MovieChat Forums > Deal or No Deal (2005) Discussion > Lowest skill game show...highest pay

Lowest skill game show...highest pay

posted 15 years ago by bass-player-blues
9 replies | jump to latest

Has anyone else noticed that game shows requiring lots of skill don't pay as well? For example, Lingo takes a lot of brain power but people win like 5 grand for their strong efforts. Millionaire takes a lot of luck AND brains but people rarely win over 32 grand. Deal or No Deal is the only show where absolute retards routinely win over $100,000.

Isn't it so sad when there's like a 1/3 chance of wining the million, the next best case is 100 grand, the offer is like 300 grand, but they say "No deal!!!"

-Seen it so many times, people on this show don't understand basic statistics.

[–] smarksman 15 years ago

I was thinking that too. They should have to answer a question or something before they can pick a suitcase. And maybe the harder the question the more suitcases they get to open. Like you said, the person doesn't have to have skills, just luck.

[–] schoollydee11 15 years ago

I always thought the showed paid very high for what it took to earn the money.

I have turned away from the show many times when people made absolutely dumb or greedy decisions to chase bigger prizes.

I have to believe the producers didn't want any analytical people...they wanted to put on a good show instead.

[–] Shaftaire_of_Astora 15 years ago

Yeah it is pretty ridiculous. I honestly don't know how anyone could be entertained by this show. Isn't every episode practically identical, aside from the winnings?

One of the hardest trivia shows out there, "Win Ben Stein's Money", only had a payout of $5000 to the winner. The questions were often harder than the ones found on 'Millionaire', too.

And like you said, the greed some people have is sickening. I think people get too caught up in the fact that they're on TV or something. Do some of these people totally forget how much they NEED that money? To see an average middle class person turn down $300k is just...astounding, really. It's the only show where people have a say in how much they walk away with, but six digits just isn't enough to satiate some people's greed I guess. Hell, I'd be happy to walk away from there with $10k. You know a lot of past contestants have still gotta be beating themselves up. Had enough money waved in front of them to pretty much pay off all debts and start living comfortably, but instead walked away with $10 because of a "feeling" they had.

Anyway, now that I'm done ranting -- can anyone tell me WHY anyone could find this entertaining? Aside from the Briefcase Babes of course. It's certainly not from lack of things on TV, since it has a prime time slot. I'm curious how the show idea was pitched to network execs.

[–] doorkeeper 15 years ago

>> To see an average middle class person turn
>> down $300k is just...astounding, really.

Look at it this way; how many times in your life is someone going to offer you a chance to win $500,000? Well, probably only one if you're lucky enough to get picked as a contestant, so if you get down to the last 5 or 6 cases it makes sense to gamble for the big payout.

[–] Theoden_of_ODU 15 years ago

You're a perfect contestant for the show then.

Most people who risk something along the lines of $300k to get $500k end up leaving with $75k because they bet against the odds and lost.

"You've shown your quality sir. The very highest."

[–] Joyful51485 15 years ago

It's like this woman I saw on one show, I don't usually watch but I was sick that day and didn't feel like getting up to get the remote. It seems like her husband was over in Afghanistan and they set up a telecom so he could watch as she played. They'd gotten to a point where their deal was pretty high, I think it was around $200K maybe, and her husband told her to quit. She decided she want to go one more round, partially also because her stupid best friend was rooting for it. So he says, fine okay and she does. She asks him which case to choose, he gives her a number and she ignores him AGAIN and picks the case her 'bff' tells her to pick. And drops their offer down to like $20K. She finally accepts the offer and feels pretty damn stupid because she lost them like $150K. Come to find out that if she'd picked the case her husband suggested, their offer would have gone up like another $50-100K. So she ignores him twice and screws them out of a ton of money. He can hold that over her head for the rest of their lives.

Also makes me think of a video I saw on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ehYdqLwUVw

RIP 2009. Bad year for Celebrities. Now Haiti too

[–] Guy177 15 years ago

Listen Joyful51485. I've taken Statistics and I love both the basic concepts and the complicated concepts involved in it and life. The fact of the matter is even if someone doesn't gamble and tries to make "the best and smartest statistical decision" he/she might still lose big time. Is the probability small? Yes. Most people don't understand or know this though. They go with their gut and it ends up screwing them over USUALLY. Just like that woman. She must be...well I don't want to say dumb. Let's just say she is "less than educated". I think people see some1 go with their gut and win and assume they could do the same. Every contestant has seen the show or almost every contestant anyway so that explains why SOME people do it.

[–] Joyful51485 15 years ago

I think they like to talk statistics, but I see that show as being pure dumb luck for the most part. And these people need to learn to quit while they're ahead. Yeah, you might want more but imagine what an ass you'll feel like if you lose a huge amount. And in the words of Nikki Giovanni, 'it's more than you had before anyways. Why get greedy?'

RIP 2009. Bad year for Celebrities. Now Haiti too

[–] Guy177 15 years ago

Yeah it does seem that way but trust me there is a statistical pattern to it. I admit I'm not a full blown statistics expert. I didn't spend years and years studying statistics and then developing theories on it. Statistics is partly based on how people generally give in to emotions, pressure, or lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge in particular. They don't enough about Stats. Therefore, they make a dumb decision. You're right though. Why get greedy? Heck, I've got a partial answer to that too. The people who choose who goes on the show want people who do those sort of things. It maximizes the show's profit and makes people even educated, smart people want to watch at least once if not many, many times. That's the reality of business unfortunately. Now I'll try to answer the question fully. Why are they almost always greedy? Because they are. They suffer so much they think greed will solve it I guess. No real answer for it.

Life is confusing.I suggest enjoying it. Analyze excessively afterwards.