When I had a sick day from school, I always looked forward to 11:00 - when The Price Is Right began. And if Bob Barker announced that they were playing Plinko, I would explode with joy. It is the best game on the long-running show. The game celebrated its 30th anniversary today, with the show - now hosted by Drew Carey - forcing every contestant to play Plinko.
The game is also among the most simple in the show’s roster. A contestant will get at least one Plink chip, guaranteeing a shot at the $10,000 slot. The contestant can get more four more chips by correctly guessing the retail prices for different items. (So, like all games on The Price Is Right, you do actually have to get the right price.)
According to Entertainment Weekly, there are some who aren’t fans of the super-easy game. NPR writer Linda Holmes wrote an entire piece in June slamming the game. She calls people who love the game “Wrongety Wrong Wrong” and “Doctors Of Wrongology.” Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bet when they wrote that.
Around the time that Holmes’ piece was published, Wired did a mathematically study on the game, proving what we all know: dropping the chip in the center gives you the best chance at getting $10,000.
So, since I enjoy Plinko (and many others do), here’s some memorable clips from the history of Plinko:
Here is the first ever Plinko game from 1983. “It’s terrific!” the contestant tells Barker at the end. Of course, she just won $6,500.
In 2007, a woman set the Plinko record with $30,100.
She broke a record set in 2001:
Here’s the ‘Plinko Master’:
And finally, Snoop Dogg/Lion is really good at Plinko:
image: CBS