The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: Triple Play

Triple Play

Rules

Three cars are shown. For the first car, two prices are shown; the contestant must choose which price is closest to the actual retail price of the car without going over. If they are correct, they move on to the second car. That car has three prices; the contestant must again choose the price that is the closest to the price of the car without going over. If they are correct, they go to the last car, where they have four choices and must choose the one that is closest to the car's actual retail price without going over. If they are correct, they win all three cars; if they are wrong at any time, they win nothing.

Random fact

Triple Play is the only game on the show that has prizes that aren't always described by George. This is because the car is only described by George just before the contestant gives their guess; if the contestant doesn't reach the second or third car, its/their description/s is/are not read.

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 29-47): 13-74 (14.94%)
• What it would be by random chance: 1/24 (4.17%)

The correct price to choose was...(seasons 40-47)

First car

• The cheaper price: 7 playings (22.58%)
• The more expensive price: 24 playings (77.42%)

Second car*

• The cheapest price: 6 playings (31.58%)
• The middle price: 10 playings (52.63%)
• The most expensive price: 3 playings (15.79%)

Third car*

• The cheapest price: 7 playings (70%)
• The second cheapest price: 0 playings (0%)
• The second most expensive price: 3 playings (30%)
• The most expensive price: 0 playings (0%)

* Only counts playings the contestant reached that car.

Strategy

First car

Select the more expensive price unless you're absolutely sure the cheaper price is correct; the cheaper price hasn't been correct more than once in a season since season 40, and in seasons 44, 45, and 47, the cheaper price was never right.

Second and third cars

Know the prices. The middle price has been the most likely to be correct for the second car, but that's not enough data to be able to confidently say you should pick it. Ditto for the third car--yes, the cheapest price has been correct 70% of the time, but the sample size is far too small to confidently say that's really a pattern and not just a coincidence.