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POLL: Most heartbreaking losses?

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ChuckNet:
Here's a few of my personal choices...

First would be the infamous $20K Pyramid "Famous Losers" heartbreaker w/Didi Conn from 1979.

An eerily similar one occured on the $25K just 3 yrs later, during their 2nd wk on-air...the final WC category is "Things You Clip", and Jay Johnson offers partner Tom the clue "Something out of a newspaper" - a big no-no - as a clue, Tom gets it, and as they're celebrating his $25K win, the buzzer sounds, but they go to commercial before anything can be explained.

Upon returning, Dick says "You've prolly noticed that the mood around here is a bit more sedate than it was a moment ago...", even indirectly referencing the aforementioned Famous Losers incident, before playing a clip of Jay's illegal clue and explaining that it was no good and they had to take back Tom's $25K that he thought he'd won.

A $otC from 1984 where a contestant lost the cash jackpot after being beaten by only *$2*.

Any High Rollers ep where a contestant lost the Big Numbers by default via their leaving "1" as the very last number on the board.

And here's a near-heartbreaker: on Hit Man, champ Leon Reed (who'd previously appeared on Bullseye and TTD, maybe more) was asked the question "Who sang 'As Time Goes By' in Casablanca?" during the Triple Crown...he answered "Sam" (the character), but Peter's card read Dooley Wilson (the actor) and he was called incorrect, which only would've made a difference if he got to the final question in the $10K column...guess what question Peter was in the middle of reading when time ran out? :-(

However, good sense apparently prevailed...after deliberating during the break, Peter explained that Wolpert and crew had decided that Leon's earlier response of Sam on the ATGB question was acceptable, and he'd won the $10K as a result...he was quite delighted by this bit of news, as I recall. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

adamjk:
How about the Davidson $100k Pyramid $100k loss on "things that stick out". Boy that one was really heartbreaking. Although the woman who lost that, came back and still won the $100k anyway.

anytime a contestant loses on a full count in 3 strikes on Price that is heartbreaking, or when there is a Double Overbid with both contestants just barely over.

Don Howard:
[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 08:41 PM\'] A $otC from 1984 where a contestant lost the cash jackpot after being beaten by only *$2*.

 [/quote]
 Was this the guy whose main game loss enabled the cash jackpot to reach $100,000 for the first and only time?

rmfromfla:
Here are a couple of heartbreakers from the early seasons of J! (1984-       )

   1.   Season 2 (or 3?)  -  Contestant has correct response in FJ, but fails to
 phrase in the form of a question  -  she breaks down on her podium and the
 audience is silent as Johnny Gilbert begins the ads....

  2.  Lionel Goldbart forgets his phrasing in a 1986  TOC semifinal game....

  3.  Season 4:  Unheralded housewife Cheryl Van Middlesworth knocks off
 4xer Ron Triguero in her first game,  then wins three more that Alex describes
 as "winning ugly".  She goes into the FJ of her last game $200 short of what
 would have been at least a tie and a trip to the TOC ($5,400 -  2,800), but
 cannot close the deal as Larry Frantz nails FJ, and Cheryl misses with a wager
 of $201 (won $36,900, but way short of an at-large berth).

zachhoran:
[quote name=\'rmfromfla\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 09:01 PM\'] Here are a couple of heartbreakers from the early seasons of J! (1984-       )

   1.   Season 2 (or 3?)  -  Contestant has correct response in FJ, but fails to
 phrase in the form of a question  -  she breaks down on her podium and the
 audience is silent as Johnny Gilbert begins the ads....
 [/quote]
 Add to the J! heartbreaks(though more recent): Brian Weikle's error in wagering that cost him the 2003 TofC.

Those contestants forgetting proper phrasing in FJ! are the reason they now have the players write down "Who" or "What" before the answer is revealed.

Other heartbreaking losses:

Pretty much any 198 or 199 score in Fast Money on FF.

Contestants losing all or almost all on a Big Bet on CS(especially if it's several thousand risked) due to a King-Ace or THree-Two(or a Two or Ace push in the early years).

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