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Press Your Luck: Michael Larsen's Streak
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In the fall of 1983 an Ohio man, Michael Larsen, put together an astounding run on the television game show program Press Your Luck.
He did so by memorizing the sequences by which the various prize squares lit up on the game board, allowing him to time his button presses to coincide with the lights' stopping on the most advantageous squares.
He did so by memorizing the sequences by which the various prize squares lit up on the game board, allowing him to time his button presses to coincide with the lights' stopping on the most advantageous squares.
Apr 5, 2006 4:44 PM
Re: Press Your Luck
As I recall, in the end, they made him give back the money. They should of let him keep it, because memorization isnt cheating!
Re: Press Your Luck
I'm almost certain they didn't make him give back the money. The producers were freaking out when they realized there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it, since it was their rules.
By: Skidnuts
Re: Press Your Luck
They did give him the money, although they didn't want to. After all, he didn't cheat!
For more info on his full story, check out this link:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/19239/details/
For more info on his full story, check out this link:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/19239/details/
Re: Press Your Luck
Thanks, I was going to look this baby up here because I know the topic and particulars were posted here. Let's give Dween the credit for this find!
By: spam_vigilante
Re: Press Your Luck
Credit given and money kept. I'm glad that guy got away with it. Only in america!
Re: Press Your Luck
They did let him keep the money, but after they gave it to him they revamped the board and made sure that it was random and not just a number of sequences replayed.
What he did was equal to having cheated. Casino's forbit counting cards and if you are caught it's considered cheating and you will be escorted off the premises and banned for life. I think a casino can even press charges against people for it too.
As for the money, this guy got it through cheating and fate prevented him from enjoying his ilgotten spoils. He lost 1/2 in a fraudulent realestate scam that he invested in. Then in an attempt to get rich quick, he foolishly had the remaining money in a hotel room that was broken into and stolen.
Frankly, I think it served him right. It's all about karma and what goes around comes right back at you. One of life's little justices to even out the score.
What he did was equal to having cheated. Casino's forbit counting cards and if you are caught it's considered cheating and you will be escorted off the premises and banned for life. I think a casino can even press charges against people for it too.
As for the money, this guy got it through cheating and fate prevented him from enjoying his ilgotten spoils. He lost 1/2 in a fraudulent realestate scam that he invested in. Then in an attempt to get rich quick, he foolishly had the remaining money in a hotel room that was broken into and stolen.
Frankly, I think it served him right. It's all about karma and what goes around comes right back at you. One of life's little justices to even out the score.
By: Natalie_ca
Re: Press Your Luck
Since when did casino's become the arbiters of fairness and justice? The casino's rules are for the casinos. The game show, I am sure, has its own rules spelled out in a legal contract that the contestants sign on to before participating in a taping of the show.
If anything, the show had misled contestants (and the viewing public) into thinking that the board was blinking in random patterns. We need to give credit to a person who bypasses public perceptions and discovers the truth.
And yes, he did it to win money--which is the point of being a game show contestant after all.
If anything, the show had misled contestants (and the viewing public) into thinking that the board was blinking in random patterns. We need to give credit to a person who bypasses public perceptions and discovers the truth.
And yes, he did it to win money--which is the point of being a game show contestant after all.
By: flipchild
Re: Press Your Luck
They did let him keep the money, but after they gave it to him they revamped the board and made sure that it was random and not just a number of sequences replayed.
What he did was equal to having cheated. Casino's forbit counting cards and if you are caught it's considered cheating and you will be escorted off the premises and banned for life. I think a casino can even press charges against people for it too.
As for the money, this guy got it through cheating and fate prevented him from enjoying his ilgotten spoils. He lost 1/2 in a fraudulent realestate scam that he invested in. Then in an attempt to get rich quick, he foolishly had the remaining money in a hotel room that was broken into and stolen.
Frankly, I think it served him right. It's all about karma and what goes around comes right back at you. One of life's little justices to even out the score.
What he did was equal to having cheated. Casino's forbit counting cards and if you are caught it's considered cheating and you will be escorted off the premises and banned for life. I think a casino can even press charges against people for it too.
As for the money, this guy got it through cheating and fate prevented him from enjoying his ilgotten spoils. He lost 1/2 in a fraudulent realestate scam that he invested in. Then in an attempt to get rich quick, he foolishly had the remaining money in a hotel room that was broken into and stolen.
Frankly, I think it served him right. It's all about karma and what goes around comes right back at you. One of life's little justices to even out the score.
By: Natalie_ca
Re: Press Your Luck
Smart guy... Investing in real estate was a very smart answer. I bet he's doing pretty well right now.
By: WoodenTaco
Re: Press Your Luck
According to the link posted be Dween he lost everything. $40,000 was stolen from his home and the rest was lost in bad housing deals. He lost it all before the show even went off the air. He died in 1999, on the run from the law.... Not doing very well then I guess.
Re: Press Your Luck: Michael Larsen's Streak
A few years ago, there was a movie in development about this guy. Bill Murray was to star.
More info here: http://tinyurl.com/qjsnc
More info here: http://tinyurl.com/qjsnc
By: quisph
Re: Press Your Luck: Michael Larsen's Streak
I don't understand! I was just looking at these sites today after meaning to research it for a while, and then I look at milk and cookies and they're on the front page. Weird.
By: V8Cougar
