarShark]

[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 09:35 PM\'] [quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 06:21 PM\'] Grocery Game is very unforgiving. [/quote]
Which is why you can use more than one item to get to the desired range. Sheesh. [/quote]
 It doesn't matter. Whether they need $20-$21 or $6.23-$7.23, being off a little can hurt a lot.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Gromit\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 04:21 PM\'] Continuing on:
 [/quote]
 Hey, I'm convinced. I'm gonna start keeping track of this now, like I do when CliffHangers is played. Proofs in the pudding.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 11:16 PM\'] It's not the way the game is designed to be played. [/quote]
 Yeah it is.  While I understand you, I don't agree.  People can do what they like.  All products enable a win.  It's not incorrect strategy, and he's allowed to let people know their options.   IIRC,  he states that you can use a combination of the products to arrive at $20-$21... he should (and does) also acknowledge that one product can do the same thing.

Brandon Brooks

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 09:18 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 09:35 PM\'] [quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 06:21 PM\'] Grocery Game is very unforgiving. [/quote]
Which is why you can use more than one item to get to the desired range. Sheesh. [/quote]
It doesn't matter. Whether they need $20-$21 or $6.23-$7.23, being off a little can hurt a lot. [/quote]
 Yes, it does matter. If you're picking five of an item to get into that dollar range, your margin of error is 20 cents. If you've already gotten into the mid-to-upper teens, you'll probably only have to take one of an item, for which the full dollar is your margin for error.

Example:
Total so far: $0.00
You think one of the products is $2.99. You take seven.
You win if the item is between $2.86 and $3.00. Small margin for error.

Pick a few others first.
Total so far: $17.67
You think that product is $2.99. You take one.
You win if the item is between $2.33 and $3.33. Large margin for error.

There is a difference.

[WilliamPorygon]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jun 24 2004, 02:45 AM\'] [quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 11:16 PM\'] It's not the way the game is designed to be played. [/quote]
People can do what they like.  All products enable a win.  It's not incorrect strategy, and he's allowed to let people know their options. [/quote]
 Actually, not all products enable a win.  The game frequently uses items that you cannot reach $20-21 alone.  Some examples:

5/12/04:  Hidden Valley Dressing @ $3.19.  6 costs $19.14; 7 costs $22.33.
3/22/04:  CLR @ $4.99.  4 costs $19.96; 5 costs $24.95.
3/3/04:  Eggland's Best Eggs @ $2.19.  9 costs $19.71; 10 costs $21.90.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.  Trying to win with one item can easily leave you no possible chance of winning.  Between that and the smaller margin for error when you choose lots of one product, I'd say trying to win on one product is a poor strategy.

[Gromit]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 04:53 PM\'] There's a way around that "Budget Night" thing, too.  Paint sealant and/or fabric protectant has a weird price and makes cars end in 2 or 7 instead of 0 or 5.  If you hear that in the plug, just alter the strategy accordingly. [/quote]
 Hmm, very interesting. Going to have to watch for that. Thanks.

I agree with the others here, grocery game is much easier if you pick 2 or 3 of a middling product, to get yourself in that $15+ range or so. And of course, leave the cheapest product on the table as your emergency pick, in case you need $1.19 or something.

One thing about G.G. that Bob does is he almost always gives you the amount you need to *lose*, not to win. He'll say "You're $3.72 away from $21.00" So folks go looking for something close to $3.72, find the $3.99 cleaner, and lose. Folks just don't do the mental math to subtract the dollar.

This is a fun topic, because whenever I watch, I'm formulating plans and strategies for each game, things like "get the second digit wrong intentionally in Cover Up on your first guess, guaranteeing you a third shot if needed", etc.

It constantly amazes me that folks watch faithfully every day for years, but have never thought about how to actually win.