The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: Vend-O-Price

Vend-O-Price

Rules

A prize is shown. Three shelves are shown, each of which has a grocery item. The top shelf has the cheapest item while the bottom shelf has the most expensive item. Then each shelf is revealed to have a certain number of its featured item. The contestant must determine which shelf is the most expensive shelf.

Random fact

For the first couple of playings of this game, they used the old Penny Ante sound effect when revealing the grocery products. You can see the debut playing of the game here:

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 44-47): 34-33 (50.75%)
• What it would be by random chance: 1/3 (33.33%)

The correct shelf to choose was...(seasons 44-47)

• The top shelf: 18 playings (26.87%)
• The middle shelf: 27 playings (40.30%)
• The bottom shelf: 22 playings (32.84%)

Strategy

Much as this is a lame way to end the blog, know the prices of the grocery items. But one thing that can help is to think of this game in terms of ratios; for example, if one shelf has twice as many of a product as another shelf, then the item on the shelf with fewer items must be worth at least twice as much as the item on the shelf with more items to be more expensive.

The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: 2 for the Price of 1

2 for the Price of 1

Rules

Two prizes are shown, a large prize and a prize with three digits in its price. Two possibilities are shown for each digit in the three digit prize; the contestant can choose one of the digits to be revealed for free. They must correctly choose the other two digits to win both prizes.

Random fact

This game is occasionally played for cars. Here's an example of one such playing:

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 29-47): 70-85 (45.16%)
• What it would be by random chance: 1/4 (25%)

How often each combination was correct (seasons 40-47)

• All 3 numbers on top were right: 2 playings (2.99%) [none since season 42]
• 2 numbers on top and 1 on the bottom were right: 33 playings (49.25%)
• 1 number on top and 2 on the bottom were right: 32 playings (47.76%)
• All 3 numbers on the bottom were right: 0 playings (0%)

Strategy

If a 0 is an option for the last digit, choose the second digit for free. The last digit has been 0 in every playing of this game except one since season 44, and in that playing, 0 wasn't an option for the last digit. So if 0 is a choice for the last digit, that is NOT the one you want to choose for free. Choose the second digit for free, choose 0 for the last digit, and then you only have to know the hundreds digit of the prize. Regarding the hundreds digit, no prize in this game has been worth less than $500 since season 41, so if you see a choice that's less than 5 for the first digit, it's wrong.

That one playing where 0 wasn't a choice for the last digit was the very last playing of season 47, where the choices were 2 and 5. The 2 was correct. While I hope that was a one-time aberration, my advice is that if 0 is not a choice for the last digit, then you should choose the last digit for free instead of the second digit.

Finally, make sure that your final price has at least one digit from the top and one from the bottom.

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.

The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: Time i$ Money

Time i$ Money

Rules

Five grocery products are shown as are three platforms with the amounts $0-$2.99, $3-$5.99, and $6+ written on them. The contestant has 10 seconds to move the grocery products on to the correct platforms based on their prices. If they are right, they win $20,000. If they are wrong, the contestant can make changes, but the $20,000 starts counting down to $0. The contestant wins however much money is showing on the money meter when they have the groceries in the correct positions.

Random fact

This game was completely refurbished and the rules changed in season 43; all the stats in this article are based on the refurbished version only. You can see the debut playing with the original rules here:

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 43-47): 4-72 (5.26%)
• What it would be by random chance: 1/81 (1.23%)

The correct number of items on each platform was...(seasons 43-47)

• 1/1/3: 7 playings (9.21%)
• 1/2/2: 23 playings (30.26%)
• 1/3/1: 5 playings (6.58%)
• 2/1/2: 24 playings (31.58%)
• 2/2/1: 16 playings (21.05%)
• 3/1/1: 1 playing (1.32%)

The correct placement of each product was...(seasons 43-47)

  Original

  position*    <=$2.99  $3-$5.99   $6+  

Left-most       24.68%   45.45%   29.87%

2nd from left   32.47%   16.88%   50.65%

Center          20.78%   40.26%   38.96%

2nd from right  40.26%   27.27%   32.47%

Right-most      38.96%   29.87%   31.17%

* From the audience's point of view.

Strategy

Mostly know the prices, but a couple of tips can help you here:

• DO NOT LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE!! You need to make as many guesses as you can; looking at the audience only slows you down.
• There is always at least one item on each platform. Do not leave any platforms empty.
• The combinations where one platform has 3 products are far less frequently correct than the ones where no platform has more than 2 products. Don't go for a 3/1/1, 1/3/1, or 1/1/3 combination unless you're reasonably sure of the three products that you think are in the same range.

The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: 3 Strikes

3 Strikes

Rules

A car is shown. A bag is shown; three balls painted red (the "strikes") are put into the bag and five balls, each of which has a number in the price of the car, are also put in the bag. The contestant draws numbers one at a time from the bag. If they draw a number, they must tell Drew which position in the price of the car the number is. If they are correct, the digit is lit up; if not, the ball is put back in the bag for the contestant to draw later. The contestant wins if they light up the entire price of the car before they draw the three strikes in the bag.

Random fact

This game was given a serious overhaul in season 47 to look like something you would see at a baseball stadium. As someone who lived in Boston for 14 years, went to many games at Fenway Park, and even once announced an inning of baseball on the radio, I love the look. You can see it here:

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 38*-47): 9-33 (21.43%)
• What it would be by random chance:
• If you know the price: Exactly 3/8 (37.5%)
• If you don't know the price at all**: Approx. 14.24%
• If you know only the first digit of the price**: Approx. 20.79% 

* Starting at season 38 as that's when the current rules of the game stabilized.

** Based on simulating the game 10 million times. The simulation chose things randomly but played perfect strategy; for example, it didn't try the same digit in the same place twice and if you tried four digits in one spot and they were all wrong, it would know to place the fifth digit there.

What was the last digit of the car's price? (seasons 40-47)

• 0: 0 playings (0%)
• 1: 5 playings (14.71%)
• 2: 8 playings (23.53%)
• 3: 6 playings (17.65%)
• 4: 2 playings (5.88%)
• 5: 2 playings (5.88%)
• 6: 7 playings (20.59%)
• 7: 3 playings (8.82%)
• 8: 0 playings (0%)
• 9: 1 playing (2.94%)

Strategy

Ask for a different game. After Drew is done laughing, pray you get really, really, really lucky. I don't have much here except that you should keep very close track of the picks you've made throughout the game so you don't repeat picks. Also, you should assume the last number is NOT 0, 5, or 9.

The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: That's Too Much!

That's Too Much!

Rules

A car is shown as is a line of 10 prices. The prices are revealed one at time from cheapest to most expensive. The contestant must stop at the first price in the line that is greater than the price of the car. If they are correct, they win the car.

Random fact

Bob had contestants shout "That's Too Much!" as enthusiastically as they could. Here's one playing:

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 29-47): 119-373 (24.19%)
• What it would be by random chance: 1/10 (10%)

The correct price to stop at was price #...(seasons 40-47)

• 1: 0 playings (0%)
• 2: 0 playings (0%)
• 3: 70 playings (31.39%)
• 4: 41 playings (18.39%)
• 5: 24 playings (10.76%)
• 6: 21 playings (9.42%)
• 7: 46 playings (20.63%)
• 8: 21 playings (9.42%)
• 9: 0 playings (0%)
• 10: 0 playings (0%)

Strategy

You don't want to fall for the psychological game of "it doesn't feel right to wait this long" or "it doesn't feel right to stop so soon." The way to do this is to decide on what you believe to be the price of the car before the first price is revealed. Then you won't be afraid to wait until the seventh price or stop at the third price (the two most commonly correct prices). Also note it's never the first, second, ninth, or tenth price. (The second and ninth prices were frequently correct in seasons 37 & 38, but neither has been correct since season 39.) All that said, if you have no idea what the price is, stop at the third price.

The Ultimate Price is Right Strategy Guide: 10 Chances

10 Chances

Rules

Three prizes are shown, the first of which has two digits in its price, the second of which has three digits in its price, and the last of which is a car with five digits in its price. The contestant starts by guessing the price of the first prize from three given digits. Then they must guess the price of the second prize from four given digits. Finally, they must guess the price of the car from five given digits. The contestant is given 10 total chances; if they run out of chances before they guess the price of the car, they win whatever prize(s) they correctly guessed.

Random fact

Because of the nature of this game, some contestants end up completely clueless but still win this game. Here's an example of how Bob handled one of those contestants toward the end of his run as host:

UNWRITTEN RULE

EVERY CORRECT PRICE IN THIS GAME ENDS IN 0.

This may be the most famous unwritten rule on the show, and it means every prize they ever use in 10 Chances ends in 0. Without exception. If you haven't found the correct price and you're tempted to try endings that aren't 0, stop. Look for the combinations you missed that have the 0 at the end. You are wasting chances if you try prices that end in something other than 0.

Win-loss record

• Actual (seasons 29-47): 81-86 (48.50%)
• What it would be by random chance if you follow the 0 rule and know the first digit of the car: 7/9 (77.78%)

Strategy

I don't need data for this game beyond the 0 rule. If you end all of your guesses with 0 and have even just a bit of a clue about the prices of things, you'll win every time. In fact, since at least season 32, every contestant who has ended all of their guesses in 0 has won this game. But I'll add one more thing that can help: the second prize has always been at least $500 since season 43. That can help you remove some combinations for the second prize.

Edited to add: If you want more detail besides "every prize ends in 0", check out this excellent post by RatRace10 at golden-road.net. You should read the whole thing, but I'll mention one point to whet your appetite: very rarely is the first prize $50 and very rarely does the second prize end in $x50. So if you see a 5 in the first two prizes, it's very likely not the tens digit.