Top 10 Biggest Game Show Cheaters Ever

These folks did not deserve to come on down. For this list, we’ll be looking at contestants on game shows who gamed the system to win big - or just outright cheated. Our countdown includes game shows "The Price is Right", "Millionaire Hot Seat", "Twenty-One" and more! Did you happen to see any of these live? Let us know in the comments below!
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#gameshow #cheaters #priceisright #whowantstobeamillionaire #nbc #cbs #momentoftruth #millionairehotseat

[@WatchMojo]

Did you happen to see any of these live? Let us know in the comments below! For more cheating content, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpjcqaSbZ7iZjKM

[@CharlieHepp]

hmm

[@susanreilly8547]

Of course VanDorn that was the only one as far as I know that was made into a Movie! And it was as far as I know ( again ) a big big deal First time to happen! And he was better looking they said also like the women fainting when the Beatles came ( what a crock ). And the first guy they screwed him and he wanted what they promised so he was going to blow the whistle! That's when VanDorn joined for a whistle blowing duo! Good night ladies and Gentlemen hmmm...

[@MattZRJSRoxy]

nope, I recall most of them but never saw them live

[@MrGabeanator]

flip flop cheater yeah

[@lordvishnu1780]

@@CharlieHepp I was able to get details of my partner infidelity with the help of *SOLUTIONCOMPLAINT👀ORG* without her noticing..

[@GamerFromJump]

Hold up, Michael Larson on _Press Your Luck,_ Ted Slauson on _Price Is Right,_ and Khaled on _Millionaire Hot Seat_ did nothing wrong. There’s nothing wrong with being observant and having a good memory.

[@jpmackey1607]

I think this video should be retitled “Top 10 People Who Gamed Game Shows Systems (or Cheated).”

[@mugenthekid6308]

Exactly, What the Heck are they talking about

[@racheljackson4428]

yeah i'm a bit confused with what he said.

[@TheLast-One]

Could they sue this KZbin channel for slander?

[@adamriddle7425]

Facts. Especially the guy on the price is right and the guy on the millionaireshow. There's no crime of a fan memorizing prices that never change and reading the body language of the host is 100% legal. The host is doing it all subconsciously so it's not planned by either for a win. The guy who hit the button is more of seeing what you can get away with before its too much.

[@leo.ottesen]

3:00 "I wasn't playing the game, I was playing the man." That's not cheating. He was guessing, like anyone else, but based on the host's body language. To guess is not to cheat.

[@seandelap8587]

Michael Larson didn't cheat he simply used a weakness to his advantage that happens in sport all the time its not his fault that the game show didn't make its gameboard bulletproof

[@911_In_Real_Time]

Facts.

[@carastone3473]

At the start, they said ‘…gamed the system or just flat cheated.’ He clearly belongs on this list.

[@MattZRJSRoxy]

exactly, it's easy for them to presume he cheated just like what happened with The Price is Right guy but they took advantage of a legal loophole which forced both shows to shake things up

[@yamigekusu]

Years later, during the 2000s 'Whammy!' era, they had past contestants on for an episode, and had Larson's brother on. It was interesting to watch

[@lindseyperlberg8484]

@@MattZRJSRoxy they said gamed the styem or cheated you men never listen to anything

[@GR-nz3om]

I mean, Michael Larson technically didn't cheat.

[@richardperaza5083]

Number 8 isn't cheating bc he just learned and read the body language of the host that's skill that helped him

[@mugenthekid6308]

Exactly

[@jaylouis8227]

Agreed. If that's cheating, then poker players are cheaters too.

[@youtube-kit9450]

It's just good old watchmojo clickbait. In the video, they clearly say "gamed the system or cheated", but you wouldn't get the interaction with the videos saying "hey x didn't cheat" if you wrote that in the title aswell.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

10 - That's not cheating or even inappropriate. PiR audience members can offer hints to the contestants. 9- That just seemed like stupidity more than cheating. 8- Shifty; probably skirts the edge of cheating. 6- This seems more like a breakdown of the show's premise itself. 5- Memorizing the pattern is definitely not cheating.

[@drewferguson4787]

8 Is the same as 5, used patterns to beat the game

[@dragonguardianqueen]

number 9 definitely sounded like major stupidity

[@14kevinnivek41]

I always laugh at the coughing wife. 😂

[@OwenCulp]

Same

[@lfgubrs]

So discreet 😂

[@OwenCulp]

@@lfgubrs yea

[@thehammersmithcrumpetradar]

I mean…

[@margarethmichelina5146]

Imagine if she did that in 2020

[@jevinday]

I have always thought the millionaire coughing scandal was totally cheating but I feel like the Michael Larsen press your luck dude earned his prize money haha. There is also a guy named James Holzhauer who revolutionized the way that Jeopardy is played a couple years back. He's not a cheater, I'm just mentioning it on the grounds of interesting game show strategies

[@fourwingsweepa1705]

James was a gambler who went big on the daily doubles

[@jevinday]

@@fourwingsweepa1705 yeah he would rack up money by starting from the bottom so by the time he found the daily double he'd have so much money by the end that even if the other 2 contestants bet all of their money on the final question they still couldn't win. It was one of his strategies anyway. I think it's cool to study.

[@DPowered2]

I think its weird that having good memory or knowing how to read people counts as cheating. Its like winning too much in a casino so they ban you.

[@Gashnaw]

They politely but firmly ask you to leave... Or beat the snot out of you in the back room. Thing is casinos are not supposed to lose. They cheat themselves. Blackjack for example, they can see the next card. It is possible to win, but that is luck, or you play the system.

[@TheLast-One]

@@Gashnaw the house always win

[@Gashnaw]

@@TheLast-One you know what that saying actually refers to right? Ot os not saying that you will not win but at the end of the day they brought in far more than they cashed out

[@antimattv]

When Billionaires get millions of dollars of tax payer subsidies that's not cheating, though.

[@benjaminpeterson455]

It’s not cheating if it isn’t against the rules.

[@ashh4929]

Lol this makes me want to quote Cartman saying "I misinterpreted the rrrrrrules." LOL 🤣

[@Luna.Raphael]

They're not cheaters, they're strategists. Rockwell being the exception. 😆

[@emoji3266]

cough cough

[@nicholasharvey1232]

The 1994 film Quiz Show-- nominated for Best Picture-- deals with the Twenty-One cheating scandal of the 1950s. It makes me wonder if there is still any game show fixing going on under the table. Many of the game show outcomes that I've seen lately come off to me as a bit suspect.

[@ChuckD79]

It's been a federal offense to rig a GS ever since the scandals...during tapings, contestants are closely guarded prior to airtime and forbidden from speaking with anyone that they aren't authorized to, plus Standards and Practices officials are always on set to ensure the game is conducted fairly. In fact, a planned Fox 2010 primetime GS (Our Little Genius) was pulled just before its scheduled premiere after it was discovered that some of the young contestants had been given a bit too much "assistance" during taping!

[@nicholasharvey1232]

@@ChuckD79 I know there are probably rules in place now in order to prevent game show fixing... which may be why some game shows are now filming overseas. Name That Tune and Beat Shazam come to mind, I really do wonder if the real reason for taping them overseas was to get around American laws.

[@Justin_0241]

good thing that future gameshows like Our Little Genius never aired bcoz it was accused of rigging or even cheating at that time we like to thank Van Doren and Stempel for that exopsing producer interference in game shows

[@olivabuckhanon1228]

Charles Ingram cheating is by far #1 ever

[@pokemonslayer3345]

I wouldn't exactly call #8 cheating. Whenever the host was giving the answers, he made some body gestures whenever the correct answer was said, and the contestant picked up on it.

[@stevenvgs]

How many times does Michael Larson have to appear on game show cheating scandal lists? Lmao! He figured out the system in Press Your Luck and used that to his advantage, which fit well within the rule set. That's not even close to cheating.

[@justaregulardude895]

I don't think contestants that memorize things are cheaters. That's the fault of the game, not the players, and it's not against the rules usually (unlike at a casino). It's not illegal and it's not against the contracts they sign if the game is just easy to manipulate due to the show's own faults. Having a "random" board that isn't actually random or repeating the same prizes ad infinitum on a price guessing show... are just DUMB design decisions that deserved to be exploited IMO. Same with "reading" a host- get a better host or don't allow gamblers on the show period. This is why Jeopardy is the best. It encourages you to memorize and game the system if possible.

[@silverballs7]

The people that study the game aren’t cheaters

[@WhipLashJimmyFrank]

For those curious, the Major Fraud documentary is free on KZbin and it’s a fascinating experience.

[@brookelynnenewcomer943]

So when he wasn't making anymore money he all of a sudden realized cheating is wrong.

[@GTAnativeInXboxAndPlayStation]

I remember the Charles Ingram videos on KZbin. That’s how I recognized this thumbnail.

[@demirbetsa3665]

The moment of truth was ahead of its time. If that show were to start airing today it would be a massive hit.

[@sallyoakes7709]

Didn't see the Press Your Luck one live, but I wasn't a bit surprised. We had it on in our dorm lobby in college and several of us who didn't have class at that time used to watch it because we liked to see the Whammies (there was a Michael Jackson one!). Even WE noticed that there was a pattern to the screens and lights and even commented that we ought to watch and study the pattern and go on the show and win. That was 1983. Don't know when it was the guy one, but I was out of college by then and working!

[@spencerpalmer2918]

I heard about a few of these through Brian Brushwood's podcast, World's Greatest Con, which I highly recommend. Thanks for the video!

[@malcolmmaze2583]

I feel sorry for the man and his coughing wife. Lmao 😂

[@nerd26373]

We appreciate your dedication and consistency. God bless you all.

[@Natemerk]

Ingrams - Mr. and Mrs. Coughman 😷 Will you stop coughing, Mrs. Coughman! 😂

[@DragonKazooie89]

Memorization and reading the cues of people I do not consider cheating. It’s just knowing how the game works and how to take advantage of it.

[@joeymartinez9854]

The game show 21 scandal got turned into a movie called quiz show

[@brothaMan84]

It’s cheating if the producers aren’t happy about it haha

[@bandgeek89]

Some of these aren't cheating, the contestants just had an expert knowledge of the game or knew how to read people

[@FahrenheitMusic21]

Terry Kniess also did NOT cheat. Since he was a weatherman, he memorized the patterns of the different items in Contestant's Row, by recording every episode.

[@yadielenielbellecolon982]

Thank For The Video 🥰👍💗😍

[@mjpilot4439]

on "Is it Cake" on season 1, a guy called Johnny; he was making a taco cake, and realized that he can never make a real-like taco out of cake, so he adds the fake tomato pieces on the real tacos, just to throw the judges off, and no one claimed that he cheated and won the cash anyway.

[@MarcusMarsh21]

That lady went on a show called “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire” and she’s surprised ppl think she’s a gold digger 🥴

[@jamesheatherly4209]

You can’t get away with cheating. Producers(and sometimes fans)will get suspicious and call you out for it.

[@TheEvilChocolateCookie]

Michael Larson is a classic example of how some people have no clue how to manage their money

[@danielferrieri7434]

Top Ten Real World Redemption Arcs

[@kbramlett6877]

There was a documentary film made about Ted Slauson titled "The Perfect Bid." In my opinion, he was not a cheater, but someone who paid attention to how the game show rotated their prizes and used his knowledge to his advantage. There is nothing in the rules stating that you cannot do that. This also goes for Michael Larson with Press Your Luck. He too had a documentary made about him called "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal. If you watch his documentary, it is mentioned that he was always looking for a way to make a fast buck. And according to his brother, he was extremely intelligent. To figure out exactly how the game board on the TV show worked, he used six TVs and had a VCR connected to each one. As he was reviewing the footage from each video he was taking notes and then cracked the code so to speak. He figured out the rotation of not only how the cursor rotated, but also the rotation of the prizes each time the cursor moved, and the exact amount of time it took for the cursor to move from prize to prize. Therefore, he knew exactly when to hit the button to have the cursor always land on three, four, or five thousand dollars and a spin. Those in the control room stated in interviews that they had to sit back and watch in disbelief. CBS almost refused to pay Michael the $126,000 that he won. But the producer of the show stated "There is nothing in the rules stating that you cannot memorize the game board." Both of those documentaries can be found on YT. In my opinion, that is NOT cheating, but using your brain.

[@CutterHistorical]

I argue that Van DOren and Stempel shouldve been a combined entry And also Michael Larson should be ahead of Abenia at the very least

[@charliejoson9145]

To be fair, Watchmojo already did this exact video (old video) but as an additional Top 20

[@foxmccloud7055]

The difference between #5 and #1 is that Michael got his $110,237 and Charles got publicly humiliated and shamed. In regards to #4 and #2, In light of the quiz show scandals, networks not only implemented a policing system called "Standards and Practices" to ensure that no cheating is being done, and that the games are kept fair and random. They also implemented limits on how many times or days a contestant can be on a show, how much money they can win or both. NBC limited the amount of days or times they can be on a show. ABC limited the amount of times or days to five and implemented a limit on winnings like: 1972- $20,000 and 1982- $50,000. CBS implemented several limits on winnings seen here: 1972-1978: $25,000 1978-1982: $25,000-$35,000 1982-1984: $25,000-$50,000 1984-1986: $50,000-$75,000* (* denotes hard cap on winnings being implemented after Michael Larson took CBS and "Press Your Luck" for $110,237) Also starting on top of the $50,000-$75,000* they put limits on how many times a player can be on a show usually five days with "Body Language" imposing a six day limit. 1986-1992: $75,000-$100,000* 1992-2006: $125,000* Since 2006 there is no limit on winnings. Most importantly, the networks took game shows out of the control of the sponsors. The quiz show scandals are the reason why you see at the end of every game show "Contestants are furnished with complete rules and must meet eligibility requirements to receive announced prizes." or a variation of the quote.

[@scottbakanumba1heathen313]

"Flip Flop". John Kerry flashbacks.

[@Saintdead3]

I love ur vids

[@jaylouis8227]

I don't think Michael Larson did anything wrong. Tons of people watch game shows every day and probably study game board patterns when applicable. He's probably one of thousands who would've been able to do the same thing if they were ever lucky enough to appear on that show. Same with Ted Slauson.

[@deshawnedwards6412]

Billy Quizboy (Venture Bros.)

[@squareeyes4574]

I've personally always thought there's more to the millionaire coughing story. There were 2 people coughing but just those 2 knowing the answer to all 15 questions is unlikely. I think there was a production member giving them a signal somehow that we've not been told about.

[@lonewolfjedi493osswfan]

Most of these are instances of straight up cheating but the Michael Larson one was just him remembering patterns, Press Your Luck just didn’t have a randomizer algorithm which wasn’t available at the time. The Twenty-One scandal spawned the 1994 film “Quiz Show”

[@jasonlorphotofilms]

#9 I think even the crowd were with Bob when he pushed the button.

[@TheRManProds]

HEY IT'S NOT CHEATING IF IT'S AGAINST THE RULES!

[@richardsylvester4518]

Is it really cheating if you memorise and study the game? I wouldn't say so.

[@LaurenKaminski]

The 9th guy on The Price Is Right shouldn’t have gotten it since he guessed it wrong too!

[@JBDude52]

Top 3 (In my opinion): 1. Charles Ingram 2. Adriana Abenia 3. Lauren and Frank Cleri The top 2 describes the most simple ways of cheating in any game show/game history, using a device/cheat code to your advantage and asking someone to help you. Charles is definitely number 1 because he used two people to cheat his way to get the Top prize of a million dollars (pounds in Europe), the fact that he was in an army too. Adriana's cheating is the old classic use your phone tactic, in which you'll get caught doing that. The last spot was a close one between Lauren and Frank Cleri and Rick Rockwell because they have different cheating techniques, in which I find them unacceptable and confusable because the outcome of these cheating scandals are non-sensible and is pointless for them to be cheating, but I went with Lauren and Frank Cleri because it was two people cheating instead of one, plus the story behind the cheating makes sense in regards to the results of the game show.

[@Bidoof_is_best]

Remember kids. Cheating is never a win. Unless you're the company, government, and millionaires behind the scenes 🤣

[@nightangel972000]

How was the contestant at 7 cheating? She one fair and square, it was the prize that cheated.

[@mattjarrells]

Man, The Price is Right died the day Bob left. I haven't been able to watch it again.

[@shonjimowi2]

I think this list should get the title change. 2 people on this list called cheater for memorizing, doesnt that mean we all cheater for memorizing before exam? Than there is one person who observe the host. How is that cheating? If he observe his friends than yes

[@PANTYEATR1]

The answer is *COUGH* COUGH* you are going to jail! 😆

[@ValoiZ0]

Watchmojo the type of people to think studying is "cheating"

[@CrossoverFan4life]

Number 1 actually did

[@jeremywilliams5141]

Michael Larsen did not cheat. He simply memorized the pattern of the game board. It would have only been cheating if he was involved in the design and creation of the board.

[@gregoryannicchiarico3570]

The "21" scandal was brilliantly portrayed in the movie "Quizshow." I highly recommend this movie.

[@RajaReign78]

I remember watching the Press Your Luck episodes cuz it was my favorite game show as a kid and I never missed it. Hell I had a crush on the host and wanted to marry him as 7 year old watching reruns during the summer break 🤣

[@TheLast-One]

You got a whammy

[@VahanNisanian]

Larson didn't cheat; he exploited a weakness that the producers thought nobody would exploit.

[@Kev-O33]

there was an audience member in who wants to be a millinoare that gave fingers 1-4 for answers in that once

[@robertwiegman1]

Why didn't you mention the movie Quiz Show being all about the game show 21 scandal?

[@flamingowriter4072]

It seems to me that these players think winning is everything, especially when it comes to cheating. 🤦‍♀️

[@rmannayr2129]

WHAT A BUNCH OF CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@haweater1555]

I still think that Bob B shouldn't have given the prize away to the "Flip Flop cheater" . Perhaps the guy didn't know he wasn't supposed to press the button. However in the end his guess was still wrong.

[@Ritchie1]

Should’ve shut em down as soon as wife started coughing the correct answers

[@moemuxhagi]

On Koh Lanta (the French version of Survivor), we have the JUICIEST tale of cheating in all french-speaking television. See, last year, famous contestants from previous seasons were asked to join the season in a "clash of legends" kind of deal. Well, Teihura, THE most famous contestant and a polynasian man, was found talking to a fisherman from another island completely unrelated to the game show. Because the fisherman was also polynasian, and spoke the same language, they managed to communicate and thanks to this, Teihura smuggled food on the island. The entire purpose of the game, to have contestants stranded on deserted ilsands and compete to survive with the limited resources and food they can hunt or earn, a game about merit and skill, completely ruined by one man, THE ONE man's slyness and corruption. Producers found out immediately. The showrunner confronted them. The season finale was cancelled. And it's a shame 'cause it happened like 3 episodes before the end !! No one earned the prize money, and no winner was selected, because guess what : they were all in it, too. The other contestants knew about Teihura's smuggling and took part in it, not realizing that they were CONSTANTLY BEING FILMED. This never happened before, and I can guarantee you they will never let it happen again

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

0:05 Subtle....🙄

[@JPriz416]

I watched the show 21 when Herb was on.

[@ConnorCreed3]

Poor Michael Larson had all of his money stolen after Press Your Luck.

[@josecarlosramolete6109]

And Michael died of throat cancer. Nevertheless, the host, co-contestants, and Michael's brother celebrated his life.

[@phl6716]

He was a fraudster who participated in get-rich-quick schemes. I don’t feel sorry for him.

[@doomnationalist]

Looks like Watchmojo wanted a top "10", so they added non-cheaters as well lol

[@manoftheusajones5147]

TOP 10 Funniest Sonic Prime Moments

[@woffandaniel]

If you ever become a game show contestant, don't EVER play the way these people did! I know I would never.

[@relax2dream164]

Watching people’s greed is interesting. Some will do anything for money.

[@dantan6952]

How is it cheating if you correctly read the body language of the Host?

[@lordvishnu1780]

I was able to get details of my partner infidelity with the help of *SOLUTIONCOMPLAINT👀ORG* without her noticing..

[@bainsey89]

I've always liked host Mark L. Walberg, but The Moment of Truth has to go down as one of the worst American game shows of all time. Game shows are supposed to be informational, dramatic, and fun. Exposing marriage-breaking secrets is not fun, and this couple deserved their loss. (The polygraph caught her lying.) The fact that this couple corroborated on their answers only shows a huge weakness for the game. It's one thing to work on game strategy; it's another to fix your answers.

[@seandelap8587]

If his wife knew the answers why didn't see apply to be a contestant on the show then and win the money herself

[@phl6716]

She was a contestant previously and so was her brother.

[@catholicactionbibleonlyist1813]

21 should have been number 1 since it's in one of my books

[@barkydogable]

Who here cheated on Tiddly Winks? C'mon man, you know you did.

[@comancheviperrrr]

Number eight about the guy on the Australian show. How is that actually treating? He said he didn’t play the game but he played the guy. Basically he did what every poker player does in the world. They read their opponents health and then make their decision based on that. That’s all I did. And there’s nothing in the rules is that he couldn’t do that. So technically, that wasn’t cheating. That is just being extremely observant.

[@Justin_0241]

Also Stempel and Van Doren might be cheated but they managed to work together to prevent producer interference in future game shows

[@lordvishnu1780]

I was able to get details of my partner infidelity with the help of *SOLUTIONCOMPLAINT👀ORG* without her noticing..

[@skywalkr2]

Memorizing Cheating

[@hanzo728]

Larson is the definition of "only in Ohio"😂

[@alexleisenring3517]

😂😂

[@gordonworth5461]

Bob Barker was pisseed !! Lol

[@lenniegray3086]

I wouldn't say the guy on Millionaire Hot Seat cheated. I would say he used his intuition to his advantage.

[@70s80s]

Darva says OOPS!

[@jimmylolo8108]

As usual....mojo screws up. This time by not knowing what the word cheater means.

[@jacksonhart5961]

Would have included Keiran Thompsett from The Traitors UK

[@tonygoodwinjr9293]

I wouldnt call most of these cheating so much as playing the game

[@bigjoeofthe707]

Some of these isn’t cheating. Just using stuff to their advantage like what that dude did on Press Your Luck

[@partofthetribe3277]

At least the girl that cheated using Shazam fessed up to it. A lot of people like that would've drug out that that charade forever.

[@antoniokastrocarlisledemel6617]

Why is the Australian one called Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? When the top prize is 100k? And is that Drake in the audience?

[@freddiemolinajr.8397]

cheating is wrong

[@brandongill2577]

Tecwen Whittock then was next in the chair... but he won £1,000.

[@TheRManProds]

WOW THEY CHEATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mugenthekid6308]

How did Ted Slauson Cheat?

[@douglasmijangos3327]

What the ? The guy who was reading the host Body language 😂 I guess it’s cheating but it’s genius … the host kept giving him the answers 😂not his fault the host can’t control himself 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

[@pruthviraj5120]

Perfect waste of time I didn't see anyone cheating.