It\'s been confirmed that Wheel of Fortune has eliminated the Jackpot Round for Season 31.
It had been in the syndicated version since 1996, and had appeared in the daytime version as well.
Brian
Was the more familiar version played the same way on the daytime version?
I, for one, am disappointed. I thought the Jackpot was a great addition to the show.
I\'d have rather seen the Prize Puzzle take a hike and see the wheel add values (in addition to the top dollar values on the wheel) of $1000 in R1, $1500 in R2, and $2000 in R3 and up to compensate that loss.
I suppose by cutting the Jackpot, they get a round, besides the often shortened Round 4, of just straight gameplay. That is, if you ignore the car wedges.
Was the more familiar version played the same way on the daytime version?
Straight from the defunct Brad Francini timeline of the show:
The Mike Darrow version of Jackpot! was alive and well in 1987, and so was a Jackpot space on the daytime version of Wheel of Fortune. Unlike the current, more complex Jackpot concept on the syndicated show, the Jackpot space in 1987 was a simple wheel prize that was earned if a contestant landed on it. The jackpot increased $1000 every day it wasn\'t won. If the contestant with the wedge solved the puzzle at the time s/he had it in his/her bank, the cash was added to their total and available for shopping.
According to the Wheel History Wiki, the daytime Jackpot (1986-88) was started at $1,000 and was progressive, growing by $1,000 each day it wasn\'t won. There was a $22K Jackpot win in 1987.
Brian
Nope, it would grow day-by-day at $1,000 a clip, it was claimed like an extra wheel prize at the time, if you won it the money went into your spending spree as opposed to cash you could take home.Was the more familiar version played the same way on the daytime version?
Source?
This was on the Buy A Vowel boards. A source attending the first tapings of the season confirmed the Jackpot Round\'s retirement.
Further, it was used only in Round 3 (on the red $300 between $200 and $250) and counted toward the final scores, so it could easily skewer the game if it got around $5,000 or so.According to the Wheel History Wiki, the daytime Jackpot (1986-88) was started at $1,000 and was progressive, growing by $1,000 each day it wasn\'t won.
Unless it changed at some point (which is entirely possible), Pat clearly states it\'s a cash award in the 1986-87 shows that are online. I\'ve seen two Jackpot winners -- one solved for $1,950 and a $2,000 Jackpot, the other for $1,500 and a $1,000 Jackpot -- but both went shopping with the non-Jackpot money (and in the case of the former, Jack ended his prize plugs with \"Plus a check for $2,000!\").if you won it the money went into your spending spree as opposed to cash you could take home.
I\'m pretty sure it\'s not. I have my suspicions, though.I don\'t think \"just cuz\" is the reason.
The gameplay structure has changed, but the source mentioned by Brian wanted to keep it a surprise because \"it\'s really cool\".I would wager that something will replace the Jackpot Round. Just about every year there\'s some new googaw or doohickey in play.
This was on the Buy A Vowel boards. A source attending the first tapings of the season confirmed the Jackpot Round\'s retirement.
I can\'t imagine them retiring a round without something replacing it. Plus I can\'t see Pat going back to \"top dollar value for our first round is $x,000 and look out for this black space...\"
Plus it was a sponsored round and they would lose a plug. I\'ll await confirmation.
This was on the Buy A Vowel boards. A source attending the first tapings of the season confirmed the Jackpot Round\'s retirement.
I can\'t imagine them retiring a round without something replacing it. Plus I can\'t see Pat going back to \"top dollar value for our first round is $x,000 and look out for this black space...\"
Plus it was a sponsored round and they would lose a plug. I\'ll await confirmation.
It\'s been confirmed that Wheel of Fortune has eliminated the Jackpot Round for Season 31.
It had been in the syndicated version since 1996, and had appeared in the daytime version as well.
Brian
I\'ll second Mr. Mangin\'s question, Brian - do you have a source for this?
It\'s been confirmed that Wheel of Fortune has eliminated the Jackpot Round for Season 31.
It had been in the syndicated version since 1996, and had appeared in the daytime version as well.
Brian
I\'ll second Mr. Mangin\'s question, Brian - do you have a source for this?
I\'m going to assume that this is Brian\'s source. Like he said earlier, it is from the Buy A Vowel Boards and a member there interviewed a contestant who participated in the first round of tapings.
I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source. I see a Mario in that thread, a Way(overboard)oshi, a Peacock, and a Benfield. Not exactly the Mount Rushmore of good game show info there.
Official photo with the Round 1 layout (and the new logo), posted on Page 3 of said topic.I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source.
I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source. I see a Mario in that thread, a Way(overboard)oshi, a Peacock, and a Benfield. Not exactly the Mount Rushmore of good game show info there.
Definitely not the same Mario as here. Everything else is on point. I agree something more official would be nice, but considering these guys (and I mean Mario and other site staff) at that board are pretty good at finding pictures and information from people who attend the tapings, I\'m more inclined to take their word for it. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
Give that man 10 Eberle escudos.I see a Mario in that thread, a Way(overboard)oshi, a Peacock, and a Benfield. Not exactly the Mount Rushmore of good game show info there.
I\'m going to assume that this is Brian\'s source. Like he said earlier, it is from the Buy A Vowel Boards and a member there interviewed a contestant who participated in the first round of tapings.
That thread is very... fascinating. Yeah, that\'s a good word for it.
I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source. I see a Mario in that thread, a Way(overboard)oshi, a Peacock, and a Benfield. Not exactly the Mount Rushmore of good game show info there.
Definitely not the same Mario as here.
In that case, my apologies to that Mario for lumping him in with the other three. I agree with what others have said, if the Jackpot round is gone, something has to be replacing it because that\'s one less brand on the show and it seems inconsistent to have a gimmick not attached to round one, yet round two is still the mystery round and round three is the vacation most likely to be someplace in the Caribbean or Central America prize puzzle.
Let the record show that I only posted once in that thread. I\'m not a fan of speculation, myself.
And I know you have every reason to distrust me, Benfield, and Wayoshi. But I would think the pictures they dug up are solid proof.
Let the record show that I only posted once in that thread. I\'m not a fan of speculation, myself.
And I know you have every reason to distrust me, Benfield, and Wayoshi. But I would think the pictures they dug up are solid proof.
I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source.
Official photo with the Round 1 layout (and the new logo), posted on Page 3 of said topic.
That can\'t possibly be right. I see a full four consecutive spaces without any form of cardboard on them.
Official photo with the Round 1 layout (and the new logo), posted on Page 3 of said topic.
I\'m still taking that info with a giant grain of salt until I see a more official source.
That can\'t possibly be right. I see a full four consecutive spaces without any form of cardboard on them.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jul/28/wheel-fortune-pat-sajak-vanna-white-spins-venetia/
Photo gallery in the link above shows a great close up of the new logo, round 4 config and slew of other pics.
Buzz has it that the new dongle is the $1000 Express:
I understand the $1000 Express pulls out of the station right after the 5:15 to Flavortown.
I would venture that the prize puzzle moves to a different round, to keep the one gimmick per round intact. Placing the prize puzzle in the first round doesn\'t seem like a great fit, as that would likely give the first round winner a lead of close to $10,000 before the first break. The $1000 Express sounds like it would be a better fit for the first round. I like the sounds of this Express as it rewards players who can solve a puzzle early, not that getting a few thou with only a few blanks left in a puzzle is chicken feed. Kudos to the powers that be for adding a new wrinkle and keeping the game fresh.
One question I haven\'t seen answered anywhere: Will a contestant be able to stop \"Express mode\" voluntarily for another spin, or are they stuck until they solve the puzzle or make a mistake once they go for it?
One question I haven\'t seen answered anywhere: Will a contestant be able to stop \"Express mode\" voluntarily for another spin, or are they stuck until they solve the puzzle or make a mistake once they go for it?
Apparently once you commit, it ends with either you solving the puzzle or going Bankrupt after a miss...
It sounds like a good idea- if someone hits it early on in a round with a big puzzle, playing the odds could be very profitable, especially since you can buy vowels during the run..
That is much more interesting than what I pictured.Apparently once you commit, it ends with either you solving the puzzle or going Bankrupt after a miss...
I would venture that the prize puzzle moves to a different round, to keep the one gimmick per round intact.
Also buzzed, the Express wedge will be in Round 3 with the Prize Puzzle. Round 1 will apparently be a full regular round.
I would venture that the prize puzzle moves to a different round, to keep the one gimmick per round intact.
Also buzzed, the Express wedge will be in Round 3 with the Prize Puzzle. Round 1 will apparently be a full regular round.
If that\'s true, I would guess the winner of round 3 will end up being the day\'s winner at least 75% of the time, with most of the other 25% of the time the winner coming from after a final spin where Pat hits $5K (+1K). I do not like combining the Express and the Prize Puzzle into Round 3 for a number of reasons--a plain Jane Round 1, a gimmick-loaded Round 3, anything after R3 likely will not affect who wins for the day unless Pat\'s final spin lands on the biggie. From what I have read, the Express sounds clever and better than the Jackpot space. At the same time, I think Harry and Co. made a little mistake by not giving the Express its own dedicated round, though I can understand the reasoning for placing it in the final \"normal\" round (non-speed round, on most days).
Isn\'t the Round 3 puzzle the biggest one as in number of letters usually? That might be why they put the Express in this round- though I agree they should have gone with maybe Mystery Wedge in Round 1, Prize Puzzle in Round 2, Express in Round 3. At least it stretches the gimmicks out a little...
The Prize Puzzle counts as a gimmick? I just tune it out like another ad.
Although it does explain why the Round 1 wheel posted the other day has four consecutive dollar amounts - the Express goes over one of them in Round 3.
