I want to know the stories behind the stories - Who cares about Michael Larson? I want to know where Ed and Janie are now! Ed got a sex change in 1991 and now lives life as a Realtor named Jacqueline. Janie was an original founder of HBO and is now a top dog breeder and sells homemade oatmeal cookies in her free time. LOL
Viewer (1984): "Oh my God, an unemployed man in the desperate throes of a gambling addiction is going to lose it all before my very eyes. It's sad, but I can't look away..."
Michael (1984): "Okay, so this is the one that goes left, right, right, left, right..."
Viewer (2012): "I can't believe he HACKED a f@$%ing game show. It's so sad, and balls-to-the-wall awesome at the same time..."
It's basically counting cards (except more effective). It takes skill, practice and focus to do it, but it's not actually cheating. Casinos will ask you to leave and not return, but won't say, "Hey we're not going to pay you because you cheated. Just get the hell out. *blacklisted*".
i think its funny how you people call this guy a scam artist for being good at a game show and yet football players get paid millions for being good at throwing catching and running.
hes not a scammer hes a smart guy which is more then can be said for most professional sports players
this guy is a hero who proved you CAN beat the system if you try hard enough
@webmaster8040 There was no scam here, he beat press your luck fair and square , but he did end his life on the run from the fbi for a pyramid scheme he cooked up.
Anybody could of done what he done, only thing is he is the only one to take the time to do so. He isnt a criminal or a scam artist. He just outsmarted the lazy producers who never took the time to respect the human brain.
@flippinablazing Larson had surpassed the CBS winnings cap (at the time) of $25,000, he was not allowed to return for the next show. Any person that won over $25,000 retired undefeated, with the full amount won in his or her appearances.
Also, to be fair, how did the producers not notice that the top middle square and the middle right squares all had money + spins all the time? Surely that was a brainfart?
Surely they would have thought to put the most lucrative spaces right next to whammies each side?
@Ascyltos Yeah, the non-randomized patterns wouldn't have been a huge issue if it wasn't for those money+spins, if those had been put on whammy spaces(thus making it too risky for Larson to pull any stunts), then the producers could've avoided something like this happening.
i hate people who are pissed at this guy. What about the Illuminati, the 1% of the population that has most of the wealth? Why aren't you pissed at them? What is moral about their selfishness? This poor guy was just trying to get some money because he was unemployed. He is on our side! Fuck all of you that are hating on him!
@bttfnut89 They actually banned all his episodes from airing as reruns for a long time...game show producers aren't happy when they have to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to the average winnings around $10k :) not to mention the lost credibility
Did you hear the tone when the dude said "unemployed ice cream truck driver"? Sounds like he's a little peeved that someone figured the game out. But honestly when you pay attention you notice it right away.
While I agree this man is very clever, I think this proves that money doesn't solve a person's problems. He died in Florida of throat cancer after running from the law over a state lottery scam. If I'm remembering the story right, around the time of his death he became increasingly paranoid, and went so far as to threaten his wife and children with a knife. The guy was clearly not happy.
Seriously, several spaces on the board always have free spins, and it's just a matter of watching the light. This guy was not an evil genius (he got scammed out of all the money he won on the show)
@givebeesachance Yeah, there was a square on the top left which cycled through a pretty obvious patter. I mean, obviously it's a little bit insane to sit at home and study video tapes of the board for hours (which he did), but I'm sure a very observant person with fast reflexes would be able to do what he did without studying it for days. I don't think he should have lost his money. If I had watched this show daily, I (and the rest of the world) probably could have done what he did.
hahaha this cracks me. some unemployed ice cream driver comes on the show and wins over 100,000$ in a day. the producers and the host must have flipped shit
All of you listened to This American Life Podcast right? It featured a story about this guy and how he beat the game. Using a VCR (and the pause button) He figured out that there were 5 patterns
It's a shame that a guy can use his brain to study and understand something in its entirety to full exploit it, and then be ridiculed as a criminal by those who simply envy his competence.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
@Zelrio28 The ethical problem I have with what he did is that he was watching game shows all day long trying to find something he could exploit. He found one in Press your luck and then studied it to get the patterns down.
How can there not be any exploits in a computer controlled, numeral based, "chance" system?
Computers can't actually generate random numbers. There is always a pattern. Sure, depending on the data set it might be fucking enormous, but there's ALWAYS a pattern.
Here, there was 6. Just 6. That's it. 6 patterns. That's not an exploit, that's somebody with above average intelligence and good pattern recognition skills.
The fucking amazing thing is the guy actually got on the show.
@Sashinator0 It's not really a big deal. You gotta study the game and your opponent, which was the game in this case, before confronting it. He simply watched, and observed. I could never do that simply because my memory is too horrible. He drove an ice cream truck, so I don't blame him for watching and noticing. After 1 episode, you can figure out that it's not totally random. If anything, CBS should have been smart enough to have more patterns, because eventually, someone would outsmart it
@Sashinator0 i can't see how ethics come into it. if i could do it i would, and most of use would. if you then have a crisis of conscience, donate some of it to charity.
if it is unethical to exploit weaknesses, then we live in a VERY unethical world...
@mistersnaredrum Clearly many disagree with me on this which is fine, but I think there is a difference between seeking out scams (legal or not) and noticing a pattern.
If I was a fan of the show and figured out the pattern I would do this too, but he was a greedy scam artist and lost the money.
@Sashinator0 why does what kind of person he is or the reasons he did it matter? What youre basically saying is that because he dedicated time and effort into figuring out how to use something broken for his own advantage hes a bad man. You call him a scam artist, but what he did is hugely different from people who outright lie to you in order to take advantage of people or a situation, or get you into a position in order to be taken advantage of. Do you call people who count cards scam artists?
@midnightfenrir I'm not saying he is a bad man because of this incident, I'm just saying that I don't see him as the hero many people on these videos call him out to be. I just happen to see a very fine gray line between him and Charles Ingram who used cough signals to win the top prize on British Millionaire.
Companies hire lawyers to keep closing the loop holes and others keep finding new ones, And of course I have to pay for it and sign 25 page documents I don't understand.
@midnightfenrir Charles Ingram and accomplace(s) cheated, and by cheated I mean 'broke the rules', which he had previously been made aware of. Michael Larson just used patience and initiative to memorise a routine and comitted himself to getting on the show. Smart, but certainly not sneaky.
@Sashinator0 I think people are so caught up in what's good or bad and don't realize that there's no such thing. What he made was a decision, keep living his life working day-to-day making next to nothing or make a load of cash in a day. There is no good or bad. If you don't understand something, maybe you should try to understand it like what this guy did and he made a hell of a lot of money off it. Plus, after this game, they changed the game system.
@Sashinator0 No. Wrong. Sorry. Michael Larsen simply found a game breaking strategy.
Is it a scam to break a game in this manner? If I were a chess grandmaster and I developed an opening that nobody else thought of and that most other players hadn't come up with in order to beat them, is that a scam? What about in Magic the Gathering, if I find a card combination that the designers never noticed that can give a first turn win, is that a scam?
The game was pitched as a game of chance, and that's how most people played it. Due to a poor planning, it was made into a game of skill. Using skill to win a game of skill is not unethical. It's like a carnival game. The carnies want you to play one way, a way that stacks the odds in their favor, but if you apply a technique, you win. The producers may have lost out, but it was a risk they didn't consider, that's they're fault.
@midnightfenrir He actually became a scam artist after winning the money, losing it, etc., so, yeah, he is a scam artist, even though not as a consequence of his appearance on this show. I agree with you that what he did here was not cheating, just simply awesome and that what he did here was not cheating.
True, and I agree, but it is somewhat telling that this guy based his entire life out of scams and cheating, and also happened to do the above. This is probably one of the only things he did that wasn't illegal on some level.
It is unethical to take away from people, from poor ones or from the average joes to exploit their weaknesses. But from a multi million dollar company? Ridiculous.
@Sashinator0 How is taking a paltry 100k from a multi million dollar television company more than likely owned and operated by some of the worst people in this planet considered unethical? To me it's the most ethical thing a man could do, take a little from someone who has everything and spread it among others. You'd be a fool not to see this.
@Sashinator0 quote:"The ethical problem I have with what he did is that he was watching game shows all day long trying to find something he could exploit."
How is that any different from Stock Marketeers?
Hell, all things considered, at least he's using his brain.
Most stock trading these days is handled by Computers and their algorithms.
While I don't know if he's a 'hero' he's definitely a demonstrable role model for one bottom line lesson: If you use your brain, you'll make lots of money :)
I wonder if they will do a tv movie of this situation. I bet there were more people that did the same thing Mike did, but they didn't make it on the show. Poor guys, that's too bad!
I laugh at the people claiming he is some sort of criminal for using a VHS tape and a remote and studying the board. It's actually just clever dedication.
Before the spin at the 4:03 mark Michael's score is $40,601 but jumps by $2000 after earning just $1000.
Wikipedia says that a spin was edited out, but the discussion page says that the scoreboard operator, Darlene Lieblich, accidentally credited Michael with $2000 instead of $1000.
Thing is, i dont care how much you memorize something, the guy was human he could have easily hit the button a split-second too soon or late and lost it all. Which he almost did twice after he passes $80.000
It often hurts to know when other people are dead right about something they argue about. There was that feeling among the staff and it's a feeling i'm sure they will remember for the rest of their lives. As Michael continues to boogie his way through the board, the get rich quick scheme becomes obvious. Proving once again that paying attention can make you successful.
Not really, add a one was only in the first round and it would be hard to get to over $10,000 there, then he would risk his money landing on a dangerous square.
he didn't lose any money, they had to give it all over, because he technically didn't cheat. after this incident they changed the pattern, so they changed it radically to stop it ever happening again
By the time he had won 35,000 +, i'm sure that the CBS producers knew something was up. BUT like i said before, this dude did NOT cheat. He figured out the predictable game board. This dude simply used his brain.
Well, you know, they say there's a first time for everything. And this is the first time we have not been able to complete our game in the appointed time.
To think, I used to love Press Your Luck growing up, but only yesterday did I hear about this incident. It's pretty amazing to see it with my own eyes, though!
all they had to do was remove the cash reward and the free spin and it wouldn't matter
KaiserVadin 3 days ago
Comment removed
MoviesAK 1 week ago
You know you broke the game when the host runs out of cheesy lines to say.
jjvirus 1 month ago
I want to know the stories behind the stories - Who cares about Michael Larson? I want to know where Ed and Janie are now! Ed got a sex change in 1991 and now lives life as a Realtor named Jacqueline. Janie was an original founder of HBO and is now a top dog breeder and sells homemade oatmeal cookies in her free time. LOL
Kiyema 1 month ago 2
Viewer (1984): "Oh my God, an unemployed man in the desperate throes of a gambling addiction is going to lose it all before my very eyes. It's sad, but I can't look away..."
Michael (1984): "Okay, so this is the one that goes left, right, right, left, right..."
Viewer (2012): "I can't believe he HACKED a f@$%ing game show. It's so sad, and balls-to-the-wall awesome at the same time..."
Michael (2012): ...
CountArtha 1 month ago
"Fuck your pitiful human game show," - Michael Larson
mitdylan 2 months ago
This guy not only wammy's the wammy but the network when they tried to take his winnings.
gamehound83 2 months ago
@gamehound83
But then the Whammy took away his money in a business scam.
This actually made me really sad to know. <:(
BLACKIESBOY 2 months ago
Of course big screen TV back then was the mighty 17 inch
NotSoLiberal 2 months ago
The man who whammied the whammy!
corwin11412 3 months ago 5
A game show legend!!!
MsSuzyQ88 4 months ago
unemployed and an ice cream truck driver???
braddockakalatis2 4 months ago
well he doesnt have to be a ice cream man anymore
OmagaMinion 4 months ago
It's basically counting cards (except more effective). It takes skill, practice and focus to do it, but it's not actually cheating. Casinos will ask you to leave and not return, but won't say, "Hey we're not going to pay you because you cheated. Just get the hell out. *blacklisted*".
ccayco 6 months ago
i think its funny how you people call this guy a scam artist for being good at a game show and yet football players get paid millions for being good at throwing catching and running.
hes not a scammer hes a smart guy which is more then can be said for most professional sports players
this guy is a hero who proved you CAN beat the system if you try hard enough
webmaster8040 7 months ago
@webmaster8040 There was no scam here, he beat press your luck fair and square , but he did end his life on the run from the fbi for a pyramid scheme he cooked up.
canibaloxide 7 months ago
@canibaloxide thats what im saying what he did was NOT a scam just a really clever way to make a lot of money.
webmaster8040 7 months ago
doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo STOP!!!
dodge6789 7 months ago 3
Actually he studied the game for six months.
jeffersontool 7 months ago
Anybody could of done what he done, only thing is he is the only one to take the time to do so. He isnt a criminal or a scam artist. He just outsmarted the lazy producers who never took the time to respect the human brain.
ReservoirDog101 10 months ago
its all the bee beee doo doo its actually hypnotizing and once you understand it and find your groove you can actually get this quite easily....
MICHAEL LARSON UNDERSTOOD BINARY!
VienAmor 10 months ago
Isn't the winner supposed to come back and play again? lollllllll
flippinablazing 10 months ago
@flippinablazing Larson had surpassed the CBS winnings cap (at the time) of $25,000, he was not allowed to return for the next show. Any person that won over $25,000 retired undefeated, with the full amount won in his or her appearances.
RGSJenkins88 8 months ago
@RGSJenkins88 Thanks for clarifying that!
flippinablazing 8 months ago
Also, to be fair, how did the producers not notice that the top middle square and the middle right squares all had money + spins all the time? Surely that was a brainfart?
Surely they would have thought to put the most lucrative spaces right next to whammies each side?
Ascyltos 11 months ago
@Ascyltos Yeah, the non-randomized patterns wouldn't have been a huge issue if it wasn't for those money+spins, if those had been put on whammy spaces(thus making it too risky for Larson to pull any stunts), then the producers could've avoided something like this happening.
darkrage6 7 months ago
i hate people who are pissed at this guy. What about the Illuminati, the 1% of the population that has most of the wealth? Why aren't you pissed at them? What is moral about their selfishness? This poor guy was just trying to get some money because he was unemployed. He is on our side! Fuck all of you that are hating on him!
SpoiledLogic 11 months ago
the greatest asshole to bless the earth
lokester712 11 months ago
@bttfnut89 They actually banned all his episodes from airing as reruns for a long time...game show producers aren't happy when they have to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to the average winnings around $10k :) not to mention the lost credibility
antourte 1 year ago
i think they should have opened every following episode with Larson instead of that annoying woman
bttfnut89 1 year ago
Guy on the left at the beggining is having an epic facepalm
Like40Ninjaz 1 year ago
"Or will Michael end up owning the network"
chaserof 1 year ago 35
How can you not love this guy? :D
nimbo343 1 year ago
Did you hear the tone when the dude said "unemployed ice cream truck driver"? Sounds like he's a little peeved that someone figured the game out. But honestly when you pay attention you notice it right away.
00Yahiko 1 year ago
this story came on unbelievable
vollystri 1 year ago
While I agree this man is very clever, I think this proves that money doesn't solve a person's problems. He died in Florida of throat cancer after running from the law over a state lottery scam. If I'm remembering the story right, around the time of his death he became increasingly paranoid, and went so far as to threaten his wife and children with a knife. The guy was clearly not happy.
Homer92 1 year ago
3:15 He has his cool face on
lostMYemail 1 year ago
What law states you can't watch game shows?
What law states you can't study patterns?
WiiMonster 1 year ago 2
check his scoreboard at 4:05 then watch him hit 1000 + spin and the scoreboard gives him an extra grand!
brooks5510 1 year ago
@brooks5510 Good catch.
trlkly 1 year ago
Comment removed
brooks5510 1 year ago
"... or will he end up owning the network?"
HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH
YooToobBaller 1 year ago 12
no whammies.
pauliosiebert 1 year ago
It's quite easy to see the pattern if you take the time to study it. I'm sure a lot of contestants do that, not just Michael.
MademoiselleChopin 1 year ago
@MademoiselleChopin
Seriously, several spaces on the board always have free spins, and it's just a matter of watching the light. This guy was not an evil genius (he got scammed out of all the money he won on the show)
givebeesachance 1 year ago
@givebeesachance Yeah, there was a square on the top left which cycled through a pretty obvious patter. I mean, obviously it's a little bit insane to sit at home and study video tapes of the board for hours (which he did), but I'm sure a very observant person with fast reflexes would be able to do what he did without studying it for days. I don't think he should have lost his money. If I had watched this show daily, I (and the rest of the world) probably could have done what he did.
MademoiselleChopin 1 year ago
Hustlin ! plain and simple
9ballpimp 1 year ago
Saying that he is some sort of scam artist is really stupid. That's basically like accusing someone educated for cheating at life.
newnilzizi 1 year ago
Honestly, why do people have such a problem with this guy.
Ingenuity pays off, in whatever avenue one decides to persue.
It is this kind of observent, calculated effort that makes the free market so great.
And in this case the game show was Not more intelligent than this ice cream man, so it lost money, just like in any other financial venture.
DocUnsane 1 year ago
Well done cracking their system! But poor poker face, geez.
ethanL337 1 year ago
Is a football coach a cheat for scouting his opponent using video?
beaverpitt 1 year ago
I'm glad is wasn't the jesus freak who won
needabloodyname 1 year ago
3:15 "Hahaha yeah Im a Fucker!"
bloodawn5 1 year ago
@bloodawn5 LMAO!!
gameshowluvr86 1 year ago
"We've never had this happen"
by that point he was thinking "it better not fucking happen again"
randoguy101 1 year ago
With the amounts of money these TV assholes makes its a delight to rip them off!
netorders31 1 year ago
they should make a movie about this guy.
Gustavo0929 1 year ago
"Will he end up owning the network?" - Well, he did.
FallenAngelIII 1 year ago
"will he end up owning the network?" haha. This guy is great.
DrRoy1 1 year ago
The only crime this man committed was doing something this awesome and then losing it all on an investment scam (except the trip, of course.)
WynneL 1 year ago 11
@WynneL CRACKED, Right?
Joel5656 1 year ago
@Joel5656 Ohhhh, yeah. *grins*
WynneL 1 year ago
"He has 4 spins left."
No, he has infinity spins left.
JustAThrowAwayName 1 year ago 90
LOL THIS IS CLASSIC WHAT ARE THE OTHER CONTESTANTS THINKING???!?!!!!!!?
yankees2249 1 year ago 2
this is the smartest ice cream man ever!
phullofit 1 year ago 4
Carl Marx is on a ROLL
MontyPython134 1 year ago
Such a fascinating character study. Nothing's stopping him and he knows it.
avenger1000 1 year ago 6
Host says: This is unreal!
Host thinks: I am SO fired if he doesn’t hit a whammy soon!
KariHikariOokami 1 year ago 2
will michael hit a hamy or will he own the network lol priceless
priori191 1 year ago 2
I love how the baptist minister looks like a stereotypical pedophile.
ross817 1 year ago
@ross817 That's probly because he was, typical religious moron.
needabloodyname 1 year ago
CRACKED, Also Icecream men are elite space deities
KrypticGuy666 1 year ago 4
@KrypticGuy666
Completely true. It is a proven fact, you can look it up.
littleicyman 1 year ago
The woman playing in the opening of that show has the most annoying, irritating, screeching voice -.-''
TheEclipse9 1 year ago
this guy is my hero. also, his beard
Cankersaurus3 1 year ago 2
Sucks he lost all his money and died at 49.
MiRyRE 1 year ago 2
hahaha this cracks me. some unemployed ice cream driver comes on the show and wins over 100,000$ in a day. the producers and the host must have flipped shit
ApolloTheTruth 1 year ago 2
@ApolloTheTruth how was he unemployed if he was an ice cream man?
AAWPaintball 1 year ago
@AAWPaintball he said he was unemployed at the time, only is an icecream man in summer time. irregardless, its not much of a job lol
ApolloTheTruth 1 year ago
All of you listened to This American Life Podcast right? It featured a story about this guy and how he beat the game. Using a VCR (and the pause button) He figured out that there were 5 patterns
calico992 1 year ago
It's a shame that a guy can use his brain to study and understand something in its entirety to full exploit it, and then be ridiculed as a criminal by those who simply envy his competence.
Zelrio28 1 year ago 197
This comment has received too many negative votes show
@Zelrio28 The ethical problem I have with what he did is that he was watching game shows all day long trying to find something he could exploit. He found one in Press your luck and then studied it to get the patterns down.
Sashinator0 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 eithical? a gameshow? ethical? its like you are saying las vegas machines are ethical?
leave ethical at the door and root for the corporations.
gyco7 1 year ago 6
@Sashinator0
The system shouldn't have any exploits in the first place, expecially not when there's money at stake.
Rimsa 1 year ago
@Rimsa
How can there not be any exploits in a computer controlled, numeral based, "chance" system?
Computers can't actually generate random numbers. There is always a pattern. Sure, depending on the data set it might be fucking enormous, but there's ALWAYS a pattern.
Here, there was 6. Just 6. That's it. 6 patterns. That's not an exploit, that's somebody with above average intelligence and good pattern recognition skills.
The fucking amazing thing is the guy actually got on the show.
Zen5012 1 year ago
@Zen5012
The marked square should have been flashing twice as fast, anyone with reflexes could exploit this game >.<
Rimsa 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 And whats the problem with that?
ALEXPLC 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 so?
Cankersaurus3 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 It's not really a big deal. You gotta study the game and your opponent, which was the game in this case, before confronting it. He simply watched, and observed. I could never do that simply because my memory is too horrible. He drove an ice cream truck, so I don't blame him for watching and noticing. After 1 episode, you can figure out that it's not totally random. If anything, CBS should have been smart enough to have more patterns, because eventually, someone would outsmart it
TheEclipse9 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 i can't see how ethics come into it. if i could do it i would, and most of use would. if you then have a crisis of conscience, donate some of it to charity.
if it is unethical to exploit weaknesses, then we live in a VERY unethical world...
mistersnaredrum 1 year ago 23
@mistersnaredrum Clearly many disagree with me on this which is fine, but I think there is a difference between seeking out scams (legal or not) and noticing a pattern.
If I was a fan of the show and figured out the pattern I would do this too, but he was a greedy scam artist and lost the money.
Sashinator0 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 why does what kind of person he is or the reasons he did it matter? What youre basically saying is that because he dedicated time and effort into figuring out how to use something broken for his own advantage hes a bad man. You call him a scam artist, but what he did is hugely different from people who outright lie to you in order to take advantage of people or a situation, or get you into a position in order to be taken advantage of. Do you call people who count cards scam artists?
midnightfenrir 1 year ago 43
@midnightfenrir I'm not saying he is a bad man because of this incident, I'm just saying that I don't see him as the hero many people on these videos call him out to be. I just happen to see a very fine gray line between him and Charles Ingram who used cough signals to win the top prize on British Millionaire.
Companies hire lawyers to keep closing the loop holes and others keep finding new ones, And of course I have to pay for it and sign 25 page documents I don't understand.
Sashinator0 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 You shouldn't be signing documents u don't understand
Snuxshux 1 year ago 2
@Sashinator0 don't you feel that abusing a stupid system is better than cheating?
Milosmilk 1 year ago
@midnightfenrir Charles Ingram and accomplace(s) cheated, and by cheated I mean 'broke the rules', which he had previously been made aware of. Michael Larson just used patience and initiative to memorise a routine and comitted himself to getting on the show. Smart, but certainly not sneaky.
Sanchezmarino 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 I think people are so caught up in what's good or bad and don't realize that there's no such thing. What he made was a decision, keep living his life working day-to-day making next to nothing or make a load of cash in a day. There is no good or bad. If you don't understand something, maybe you should try to understand it like what this guy did and he made a hell of a lot of money off it. Plus, after this game, they changed the game system.
FlipGuardian 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 No. Wrong. Sorry. Michael Larsen simply found a game breaking strategy.
Is it a scam to break a game in this manner? If I were a chess grandmaster and I developed an opening that nobody else thought of and that most other players hadn't come up with in order to beat them, is that a scam? What about in Magic the Gathering, if I find a card combination that the designers never noticed that can give a first turn win, is that a scam?
Metagaming is not cheating.
Ascyltos 11 months ago 3
@Sashinator0 It's a game-show, dude. He didn't rob an elderly woman in an alley. He figured out a way to win, and he won.
Ultranothing 8 months ago
@Sashinator0
It isn't unethical in any sense.
The game was pitched as a game of chance, and that's how most people played it. Due to a poor planning, it was made into a game of skill. Using skill to win a game of skill is not unethical. It's like a carnival game. The carnies want you to play one way, a way that stacks the odds in their favor, but if you apply a technique, you win. The producers may have lost out, but it was a risk they didn't consider, that's they're fault.
AkatsukiPR0 6 months ago 2
@midnightfenrir He actually became a scam artist after winning the money, losing it, etc., so, yeah, he is a scam artist, even though not as a consequence of his appearance on this show. I agree with you that what he did here was not cheating, just simply awesome and that what he did here was not cheating.
NoisyPanther 5 months ago
@midnightfenrir
Actaully, this guy went on to scam millions from people later on. So he is a crook.
Vire70 5 months ago
He was then but not in this game. He did nothing wrong
ZeldasSword 5 months ago 3
@ZeldasSword
True, and I agree, but it is somewhat telling that this guy based his entire life out of scams and cheating, and also happened to do the above. This is probably one of the only things he did that wasn't illegal on some level.
Vire70 5 months ago
@Vire70
Very true ahaha
ZeldasSword 5 months ago
@ZeldasSword You're right. He didn't break any rules of the game.
MsSuzyQ88 4 months ago
@mistersnaredrum
It is unethical to take away from people, from poor ones or from the average joes to exploit their weaknesses. But from a multi million dollar company? Ridiculous.
XehanortNobody 2 months ago
@Sashinator0 And?
Deradundrum 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 Its the problem of the programmers if they didnt make their job righ
bloodawn5 1 year ago
@bloodawn5 truly random computers are hard now, let alone in the 80's
UbarSkwerl 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 How is taking a paltry 100k from a multi million dollar television company more than likely owned and operated by some of the worst people in this planet considered unethical? To me it's the most ethical thing a man could do, take a little from someone who has everything and spread it among others. You'd be a fool not to see this.
jsee12953 1 year ago
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@Sashinator0 quote:"The ethical problem I have with what he did is that he was watching game shows all day long trying to find something he could exploit."
How is that any different from Stock Marketeers?
Hell, all things considered, at least he's using his brain.
Most stock trading these days is handled by Computers and their algorithms.
While I don't know if he's a 'hero' he's definitely a demonstrable role model for one bottom line lesson: If you use your brain, you'll make lots of money :)
tantoedge 1 year ago
@Sashinator0
There's no "ethical problem " with figuring out how the game works! It's not cheating!
Remembermylai 1 year ago 3
@Sashinator0 He didn't look for something he could exploit... He merely watched the show a lot and noticed it.
D4rkSilhouette 1 year ago
@Sashinator0 the way I see it, they gave him a game, and he found a way to get good at it. is intelligence unethical?
Edgehead1132 8 months ago 3
@Zelrio28 i agree with you....i love this guy
SpoiledLogic 11 months ago
@Zelrio28 so he studed for a test hypathecicly whats wrong with that
PDCORPS 10 months ago
Why does Michael keep looking behind him?
Golfkid100 1 year ago
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that was great delivery of the joke "... or will he end up owning the network?"
Robocheeseball701 1 year ago
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Robocheeseball701 1 year ago
My God, it's too bad that Ed and Janie didn't have the nerve to tell Michael that he's a greedy ass.
Matto2t 1 year ago
This is freakin' awesome!!!! Smart people rule!!!
saiyanmanfour20 1 year ago 4
haha right at the start the guy on the left is face palming
cutlass1234 1 year ago 8
LUCKY!
animalcrossing4ev100 1 year ago
His antics are what make this so awesome! He's feeding off the crowd and his own winning streak which seems impossible. Very clever.
staphinfection 1 year ago
If you just keep your eyes on one section of the board ($3000-5000)board for example all you have to do is hit the buzzer when it flashes.
FanOfPopCulture 1 year ago
0:45 "... or will he end up owning the network" lol
dsmtsi 1 year ago
@dsmtsi Exactly. When the host said that I thought "little does he know..."
chazgcg 1 year ago
I wonder if they will do a tv movie of this situation. I bet there were more people that did the same thing Mike did, but they didn't make it on the show. Poor guys, that's too bad!
MrDressed 1 year ago
Michael Larson kicking those whammy's asses!
gtz1975 2 years ago
i bet this was the most exciting moment of his life. i wonder if he regretted it for what happened in the long run.
ShaolinViolin 2 years ago
4:02-4:06
MUAHAHAHAH! Michael's like "Yeah, that's right!
I'M RUNNING THIS B!TCH!"
attentionviewers68 2 years ago
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attentionviewers68 2 years ago
hilarious how his arms go into the air in celebration immediately after he hits the button..no delay or hesitation at all LOL
ricster44 2 years ago 4
Michael Larson is god. All hail. :P
breaks0 2 years ago 2
I laugh at the people claiming he is some sort of criminal for using a VHS tape and a remote and studying the board. It's actually just clever dedication.
DeleteThisMF 2 years ago 148
@DeleteThisMF
I agree totally. It's like calling a 'Jeopardy!' player a cheater for brushing up on trivia before coming on.
dtek40k 1 year ago 4
lol 1:32
"OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
MikeBA10 2 years ago
holy shit imagine if he just got a wammy
ColeDavis94 2 years ago
@ColeDavis94 That would have been a bigger loss than Cathy Singer!
TheDragonBoss 2 years ago
according to wikipedia, they edited out one of the spins
jopollak 2 years ago
Would you happen to know why?
Gamelvl84 2 years ago
yea around 4:20
MrMrUm 2 years ago
Before the spin at the 4:03 mark Michael's score is $40,601 but jumps by $2000 after earning just $1000.
Wikipedia says that a spin was edited out, but the discussion page says that the scoreboard operator, Darlene Lieblich, accidentally credited Michael with $2000 instead of $1000.
FlashFizz 2 years ago 2
Thing is, i dont care how much you memorize something, the guy was human he could have easily hit the button a split-second too soon or late and lost it all. Which he almost did twice after he passes $80.000
wildcat3415 2 years ago 4
the thing is, he almost did in his final spin, you'll know what i mean if you check out his very first spin.
MysticDestroyer13 2 years ago
It often hurts to know when other people are dead right about something they argue about. There was that feeling among the staff and it's a feeling i'm sure they will remember for the rest of their lives. As Michael continues to boogie his way through the board, the get rich quick scheme becomes obvious. Proving once again that paying attention can make you successful.
gamshwfan 2 years ago 4
At what point does he start to show signs of exhaustion? I know it's before he reaches the $102,000.00 mark!
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
what if this happened during the "Add-A-One" space times? He could have won so much money!
siggy1970 3 years ago
Not really, add a one was only in the first round and it would be hard to get to over $10,000 there, then he would risk his money landing on a dangerous square.
Sashinator0 3 years ago
yeah, i forgot about that...i realized it a few hours after posting...
siggy1970 3 years ago
The amount of mone he won($110,237), one hit of the Add a One space would have made him a millionaire. He was a genius.
richie19190 3 years ago
but think about it.. if that did.. the network would be serioulsy pissed off and we would get a bigger LAWSUIT.
Iori400 2 years ago
@Iori400
They couldnt had done anything about it, it was legal, period. Michael's hand simply got tired of bitch slapping the network lol.
XehanortNobody 2 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
"Whammys, you can drop dead!" LMAO they already are dead since it is a game show and they are not real!
cajayson8301 3 years ago
Is that the same Calle Fitzgerald who is a J! Archivist?
nlafavore 3 years ago
Or will he end up.. Owning the network?
51jake51 3 years ago 7
unfortunately Larson Lost a portion of that money from the real estate because it was a SCAM
Iori400 2 years ago
he didn't lose any money, they had to give it all over, because he technically didn't cheat. after this incident they changed the pattern, so they changed it radically to stop it ever happening again
mr2Dmancowmoothing 2 years ago
Also he lost the rest of the money because someone broke into his house and stole a suitcase with his cash.
Larson got so pissed his wife left him because of his obsesion with money
Iori400 2 years ago
By the time he had won 35,000 +, i'm sure that the CBS producers knew something was up. BUT like i said before, this dude did NOT cheat. He figured out the predictable game board. This dude simply used his brain.
bestthinggoing459 3 years ago 7
It's no different than breaking the books to get on Jeopardy.
KOHF34 3 years ago 3
Well, you know, they say there's a first time for everything. And this is the first time we have not been able to complete our game in the appointed time.
patrickballoonman 3 years ago
Somebody needs to upload "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal" so I can watch it.
chandlerheim 3 years ago 18
@chandlerheim Someone did
M51210 1 year ago
To think, I used to love Press Your Luck growing up, but only yesterday did I hear about this incident. It's pretty amazing to see it with my own eyes, though!
DJCandyManMike 3 years ago
Heh, love the "Or will he end up owning the network?"
Xenocidal 3 years ago 6
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Micheal Larson is playing the illegal version of Press Your Luck.
In those 6 illegal Weeks.
boisvert593 3 years ago
I think this is really Michael Anthony, the bass player from Van Halen!! Looks like him!
godsajoke 3 years ago 2