The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: Safe Crackers

Safe Crackers

Rules

Two prizes are shown, a main prize and a prize with three digits in the price. The contestant is given the three digits in the smaller prize's price; if they can arrange them correctly to form the price of the smaller prize, they win both prizes.

Random fact

This game has an unwritten rule: the price of the smaller prize ends in 0. This has been true in every playing of Safe Crackers since at least season 34.

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 29-47): 98-95 (50.78%)
• What it would be by random chance if you follow the 0 rule: 1/2 (50%)

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

• The less expensive price: 32 playings (38.10%)
• The more expensive price: 52 playings (61.90%)

Strategy

Start by remembering the 0 rule in this game--that narrows it down to 50/50. Then if you're not sure of which price to choose, there are two things that can help you out here:

• The producers like to use the more expensive option. This means a price like $970 is more likely to be right than $790.
• Listen to the amount the entire prize package is worth and do some mental math estimates. If the prize package is worth $8,900 and your choices are $790 or $970, then the price of the main prize must be either about $8,100 or $7,900. Depending on the prize, $7,900 sounds a lot more like a price for a prize than $8,100, which would make $970 the more likely option.