Hole in One (pricing game)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hole in One, known as Hole in One or Two since 1987, is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Debuting on May 9, 1977, this miniature golf-type game is played for a car, and uses grocery items.
[edit] Gameplay
This miniature golf-type game is played in two parts.
In the first part, the contestant is asked to identify six grocery items in order of least to most expensive. As the contestant calls out the items, the models place flags (representing each of the items) on the putting green. The putting green has six lines, each placed equidistant from the other.
Once all six items have been placed, the models reveal the cost of each item, one at a time. So long as the next item is higher-priced than the last, the contestant moves one line closer to the hole. Wherever the contestant erred, that is the line where he putts from; however, if the contestant correctly orders all six items, he won a $500 bonus and putts from the line closest to the hole.
In the game's second part, the contestant simply attempts to putt the ball into the hole. Doing so wins the car. Should the player miss, he is given a second attempt (hence the "or Two" part of the game's name); however, failure to put the ball in the hole on this try results in a loss.
[edit] Trivia
- Originally, this game was called simply "Hole in One," with only one attempt to make the putt. Because of the difficulty level associated with winning the game, expensive cars were often offered, such as Buick LeSabres, Cadillac Eldorados, Datsun 280ZXs.
- The game was changed to its current format during the 1986 primetime specials, and instituted permanently early in the 1986-1987 season. During the 1986 specials only, a $1,000 bonus was awarded instead of the usual $500. The game's name was changed to "Hole in One or Two" to reflect the change sometime during 1987 or 1988, but most official sources still use the original name.
- One of the game's best-known features is host Bob Barker's "inspiration putt," in which he attempts a putt from the line farthest from the hole in an attempt to inspire the contestant. At various times, the putt has also been done by the announcer, models, or members of the production staff.
- Under the game's original format, at least one contestant, in 1982, actually lost while putting from the line closest to the hole. A miss has also occurred under the current format, but that contestant won on his second putt.
- Hole in One is the only active game that requires physical skill to win; the other two, On the Nose and Super Ball!!, are both retired.
- While several pricing games' stagings require Bob to enter the studio through the audience when they are played first, Hole in One is the only game that has spurred him to enter from the Turntable. He has only done it a single time, on the September 14, 1988 episode.
- Hole in One caused the only instant replay in the show's history. On December 2, 1991, Janice did the inspiration putt; it was lined up incorrectly, but as the ball neared the hole, it veered off at a seemingly impossible angle and fell in. After Bob examined the ball and found nothing out of the ordinary, the remainder of the game played out as normal. Bob and Janice had the director replay the video of the putt after the following commercial break ended.
- On 1994's syndicated The New Price Is Right, Hole in One used small prizes instead of groceries during the pricing segment. The prices were also revealed immediately after the contestant chose each item, rather than revealing them all at the end.
- Hole in One was the first car game in which the car's price was not actually relevant to gameplay.
- Bob often mentions that this is his favorite game if he makes his inspiration putt and his least favorite game if he doesn't.
[edit] Strategy
If there are grocery items that are difficult to place in the ascending price order, it may be best to ignore some or all of those items and build a shorter chain with the remaining items, where the contestant would be surer of their pricing order. Although the contestant would probably not win the $500 bonus, they are likely to putt closer to the hole than if they tried to create the chain of six items outright.
For example, say that the grocery items cost $0.50, $1.50, $3.50, $4, $6, and $10. The contestant may be certain that the $0.50 and $1.50 items are the first two in the sequence, and that the $6 and $10 are the last two, but might not be sure of where the $3.50 and $4 items go. If the contestant tries to build the chain outright, there is a 50/50 chance of winning the $500 bonus and putting closer to the hole, or breaking the chain and having to putt from the 3rd line, which depending on the player's putting skill, might be difficult. If the contestant chooses to build a chain of five, however, knowing that one of those two items must go in the middle, they lose out on a $500 bonus but are virtually guaranteed to putt from the second closest line, which is still a much easier putt.
