Punch a Bunch
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Punch a Bunch (also occasionally, if incorrectly, known as Punchboard) is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Debuting on September 27, 1978, it is played for a cash prize of up to $10,900, and uses small prizes.
Though the top prize is $10,900, the announced top prize is $10,000, as is it relatively rare to be able to win more than that (see below), and the game is not designed with that eventuality in mind.
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[edit] Game play
The contestant is shown four small prizes, one at a time, each with an incorrect price. The contestant must decide whether the correct price is higher or lower than the price shown. If they are correct, they win that item and earn one punch on a 50-hole punchboard.
After all four prizes are played, the contestant is to punch the number of punches won on the punchboard's dollar signs, opening the holes and revealing that they contain (closed) slips, each with a dollar amount on them.
The slip in the first hole punched is removed and shown to the contestant. They then decide whether to keep the cash amount and quit, or give it back and look in the next hole. This repeats until a $10,000 slip is found, the contestant quits (in which case the game will be played out at request), a "second chance" slip is found (details below), or the final hole is reached, and thus the contestant will win the amount on the last slip.
A frequent running gag on this game in Season 36 has been host Drew Carey referring to his predecessor, Bob Barker's friendship with Chuck Norris. Carey will often require a player to do a karate yell during the punch.
The only way to win nothing in Punch a Bunch is to be incorrect about all four small prizes and earn no punches. The values on the Punchboard, and their distribution, are as follows:
| Value | Frequency |
|---|---|
| $10,000 | 2 |
| $5,000 | 3 |
| $1,000 | 5 |
| $500 | 10 |
| $250 | 10 |
| $100 | 10 |
| $50 | 10 |
[edit] Second Chance
Four slips – one each of the lowest four values ($50, $100, $250, and $500) – also have the words "Second Chance" written on them, entitling the contestant to punch out another hole. The slip in the new hole is immediately revealed and added to the amount on the Second Chance slip. This total amount must be accepted or given back by the contestant. If a contestant's Second Chance punch reveals another Second Chance slip, they receive another punch which is added to the total of all previous Second Chance slips.
The Second Chance slips make the largest possible win $10,900, despite the announced grand prize. This can be accomplished by the contestant punching out a Second Chance slip, then punching out the remaining Second Chance slips on each consecutive Second Chance punch, until finally punching out a $10,000 slip on the final Second Chance punch. Several contestants over the years have actually won more than $10,000, although no one has ever found multiple "Second Chance" slips before finding the big prize. The most ever won in Punch a Bunch with the "$10,000" grand prize is $10,500 (the $500 Second Chance slip and a $10,000 slip).
[edit] History
Punch-a-bunch is the first game to be played primarily for an all-cash reward.
[edit] Original 1978 rules
Punch a Bunch was first played on September 26, 1978 and had somewhat different rules on its first eleven playings.
Each time a small prize was correctly guessed, the contestant selected two holes:
- One hole in the top row, which spelled out the word "PUNCHBOARD." Each hole contained slips with the numbers "1" through "10" written on them.
- One hole in the lower field of 50 holes, whose slips revealed a multiplier. Those slips could say "Dollars" (20 holes), "Hundred" (20 holes), or "Thousand" (10 holes).
The two amounts were multiplied and became the contestant's winnings (e.g., a "5" slip and a "Hundred" multiplier slip meant the contestant won $500). The contestant could keep the cash prize, or give it back and guess with another small prize. The contestant won what was shown on the last draw, unless they opted for a fourth draw and incorrectly answered the prize question, in which case they won nothing. The games current rules started on December 1, 1978
[edit] Set changes
The original punchboard, used until May 29, 1996, had a yellow exterior flanked by blue curved lines. When the game debuted, the Punch a Bunch sign had a red and green color scheme; it was changed to yellow on September 15, 1980.
This first punchboard also had an extra row of ten holes, with one letter in the word "PUNCHBOARD" on each hole. The original "PUNCHBOARD" holes remained in place until the current set was unveiled, even though they no longer had any purpose after the original format was abandoned. The "PUNCHBOARD" holes were more prominent on camera than the game's actual logo, which led many viewers to believe that the game was actually called "Punchboard." However, its official name is and always has been Punch a Bunch.
For 18 years, the introduction with the model holding the $10,000 bill was took place on the turntable. A green sign reading "$10,000" in a font resembling that of American currency was present on the wall of the turntable behind the model. The slips inside the punchboard were originally plain white, with the dollar amounts in black. On September 9, 1985, the slips became yellow, with the dollar amounts in blue, with a thin blue border around it. A design was also added to the back side of each slip. The $10,000 bill was held entirely by the model until November 23, 1992; on December 11, 1992, a shelf to hold the $10,000 bill was placed next to the punchboard.
On September 10, 1996, the current punchboard and set debuted, and the introduction was moved to the Giant Price Tag, with the model holding the $10,000 bill behind the Giant Price Tag.
[edit] Prime Time (Seasons 30-35)
From the Season 30 until 35 prime time specials, Punch a Bunch's top prize in prime time was upped to $25,000, but the "Second Chance" slips were not used.
| Value | Frequency |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | 2 |
| $5,000 | 3 |
| $1,000 | 15 |
| $500 | 15 |
| $100 | 15 |
[edit] Prime Time (Season 36)
On the May 14, 2008 Million Dollar Spectacular, Punch a Bunch was chosen as the Million Dollar Game. The top prize was increased to $50,000 and the "Second Chance" slips were restored (one each of the $100, $500, $1,000 and $5,000 slips). Furthermore, to make it more difficult to win the top prize, only one $50,000 slip was hidden on the board. The chance to win $25,000 increased to three slips, however. Additionally, for this playing only, if the contestant found the $50,000 slip in their first punch, the contestant would win $1,000,000.
| Value | Frequency |
|---|---|
| $50,000 | 1 |
| $25,000 | 3 |
| $5,000 | 10 |
| $1,000 | 12 |
| $500 | 12 |
| $100 | 12 |
[edit] Foreign Versions
On the 80's UK version, the top prize was £500, and there were a few £0's on the board, while Italy's OK offered a new car.
On the Netherlands Cash en Carlo, the distribution is as such:
| Value | Frequency |
|---|---|
| €5,000 | 1 |
| €3,000 | 2 |
| €2,000 | 2 |
| €1,000 | 10 |
| €500 | 10 |
| €250 | 10 |
| €100 | 10 |
| €0 | 2 |
| Second Chances | 3 |
