Post by ddavenport on Sept 8, 2020 21:08:35 GMT -5
I need three to play...
Oh, and as per Mandoli's request...
Three contestants competed in three rounds, attempting to solve scrambled words that were displayed on an onstage slot machine. They did this by placing letters in the proper positions one at a time, earning the right to do so by answering a series of multiple choice trivia questions. After a question was asked, the first contestant to buzz in with the correct answer won money and got to place a letter. If a contestant buzzed in with an incorrect choice, the other two were given a chance. If two incorrect answers were given, the remaining player won the money and the letter selection by default. Each word and series of questions fit a specific category, which initially was revealed to the contestants before a word was played. Later, this was changed so only the home audience could see the category, and Rashād only revealed it after a word had been solved.
When a contestant successfully unscrambled a word, he/she earned additional money based on how many letters had yet to be placed. In the first round, each word was seven letters long and unplaced letters paid off at $100 per letter. In the second round that figure increased to $200, and again increased to $300 for the third round. Each correct answer given was also worth $100, $200, or $300 depending on the round of play.
One random slot in each word had the light border around it lit and was referred to as the “Lucky Slot”. If any of the contestants managed to place a letter in that slot and then immediately solve the word, a cash bonus was added to the value of the unplaced letters and then added to the contestant’s score. The bonus started at $500 every day and increased by that amount for each word it went unclaimed, resetting to $500 once someone claimed it.
Two words were played in each of the first two rounds, while the third round continued until time was called. If a word was in play at the end of the third round, the lucky slot was removed from play and the remaining letters were put in place one at a time until someone buzzed-in and guessed the word, scoring $300 per unplaced letter. An incorrect guess locked the contestant out of the word. If time was called after a word was completed, one final word was played under these same rules.
Originally, a champion bought prizes with his or her accumulated money, but this was later changed to the high scorer being awarded a prize package of equivalent value as their cash total. The other two contestants received parting gifts, including dinner at Caesars and tickets for one of its headlining acts at the time. In the event of a tie, one last speed-up word was played between the tied contestants to determine the winner.
Bonus round
In the bonus round, the champion was given an opportunity to win a new car. Two different formats were used.
First format
The first format used an apparatus resembling a giant bingo calling machine. A cylindrical cage hanging from the ceiling was lowered onto a chute. Inside the cage were 200 plastic balls that each had a letter printed on them.
For each rotation the cage made, one of the balls was drawn and dropped into the chute. The gladiator then examined the ball and called out the letter that was on it. Backstage, a computer kept track of the letters as they were drawn. Once it found a dictionary certified nine-letter word, a loud gong was sounded accompanied by a bellow of “Caesar says stop” to indicate that to the champion.
The nine letters were then placed on the gameboard in the order in which they came out of the cage, and the champion was asked to place one of the letters. He/she was then given ten seconds to unscramble the word, and won the car if successful.
Each champion played until either defeated or they won the car, whichever happened first. For each time they returned to the bonus without winning, champions were allowed to place one additional letter.
When Caesars Challenge first premiered, the drawing of the letters was done in the beginning of the bonus round. Partway through the run, in a time saving measure, some of the letters were drawn during the commercial break before the bonus round. The champion and home audience were shown the letters that had already been drawn before the round began.
Second format
The second bonus format was introduced on November 22, 1993, and continued for the remainder of the run.
A screen was placed in front of the slot machine, with a curtain over it. Once the curtain was drawn, five scrambled words were shown to the champion. They were displayed in descending order based on length, and the champion had to start at the bottom and work his/her way up. Each word had to be correctly unscrambled before the champion could guess the next word, as no pass option was given. The first word, at the bottom, contained five letters and each one that followed had one additional letter up to the word at the top of the screen, which had nine.
The champion was given thirty seconds to unscramble all five words, and doing so won the car and retired him/her as before. However, a rule change that coincided with the introduction of this bonus format was put in place; if the champion made it to the bonus round three consecutive days without winning the car, he/she was retired with the respective main game prizes he/she had won.
Audience game
During the closing credits of every show, Rashād and his assistant moved through the audience, carrying a bowl filled with silver dollars, Caesars Palace casino chips and chocolate medallions wrapped in gold foil. They chose one audience member at a time to unscramble a five-letter word; each person who did so was allowed to take one handful from the bowl.
Oh, and as per Mandoli's request...
Three contestants competed in three rounds, attempting to solve scrambled words that were displayed on an onstage slot machine. They did this by placing letters in the proper positions one at a time, earning the right to do so by answering a series of multiple choice trivia questions. After a question was asked, the first contestant to buzz in with the correct answer won money and got to place a letter. If a contestant buzzed in with an incorrect choice, the other two were given a chance. If two incorrect answers were given, the remaining player won the money and the letter selection by default. Each word and series of questions fit a specific category, which initially was revealed to the contestants before a word was played. Later, this was changed so only the home audience could see the category, and Rashād only revealed it after a word had been solved.
When a contestant successfully unscrambled a word, he/she earned additional money based on how many letters had yet to be placed. In the first round, each word was seven letters long and unplaced letters paid off at $100 per letter. In the second round that figure increased to $200, and again increased to $300 for the third round. Each correct answer given was also worth $100, $200, or $300 depending on the round of play.
One random slot in each word had the light border around it lit and was referred to as the “Lucky Slot”. If any of the contestants managed to place a letter in that slot and then immediately solve the word, a cash bonus was added to the value of the unplaced letters and then added to the contestant’s score. The bonus started at $500 every day and increased by that amount for each word it went unclaimed, resetting to $500 once someone claimed it.
Two words were played in each of the first two rounds, while the third round continued until time was called. If a word was in play at the end of the third round, the lucky slot was removed from play and the remaining letters were put in place one at a time until someone buzzed-in and guessed the word, scoring $300 per unplaced letter. An incorrect guess locked the contestant out of the word. If time was called after a word was completed, one final word was played under these same rules.
Originally, a champion bought prizes with his or her accumulated money, but this was later changed to the high scorer being awarded a prize package of equivalent value as their cash total. The other two contestants received parting gifts, including dinner at Caesars and tickets for one of its headlining acts at the time. In the event of a tie, one last speed-up word was played between the tied contestants to determine the winner.
Bonus round
In the bonus round, the champion was given an opportunity to win a new car. Two different formats were used.
First format
The first format used an apparatus resembling a giant bingo calling machine. A cylindrical cage hanging from the ceiling was lowered onto a chute. Inside the cage were 200 plastic balls that each had a letter printed on them.
For each rotation the cage made, one of the balls was drawn and dropped into the chute. The gladiator then examined the ball and called out the letter that was on it. Backstage, a computer kept track of the letters as they were drawn. Once it found a dictionary certified nine-letter word, a loud gong was sounded accompanied by a bellow of “Caesar says stop” to indicate that to the champion.
The nine letters were then placed on the gameboard in the order in which they came out of the cage, and the champion was asked to place one of the letters. He/she was then given ten seconds to unscramble the word, and won the car if successful.
Each champion played until either defeated or they won the car, whichever happened first. For each time they returned to the bonus without winning, champions were allowed to place one additional letter.
When Caesars Challenge first premiered, the drawing of the letters was done in the beginning of the bonus round. Partway through the run, in a time saving measure, some of the letters were drawn during the commercial break before the bonus round. The champion and home audience were shown the letters that had already been drawn before the round began.
Second format
The second bonus format was introduced on November 22, 1993, and continued for the remainder of the run.
A screen was placed in front of the slot machine, with a curtain over it. Once the curtain was drawn, five scrambled words were shown to the champion. They were displayed in descending order based on length, and the champion had to start at the bottom and work his/her way up. Each word had to be correctly unscrambled before the champion could guess the next word, as no pass option was given. The first word, at the bottom, contained five letters and each one that followed had one additional letter up to the word at the top of the screen, which had nine.
The champion was given thirty seconds to unscramble all five words, and doing so won the car and retired him/her as before. However, a rule change that coincided with the introduction of this bonus format was put in place; if the champion made it to the bonus round three consecutive days without winning the car, he/she was retired with the respective main game prizes he/she had won.
Audience game
During the closing credits of every show, Rashād and his assistant moved through the audience, carrying a bowl filled with silver dollars, Caesars Palace casino chips and chocolate medallions wrapped in gold foil. They chose one audience member at a time to unscramble a five-letter word; each person who did so was allowed to take one handful from the bowl.
