Hopefully you won't OD on money. The host didn't know how true that statement would become. Read the wikipedia article, he was obsessed and fell into get rich quick schemes and lost it all.
I read about it in TV Guide back in 94, around the time Quiz Show was released. TV Guide even said "You can catch Michaels reign of terror in reruns on the USA Network," when truth be told, these episodes would not air again for 19 years after the original CBS airing.
I remember watching this as a kid when it happened. Good stuff. This and the first "Millionaire" winner who used his lifeline to call home just to say he won are my favorite two game show moments. Larson was very good and smart. Shame he died 15 yrs later though (according to Wikipedia.)
he didnt hit it on purpose, as his first try he didnt know when he should slam the button. he slammed it to early cos he was nervous and got the whammy :/
I think he got a whammy on his first spin not because he was trying to fool anyone, but rather it was an attempt to get his timing down considering it's most likely a different experience actually playing the game than practicing at home.
I don't quite understand the whole premise, but I'm sure if I was familiar with the show I'd work it out. Anyway, extorting a loophole as such without breaking any rules is clever, unlike a certain Major.
My husband and I were having a conversation about this show and that guy winning. He said the guy would watch the show and video tape the episodes then play them back so he could memorize the patterns. I don't know whether it's cheating or just being smarter than the game i.e. figuring it out. Oh well, he made out pretty good but then I heard something how he lost all his winnings or spent it all and went broke. Did they actually pay him even though they accused him of cheating?
Well, the Big Bucks documentary said he got involved in some sort of radio scam and withdrew all the money. Then he and his wife left for a Christmas party, and while they were gone, most of the money was gone by the time they came back. He blamed his wife, and got kicked out of the house.
Especially this one pattern. Notice the top row, second square from the left. On 2 of the 6 patterns, the "____ + Spin" would light up exactly 4 squares after it hit that one particular square. Just patience from there.
Which pattern was that? The only one that was mentioned in the Big Bucks special that almost all PYL fans remember was: 2-12-1-9-4 (where the Big Bucks values are)
oh god this old bastard was a damn idiot, later he lost his money in realestate then he heard a contest on the radio and withdrew 30000 dollars in 1 dollar bills to win it, this old bastard is a moron
Man I remember watching this episode. From what I heard the network that orginally aired this show took it off and won't show it again in a syndicated season. According to gameshow network. he even admitted that he memorized the board patterns then went on the show. This forced them to add more to the pattern
he didn't cheat.. he payed attention and was patient. they did give him his money, he lost it in bad investments and became a criminal eventually. he's dead now, but what he did on that show was amazing
he CHEATED! there was a set pattern on the board, he saw right through it, and hit the same thing every time! i wouldn't be surprised if they refused to pay him his money
U can't refuse to pay someone who didn't cheat...and he didn't! Just like Card Counting isn't cheatin this isn't either, he only used the power of his mind!
now if you stared reading this dont stop its really scarey!ok send this to five other videos in 143 minutes.When you are done press F6 and your crushes name will apear on the screen in big letters this is weird because it does work.If you break this chance you wont have a crush in the next five years
He died a criminal. Anyway... I don't think it was cheating I think it was clever. You could tell he knew what he was doing just by his quick reactions.
i remember reading about this YEARS ago. if i recall correctly, they were debating stopping the show, but the producers had it keep going and i believe it ran well over the 30 min. time slot. i wonder if someone who has the entire show on tape would upload it.
It's not cheating - he just figured out the system. It would only be cheating if he somehow manipulated the system, but he was working within the rules.
How he got all this money was that he figured out that Press Your Luck did a certain sequence and he figured the sequence out. The thing was Press Your Luck did not use a random selection so he figured it out and that's how he got all that money. H
i think i read somewhere that chuck barris was hired by cbs after the show to liquidate larson.
pbrick6301 2 months ago
Hopefully you won't OD on money. The host didn't know how true that statement would become. Read the wikipedia article, he was obsessed and fell into get rich quick schemes and lost it all.
sevenalive 8 months ago
'Maybe we should randomize the buzzer from now on.'
HughWalenski 1 year ago
Larson's story is told on This American Life episode 412: Million Dollar Idea.
humanpower 1 year ago
@humanpower yeah! it was awesome
FlyingGirl621 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@humanpower yeah! it was awesome
FlyingGirl621 1 year ago
@humanpower yeah! it was awesome
FlyingGirl621 1 year ago
I remember watching this when it originally aired, back in '84
Alot of people began to believe something was up... Especially when he kept landing on the big money + a spin square, over and over..
But still... what he did was 100% legal..
Diskoboy1974 2 years ago 3
Hard to believe he was only 34 - 35 years old during this taping.
DrGalazkiewicz 2 years ago
When I first saw this, I was like: "Hoooooly CRAP, this guy's on a RAMPAGE!!!" 0_o
BluJav333 3 years ago
It was $110,237.00.
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
OH MY GOD
I saw and learned about this on
Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal
on GSN when i had DIRECTV cable.
devonray75 3 years ago
I read about it in TV Guide back in 94, around the time Quiz Show was released. TV Guide even said "You can catch Michaels reign of terror in reruns on the USA Network," when truth be told, these episodes would not air again for 19 years after the original CBS airing.
johnissoevil 2 years ago
my name is michael larson!!
mybakerymadebiscut 3 years ago
but you died about 10 years ago, from throat cancer
zekepig 3 years ago
"My name is Michael Larson!"
Two words, BULL SHIT!
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
his name is robert paulson
fortune500b 3 years ago
they should make a film about this guy
negrabunget 3 years ago
They did make a movie about him
branderznkanderz 3 years ago
what was it called?
negrabunget 3 years ago
Quiz Show
MetaLulz1 3 years ago
Big Bucks: the Press Your Luck Scandel.
Hondo20132 3 years ago
I remember watching this as a kid when it happened. Good stuff. This and the first "Millionaire" winner who used his lifeline to call home just to say he won are my favorite two game show moments. Larson was very good and smart. Shame he died 15 yrs later though (according to Wikipedia.)
rabbit605 3 years ago
Read his wikipedia page if you want to know the true story about this guy. Pretty damn crazy.
joebarrrs 3 years ago
he didnt hit it on purpose, as his first try he didnt know when he should slam the button. he slammed it to early cos he was nervous and got the whammy :/
demonklawz 3 years ago
he looks surprised when wins the sail boat.
randyfloyd07 3 years ago
I think he got a whammy on his first spin not because he was trying to fool anyone, but rather it was an attempt to get his timing down considering it's most likely a different experience actually playing the game than practicing at home.
DBCOOPER888 3 years ago
I don't quite understand the whole premise, but I'm sure if I was familiar with the show I'd work it out. Anyway, extorting a loophole as such without breaking any rules is clever, unlike a certain Major.
vigimael 3 years ago
cheat
yogosatgamefaqs 3 years ago
My husband and I were having a conversation about this show and that guy winning. He said the guy would watch the show and video tape the episodes then play them back so he could memorize the patterns. I don't know whether it's cheating or just being smarter than the game i.e. figuring it out. Oh well, he made out pretty good but then I heard something how he lost all his winnings or spent it all and went broke. Did they actually pay him even though they accused him of cheating?
Alliem71 4 years ago 2
They did. They decided that he did NOT cheat. They DID however, change the patterns on the board to avoid something like this from happening again.
gameshowguy2000 4 years ago 2
They didn't DECIDE he did NOT cheat, they tried to sue him, then he tried to sue them, so they paid him because he would have won the lawsuit.
cbappa1 4 years ago 2
He was robbed. After that he died from either a heart attack or cancer or something like that.
samus7321 4 years ago
That robbery stemmed from some radio concert offering 30 grand to someone who could match the serial number on a $1 bill.
gameshowguy2000 4 years ago
he wasnt robbed he spent all his money on his buisness and got bankrupt.. sad lol
demonklawz 3 years ago
Well it was both; he was robbed and lost most of it in a failed business. I remember watching it on a show GSN did called 'Anything to win'.
samus7321 3 years ago
Well, the Big Bucks documentary said he got involved in some sort of radio scam and withdrew all the money. Then he and his wife left for a Christmas party, and while they were gone, most of the money was gone by the time they came back. He blamed his wife, and got kicked out of the house.
gameshowguy2000 3 years ago
That sounds about right.
samus7321 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@samus7321 throat cancer, Feb 1999
DomBellicini 2 months ago
2-12-1-9-4 was the most familar pattern..and if you guys notice at 1:49-1:50 that's what occured, but he didn't stop the board that time!
gameshowguy2000 4 years ago
R.I.P. Peter Tomarken
streetcarjay 4 years ago 4
nah, he just found a pattern in the board.
cardigensweater 4 years ago 2
Definitely chose to get that first whammy. Pretty much said so in the TV special: "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal".
Frankly, it's the greatest event in game show history. Larson may have been conniving and greedy, but he was incredibly smart.
UVAtuba2007 4 years ago
He realized that there were 2 spaces that NEVER had a whammy
biruss 4 years ago
Exactly.
Especially this one pattern. Notice the top row, second square from the left. On 2 of the 6 patterns, the "____ + Spin" would light up exactly 4 squares after it hit that one particular square. Just patience from there.
UVAtuba2007 4 years ago
Which pattern was that? The only one that was mentioned in the Big Bucks special that almost all PYL fans remember was: 2-12-1-9-4 (where the Big Bucks values are)
gameshowguy2000 4 years ago
He mistimed his first spin
biruss 4 years ago
I agree, I think he chose to get that whammy.
He easily could have not gotten that first whammy I think.
happy7117 4 years ago
had to.
novemberunderground 4 years ago
I'd say yes. He knew the board, so no doubt he knew when to hit for the whammy!
happy7117 4 years ago
My personal theory was that he did that on purpose to lull the other contestants into a false sense of security.
Kahran042 4 years ago
brilliant
guylaroche5 4 years ago
oh god this old bastard was a damn idiot, later he lost his money in realestate then he heard a contest on the radio and withdrew 30000 dollars in 1 dollar bills to win it, this old bastard is a moron
Zenmuron545 4 years ago 3
No, he study this game. People saying he is cheating has no life...
WarOfTheKnights 4 years ago
For all you fucks saying he cheated, he didn't. He observed. OBSERVED, NOT CHEATED. Dumbfucks.
NordicChill 4 years ago 3
exactly, i'ts like saying that counting cards in blackjack is cheating... it isn't
bphutchins 4 years ago
when peter says "29000$" it sounds like either the VCR audio was cracking or the audio itself was cracking.
domin8er 4 years ago
I saw this before. GSN showed him and I heard after this he got robbed of every penny he won here.
skellington15 4 years ago
Larson's lucky he even got the money. He only received it after he threatened to sue CBS.
Politticker 4 years ago
If you look closely you should see the pattern of 12,2,1,9,4.
MrBennetzen 4 years ago
It was 2,12,1,9,4
robg5555 4 years ago
Yeah, this was from the Big Bucks documentary from 4 years ago. It wouldn't be until June of 2003 that GSN would get the episodes in their entirety.
gameshowguy2000 4 years ago
where he deserves to be
Luigifan1091 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
he cheated
tamoomoo2 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
thank you for agreeing with me.
Luigifan1091 4 years ago
I don't think he cheated, that looked perfectly legal.
Politticker 4 years ago
Let me rephrase, 1942 sorry about the mistake. Michael knew what he was doing and Peters face and his expressions are priceless!
Vosslar 4 years ago
Rest in peace peter tomarken 1946-2006
Vosslar 4 years ago
Man I remember watching this episode. From what I heard the network that orginally aired this show took it off and won't show it again in a syndicated season. According to gameshow network. he even admitted that he memorized the board patterns then went on the show. This forced them to add more to the pattern
Vosslar 4 years ago
I wrote a song about this incident. Check it out on my Myspace page... myspace . com / philmoreproductions
jeopardy60611 4 years ago
He got a lot of the money stolen out of his house. He died in 1994 of lung cancer.
youtewb06 4 years ago
he died in 1999
xianizradx 4 years ago
as throat cancer
xianizradx 4 years ago
he didn't cheat.. he payed attention and was patient. they did give him his money, he lost it in bad investments and became a criminal eventually. he's dead now, but what he did on that show was amazing
akshay03 4 years ago 3
sure he's dead
S14DGENER8 4 years ago
he CHEATED! there was a set pattern on the board, he saw right through it, and hit the same thing every time! i wouldn't be surprised if they refused to pay him his money
Luigifan1091 4 years ago
U can't refuse to pay someone who didn't cheat...and he didn't! Just like Card Counting isn't cheatin this isn't either, he only used the power of his mind!
Sandbagger300 4 years ago 3
Wait... it's cheating to know how the game works? o.O
So next time I play Hide and Seek, and someone looks in my fave place to hide and finds me... you want me to go "OMG! CHEAT! CHEAT! :O"
LastExitForTheLost 4 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
now if you stared reading this dont stop its really scarey!ok send this to five other videos in 143 minutes.When you are done press F6 and your crushes name will apear on the screen in big letters this is weird because it does work.If you break this chance you wont have a crush in the next five years
bboykebob 4 years ago
He died a criminal. Anyway... I don't think it was cheating I think it was clever. You could tell he knew what he was doing just by his quick reactions.
Beez252 5 years ago 2
Michael Larson is DEAD.
burr1aj 5 years ago
I don't get it. GSN used the word "scandal". This is not a scandal! The guy was a sneak, but he didn't cheat at anything here.
generalbullmoose 5 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
not true
Luigifan1091 4 years ago
You can't penalize someone for being clever. Good for him.
Lava1964 5 years ago 3
Anyone have the whole run of Michael's run at the board, instead of these quick clips?
nextbarker 5 years ago
i remember reading about this YEARS ago. if i recall correctly, they were debating stopping the show, but the producers had it keep going and i believe it ran well over the 30 min. time slot. i wonder if someone who has the entire show on tape would upload it.
dkrikori 5 years ago
This is amazing!!! This guy was weird and had an interesting life.
algabal 5 years ago
2-12-1-9-4 was the main pattern
Others include 2-13-17-9-4; 2-8-18-16-12-3-5-11-9-4; and 2-8-17-8
gsparkway324 5 years ago
It's not cheating - he just figured out the system. It would only be cheating if he somehow manipulated the system, but he was working within the rules.
discolando 5 years ago 6
Cheater O_o
milkbon3 5 years ago
Personally, I think that he hit that first Whammy on purpose to avoid seeming suspicious.
Kahran042 5 years ago
same
drewmartell 5 years ago
me 2
Luigifan1091 4 years ago
That is just amazing.
1985Nebraska 5 years ago
well, duh.
jumptotheledge 5 years ago
How he got all this money was that he figured out that Press Your Luck did a certain sequence and he figured the sequence out. The thing was Press Your Luck did not use a random selection so he figured it out and that's how he got all that money. H
redmustang03 5 years ago