Squeeze Play (pricing game)
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Squeeze Play is a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Debuting on September 13, 1977, this game is usually played for a four-digit prize, worth more than $2,000.
[edit] Gameplay
The contestant is shown a "wrong price" of five digits, and told to remove the digit out of the middle three that do not belong, as the end digits are the correct end digits. The contestant must select the incorrect digit to be removed, leaving the other four digits to squeeze together to close the gap. If the resulting price is correct, they win the prize.
Since 2003, Squeeze Play has occasionally been played for cars, with five-digit correct prices. In this format, the contestant is shown six digits, with any of the middle four being the potentially incorrect digit.
[edit] History and behind the scenes
Squeeze Play has not always been played on the Turntable; until 1982, it was played on the stage and was concealed by the Giant Price Tag. In 2001, the board's color scheme changed from blue to gray, and the white lines changed to gold.
Until the mid-1990s, Squeeze Play was also occasionally played for 4-digit cars. Likewise, it is now played for 5-digit cars, necessitating the 6-digit setup.
The most expensive prize ever offered in Squeeze Play appeared on the May 14, 2008 Million Dollar Spectacular - a $47,000-plus Chevrolet Suburban. It was also the most expensive prize ever won in this game.
The sound effect for the numbers squeezing together is the same one heard when the safe is opened and closed in Safe Crackers.
Squeeze Play has been fraught with mechanical problems throughout its history. Numbers have been stuck and misaligned, the "squeeze" has failed to operate promptly, and the door that opens the reveal has malfunctioned several times (usually resulting in Bob Barker kicking it).
Drew Carey has the contestant hold his hand and say a "magic word" (i.e. "alakazam!") as he presses the button that reveals the correct price. He has since used this reveal style on other games with a push-button reveal.
This is one of three pricing games to use a baseball reference in its name; the other two are Triple Play and 3 Strikes.
