The Bold Contestant's Row Move That Could Lead To Big Wins On The Price Is Right
Just about every game ever invented has a strategy which allows a player to gain an advantage. No matter what the game, even the smallest edge can be the difference between a win or loss. Of course, this is no different with TV game shows. The more popular and long-running the show is, the more strategies have been documented by fans over the years. For example, with "Wheel of Fortune," there are contestants who choose to buy all the vowels first, before even considering solving a puzzle. You'll find some contestants on "Jeopardy!" fixated on uncovering the Daily Doubles as their strategy, and then there's the consideration of how much money they have to bet.
"The Price is Right," however, is a whole different beast. Due to the countless rotating mini-games the show contains, a specific strategy is a lot harder to lock down. Fans of "The Price is Right" will most likely have their plan to victory for classic mini-contests such as "Plinko," or "Cliff Hangers." Even with spinning the "Big Wheel," contestants have to decide how to spin it just right to land exactly on the dollar, not to mention turning it hard enough to get around a single rotation and have enough time to give a shout-out to special friends and family members.
But an important step in the game of "The Price is Right," one that has been a constant throughout all the years of the show, is getting through Contestant's Row. Without scoring a victory in this four-person showdown, there's no way to even play those mini-games. Since it's been a staple of the show for so long, there is, of course, a specific strategy that gives players an advantage. So what's the best plan of attack to break through the Contestants Row barrier?
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With the current format of "The Price is Right" being on TV for over 40 years now, the list of mini-games keeps growing, each one possessing its own strategy. But with Contestants Row, where you have to beat out three other people by being the closest to a prize's correct price without going over, locking into this game's strategy is probably the most important step towards your first victory.
CNN broke down the dizzying analyzation of multiple "The Price is Right" strategies from Slate staff writer Ben Blatt, including how to win at Contestants Row. It turns out, Blatt's suggestion, based on statistics, is to focus more on the other three contestants' bids, rather than your own. Based on his calculations, if you bet $1 higher than the highest bid, your chances of victory will jump to 53.8%. The basis to this theory is that people are afraid to overbid, so betting just slightly higher than them gives you the advantage. Of course, leaning on statistics like this, rather than going with your own pricing-instincts, can be a bold move for plenty of people who are confident in their own bidding skills.
Host Drew Carey also has some strategy advice of his own for contestants. In an interview with Rachael Ray, Carey offers up a much more social strategy to help contestants lock down the actual price of certain prizes. His tip is to take advantage of waiting in line outside the studio, before the taping of the show. "I don't know why people don't organize more in line," Carey wonders. "When people are in line, they should be asking, 'Ok, who knows furniture? Who knows cars? Who's a grocery shopper?'" Not bad advice from the very person who's hosted the show since 2007. Remember that if you ever get a chance to come on down to "The Price is Right."