Wednesday, April 30, 2014

EXAMPLE: Week 2 Results

This Week's Grand Total: $227,700
This Season's Grand Total: $673,800
This Week's Bankrupt Trash: $16,600 + 1 WILD + 3 1/2-CAR + 1 MDW
This Season's Bankrupt Trash: $28,650 + 4 WILD + 6 1/2-CAR
This Week's Unclaimed Amount: $27,500 + 2 WILD + 4 1/2-CAR
This Season's Unclaimed Amount: $59,500 + 3 WILD + 6 1/2-CAR
1/2-CAR Wins: 2
Wild Card Usages: 0
$100,000/$1,000,000 Wins-Losses: 1-1
Jackpot Wins: 2
Mystery Flipped-Declined: 2-1
$10,000 Mystery Wins: 1
Mystery Bankrupts: 2 ($0, but $3,000 has been at stake)
Prize Wedge Wins: 2
Gift Tag Wins: 3
PERFECT BONUS ROUND WEEKS: 1
BONUS ROUND SHUTOUTS: 0 (this one should've been a shutout)
Highest-Winning Week: Grand Opening ($446,100)
Lowest-Winning Week: Aloha, Hawaii! ($227,700)
Biggest Round: Sept. 3, Round 3 ($22,900)
Biggest Bankrupt: $7,050 (Sept. 6)

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

RECAP EXAMPLE: Friday, September 14

Jim: And now, from Hawaii, here are the stars of America's Game...Pat Sajak and Vanna White!
Pat to Vanna: Hey, why don't we do all our shows in Hawaii? [chuckles]

Time to salvage what has been so far a NASTY "Aloha, Hawaii!" Week. Last night, Jess Turkowski became the lowest-winning player with just $9,550 cash/Chicago. Will we do better on Day 5?





Say hello to Toss-Up #1:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Ding!

_ O _ L _ _ _ I _ G
S E A S H E L L S
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Alex...blanks out. Right after that, Matt solves COLLECTING SEASHELLS.

Alex: $0
Matt: $1,000
Marisa: $0

Tonight's puzzle solvers...
Matt Morris: A hip-hop DJ (who goes by M Squared) from San Dimas, CA (near Los Angeles, he mentions)
Marisa Peters: A fraud lawyer from San Antonio, TX
Alex Graham: A Spanish teacher from Cincinnati, OH

Maybe Alex could redeem himself here...
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
ON THE MAP

Ding!

H A N A
H I _ H W A Y
ON THE MAP

Could've very well had another stumper, but Matt barely IDs HANA HIGHWAY in Maui.

Alex: $0
Matt: $3,000
Marisa: $0

Tonight's featured trip is to Vancouver Island! It's worth $5,500!

For the last time this week, the Jackpot could be won.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
AROUND THE HOUSE

Matt
1/2-CAR ($500) -  5 S's! Nice start.
3 E's
1 A
Vancouver Island - 2 N's!
$550 - 1 T
$300 - 1 Y
LOSE A TURN
Current Bank: $2,850 + 1/2-CAR + Vancouver Island

S _ _ _ _ _ N _ - S _ _ N _
S _ E A _ E R / S Y S T E _
AROUND THE HOUSE

Marisa
$600 - 1 M
$550 - No L
Current Bank: $600

S _ _ _ _ _ N _ - S _ _ N _
S _ E A _ E R / S Y S T E M
AROUND THE HOUSE

Alex
$300 - No C

Matt
$350 - 2 D's
2 O's
$500 - 1 P
$300 - 1 K
$2500 - 3 R's!
No more consonants!
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $11,600 + 1/2-CAR + Vancouver Island

S _ R R O _ N D - S O _ N D
S P E A K E R / S Y S T E M
AROUND THE HOUSE

PRIZE WIN! Matt solves SURROUND-SOUND SPEAKER SYSTEM to keep the trip!

WRONG LETTERS: L (Marisa), C (Alex)
LOSE A TURN: Matt ($2,850 + 1/2-CAR + Vancouver Island)

Alex: $0
Matt: $20,100 + 1/2-CAR
Marisa: $0

This is the start of something better, I guess!

Let's start a minigame to follow up that very nice opening round. It's called 2nd Guess Bonus Round! This one's from May 19, 2005, during Big 12/College Week in Kansas City.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
PEOPLE

RSTLNE:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ N S
PEOPLE

CMPA:
_ A _ A _ _ A N S
PEOPLE

Matt...solves HAWAIIANS - how fitting for the theme!

Alex: 0
Matt: 1
Marisa: 0

Matt's a pretty good player so far! And $45,000 was lost here.

Coming up: two Mystery wedges.
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
THING

Marisa
BANKRUPT btw. $3500/$300

Alex
MYSTERY btw. the MDW/$300 - No T

Matt
$900 - 1 S
No E
Current Bank: $650

_ _ _ _ / S _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
THING

[NULL CYCLE]

Marisa
WILD - 2 L's
$600 - 1 G
2 I's
$550 - 1 C
$600 - 3 H's
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $2,700 + WILD

H I G H / S C H _ _ L
_ I _ L _ _ _
THING

Marisa solves HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.

AIRED WRONG LETTERS: T (Alex), E (Matt)
AIRED BANKRUPT: Marisa ($0)

Alex: $0
Matt: $20,100 + 1/2-CAR
Marisa: $2,700 + WILD

Our next minigame is Most Frequent.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

And our big leader Matt will start.

Consonants: 1 T, No R, No S, No N, 1 L, No C, No D, 2 M's, 1 Z
Vowels: 2 A's, 1 E, 1 O

Alex: 2
Matt: 3
Marisa: 4

M A T Z O
M E A L
FOOD & DRINK

It's a Passover tradition, and Marisa reads off MATZO MEAL.

Alex: 0
Matt: 1
Marisa: 1

Next round asks a great question.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ / _ _ _ _
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

And we'll answer it with a...
PRIZE PUZZLE!

Alex
$800 - No M (he meant N)

Matt
$500 - 1 N
1 I
BANKRUPT btw. $600/$900 ($250 + 1/2-CAR gone)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ I N _
_ / _ _ _ _
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Marisa
1/2-CAR ($450) - 1 G
3 A's
$500 - 2 T's
1 O
1 E
No more vowels!
1/2-CAR ($500) - 2 R's!
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $1,750 + 1/2-CAR + 1/2-CAR

_ _ A R T E R I N G
A / _ O A T
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

Marisa...is PAINFULLY INCORRECT BY A LETTER with CHARTERING A COAT. Ouch.

Alex
Solve attempt...

...but he says exactly what Marisa just said (CHARTERING A COAT)! Ugh.

Matt
LOSE A TURN

Marisa
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $1,750 + 1/2-CAR + 1/2-CAR

CAR WIN! Marisa is RIGHT THIS TIME with CHARTERING A BOAT! Not only does she win a $6,500 trip to Barbados, she wins a $10,000 Sedan! Total that round: $18,250!

WRONG LETTER: M (Alex)
BANKRUPT: Matt ($250 + 1/2-CAR)
LOSE A TURN: Matt ($0)
DISQUALIFICATIONS: Marisa's one-letter mistake ($1,750 + 1/2-CAR + 1/2-CAR), Alex making the same mistake ($0)

Alex: $0
Matt: $20,100
Marisa: $20,950 + WILD

Lucky break there for Marisa! But this is not looking good for Alex so far...

Time to end this madness soon. Let's do a third minigame first - High/Low.

Alex: BANKRUPT near $300
Matt: $500 (former 1/2-CAR)
Marisa: $450

Vanna picks the low amount, so Alex has a real shot!

_ O _ F _ R _ A B _ _
_ A I L I N G
A _ T _ _ E
THINGS

Alex...blows it with COMFORTABLE SAILING ACTIVE.
Marisa...knows it's really COMFORTABLE SAILING ATTIRE.

Alex: Deserving 0
Matt: 1
Marisa: 2

Your new Minigame Champ is Marisa!

Let's do a Toss-Up.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Ding!

_ A L _ U _
B R E A _
FOOD & DRINK

Marisa solves WALNUT BREAD.

Alex: $0
Matt: $20,100
Marisa: $23,950 + WILD

Round 4 is coming up!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
THING

Ding 4x!
But time is running out. Pat's spin is...$500, so consonants are worth $1,500.

Letters: 1 N, 1 D, 2 L's, 1 C, 1 G

C _ L L _ G _
_ _ N D
THING

Alex is wrong with COLLEGE MIND.

Next Up: No B, No H, 1 F
No more consonants!

C _ L L _ G _
F _ N D
THING

Alex...BLOWS IT AGAIN (and this time by a letter) with COLLEGE FIND.

What Else?: 2 E's

C _ L L E G E
F _ N D
THING

Matt FINALLY solves COLLEGE FUND for $3,000, but he still loses by $850. Alex left behind $4,500 because of his missolves and Marisa left behind $3,000.

AIRED WRONG LETTERS: B (Matt), H (Marisa)
DISQUALIFICATIONS: Alex's 2 missolves

Alex: VERY DESERVING $0 --> $1,000
Matt: $23,100
Marisa: $23,950 + WILD

Alex really ruined it for me tonight. PERIOD.

Maingame Winnings: $48,050!
Bankrupt Trash: $250 + 1/2-CAR

Marisa can help end the week with a win. If so, more money or a Motorcycle await her. She can get either one from the ✩✩✩.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

RSTLNE:
R _ _ S T E _
_ _ S _ E _ S
FOOD & DRINK

DBPIW:
R _ _ S T E D
_ _ S _ E W S
FOOD & DRINK

There's no guess from her. The answer was ROASTED CASHEWS, and she loses $40,000. Final total: $23,950.

My rating: 6.5 (thanks a lot, Alex)

This week's rating: 5

I really hope we can recover from this ugly week.

RECAP EXAMPLE: Thursday, September 13

Jim: And now, from Hawaii, here are the stars of America's Game...Pat Sajak and Vanna White!
Pat to Vanna: Hey, why don't we do all our shows in Hawaii? [chuckles]

Let's see if we can recover from Jack Piccata's $100,000 LOSS yesterday. This is Day 4 of us shouting, "Aloha, Hawaii!"





And it's time to do a Toss-Up!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
THING

Ding!

F L O _ _ R E _
S H I _ _
THING

Elisa solves FLOWERED SHIRT.

Elisa: $1,000
Brady: $0
Jess: $0

Let's meet tonight's guests! They're all from the South.
Elisa Delgado: A luxury resort worker from Charleston, SC (Vanna's home state!)
Brady Jensen: A motocross racer from Lexington, KY
Jess Turkowski: A school bus driver from Atlanta, GA

Are you ready for some more random letters? How about another Toss-Up:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
EVENT

Ding!

C O _ O R _ U _
S _ _ S E T
EVENT

Brady solves COLORFUL SUNSET.

Elisa: $1,000
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $0

Tonight's featured trip is to Maine, worth $5,000!

And we have a Jackpot wedge on the big wheel here.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Brady
$900 - No S

[NULL CYCLE]

Jess
$900 - 3 R's
1 E
1 A
FREE PLAY - 2 O's
WILD - 2 N's
1 I
GIFT - 1 C!
$800 - 2 D's
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $3,550 + GIFT + WILD

_ R O _ N D
C O R I A N D E R
FOOD & DRINK

GIFT TAG WIN! Jess solves GROUND CORIANDER!

AIRED WRONG LETTER: S (Brady)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,100

Elisa: $1,000
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $4,550 + WILD

Great to see everyone on the board already!

It's time to party w/ a minigame: 2nd Guess Bonus Round! I dunno what date it's from, but here we go anyway...
_ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
THING

RSTLNE:
_ / T _ _ _ _
R _ N _
THING

CKMI:
RSTLNE:
_ / T _ _ _ _
R I N _
THING

Brady...is incorrect with A TOUGH RING...

...and no one else has an answer. The answer was A TOPAZ RING.

Elisa: 0
Brady: 0
Jess: 0

Let's move on from that heartbreaker, shall we? We have a Mystery to solve!
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
THING

Jess
$300 - 1 S
4 E's!
$900 - 1 D
1 U
1/2-CAR ($450) - 1 R
MDW's right side ($1,200 + WILD + 1/2-CAR gone)

S U E D E
_ E _ E _ R _
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _
THING

Elisa
$900 - 1 T
1 O
$800 - 1 L
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $1,450

S U E D E
_ E _ E L R _
_ _ _ T / _ O _
THING

Elisa solves SUEDE JEWELRY GIFT BOX.

BANKRUPT: Jess ($1,200 + WILD 1/2-CAR)

Elisa: $2,450
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $4,550

Second minigame of the night is called Most Frequent.
_ _ _ _ / _ 
_ _ _ _ _ _
PHRASE

Will Jess start, please?

Consonants: No T, No S, 3 R's, No N, 1 L, 1 B, No C, No P, No F
Vowels: 2 E's, 2 A's, 1 O

Elisa: 3
Brady: 5
Jess: 2

O _ E R / A
B A R R E L
PHRASE

Brady solves this puzzle, but not OVER A BARREL.

Elisa: 0
Brady: 1
Jess: 0

It's time to ID something...
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
PROPER NAME

And this something/someone is very important!
PRIZE PUZZLE!
Just who or what is it? We're gonna find out.

Elisa
$600 - 3 N's
3 E's
$300 - 3 T's
No A
Current Bank: $2,200

N _ _ T _ _ E _ T E _ N
_ N _ _ E _ _ _ T _
PROPER NAME

Brady
$700 - 3 R's
2 I's
ONE MILLION - 1 Y!
1/2-CAR ($500) - 1 H
$300 - 2 S's
BANKRUPT near $300 ($2,950 + 1/2-CAR + MDW gone)...OUCH. Everyone's upset (sad reactions).

Jess
Solve attempt...

N _ R T H _ E S T E R N
_ N I _ E R S I T Y
PROPER NAME

Jess IDs (yay!) NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY for a $5,000 trip to Chicago!

WRONG LETTER: A (Elisa)
BANKRUPT: Brady ($2,950 + 1/2-CAR + MDW)

Elisa: $2,450
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $9,550

Very weak game so far.

We've got one last minigame to play, titled High/Low.

Elisa: $3500!
Brady: $550
Jess: $400 (former FP)

Vanna picks the highest amount, so Elisa will go first.

A F F O _ _ _ B _ _
_ O _ S I N G
PLACE

Elisa nails AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

Elisa: 1
Brady: 1
Jess: 0

There's a TIE btw. Elisa and Brady, but it looks like Elisa's our new Minigame Champ! Good job.

Toss-Up time!
_ _ _ / &
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
PROPER NAMES

An excited (happy reaction) ding!

H B _ / &
_ H _ _ T _ _ E
PROPER NAMES

Elisa's silent.

And guess what?

H B O / &
S H O W T I M E
PROPER NAMES

Nobody else rung in! Wow. That means we've got a TRIPLE STUMPER already. The answer was HBO & SHOWTIME.

Elisa: $2,450
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $9,550

Since Elisa messed up that Toss-Up, Brady will start the next round.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
IN THE KITCHEN

Brady
$350 - 2 T's
No O
Current Bank: $450

Jess
$600 - No S

_ _ T T _ _
_ _ _ _ _
IN THE KITCHEN

Ding 4x!
Time to put an end to this ugly game. Pat lands on...$800, so consonants are worth $1,800 apiece.

Next Up: 1 R

_ _ T T _ R
_ _ _ _ _
IN THE KITCHEN

And Elisa quickly redeems herself with BUTTER KNIFE for $1,800.

WRONG LETTERS (before the FS): O (Brady), S (Jess)

Elisa: $4,250
Brady: $2,000
Jess: $9,550

Brady sure fizzled out (ended weakly) after solving the first Toss-Up.

Maingame Winnings: $15,600 (obviously NOT good)
Bankrupt Trash: $4,150 + 1/2-CAR + 1/2-CAR + WILD + MDW

Let's hope Jess can do a whole lot better here. Her spin could net her that nice Motorcycle or a lot more dough - it's the ' (apostrophe) in AMERICA'S.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
FICTIONAL CHARACTER

RSTLNE:
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ R L E _
FICTIONAL CHARACTER

YDHA:
_ A _ _ _
_ A R L E Y
FICTIONAL CHARACTER

She BLOWS IT with BACKO GARLEY (40 seconds) and MAWIG GARLEY (36 sec.) before giving up at 31 seconds. The answer was JACOB MARLEY (from "A Christmas Carol"), and she loses $30,000. Final total: just $9,550, making her the LOWEST-WINNING PLAYER so far. NOT a pretty show, in my opinion (IMO).

My rating: 2.5 (Where did an episode like this come from in the first place?)

Monday, April 28, 2014

RECAP EXAMPLE: Wednesday, September 12

Jim: And now, from Hawaii, here are the stars of America's Game...Pat Sajak and Vanna White!
Pat to Vanna: Hey, why don't we do all our shows in Hawaii? [chuckles]

It's the midweek edition of saying, "Aloha, Hawaii!"





And let's get the ball rolling w/ a Toss-Up:
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
PLACE

Ding!

_ _ A C _ / S _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
PLACE

Doesn't take long for Nora to figure out BLACK SAND BEACH.

Jack: $0
Alli: $0
Nora: $1,000

Say hello to that quick solver and the others!
Nora LeBon: A retired home care aide from Minneapolis, MN
Jack Piccata: An opera singer from Philadelphia, PA (but originally from Rome, Italy!)
Alli Dorsky: A baker from Newport Beach, CA

Second Toss-Up coming up!
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
PLACES

Ding!

P I _ E
_ O R E S T S
PLACES

Good for Alli - she solves PINE FORESTS.

Jack: $0
Alli: $2,000
Nora: $1,000

Tonight's featured trip is a $6,000 tour of the Grand Canyon!

And we have a Jackpot ready to hula-hoop with our money.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _
PHRASE

Alli
$300 - 4 T's!
2 E's
LOSE A TURN
Current Bank: $950

_ _ T _ _ _ _ / _ _ T
T _ E / _ E _ T
PHRASE

Nora
$550 - No R

Jack
1/2-CAR ($500) - 1 S
No A
Current Bank: $250

_ _ T _ _ _ _ / _ _ T
T _ E / _ E S T
PHRASE

Alli
$2500 - 2 N's!
$500 - 2 B's
BANKRUPT near $600 ($6,950 gone)...Ouch.

N _ T _ _ N _ / B _ T
T _ E / B E S T
PHRASE

Nora
WILD - 1 G
$2500 - 2 H's!
No more consonants!
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $5,000 + WILD

N _ T H _ N _ / B _ T
T H E / B E S T
PHRASE

Nora knows Hawaii has NOTHING BUT THE BEST.

WRONG LETTERS: R (Nora), A (Jack)
BANKRUPT: Alli ($6,950)
LOSE A TURN: Alli ($950)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $11,850

Jack: $0
Alli: $2,000
Nora: $6,000 + WILD

It's time for a minigame! This one's Most Frequent.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

And Nora will start this round.

Consonants: 2 N's, No T, 1 S, 2 C's, 1 L, 1 D, 1 H, 1 K, 1 P
Vowels: 3 O's, 1 U, 2 E's

Jack: 3
Alli: 5
Nora: 8

C H _ C K E N
N O O D L E / S O U P
FOOD & DRINK

Nora solves CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP.

Jack: 0
Alli: 0
Nora: 1

Wish Alli got that one.

We have two Mystery wedges on the wheel, what will you find? A BANKRUPT or $10,000?
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Nora
BANKRUPT near $3500 (WILD gone)

Jack
BANKRUPT btw. $3500/$300

Alli
MYSTERY near the MDW - 1 S
Flips it...BANKRUPT again...Ugh.

_ _ _ S _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Nora
$300 - 1 T
1 A
$800 - 1 R
1 O
No E
Current Bank: $350

R O A S T
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Jack
$300 - 1 N
1 I
$900 - 1 D
$700 - 1 C
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $1,650

R O A S T
D _ C _ _ I N _
FOOD & DRINK

Jack solves ROAST DUCKLING.

WRONG LETTER: E (Nora)
BANKRUPTS: Nora (WILD), Jack ($0), Alli ($0, via the MW)

Jack: $1,650
Alli: $2,000
Nora: $6,000

Jack should've gone on for more. Too conservative (solving for so little money).

How about another minigame? This one's 2nd Guess Bonus Round. Here's a puzzle from December 12, 2008, during Pet Lovers Week:
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
THING

RSTLNE:
_ L _ N _
_ _ R _
THING

CDPI are all wrong.

Jack...amazingly solves BLANK FORM! Wow!

Jack: 1
Alli: 0
Nora: 1

How the heck did he do that?! $35,000 was lost here.

Our next round has a burning question to ask...
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

And we'll answer that w/ a...
PRIZE PUZZLE!

Jack
$550 - 1 N
1/2-CAR ($500) - 2 G's
4 I's!
$600 - 2 T's
4 E's!
2 A's
$3500 - 1 R!
GIFT - 2 D's!
1 O
1 U
No more vowels!
$600 - 3 L's
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $6,800 + GIFT (+ a useless 1/2-CAR)

E A T I N G
D E L I _ I O U S
G R I L L E D
_ E A T
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

DOMINATION and GIFT TAG WIN! Jack solves EATING DELICIOUS GRILLED MEAT for a $7,000 trip to Buenos Aires! Total that round: $14,800!

Jack: $16,450
Alli: $2,000
Nora: $6,000

Let's get our last minigame underway - High/Low.

Jack: LOSE A TURN --> $0
Alli: $500
Nora: $300

Vanna picks the high amount, so Alli's got a shot.

P _ E _ I _ U S
M E _ _ R _ _ S
THINGS

Alli solves PRECIOUS MEMORIES.

Jack: 1
Alli: 1
Nora: 1

Whoa, a THREE-WAY TIE! But since Jack's the leftmost player, he's the new Minigame Champ! Everybody wins! Great job, guys!

Our last Toss-Up of the night, folks. Let's make the most of it.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
FOOD & DRINK

Ding!

P E _ N _ _ _ / I N
_ H E / S H E L L
FOOD & DRINK

Alli fittingly solves PEANUTS IN THE SHELL.

Jack: $16,450
Alli: $5,000
Nora: $6,000

Round 4's coming up...
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
AROUND THE HOUSE

Ding 4x!
...but we have a full Final Spin! That means a null cycle was edited out. Pat spins $900, so consonants are worth $1,900.

Letters: 1 S, No T, No N, No L, No C, No E (wha?), 2 A's (finally), 1 M, 2 B's

B A B _
S _ A M _ _ _
AROUND THE HOUSE

Jack solves BABY SHAMPOO for $3,800. Alli and Nora left behind $1,900 each.

AIRED WRONG LETTERS: T (Nora), N (Jack), L (Alli), C (Nora), E (Jack)

Jack: $20,250
Alli: $5,000
Nora: $6,000

That puzzle's so tough, I left the five wrong letters in there.

Maingame Winnings: $31,250
Bankrupt Trash: $6,950

Jack could sing his way into a Motorcycle or some more money. He lands on the C in AMERICA'S (landed in that word a lot lately, haven't we?).
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
THING

RSTLNE:
_ _ N _ L E _ _ R
_ _ S T _ _ _ E
THING

CPHI:
H _ N _ L E _ _ R
_ _ S T _ C H E
THING

Or maybe A was the right vowel - it's our first Bonus Round loss this season. Thus, he can't solve HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE for...











































































...$100,000.

OUCH!!! That sends him home with $20,250. Sorry about that, Jack.

My rating: High 4 ($100,000 losses bring the ratings down for me)

RECAP EXAMPLE: Tuesday, September 11

Jim: And now, from Hawaii, here are the stars of America's Game...Pat Sajak and Vanna White!
Pat to Vanna: Hey, why don't we do all our shows in Hawaii? [chuckles]

Welcome to Day 2 of us saying, "Aloha, Hawaii!"





And we have a Toss-Up to greet:
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
THING

Ding!
G _ _ D _ N
S _ N _
THING

Jackson solves GOLDEN SAND.

Kenny: $0
Tori: $0
Jackson: $1,000

Let's meet tonight's visitors...
Jackson Durant: A CEO from Miami, FL
Kenny Norwood: A hip-hop artist from Torrance, CA
Tori Lizell: A 3rd-grade teacher from Kansas City, KS

Our next Toss-Up is coming up soon...no, now.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
LIVING THINGS

Ding!

M A N _ _
_ A _ _
LIVING THINGS

Jackson triples up with MANTA RAYS.

Kenny: $0
Tori: $0
Jackson: $3,000

Tonight's featured trip is a tour of Prince Edward Island worth $5,000!

Y'all help me set up the Jackpot wedge!
_ _ _ _ ' _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _
_ _ _ _
PLACE

Jackson
$300 - 1 N
2 I's
WILD - No D
Current Bank: $50

_ I N _ ' _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _
_ _ _ _
PLACE

Kenny
WILD - 1 L
$500 - 3 T's
1 E
$300 - No R
Current Bank: $1,250 + WILD

_ I N _ ' _
_ _ _ T L E
_ _ T _ / _
_ _ _ T
PLACE

Tori
$300 - 1 G
BANKRUPT near $300 ($300 gone)

_ I N G ' _
_ _ _ T L E
_ _ T _ / _
_ _ _ T
PLACE

Jackson
$900 - 2 S's
$800 - 1 W
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $2,650

_ I N G ' S
_ _ S T L E
W _ T _ / _
_ _ _ T
PLACE

Jackson solves KING'S CASTLE WITH A MOAT.

WRONG LETTERS: D (Jackson), R (Kenny)
BANKRUPT: Tori ($300)
UNCLAIMED JACKPOT: $8,100

Kenny: $0 + WILD
Tori: $0
Jackson: $5,650

All Jackson so far...

First up at bat in the minigames - Most Frequent.
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
MOVIE TITLE

And the dominant Jackson will start.

Consonants: 2 T's, 1 H, No S, 1 R, No L, 1 N, 2 D's, 1 Y, 1 Z
Vowels: 2 E's, 1 O, 1 I

Kenny: 3
Tori: 3
Jackson: 7

T H E / D I R T Y
D O Z E N
MOVIE TITLE

Jackson merely reads off "THE DIRTY DOZEN".

Kenny: 0
Tori: 0
Jackson: 1

IMO, Jackson's a really good player!

Let's get the Mystery wedges set up right now.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
THING

Kenny
$300 - 1 T
No E
Current Bank: $50

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T
THING

[NULL CYCLE]

Tori
$900 - No L

Jackson
Prince Edward Island - No C

Kenny
$500 - 1 D
2 A's
$550 - No M
Current Bank: $300

A _ _ _ D A _ _ T
THING

Tori
FREE PLAY - 2 I's
No more vowels!
[NULL CYCLE]
$600 - 1 V
BANKRUPT near $3500 ($600 lost)

A _ _ I D A V I T
THING

Jackson
GIFT - 2 F's!
A complete board!
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: GIFT

A F F I D A V I T
THING

GIFT TAG WIN! Jackson finally puts an end to this mess with AFFIDAVIT!

AIRED WRONG LETTERS: E (Kenny), L (Tori), C (Jackson), M (Kenny)
AIRED BANKRUPT: Tori ($600)

Kenny: $0 + WILD
Tori: $0
Jackson: $6,650

We're playing a minigame here - 2nd Guess Bonus Round. This one's from February 16, 2006, in Fort Lauderdale:
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _
IN THE KITCHEN

RSTLNE:
_ _ _ _ E / _ _ _
IN THE KITCHEN

HCMO:
_ _ _ C E / _ O _
IN THE KITCHEN

Tori...solves JUICE BOX.

Kenny: 0
Tori: 1
Jackson: 1

That was a real toughie - $100,000 was lost here!

Jackson could still maintain his bid for a sweep in this next round:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
PLACE

Crucial, because it's a...
PRIZE PUZZLE!

Tori
$600 - 2 T's
2 I's
BANKRUPT btw. $600/$900 ($950 gone)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I T _ _
_ I T _
PLACE

Jackson
1/2-CAR ($450) - 1 N
[YET ANOTHER NULL CYCLE]
$550 - No G
Current Bank: $500 + 1/2-CAR

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I T _ N
_ I T _
PLACE

Kenny
1/2-CAR ($500) - 1 L...No car tonight, sorry folks.
No E
Current Bank: $250 + 1/2-CAR

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ L I T _ N
_ I T _
PLACE

Tori
$700 - 2 C's
Solve attempt...
Current Bank: $1,400

C _ _ _ _ _ _ L I T _ N
C I T _
PLACE

Tori denies Jackson a sweep by quickly solving COSMOPOLITAN CITY, and she can visit one like Prague! It's worth $8,500, making her total that round $9,900!

AIRED WRONG LETTERS: G (Jackson), E (Kenny)
AIRED BANKRUPT: Tori ($950)

Kenny: $0 + WILD
Tori: $9,900
Jackson: $6,650

Final minigame of the night is High/Low.

Kenny: $300
Tori: $300
Jackson: $600

Vanna picks the lowest amount...but there's a TIE btw. Kenny and Tori. Tiebreaker time!

Kenny: $800
Tori: $350

Again, Vanna picks the lowest amount, but Tori's got sole ownership this time!

_ _ I V _ _ S A L
S T U _ _ O _
H _ L L _ _ O O _
LANDMARK

Tori easily gets UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD.

Kenny: 0
Tori: 2
Jackson: 1

And with that, Tori's your new Minigame Champ!

Let's have a Toss-Up toast of orange juice, shall we? No, just kidding, a Toss-Up...
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
LIVING THING

Ding!

_ I G _ T
C R A W L E _
LIVING THING

Jackson sweeps the Toss-Ups with NIGHT CRAWLER.

Kenny: $0 + WILD
Tori: $9,900
Jackson: $9,650

Still anybody's game, so this next round will decide it.
_ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
PROPER NAME

Jackson
$500 - 1 T
1 E
$500 (former 1/2-CAR) - 1 N
Current Bank: $750

N E _ _ / _ _ T _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
PROPER NAME

Ding 4x!
This Final Spin will be very critical and Pat lands on...$500, so consonants are worth $1,500.

Letters: 1 P, 1 L

N E _ L / P _ T _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
PROPER NAME

Kenny says NEIL...but then trails off.

Next Up: 3 R's (Kenny's NOT happy about that)

N E _ L / P _ T R _ _ _
_ _ R R _ _
PROPER NAME

Tori solves NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (who was on the show on November 12, 2007, during People Magazine Celebrity Week in New York City) for $4,500. Kenny left behind $1,500 because of his missolve and Jackson left behind $2,250.

DISQUALIFICATION (after the FS): Kenny's blanking ($1,500)

Kenny: DESERVING $0 --> $1,000 (and definitely no WILD for him)
Tori: $14,400
Jackson: $9,650

A "deserving" consolation prize occurs when someone makes one or a few big mistakes. Kenny not getting the puzzle right definitely sealed his fate.

Maingame Winnings: $25,050
Bankrupt Trash: $1,850

Tori was lucky to survive that maingame. She could win a Motorcycle or some cold hard cash. Only the R in AMERICA'S will tell.
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

RSTLNE:
_ _ L L _
E L _ E S
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

JYVO:
J O L L Y
E L V E S
FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

This was way too easy - for the third night in a row, we have a complete board! Crazy, huh? She easily reads off JOLLY ELVES for $40,000 ("on the fast track")! Final total: $54,400! Another solid job!

My rating: 7 (ONLY because of the Bonus Round sweep)