Dice Game (pricing game)
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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.
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[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, or if it goes off the table, the contestant must roll again.
[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, car prices contained all ten digits (0-9) and this made the game extremely difficult to win (as a contestant could not roll 0 or 7-9 exactly, which in turn led to larger odds against winning), leading to the implementation of the current rules. The original rules led to an interesting presentation of the game that was not eliminated until the host change in 2007, in that the contestant would always be asked if a roll of 1 or 6 was higher or lower. When Drew Carey became host, all rolls of 1 or 6 were automatically given the appropriate border light.
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" and 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 a removable display box was added to the left side to show the free digit the contestant was given.
On January 8, 1988 the game offered its last car priced under $6,667, after which the five-digit version became permanent. In September 1988, at the beginning of Season 17, the "Deluxe" title was dropped.
On December 15, 1989 a completely redesigned game board debuted. That board lasted until February 19, 2009, when the game was taken out of the rotation. A new HDTV-friendly game board debuted during Season 38 on September 23, 2009.
[edit] Nighttime Appearances
Dice Game was one of five pricing games introduced in the fifth and final nighttime season hosted by Dennis James – the other four being Cliff Hangers, Danger Price, Hurdles and 3 Strikes.
Both the regular Dice Game and its "Deluxe" variant were played on the 1980s nighttime syndicated version hosted by Tom Kennedy.
