Dice Game (pricing game)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Dice Game is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Debuting on June 2, 1976, the game is played for a car.
[edit] Game play
The contestant is shown the first digit in the price of the car, which is made up of only digits from 1-6, though the same digit may appear more than once in the price. They are presented with four oversized dice on a gaming table and asked to roll the first die. If the number rolled matches the second digit, the digit is revealed and shown on both screens; otherwise, the contestant must decide whether the digit is higher or lower than the roll (marked by an outline of lights), unless the roll is a one or a six, in which case it is automatically marked higher or lower, respectively. The die is then placed in the slot with the rolled number facing outwards. The remaining dice are played in the same way for the three remaining digits.
Once all four dice are played, provided that at least one number is not 1, 6, or the exact number (which yields an instant win), any digits that were not rolled exactly are revealed one at a time in the appropriate screen, higher or lower than the die. The contestant must have rolled or correctly guessed higher or lower for all four digits to win the car.
The host will usually reveal the numbers in the most dramatic order possible. Since rolls of 1 or 6 are guaranteed to be higher or lower, respectively, these digits are usually revealed first if any are rolled, leaving the most uncertain guesses for last.
For a roll to count, the die must settle beyond the white line at the end of the rolling table, to prevent players from rigging their throws. If a die settles behind or on the line, even if it bounced there after passing the line first, the contestant must roll again. Rolls are also disqualified if they land on the floor.
[edit] History
Dice Game was created by producer Robert Sherman. [1] The game was originally played for cars with four-digit prices, and the first digit was not given. For about the first year that Dice Game was played, the prices of the cars contained digits other than 1-6; this made the game extremely difficult to win (partly because some numbers were impossible to roll out exactly), leading to the implementation of the current rules.
During the 1980s, when cars under $6,667 were still common, the game was occasionally played for cars with five digit prices. When such cars were offered, the game was known as "Deluxe Dice Game;" it is believed to have appeared for the first time on April 22, 1983. The word "Deluxe" was added to the top of the game board, and an extra display box was added to for the free digit.
On January 8, 1988, the game offered its last four-digit car. Thereafter the five-digit version of Dice Game became permanent. Beginning with the 1988-'89 TV season, the "Deluxe" moniker was dropped. On December 15, 1989, a completely redesigned game board debuted.
The automatic assignment of ones and sixes began in season 36, with host Drew Carey. Former Price Is Right host Bob Barker required the formality of having the contestant actually say "higher" or "lower" when rolling ones or sixes.
