5 Game Show Cheaters Caught On Live TV & Their SECRETS REVEALED!

[@jeremyjudkins]

Michael was legit. Studying a pattern isn't cheating. If they wanted to avoid this, they truly should have made it more random and not predictable.

[@-Roos97-]

Right?! It's the program's fault... if there are so few patterns, it's logical someone was gonna notice and take advantage of it.

[@bub_itsaashi]

Even i use patterns and recognise them😂and use them

[@wyldchyld2]

Even CBS realized their mistake and took action to prevent it from happening again = "Although CBS investigated Larson, they determined that memorizing the board patterns was not cheating and let him keep his winnings. The board was subsequently reprogrammed with up to 32 new patterns to help prevent against another contestant from being able to memorize patterns as Larson had; all subsequent versions since then follow this method."

[@df5295]

Only 5 patterns!

[@potterj09]

I was thinking the same thing thing. Hate the game, not the playa :P by the way there's probably an app that can recognise multiple patterns by video then teach you them in one afternoon.

[@destinymckin6218]

Larson was not a cheater. If anything, he was brilliant. Having the ability to remember every single pattern precisely, it’s amazing. Props to him, honestly.

[@Dani-ICU-RN]

Terry too....same

[@alanguages]

Definitely. He did his homework and studied the game. It is obvious the gameshows want contestants who don't even know how to play and gullible. It is similar to the carnivals and fairs, where games are literally rigged to make the people playing lose, by setting up ways for them to lose. Example: The basketball shoot, where the hoops are smaller than the ball to fit through, thus will never go in. Those are the real cheaters.

[@Songs-lr4wt]

Exactly.... anyone who is going to a show, is supposed to understand its patten, study hard and play

[@wanpro7328]

@janet banks Ironic

[@jackson5116]

and keep in mind these were under studio lights, audience members, other contestants- not as easy there like it would be at home.

[@buckrodgers1162]

Both Terry Knees and Michael Larson; They didn't cheat, they studied. How can anyone say that doing your homework beforehand is 'cheating'? It's like some kid taking a test in school, and getting a top grade, then being accused of cheating, simply because he knew the material, and studied beforehand.

[@samanthafairweather9186]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@moonlight2487]

@@samanthafairweather9186 yup

[@UltramanMebiusBrave]

It's still cheating. You can't compare school tests with game shows.

[@buckrodgers1162]

@@UltramanMebiusBrave, Of course I can. Because it's the same thing. The only real difference is that with one you win an education; The other you win some prize, weather it be cash, baubles, or vacations. If you learn everything there is to learn about the game show. And learn that there is an 'exploit' that they themselves don't even know about; It's not cheating, it's 'doing your due diligence'.

[@rebel2809]

@@UltramanMebiusBrave why can't they? they are essentially the same thing

[@flyingmach7ne]

so if memorising is cheating then we all cheat in school right??

[@rayross997]

Exactly!

[@fireflymiesumae]

Same thoughts

[@cameronmeinhart]

Frrrrrrrrrrrr

[@TheCrimsonTruthYouCantHandle]

yeah memorizing isn't cheating

[@janmane]

so defeating the game is a cheat now? LMAO .. edit : me and my girlfriend are arguing about it HAHAHA

[@Starswake]

Larson didn't cheat, the game people were the cheaters. They cheated him by wasting his time and winnings fighting the payout.

[@reginaldgoins3411]

What he did wss equivalent to card counting in black jack.....plus he was smart enough to realize there is a pattern.

[@GallagherAaron]

Exactly, well put.

[@GeneralBuckNaked]

Counting cards in blackjack is way harder and completely different lol.. There was only 5 different combinations on this board for him to learn.. Also in blackjack ur actually gambling n betting against the house. So its your money against theirs. But in a game show, the whole purpose is to give away money to people

[@rachelgarber1423]

Ikr

[@JocieFox53]

He didn’t use his winnings fighting the payout lol. He got in legal trouble after he received the winnings and had to spend the lot of it on the courts 😂

[@kenbob1071]

The coughing scam has to be the stupidest way to cheat. I'm surprised it wasn't immediately obvious.

[@5150StudioNorth]

The Houston Astros must've watched this episode in 2001 to incorporate a plan to cheat their way to a World Series!!

[@jacksonkempen236]

Probably because it was so obvious, it went right over everybody's heads.

[@Sylvander1911]

There were immediate suspicions, but it took a bit of work to prove

[@lukaszpracki]

If it wasn't the wife that was on the spot but other people in the audience they might have get away with it

[@MaydayAggro]

That was an easy final question though.

[@kevintate768]

Thumbs up to everyone that supported Larson when it comes to the press your luck incident. He did not cheat and should never be classified as a cheater. He figured out the pattern and nailed it. Terry also memorized the prices and did nothing wrong as well.

[@baiqi44]

Terry didn't memorized them. It was a guy in the audience that did and Terry and his wife listened to that guy's pricing advice. Terry probably lied about memorizing all the prices, but he didn't cheat either because the format of the Price Is Right is to encourage the audience to shout out prices so him listening to someone in the audience is not cheating.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@Kevin. Terry said that he used his anniversary date and his wife's birthday, didn't he?

[@kevintate768]

@@lynettepalecek3141 I honestly don’t remember exactly what he said. I thought he said he memorized the items but I absolutely could be wrong. I mainly concentrated on what Larson did because it was something that nobody even thought of.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@@kevintate768 Okay. I can't remember what Terry said, even though I watched the show. Oh well. All I know is that he didn't cheat just like Michael Larson didn't cheat.

[@tarabear7744]

@@baiqi44 Yea it was a math teacher named Theodore Slauson who told them the price.

[@cemsarioglu5947]

Larson did not cheat. It is the game designer’s fault that he/she designed a flawed, memorizable pattern. That is not cheating.

[@coolbeans4399]

Tell that to the casinos

[@rycaruth8856]

I agree

[@LedYouAshtray]

@@coolbeans4399 lmao casinos literally only ban you because you "win too much"

[@bengianturco7926]

They got but hurt from him seeing a pattern and took advantage over it what they should have done is congratulate him on his winnings and then change the sequence of which square lights up to where it is random everyday

[@velvetaeon2774]

@@coolbeans4399 yeah, technically counting cards isn't cheating either.

[@crypton9833]

Memorizing spins isn’t considered “cheating,” it’s using the ability to focus on patterns and process the next pattern.

[@honolulublues5548]

Yep, just like counting cards at a casino. It isn't cheating, but you can get kicked out for it and banned.

[@danielchastain4602]

He figured it out. Imagine if our teachers told us not to figure out Algebra. We’d all still be in the 7th grade

[@Jorgen.mp4]

@@danielchastain4602 you’ll just be like 😐 what the hell do I do

[@itsumotanoshimi]

...but memorising card patterns in a casino is cheating and classed as illegal....so this makes your statement a lot of rubbish... but, a casino allows the previous numbers from a roulette wheel to be shown,...who is doing the cheating....

[@goldtop66]

@@honolulublues5548Casinos shuffle multiple decks of cards making it very hard to count cards. Trish Regan flew to Las Vegas to interview a Black Jack player that wins millions of dollars and is not kicked out of casinos. It is on KZbin. If you have a wealthy player, they can sue the casino because there is no way to know for sure if you are counting cards, it is not cheating, hard to prove, & again it is difficult to count cards with multiple deck of cards used.

[@jtrevor99]

Neither Larson nor Neiss were cheaters. Taking advantage of a pattern (or flaw in the gameshow itself) is not cheating.

[@jeffreyklima7612]

​@Cory Templar it's actually not illegal. no crime for card counting.

[@NicNakBraun]

Exactly. Like the Bop It game.

[@georgechandler3880]

@Cory Templar They'll kick you out because they have the right to refuse service as a business. They can't press charges against you though because it is NOT illegal

[@Mondor-type]

@Cory Templaris illegal in vegas. His hormone isn't what it used to be.

[@simonandsimbagaming]

@Cory Templar It only becomes illegal if you're using something besides your brain, like any electronics.

[@yos5499]

Larson was 100% legit - he used his mind

[@vincentbailey3550]

No he wasn’t 🤡

[@chrispettus2532]

I 100% agree.

[@staceyjohnson4636]

@@vincentbailey3550 yes he was. Not his fault he could see a pattern

[@davidmoody7450]

It just like counting cards.

[@everzubia5860]

@@vincentbailey3550 it's like saying your cheating as a professional poker player...

[@freeman7079]

Terry and Larson didn’t cheat. They did exactly what a good, intelligent game show contestant should do.

[@klubstompers]

Actually Terry got his bid from Ted Slauson, who was in the audience. If you watch the video you can see Ted stand up and yell out the bid, and then Terry repeat it. Ted was on the show many times in the past, and got banned because of how good he was, since he studied the show for decades, and stood in line everyday to try and get selected.

[@DNSKansas]

@@klubstompers That's CHEATING no matter what the other Terry worshippers say.

[@Lefishn]

Yep Terry all these years has lied and taken Theodores thunder away. Terry never studied and it was all Theodores answers

[@patsyk.1563]

And Terry is very intelligent. You have to be to be a meteorologist. Which he is.

[@natelevy1040]

​@DNSKansas In both instances the shows had to pay out because the contestants didn't break any rules. Taking suggestions from the audience on Price is Right is not only allowed it is encouraged. After the fact they changed the criteria for attending as well as included items in the showcase which have not been priced on the show before (usually a car or trip with different options which affect the price).

[@deoxysoverlord8710]

How the hell could memorizing the patterns of the box deprive you of your winning money? That's not illegal, nor is it a scheme. It's a tactic used to win, and it shouldn't count as cheating, since it's not against the rules.

[@redwolf4611]

Its like card counting in a casino. Know where the cards are, you can't lose so the payout becomes guaranteed. Essentially skirting rather than outright cheating.

[@timberman1045]

@@antoniovelasco7962 someone actually stole it at a party

[@redwolf4611]

@@mayshack actually it is cheating. It's legal because its unethical to toss someone in jail for cheating in a game designed for entertainment. Lol

[@michellepennington8319]

Ikr it’s like studying trivia before going on Jeffpardy. Or going to Walmart before going on the price is right. It’s not cheating.

[@redwolf4611]

@@mayshack well lets look at the very definition then. . Cheat: to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination. "she always cheats at cards" There you have it.

[@davem1212]

Larson died awhile back but he didn’t cheat. He exposed the game for only having 5 patterns. Today’s game has 175 plus patterns. Larson was a genius for this.

[@xana5649]

Died?

[@alexanderkuntz]

@@xana5649 ya he died back in 1999 at the age of 50

[@xana5649]

@@alexanderkuntz very sad

[@GardeninGrace]

@@alexanderkuntz what did he die from? 50 seems a bit young, I’m assuming a heart attack but you never know when people get fame and fortune, even if it’s only for a couple of years. You can make lots of enemies that way. I just checked, he actually died at 49 years old because of cancer. That’s real sad.

[@baddgeeksquad]

It was from throat cancer

[@michaelfink64]

I agree that Michael Larson and Terry Knees didn't actually cheat. They exploited deficiencies in the games that anyone could have found if they were as diligent in analysing the games.

[@Dremag_Gaming]

Also agree. Plus even if Larson didnt studied the patterns, Im someone else would've.

[@egyptiansushi]

You're agreeing with the producers and the video

[@theAstarrr]

Actually someone in the audience shouted the exact price. The odds Terry actually got lucky are pretty low

[@HVACSoldier]

If you can memorize the pattern of “Press Your Luck,” it is NOT cheating.

[@Kashmirknight]

Like card counting...... it was never officially cheating but it was frowned upon greatly.

[@tymoore2117]

@@Kashmirknight it was unknoen before this, so the studio didnt even consider that people could memorize it.

[@ayudameporfavor1146]

@@Kashmirknight the whole point is are you able to stop it at the most opportune time? The cheaters were the hosts! They should be bankrupt and homeless for abusing the man because he is skilled

[@Kashmirknight]

@@ayudameporfavor1146 I don't disagree with you. No one should be in jail they did end up paying they just fought it. Much like the casinos did when card counting became popular. Now they found ways to protect themselves from it.

[@BlueBlacy]

Like Pacman or Tetris?

[@bobbycone2]

Press your luck guy didn't cheat at all. Learning how the show works and paying close attention is not cheating at all. That's called working hard and winning!

[@bobbycone2]

@xeke ‘ you don't think spending God knows how many hours mastering the patterns of that board to figure out where the best prizes were and where their the Whammys were was hard work? It may not be physical labor but I guarantee that was no easy task.

[@taylorgordon2696]

@@bobbycone2 100p! Haha I couldn’t do it so I respect him for that

[@robertawalsh2995]

He observed when others played the game and practiced until he got good at it -- that's pretty much how people learn to do a lot of things. If that's cheating, then everybody cheats.

[@jackson5116]

@@bobbycone2 he only worked in summers, because he drove an ice cream truck, so fall/spring he spent pretty much all day long watching the show over and over on his VCR and figured out the pattern quite quickly- he was on the show in season 2, indicating he had figured it all out with just one season.

[@bobbycone2]

@@jackson5116 that's even more impressive!

[@teresaames972]

It's not cheating to memorize a pattern. It's playing the game smarter than anyone else.

[@qwertyuiop.]

Casinos don't want you to memorize patterns.

[@michaelcapone175]

Don't really consider the Press Your Luck or Price is Right contestants as cheaters. They studied.

[@emilysanders4807]

Exactly

[@Southernguy41]

Michael, I agree but Terry, I don’t agree. He knew his showcase was 23 thousand, but if he knew the exact price was $23,743, why would he be so specific? Why didn’t he wager 10, 20 or even 50 dollars under? Being exactly right raises suspicions about the contestant than it does the game. He even said that he doesn’t watch it anymore because they changed the format after his controversial bid, which shows that Terry cheated. He didn’t have to bid exactly, but he did. You may disagree and that’s respectable, but at least be respectful of my opinion just like I am to yours.

[@mikaelafox6106]

@@Southernguy41 He chose his wedding date and his wife’s birth month. He felt he knew it was 23, and guessed the other numbers. It really was just luck.

[@TG-cw8gj]

@josh moffitt Even if he knew the exact number, it wasn’t because someone fed him the answer. the dude studied and prepared and when u guess exact u win BOTH showcases so it was worth it. These game shows r rigged to begin with, designed for a balance of views versus giving out too much prize money. Terry is just a guy.. worked and studied hard and in the end Gets called Cheater by ppl like U. To me, the game shows r the cheaters, and what terry did I wouldn’t consider cheating at all, I am not sure why u do why u would take the side of a game show over a nobody who had one chance to win big

[@ryguy0813]

There is a free KZbin movie about this right now. The man who knew too mich

[@jahras66]

Larson was legit. He did his homework and won.

[@xana5649]

Exactly

[@jackson5116]

The biggest thing that helped him was a VCR and only working summers by driving an ice cream truck. If he didn't have all that free time in the fall/spring he wouldn't have been able to watch the show enough to spot the patterns, memorize them, and try out for the show. He was a legit ice cream truck driver, but they don't work in cold weather.

[@georgeboisvert8012]

Larson did cheat 100% and CBS should make him pay for abusing the Game Shows!

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@xavierharris9749]

$110,237 in cash / prizes Holy mother of sh*t

[@roachtoasties]

Michael Larson didn't cheat. He just studied the electro-mechanical board frame by frame through all his VHS taping of the show. He had the tenacity, and did all his homework before applying as a contestant. Anyone applying to be a contestant on a game show should know the show. He just knew the show better than anyone, including the show's producers. There was a TV special about him, I think on Game Show Network.

[@Dremag_Gaming]

Yep. It's called "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal"

[@chrish1695]

I guess “cheating” means using your intelligence to solve a problem.

[@ChrisKing-vf1qe]

This better blow up

[@beardedrampage]

Same with counting cards in Vegas.

[@jadepinney602]

They don't like when you can "beat the system" lol.

[@ajfbdbsjdjfbrbsksbsbfbrs]

@Estelle Edwards nobody thinks card counting is cheating. Casinos reserve the right not to accept their business as counters consistently lose them money.

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@aliceullrish5251]

Imagine being penalized by a show that makes MILLIONS, because you’re smarter then them 😂

[@rafprice1]

Right

[@timglende8869]

That is like MLB telling the NY Yankees they are banned from going to the playoffs for too much winning.

[@SpannerManna]

*than

[@michaelfalkner1186]

@@timglende8869 What do you think the luxury tax is?

[@greenzx9r]

thAn them.

[@Sky2015100]

2:17 to be fair it’s smart of him to figure out patterns for the show. I think it’s fair game, in my opinion that’s not cheating, that’s strategy.

[@josixto6615]

Larson did not cheat.. He is a genius.. Unlike the others mentioned..

[@gamerk316]

Agreed. It's the shows own fault for having a faulty randomizer. He simply took advantage of the flaws of the game.

[@lauranicole3068]

I agree! He studied. He did work for it too!

[@brockhard3555]

He was clever to figure the pattern but a genius...? I wouldn't quite call him that. A genius wouldn't loose his earnings within 2 years of winning.

[@dcgregorya5434]

@@brockhard3555 There have been plenty of people with very high IQ that have messed their lives up. "Everyone makes mistakes" isn't just a cliche` its true.

[@ayudameporfavor1146]

@@dcgregorya5434 look at the life of Poe or DaVinci as examples of what you said... Genius doesnt equal success necesarily

[@timdutton2056]

Larson always comes up in these videos. He didn't cheat. Paying attention is not cheating. Thats why he got to keep the money.

[@zoeinkerman969]

Did he get to keep his money? I really hope he did.

[@timdutton2056]

@@zoeinkerman969 he did.

[@zoeinkerman969]

@@timdutton2056 yeah I hadn't got to that part of the video yet lol

[@msfancy9280]

But he spent most of it in legal fees cause those asses kept taking him to court

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@seeya205]

Michael and Terry never cheated and it is a shame that Michael had to waste his winnings in court costs. It's not his fault that they made it too predictable. They were both just smart, not cheaters!

[@doom4067]

I don't think his legal issues had to do with the game show.

[@bmaze35640]

Knees shouldn’t have lied about why he bid the way he did.

[@pluckypluckster]

#2 3:00 memorizing the board because people are idiots is not cheating- that's outsmarting the game and winning!

[@victorclabaugh1373]

Larson was not cheater just took advantage of a flaw

[@jazhoney8519]

Smart man

[@cykablyat9970]

We know. The creator even said he didn't officially cheat in the video. Don't have to comment it a million times. Why do you feel the need to comment something that literally thousands have done before in the exact same way....

[@Shay-cw5dr]

They had no business bleeding Michael Larson dry. They were angry he got the better of them, did that so he couldn't enjoy the money. Should've been made to pay his attorneys fees.

[@Aivottaja]

Indeed.

[@briantravelman]

That's not entirely what happened. I saw a documentary on it. The host told him to, "Spend the money wisely." Larson got greedy and him and his wife decided to sort through all his bills in hopes of finding a counterfeit and getting a reward. They went to run some errands and just left the money laying on the floor, and someone came into his house and stole it.

[@dellahicks7231]

​@briantravelman They were looking to match a serial number, in order to win a $30,000 prize off a local radio station. Then yes they went to a Christmas party, came home to empty grocery bags where the $1 bills had been.

[@trevorblue4531]

@@briantravelman ''In middle school, he often smuggled candy bars into class and tried to secretly sell them to make a profit. Another scheme involved opening multiple checking accounts with a bank that was offering a promotional $500 to every new customer. Larson withdrew the money as quickly as possible, closed the account, and then repeated the process under a different name. Larson also started a fake business under the name of one of his family members and hired himself to work for the company. He then laid himself off in order to earn unemployment benefits.'' ''In 1995, he engaged in an internet fraud scheme run by a company called Pleasure Time, Inc, which raised $1.8 million from 14,000 investors for a non-existent American-Indian lottery. After the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against the operation, Larson fled Ohio and moved to Apopka, Florida, where he died of cancer in 1999 before he could be found and prosecuted.'' He wasn't a Game Show Cheater, but he certainly cheated in Life!

[@korytoombs886]

The winner of that show changed his winnings into 1 dollar bills and left them inside his house. He was robbed for most of his money.

[@Henry-oe7xr]

Every single person’s comment is about how Larson didn’t cheat and I could not agree more

[@666Brago]

If there's no rule banning how you beat the system, then how the hell is it cheating? Michael didn't cheat on Press Your Luck (which was recently relaunched on ABC) and Terry did not cheat on The Price Is Right. They spent hours and hours studying the patterns and frequencies of the goodies offered.

[@alexaonther0x]

My thoughts exactly

[@hannahwoods5669]

And Terry guessed the last three digits anyway

[@willcavanagh2391]

Terry actually did cheat, because he took credit for someone else's work. A gentleman by the name of Theodore Slauson had studied the prices for years, and he would tell the prices to contestants, because he enjoyed seeing people win. Terry should be labeled a cheater, since he acted as if the win was made all on his own. Watch the documentary 'Perfect Bid' to learn more. It's free on KZbin.

[@GRice999]

@@willcavanagh2391 Well, Terry is a liar. Whether or not he cheated by getting help depends on the rules of the game. In The Price is Right, contestants get help from the audience all the time. The fact that one of the members of the audience knew the answers (by studying the game and not by being given the answers by someone associated with the show) is not cheating unless the show specifically forbids it. And that's true even if Terry knew the person and even if he paid him for his services. It's up to the show to anticipate these sort of things and address them in their rules and/or take measures to prevent it.

[@rosemarykriegel3226]

@@GRice999 Terry did not pay one penny to Theodore for the information. The studio was so loud that Terry couldn't hear Theodore, but Theodore did tell Terry's wife who was sitting next to him the exact amount of his show case. The wife was able to show Terry the amount via her fingers and that's how he won. The sad thing is that immediately Drew Carey jumped to the conclusion that cheating was involved and instead of congratulating Terry and celebrating with him, Drew was angry. What a loser as a host of the show.

[@ChubbyUnicorn]

Terry didn't cheat, he studied and randomly used birthday dates- that was coincidence. Not cheating. Using skill and study to win is not cheating.

[@allainef4f]

If he knew it was 23000 and something, he should have just said 23000. By saying 23743, he had a 74.2% chance of going over. Like he was literally playing double-or-nothing. Either very ballsy or rather foolish.

[@kenbob1071]

@@allainef4f That's what I was thinking. If his wife's birthday had fallen in the span of April to December, he would have overbid. Plus, getting the exact price creates suspicion.

[@Lefishn]

Terry didn't study he got all his answers from Theodore in Audienc3. Go watch the movie about it

[@TheLionAndTheLamb777]

Tell that to a Casino.

[@paulw858]

@@Lefishn It's called Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much. And it's actually available for free on KZbin! . And it makes me really mad that so many comments in here are talking about Terry as if he earned his victory. The movie was made in 2017 so people should definitely have known about it by the time this video came out. Oh well. At least now it's on Netflix and KZbin and more people are aware.

[@zuzuspetals2003]

It's so unfair calling the last guy a cheater. It's like studying really hard for an exam to get 100 and then being called a cheater.

[@Gooner333333333]

Only 2 out of the 5 were actual cheaters, 1 was a show cheating the guy

[@thediydude]

The last guy is a fraud, the truth behind it was a guy had been going on the show repeatedly after losing and blurted out prices for people, and they told him "hey ill give you the answers and you win and we'll split it." He didn't believe them at first until he finally got up on stage. There's another documentary on just this episode. This guy and his wife made up that bs story to distance himself from the guy with photographic memory who'd been calling perfect bids for weeks

[@baiqi44]

@@thediydude Still not cheating because of the format of Price is Right. The audience is encouraged to shout out prices. If the contestant listens to any one of the audience members' prices, the contestant is not cheating at all. If it was an inside job like a staff member feeding the contestant the prices, then it's cheating. Anyways, no cheating there. The guy shouting out the prices remembers every single prize and its' price (minus trips) on The Price Is Right.

[@nosepicker88]

@@baiqi44 He technically didn't cheat but he is still a fraud in that he never confessed to riding the coattails of the real expert from the audience. He tried to (and continues to) claim that it was his memorization of the prices that allowed him to win, which isn't even close to the truth.

[@TednGilbertAZ]

I had that happen more than once.🤦‍♀️

[@fluffypotato2820]

Only 5 random patterns? The game should be the one to blame as they just didn’t even put in the minimal effort in creating a fair game.

[@ayahoo16]

It wasn't as simple as recognizing there were five patterns as the prizes would change randomly as well you also had to know that there were two spaces that always were good. Seems like it would have been fairly easy to make all the spaces potentially have whammys then five patterns would have been sufficient.

[@MarkLada]

The last guy, the one who got the price of the showcase exactly right.. There's more to the story.. There's a whole documentary about it.. He met a guy while standing in line who knew the prices of everything.. He fed the guy who won the winning bid.. That's why Drew acted like that and said "Wow' that's a really specific bid.. The documentary is really good go look it up and watch it..

[@thewkovacs316]

that was another thing that wasnt against the rules...audience members yelling out prices

[@shadowlouise]

I'm confused about the perfect bid. Wasn't that just luck? He chose numbers the way some people play the lottery: picking numbers that have special significance, like his wife's birthdate. Right? Or did I misunderstand?

[@moonwatcher99]

@@shadowlouise That's what he claimed, but unused footage from the episode taping shows him staring at the audience and mouthing numbers. He claimed otherwise because either, a) he wanted to take all the credit, or b) he panicked, because it became obvious right away that the show thought something was off, and they were looking for a way to disqualify him. I just watched that documentary the other commenter mentioned (it's here on YT, actually) and the unnamed guy had video history of being in the audience and getting correct amounts going back to the late 70's.

[@lukelang7781]

Theodore

[@VeganDoris]

@@shadowlouise That “lucky” story was a lie. He actually heard someone in the audience yell out the correct answer. The person in the audience was someone who had memorized all the prizes and their prices. The contestant and his wife met the guy before the taping, so when that guy yelled out the prices, the contestant knew to listen to him. The contestant didn’t want to admit to what he did, so he made up the story about the “lucky” bid. It’s all detailed in this documentary: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Bid:_The_Contestant_Who_Knew_Too_Much

[@pamelaross9328]

Larson is so impressive though! They way he remembers all five patterns and didn’t make one mistake- omg. That is so amazing!

[@mrmc9278]

He did make one mistake. His very first spin was a whammy. The rest he was perfect.

[@johntiggleman4686]

@@mrmc9278 Correct. I saw a special on that show some time back and that was the only screw up.

[@sicilianjoe]

I just helped my kid cheat on their spelling test...we knew the weekly words in advance and studied really hard to prepare. Yes, I’m a bad father.

[@pain21229]

Ur the father of the yr

[@shakejackson7513]

Yes you are!! Great job dad Lol

[@sylviaisgod6947]

You don't know if your kid is a boy or girl?

[@kabe1799]

Yup, the worst!

[@gabrspanksmen]

This is about 15 comments in and it’s the first one not about Press your Luck not being cheated

[@feiery]

Neither Michael nor Terry cheated. They had skills and used them.

[@cassandrajenkins9095]

I feel like if Adriana was a regular contestant her cheating wouldn’t have been so easily forgiven. And no having the Shazam app open on your phone in your lap during the game telling you the answers isn’t a brilliant strategy. It’s just plain cheating...

[@luthermorrisjr1657]

(I’m just happy this isn’t a comment about Larson or test your luck) Yeah, She Proably wouldn’t have been so easily forgiven.🤷🏿‍♀️

[@queene3oh3]

@@luthermorrisjr1657 🥴😫😹

[@phlushphish793]

I think it's great that they laughed it off at how easily she cheated.

[@ibperson7765]

@@luthermorrisjr1657Really. How are these hundreds of comments saying Larson didnt cheat (which the video itself already says) getting hundreds of likes each?

[@R2YG718]

Larson didn’t cheat ! Homie was the truth!

[@perkypokey]

It's important to note that soon after the Michael Larson incident, the Press Your Luck producers did a complete overhaul of the game board and introduced a code that completely randomized the light pattern and prize amount so that it would be impossible to learn.

[@XCodeHelpHub]

Hence he cheated!

[@Dremag_Gaming]

Not sure why they called it a random thing, before he figured it out, since they kept using the same patterns. Good that they "fixed" it later on .

[@perkypokey]

@@XCodeHelpHub I wouldn't say he cheated per se, he merely took advantage of a flawed system.

[@reubenmanzo2054]

@@XCodeHelpHub No, he simply studied the system.

[@doom4067]

@xcodehelp I hope you've never cheated on a test by knowing the answers.

[@JV801097253]

Memorizing the pattern is not cheating. So outside him, everything else is cheating

[@cureholder383]

The last guy basically did the same thing, memorizing the value of all the prizes on The Price Is Right. If Larson did not cheat (which he did not), then neither did the last guy.

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@hugopnabais]

Larson is not a cheater, he just used strategy. Also the last guy just did the same. He did not cheat.

[@cykablyat9970]

We know. The creator even said it in the video. Don't have to comment it a million times.

[@GarimusPrime83]

The "Press Your Luck" guy didn't cheat. He literally thought 'outside the box' and decoded the pattern. You can't be penalized for using your brain to strategize. It's on the showrunners for never changing it up. The guy can only be flawed for clapping too early.

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

So only 2 actually cheated, the rest were smart or had it fed to them.

[@kendallchaos]

How does having the answers fed to you not count as cheating

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

@@kendallchaos Because if you had it fed to you, it wasn't you that cheated right? woosh

[@tommybowling6234]

@@oo0Spyder0oo yes u r the cheater, because u r the one who applied it!!!!🤦🤦🤦💥💥💥BOOM!!!!

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

@@tommybowling6234 time to grow up

[@emmacheese6107]

@@oo0Spyder0oo time to learn something

[@KennyMcCormick99]

There's a huge difference between cheating and strategy...

[@Rodeo5601]

Larson was amazing to figure that out he deserved every dollar he earned

[@DNSKansas]

Michael Larson was such a loser he had time to watch Press Your Luck all day while honest people worked. Fuck him. He should be rotting in hell, and I was overjoyed to see he lost all his money. KARMA, bitch.

[@waynecarter2169]

Larson and Kneiss both figured out the respective shows' systems and played them perfectly. Nothing wrong with that at all, it's no different to other quizzes where generic questions are often repeated. Fair play to them

[@aewtx]

Even if memorizing the patterns was cheating (which it's not), Larson still had to land on the correct boxes. That part definitely wasn't cheating.

[@FUGP72]

He didn't cheat, but it wasn't hard. What he memorized was the pattern OF the box. Not the random changing of the board. So he knew the two patterns out of the 5 that had a sequence where he KNEW the next box would never be a whammy. One where it was always the jackpot $3000, $4000, or $5000 plus a spin. So knowing that, it was very simple for him. Once he got the timing down (which he did when he messed up the very first try and did get a whammy) he knew he could always get $3000-$5000 plus a spin every time. It just meant that sometimes, he had to let the board cycle through all 5 patterns. Which is why he often took a LOT longer to press the button than most.

[@nancyomalley6286]

@@FUGP72 But you also have to have perfect reflexes to hit the button at that precise microsecond!

[@FUGP72]

@@nancyomalley6286 Well, that is why he hit a Whammy on his first spin. It didn't really switch boxes all that fast. definitely timeable. In fact, on the special that Game Show Network did on him when his two part episode was aired for the first time in almost 20 years, they brought back his two opponents, told them about the pattern and what to look for to know when the guaranteed jackpot space was coming up, and had them try it. Both of them got the timing down very fast. I think one missed it once and the other missed it twice. after that, they were able to get it every time as well.

[@davidmccann9811]

Larson did well. He took the time to study the game, and then he employed that knowledge (fairly) to win. That's no different to someone being good at Poker or Chess.

[@jamx551]

The Press Your Luck and Price is Right contestant did not cheat! They were just smart enough. They did their due diligence by studying patterns. Its like figuring out the patterns in abstract reasoning tests.The gameshows were just outsmarted.

[@Equ3strianGam3r]

The guy on Press Your Luck should not be called a cheater. Learning and memorizing a pattern and using that to win is not cheating. That would be the same as calling studying for a test cheating.

[@XCodeHelpHub]

Guess again!

[@richdouglas2311]

Michael didn't cheat. He got good at the game (Press Your Luck) by watching it on TV. Terry didn't cheat, either. He studied ahead of time and performed well.

[@edgardaniels1402]

Kudos to the people smart enough to recognize the patterns and memorize the prices of the prizes!! Not cheaters at all!!

[@daveborn1971]

Terry wasn't the first to get it perfect, drew even says so.

[@bostonblackie9503]

Larson didn't cheat he out smarted them. He simply used what he knew!

[@judahbaggerman2294]

Larson studied he didnt guess he actually did his homework

[@66Viscount]

Larson was clearly not dishonest, nor did he cheat. He simply used skill in memorising patterns. If fault lies with anyone it lies with whoever invented the device for having a pattern that was capable of prediction.

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah that's what the creator said. He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@AnriDarkmoor]

@@cykablyat9970 I wouldn't count the games faults as an unknown disadvantage when it was available to exploit by everyone. Everyone who watched the show had plenty of chances to notice and utilize it but they didn't and he did. If he never would of gotten it then it was only a matter of time someone else down the road would have used their brain to figure out.

[@danem2215]

Michael Larson didn't cheat. He learned and beat the system. He turned what was supposed to be a game of chance into a game of skill. It's a genius move.

[@mind_of_a_darkhorse]

The Price is Right one actually had a man in the audience who heavily studied it (he had written a program to help him gauge the prices) and he claims he shouted out the correct price and the guy listened to it. Then afterward the player claimed he did it all on his own. There was a whole documentary on this. Originally, they thought someone in the show was out to get them because the show fired a lot of long-time staffers when Drew took the reins.

[@scootergurl48]

The documentary I saw did not indicate anyone ever yelled the price to him at all. He memorized the prices and knew the total. You can see Drew was suspicious of the guy and who can blame him? If someone had yelled the price to him everyone in the audience and Drew would have heard it and the man would have been disqualified.

[@ElTiano21]

This dude outsmarted the show, which is what an intelligent person does! He spent a long time studying how to win, that’s not cheating. That’s genius!

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@nicolehedger6832]

Noticing a pattern isn't cheating, but if I were playing against a contestant who had it all figured out, I'd be upset, too! Though, I'd be more upset with myself for not looking for patterns like he did and figuring it out for myself!

[@londyn953]

The second one isnt even cheating

[@accountaccount3840]

4:26

[@toastyburrito]

And the last one

[@gphell33]

Terry and Michael didn’t cheat. Michael at best could be called poor sportsmanship, but he played the game, Terry I think was more pure luck. Imagine if he was off by a $1? Some say his wife or a friend were yelling the amounts. Right, them and a few hundred other people. There have been a few close bids before within a few dollars. I mean if someone from the production staff had given him the bid would be one thing. Watching the show and knowing how to play before going on is not cheating.

[@kashu8774]

If he had perfect pitch it would be no problem for him

[@willcavanagh2391]

Terry actually did cheat, because he took credit for someone else's work. A gentleman by the name of Theodore Slauson had studied the prices for years, and he would tell the prices to contestants, because he enjoyed seeing people win. Terry should be labeled a cheater, since he acted as if the win was made all on his own. Watch the documentary 'Perfect Bid' to learn more. It's free on KZbin.

[@thediydude]

No, Terry was given the answers from another man in the audience with photographic memory, who did this all the time. But he told him to listen to him and he'd help him the whole way, and then Terry made up this story with his wife. There's another whole documentary on that one alone and drew Carey was sick of the man

[@gphell33]

@@thediydude And how is Terry getting help from anyone in the audience different the thousands of contestants who have done so over the past 50 years? Other than the degree of success. If Terry cheated, then what about them? That plus the fact as I said, a $1 difference between what this guy allegedly knew and what TPIR had as the price would have sent all that down the drain. Oops you were over by $1.

[@cykablyat9970]

We know. The creator even said he didn't officially cheat in the video. Don't have to comment it a million times. Why do you feel the need to comment something that literally thousands have done before in the exact same way....

[@atuck6082]

Remembering the patters of a game isn't cheating. It's getting good at the game or activity. If you've ever played a video game, played sports, been in fighting matches, raced, taken tests etc it's the same thing. You gain knowledge, and/or remember the patters, and/or develop muscle memory, then perfect your timing to return the best possible response.

[@ginger7344]

Larson outsmarted the game. He definitely deserved the win and the support he’s got in this comment section! We got your back Larson!

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@OptimusPhillip]

He definitely didn't cheat, but the dude from what I heard was kind of a lunatic.

[@TheDestroyerComics]

love when people can break a gameshow completely within the rules

[@CrashandTrash596]

Larson studied the game. He did not cheat.

[@XCodeHelpHub]

Keep thinking that.

[@DNSKansas]

Fuck you jackmccqall7926. Fuck you. Larson was an unemployed motherfucker who didn't want to work. That's how he had time to cheat.

[@paulofelipebbraga9634]

Cheat.

[@skepticalobserver7484]

What’s interesting to me is that Larson was smart enough to find the weakness in the game and exploit it but wasn’t smart enough to avoid celebrating too early 😂

[@XCodeHelpHub]

The.basic character of a cheater.

[@ogahay6738]

Except he did not cheat!

[@gabez0770]

So I'm confused on cheating is having a good memory maybe this should have been a top 3 list instead.

[@tmayorca8770]

If Terry memorized the price of the product that's like studying the cost of things prior to the show which is what you should do as it's based on prices. He picked the 23,000 part correct. When he guessed the last three he gave himself a 74.2% chance of going over the amount by guessing 743 and therefore was a tally a bad choice of numbers. His most logical answer would have been 23,000. That's not sheathing.

[@AFAskygoddess]

I was champion on Sale of the Century for 7 days in 1988. I can tell you that the network was ultra careful that stuff like this wouldn't happen to the best of their abilitiy.

[@Zachorazor1]

Congrats. I would have watched those eps.

[@mlg1783]

You really can't blame the Michael dude for noticing a pattern. That's not cheating, that poor game logistics from the show.

[@cykablyat9970]

We know. The creator even said he didn't officially cheat in the video. Don't have to comment it a million times. Why do you feel the need to comment something that literally thousands have done before in the exact same way....

[@bostonrailfan2427]

Larson and Kneiss didn’t cheat, they used the show’s own system against the gameshows and won. they didn’t break any rules, both won fairly even if both devoted their lives to learning the show 🙄 it’s the shows’ own fault for not noticing it or changing things up to prevent patterns that anyone can figure out

[@Joey0017]

Larson won fair and square his memory for the patterns was brilliant, well done him.

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@@cykablyat9970 He wasn't dishonest when he said "no."

[@StudioCoqui]

Just to add to everyone else's comments regarding Larson... memorizing the 5 patterns would mean nothing if he didn't have hand-eye co-ordination and the timing of pressing the button down pat given the primitive-ness of the tech at that time. If you watch the patterns sometimes the icons switch out to another icon, including the whammy, while still being highlighted. Also, Larson was fighting exhaustion and attrition for all those hours. That's why his game lasted two episodes.

[@bwrpwr]

The Press Your Luck guy didn't cheat. He simply studied.

[@andrewn.8654]

If memorizing patterns and prices is cheating, then memorizing the answers in trivia games is cheating too.

[@tuffyyakim1983]

Mike was definitely legit! He did not Cheat. He was just Smart and had an amazing Memory!

[@loreleigoldman2460]

My father-in-law knew Charles Van Doren and his family very well. His family (particularly his father), was absolutely disgusted and ashamed of what took place.

[@simplyjuannie5128]

I watch Price is Right and as a teenager, I noticed that the products (like Aspirin or cookies) had the same price even in different games played. It's not the contestant's fault that they remember things.

[@codypritchard663]

I agree about Larson. He just outsmarted the creators, he didnt cheat

[@lynettepalecek3141]

The second contestant Michael didn't cheat. He just was smart enough to figure out the pattern.

[@Scott-sg3pj]

You know the first cheater on this list, wasn't his sly act made into a film?

[@IsaacKing-yf4ty]

It was made into an ITV series called Quiz in 2020.

[@dextermorgan1]

Larson didn't cheat. He beat their system. That's not cheating. That's being observant and smart.

[@emilysanders4807]

Yep

[@georgeboisvert8012]

That's because he cheat the system and that in itself is cheating!

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@damianmarkland8543]

Michael deserved every penny! He didn't cheat, he followed the rules and he won. You can't penalise him just because he was smarter than the other contestants.

[@nickchan1208]

Larson wasn’t a cheater. He did his homework and found out how the game works. They just called it cheating because they lost money

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@-Roos97-]

Michael won fair and square... It's the program's fault for making so few patterns! Someone was gonna see it sooner or later, and it happened to be Michael, who is just smart, not a cheater. I did feel like he celebrated to early haha.

[@DreamDancer82]

I knew the "Press Your Luck" scandal would show up here. But, like most people, I really don't count that as cheating. He taped episodes of "Press Your Luck," studied the board, and memorized the patterns. It took him some time to get the timing down (as his first spin resulted in a Whammy), but this really isn't cheating.

[@trevorblue4531]

''In middle school, he often smuggled candy bars into class and tried to secretly sell them to make a profit. Another scheme involved opening multiple checking accounts with a bank that was offering a promotional $500 to every new customer. Larson withdrew the money as quickly as possible, closed the account, and then repeated the process under a different name. Larson also started a fake business under the name of one of his family members and hired himself to work for the company. He then laid himself off in order to earn unemployment benefits.'' ''In 1995, he engaged in an internet fraud scheme run by a company called Pleasure Time, Inc, which raised $1.8 million from 14,000 investors for a non-existent American-Indian lottery. After the Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against the operation, Larson fled Ohio and moved to Apopka, Florida, where he died of cancer in 1999 before he could be found and prosecuted.'' He wasn't a Game Show Cheater, but he certainly cheated in Life!

[@jessikamangset8050]

I swear this is like practicing for a test on larrens one

[@kari7403]

Kind of BS that they were able to bleed Larson dry of his winnings. If he was found innocent, they should have had to pay his legal fees, too.

[@tywanjames4427]

You misunderstood. The guy said he got paid. He said he lost his money in unrelated legal matters.

[@Nickkkk838]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Larson#:~:text=Over%20several%20days%2C%20he%20withdrew,was%20attending%20a%20Christmas%20party. Looks like it was 50k, but still.

[@kari7403]

@@tywanjames4427 yup. You're right. I missed that bit.

[@kari7403]

@@Nickkkk838 dang. Yeah 5k isn't bad. But still. Thanks for link. 👍

[@talon3684]

Yeah, Larsen memorizing the lighting up of the spaces and finding that loophole on Press Your Luck isn't cheating. He watched the game intently and found a way to win. There is no cheating involved if you figure out how the inner workings of something takes place. It's up to the game show to step up their randomization so that a contestant can never know what may happen.

[@amopotato7953]

Larson did not cheat. He was smart.

[@clarissaperez5849]

I loved how (for the last person) the contestant to his left was just so dang excited and happy for him even though she didn't win! She just seemed so genuinely happy someone did and got to come up, just like she was 😄 that's freaking awesome! I love such fair players, even through the competitiveness, you just gotta love the game. After all, that's what it is ☺

[@darksparkyshark430]

Thank you for not talking about Larson!

[@clarissaperez5849]

@@darksparkyshark430 lol, you're welcome!

[@TedSlauson1]

I had already helped Sharon win a car in One Away (with all numbers right on the first try). That probably had something to do with why she was happy for Terry. Although I was sad for her that she bid so well on her showcase when Terry's bid (which came from me; watch Perfect Bid to see how I did it) was on the nose.

[@doubleboy2388]

The second guy deserves his win!! Good on him for figuring out and beating the system.

[@findingpurpose5823]

Neither Michael nor Terry should have been deemed "cheaters" it was the lazy game shows not changing things up and thinking people were dumb enough not to notice!

[@punawelewele]

100%

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah we know, you don't have to comment it for the hundred thousand time. The creator said, He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@missscarlet7902]

How can remembering patterns, prices and so on even be claimed as cheating. They're just smart af. 🤣

[@cykablyat9970]

Yeah that's what the creator said. He didn't officially cheat. He said it himself. He was dishonest though, he was asked if he had an unknown advantage and he said no when auditioning.

[@samtheman3521]

@@cykablyat9970 He didn't have an "unknown advantage" though. Because literally any contestant could have done what he did.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@@samtheman3521 That's exactly correct.

[@XCodeHelpHub]

​@@samtheman3521 But they didn't so get real.

[@reubenmanzo2054]

@@XCodeHelpHub Just because no one else thought of it doesn't mean it wasn't a public opportunity. Similar to Russell Hantz in Survivor, who became the first player to find an immunity idol without a clue. Did he cheat? No, he just used ingenuity.

[@michaelmappin4425]

I was the airfield maintenance chief at Naval Air Station Oceana. Every day we came in from the field at 11 and watched Price is Right. After a while, we knew every price.

[@bryananderson5257]

Wasn’t just Terry and his wife. Do your research.

[@nunez_szn4111]

🤣🤣🤣

[@jnava9889]

Yup it was Theodore

[@chitowner3128]

Or you could apply for the channel since you know stuff they clearly don't. Lol