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Dice Game is a pricing game played for a car where a contestant attempts to use large red dice to roll the correct digits in the price of a car.

Gameplay[]

  • The contestant is shown the first digit in the price of a car on a game board with nine screens and is presented with four oversized dice on a gaming table. The contestant rolls the first die: if the number rolled matches the second digit, the digit is revealed and shown on both screens. Otherwise, a buzzer will sound, and the contestant must decide whether the digit is higher or lower than the roll and his or her selection is marked with an outline of lights. There are no zeroes in the price of the car and there are no digits higher than six (seven, eight, and nine). Therefore, if the contestant rolls a one or a six, the correct box is automatically marked higher or lower, respectively. The die is then placed in a slot with the rolled number facing outwards. The three remaining dice are played in the same way. Digits may appear more than once in the price of the car.
  • Each die must roll past a white line at the end of the rolling table for the roll to be accepted to prevent players from rigging their throws. If a die settles behind or on the line, even if it bounced there after passing the line first, the contestant must roll again.
  • Once all four dice are played, provided that at least one number is not 1, 6, or the exact number (which yields an instant win), any digits that were not rolled exactly are revealed one at a time in the appropriate screen, higher or lower than the dice. The contestant must have rolled or correctly guessed higher or lower for all four digits to win the car.
  • The host will reveal the numbers either from left to right or in the most dramatic order possible. Since rolls of 1 or 6 are guaranteed to be higher or lower, respectively, these digits are usually revealed first if any are rolled, leaving the most uncertain guesses for last.
  • If the contestant rolls all four dice, that are all 1s, all 6s, all exactly right, or a mixture of the three, the price will light up and the contestant automatically wins the car.
  • During Season 45's Big Money Week on October 24, 2016 (#7661K), rolling the exact number on a die would get the contestant $10,000 each, even if they didn't win the car. A perfect playing would get the contestant $40,000 and the car.

History[]

  • Dice Game debuted on June 2, 1976 (#1963D), and was created by producer Robert Sherman. The game was originally played for cars with four-digit prices and the first digit was not given. For about the first year that Dice Game was played, the prices of the cars could contain any digit between 0 and 9. This made the game extremely difficult to win, partly because the obvious numbers were impossible to get exactly; owing to this, the current rules were implemented, even though there were winners under the old rules such as on January 31, 1977 (#2231D). This was apparently an intentional design choice under the premise of making Dice Game a difficult game to win; the problem was this made the game too difficult.
  • During the 1980s, when cars under $6,667 were still common, the game was occasionally played for cars with five-digit prices. When such cars were offered, the game was known as "Deluxe Dice Game", first shown on April 22, 1983 (#4895D). The word "Deluxe" was added to the top of the game board and an extra display box was added for the free digit. The yellow board debuted on November 1, 1983 (#5062D).
  • On August 22, 1983 (#4895D), the lights around the number displays did not work; as a result, as the contestant rolled each number, each time the contestant rolls a wrong number and guesses "higher" or "lower", the correct number, in its appropriate spot, lights up immediately in the display.
  • On January 8, 1988 (#6705D), the game offered its last four-digit car. Thereafter, the five-digit version of the Dice Game became permanent. On September 20, 1988 (#6952D), the "Deluxe" was dropped. On December 15, 1989 (#7465D), a completely redesigned game board debuted.
  • On April 4, 1995 (#9532D), it was played first for the only time in former host Bob Barker's tenure. Because the game blocked Bob's normal entrance, he entered through the audience. Until his retirement in 2007, Dice Game has never been the first pricing game to be played on the show because it needs time to start up and and the game could be played no earlier than second on the show. It has frequently been played first in Drew Carey's tenure.
  • On October 10, 1996 (#0084K), history was made when contestant Walter Morris Jr. did not have to guess at all, as all four of his rolls were correct.
  • On November 11, 2013 (#6491K), the first digit malfunctioned and wouldn't light up, so the "1" from Cover Up was used.
  • On November 27, 2019 (#8913K), the Thanksgiving College Rivals episode, Kathryn Wicker (Texas) won a 2020 Caribbean Blue Chevrolet Spark LS worth $16,425, and Sarah Lessigorski (Oklahoma) was denied.

Memorable Contestants[]

Edrie[]

On March 4, 1993 (#8724D), a contestant named Edrie Warner stole the show when she got on stage to play the Dice Game for a 4-Door Mercury Tracer Notchback. She explained to Bob she had seen the game previously before she got into the studio audience, so Bob let Edrie explain the rules. Edrie's details made the audience and Bob laugh, as he could not have explained the game better himself (although we all know he could have). When the dice were rolled and it was down to the last number, Edrie looked worried, but Bob said since she rolled a "5," the only way she could lose was if the last number in the car was a six. Edrie's emotions and her telling Bob, "I promise not to do bodily harm, so I'm standing back here," referring to something Bob made contestants swear to in the '70s, got more humorous. Bob even let Edrie ask the TPIR staff, "Show me the number, please." The "2" lit up and Edrie won the Mercury Tracer worth $12,332. Edrie didn't believe she won at first, but then asked "You sure?" and "What am I going to do?" Bob told her she could drive it home. Edrie's appearance was shown in The Price is Right's 25th Anniversary Special on August 23, 1996 (#0001S).

Scott[]

On February 16, 1998 (#0651K), a contestant named Scott fell and twisted his knee in excitement when he saw a new car. Before the description of the car could be announced, Bob announced that Scott was hurt, and offered him a chair to sit in, to which Scott declined. He stood, but held onto the side of the prop, as he played Dice Game. As Scott lost the game, and the car, his twisted knee gave out and he fell to the ground. As such, he sat in a chair during the Showcase Showdown with Bob acting as a substitute spinner for him. Bob requested that Scott remain in the chair, and not jump up if he got a dollar on the wheel or made it to the Showcase. He subsequently made it to the Showcases and sat in the director's chair, but unfortunately, he overbid on his showcase. Despite his misfortunes, Scott remained in good spirits through the whole thing, with Bob claiming that he'd be one of the show's more memorable contestants for his positive attitude.

Aaron[]

On January 3, 2000 (#1321K), Aaron Sturtevant (Future actor Aaron Paul, most famous for playing Jesse Pinkman on AMC's Breaking Bad) was a contestant on The Price is Right. He played Dice Game, with similar enthusiasm to Scott, but lost. He also advanced to the Showcases, but overbid on his showcase by $132.

Nighttime Appearances[]

  • Dice Game was one of five pricing games introduced in the fifth and final nighttime season hosted by Dennis James on episode #159N (the other four were Cliff Hangers on episode #157N, Danger Price also on episode #157N, Hurdles on episode #160N and 3 Strikes on episode #158N).
  • Additionally, both Deluxe Dice Game and the regular version were used during the Tom Kennedy run.
  • Dice Game was played four times on the primetime version of the show. Three were lost and one was won.

Trivia[]

  • This game can't be played with just any automobile; each digit in its price must be a number 1-6.
  • Dice Game is one of a few games that can be won without showing any pricing knowledge whatsoever, provided the contestants' rolls are lucky enough.
  • The most number of times this game was played in any season was 41 (season 11), while the least number of times this game was played in any season was 4 (season 4).
  • During the 1990s and 2000s, it used to have a buzzer signal the loss. It was later switched back to a foghorn. This also happened with Check-Out, Grocery Game and One Away.
  • Dice Game was one of seven pricing games seen on the third taping session of Season 36, which was seen on October 17, 2007 (#4043K, aired out of order on November 13), October 25, 2007 (#4054K, aired out of order on January 3, 2008), October 29, 2007 (#4061K, aired out of order on December 13), November 6, 2007 (#4072K, aired out of order on October 17), November 15, 2007 (#4084K, aired out of order on November 7), and November 23, 2007 (#4095K, aired out of order on October 26). It was also one of three "old" pricing games seen on the seventh taping session of the season, which was seen on November 27, 2007 (#4102K, aired out of order on November 5), December 3, 2007 (#4111K, aired out of order on November 12), December 14, 2007 (#4125K, aired out of order on November 2), January 9, 2008 (#4133K, aired out of order on January 7), January 17, 2008 (#4144K, aired out of order on January 14), and January 22, 2008 (#4152K, aired out of order on January 29).
  • Due to the restrictions on this game, it became one of the easiest car games to play, yet one of the hardest car games to find cars for. The game can't have cars from $16,667 to $21,110, or any cars with a 7, 8, 9, or 0 in the price. It may be possible that in theory, if played during Dream Car Week, that the first number could be 7, 8, or 9, with all the other four still being 1-6.
  • As shown here, the odds of winning this game are 625 out of 1296, or 48.2253%.
  • Dice Game is the first game to have its own unique wipe transition when revealing the game; introduced in the early-to-mid 90s, the shot of the car would transition itself into a cube rolling and shrinking off the screen, leaving the Dice Game prop in the background.
  • In the Barker era, the contestant was required to verbally assign "higher" to rolls of 1 and "lower" to rolls of 6, unless they turned out to be the actual number. Carey automatically does so when these rolls occur.

Foreign versions of Dice Game[]

  • Australia's Dice Game is the same way as the first version of its American counterpart (with the 1-6 rule) only the player usually played for a trip (although Ian Turpie's versions often had furniture for a prize). One very memorable playing involved a woman who was so overwhelmed to be on the show that she could not stop crying. Although the last of the digits to be revealed had an incorrect guess, host Larry Edmur was kind enough to offer the woman the trip.
  • On Germany's Der Preis ist heiß, the game is called Würfelspiel (Dice Game), and is also not played for a car. In this version, there are no screens to display numbers-- the price is revealed via cards, and an arrow lighting up or down to indicate "higher" or "lower" on a wrong digit. Otherwise, the gameplay remains the same.
  • On Holland's Cash en Carlo, the game there is called "Carlo's Casino" and is played for a trip.
  • On Spain's El Precio Justo, the game was called La Ruleta (The Roulette) because instead of playing with dice, the contestant played with a wheel with numbers 0-9. The contestant spun the wheel to determine the first four numbers (which could be any of the ten digits as opposed to 1-6) in the seven-digit price of the car in pesetas (as the last three numbers were usually if not always 0). Gameplay was otherwise the same.
  • On Vietnam's Hãy chọn giá đúng, the game was called Xúc xắc (Dice) and was never played for a car. In this version, there are five numbers in the display, but if the game is played for a four-digit prize, the first number will show "0".

Gallery[]

To view the gallery, click here.

YouTube Videos[]

Dice Game Premiere (June 2, 1976, #1963D)
Walter's perfect playing of Dice Game (October 10, 1996, #0084K)
A forced win of Dice Game From Bob Barker Era (March 31, 1999, #1073K)
This contestant made a super decision! (September 25, 2006, #3691K)
First forced win of Dice Game From Drew Carey Era (January 31, 2011, #5421K)
Dice Game for a Chevrolet Spark LS 5dr Hatchback (April 3, 2013, #6293K)
Another forced win of Dice Game From Drew Carey Era (February 5, 2014, #6603K, aired out of order on February 7)

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Any Number | Bonus Game | Double Prices | Grocery Game | Clock Game | Five Price Tags | Most Expensive | Money Game | Range Game | Hi Lo | Lucky Seven | Temptation | Shell Game | Card Game | Race Game | Ten Chances | Golden Road | One Right Price | Danger Price | 3 Strikes | Cliff Hangers | Safe Crackers | Dice Game | Bullseye (2) | Switcheroo | Hole in One (or Two) | Squeeze Play | Secret 'X' | Take Two | Punch-A-Bunch | Bargain Game | Grand Game | Now....or Then | Check Game | Check-Out | Pick-A-Pair | Plinko | Master Key | One Away | Pathfinder | Spelling Bee | Make Your Move | 2 for the Price of 1 | Swap Meet | Pick-A-Number | Switch? | Cover Up | Side by Side | Freeze Frame | Shopping Spree | Eazy as 1-2-3 | It's in the Bag | Line 'Em Up | One Wrong Price | Push Over | Let 'Em Roll | Flip Flop | Triple Play | That's Too Much! | Bonkers | Pass the Buck | Coming or Going | ½ Off | Pocket ¢hange | Balance Game (2) | Stack the Deck | More or Less | Gas Money | Rat Race | Pay the Rent | Double Cross | Do The Math | Time is Money (2) | Vend-O-Price | Hot Seat | Gridlock! | Back to '74 | To The Penny
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