On A Roll: New Bonus Round Testing

[dougmorrisontheair]

Greetings, all.

At On A Roll, we've tested and are exploring a new bonus game format.

The winner of a main game would go on to play something we're calling Big 6. It's based on the Love Letters side game from the 1987-88 remake of "High Rollers".

The dice faces hide the Big 6 word which may or may not be a proper noun. If it's a proper noun, it's been verified by more than one source. Otherwise, the word's been verified by dictionary.com.

To help the player, Wally would offer a hint.

It's Tasty -- which would indicate the word relates to food or drink.

Regardless of the result, the player would then go on to play a new version of Lucky 7.

Here, the contestant would play for more cash or a prize and have a certain limit of chances to roll the sum of 7 with two dice.

As for how it would affect the main games, we'd likely go with a system from the early weeks of the original American version of "Blockbusters". Win a game, play a bonus game; win the match, play a bonus game for potentially double the stakes.

So -- who wants to try?

[pathfinder20]

I want to try.

[dougmorrisontheair]

All right, Kourtney. Let's say you just won a main game and you rolled for your money roll...

(Kourtney rolls)

...a 6 and a 4. This means, you're playing for...

(ding)

...$50,000. Now, Wally, please give us a hint.

(ding)

"Let's play..."

That means the Big 6 word is the name of a game. It may or may not be a proper noun.

Kourtney, much like the main game, you'll get four rolls of the dice to uncover as many of the letters in the Big 6 word as possible. What's different here is that if you roll two different numbers, you may only play one of the numbers and you may not play the sum.

If you can solve the word correctly after just one roll, you win the full $50,000. But for each additional roll you need, we cut the payoff in half.

Doubles are still bad. Anytime you roll a double or roll a combination that includes two numbers you've already taken off the board, that's a wasted roll. Wasted rolls still cut the winnings in half.

Ready to try, Kourtney?

[pathfinder20]

Sounds fair to me. Let's roll!

[dougmorrisontheair]

All right, Kourtney. Good luck. You -- are on a roll.

(Kourtney rolls)

And you get a choice of one of the last two letters.

Would you like to take the 5 or the 6?

[pathfinder20]

Let's take the fifth one.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Fifth amendment or fifth of whiskey?

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

(ding)

Oh -- fifth letter -- which is an L. For $50,000, what's this Big 6 word?

[pathfinder20]

Stab in the dark: FARKLE?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Hmmm -- he's playing a dice game -- and we started this with depictions of six dice faces.

For $50,000 -- is it -- Farkle?

(dings; win theme plays; audience cheers)

Ya got it!!!

[NOTE FROM DOUG: I intentionally set aside "Farkle" for testing purposes. A certain game maker spells the name of the dice game "Farkel". Note's been made to self to aim to avoid such situations.]

$50,000 already for you, Kourtney -- and a chance to win much more playing our new version of Lucky 7. May we have the setup for Lucky 7, please, Wally.

(FF reveal sfx)

Thank you, Wally. Now, Kourtney, Lucky 7 takes on new meaning here. You want to come up with a lucky roll of the dice that totals 7.

We'll eventually find out how many chances you'll have to roll that lucky 7. But first, let's focus on the letters in the word "lucky". Behind them, we have different amounts of cash -- up to $100,000. (scattered cheers) We also the word "car", which represents a brand new Chevy Corvette Stingray. (more cheers) And rounding things out, the word "trip" hides behind a letter -- and that trip is a two-week vacation in Waikiki in Hawaii worth more than $21,000.

(more cheers)

So -- Kourtney -- please pick your lucky letter in Lucky 7.

[pathfinder20]

Let's go with K

[dougmorrisontheair]

Behind the letters K, Kourtney, you're playing for...

(dings; audience applause)

...$32,000. Nice tidy sum.

All you have to do is have the dice total 7 on any of your rolls. But, there's a catch.

(alarm goes off)

You have a limited number of rolls. Wally's already activated the shutdown timer -- and will now set the timer based on the value of your prize against the values of the others.

So, to win $32,000, you must roll a sum of 7 in...

...five rolls. Shouldn't be too tough.

For each time you don't roll a 7, you win the sum's value in hundreds of dollars. Doubles are still bad -- and, truth be told, worse than before. If you throw doubles, you don't win any money on that roll -- *and* it's an automatic shutdown.

Ready to try for the 32-large?

[pathfinder20]

Alright, I am ready. Let's roll those bones!

[dougmorrisontheair]

All right, Kourtney. Good luck. Best of luck. You -- are on a roll.

(Kourtney rolls)

And you start off with a 3 and a 2. That's worth $500. Looking for that lucky 7.

(Kourtney rolls)

And you're on the other side of the 7 with that 9. Now that you've surrounded it, go get that 7 for $32,000.


(Kourtney rolls)

(buzz; NYSI89 losing horns; audience groans)

Ahhhh -- darn it! Double 2 ends your run. But -- how can you feel bad for someone who played two endgames and won a grand total of $51,400?

Thanks for playing, Kourtney. We're back in a moment.

(theme plays; audience cheers)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Okay, as the dice table attendant would say, I need a new shooter. Who wants to try a new round of Big 6 and the forthcoming new Lucky 7?

[palmer7]

I've tested this before, and I'll test it again.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Welcome back to On A Roll: Celebrity Edition.

Greg Palmer's about to take his money roll and then try to win a lot of money for a great charity. Greg, please tell us who you're playing for.

[palmer7]

I am playing for Troop 425 of the Boy Scouts of America, located in my hometown of Durham, North Carolina.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Fine organization. I'm sure they're rooting for you. Obviously, Wally's on your side as well.

Greg, please take the money roll at $5000 a point.

(Greg rolls)

(audience cheers)

Nice -- a 6 and a 3 add up to 9 for $45,000. Now, you know how we play Big 6 -- so, Wally, please give us a hint about this Big 6 word.

(ding)

"Let's visit..."

This means the Big 6 word is a proper noun of a certain geographic location. It could be a city, state or country.

Four chances to uncover as many of the letters in the Big 6 word as you can. Good luck, Greg, because you -- are on a roll.

(Greg rolls)

And the first roll is a 1 and a 4. Would you like to see the first or fourth letter in the Big 6 word?

[palmer7]

Well, let's see, Doug. Even an idiot -- (cough) Matt Lauer (cough) -- would think the first letter would be a good idea. So let's go with the first letter.

[dougmorrisontheair]

All right. First letter's yours and...

(ding)

...it's an M. For $45,000 for the Boy Scouts in Durham, North Carolina, what is the location Wally recommends visiting?

[palmer7]

Madrid!

[dougmorrisontheair]

Let's see. For 45 grand -- is it -- Madrid?


































(TPiR Pathfinder wrong move sfx)

(audience applause)

Not Madrid. And as you can see, half the money's already down the drain. But $22,500 is a nice tidy sum for those scouts. Second roll coming up.

(Greg rolls)

And it's a 5 and a 4. Would you like the fourth or fifth letter?

[palmer7]

5th letter, please.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(ding)

And it's the letter C. For $22,500, what's the name of this geographical location, Greg?

[palmer7]

Ah, Munich!

[dougmorrisontheair]

Well -- it hosted the Summer Olympics more than four decades ago. We're in an Olympic year now. So -- for $22,500, Wally, are you recommending we visit -- Munich?

































(TPiR Pathfinder wrong move sfx)

(audience groans)

Darn. Well -- price drops to eleven large and change. Still a good payday. Avoid those doubles and that 1-5 roll.

(Greg rolls)

And -- good -- a 6 and a 2. Would you like for us to reveal the second or sixth letter?

[palmer7]

Last letter, please.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Going for the sixth and last letter in the word. Please show it to us, Wally.

(ding)

An O. For $11,250, what's this Big 6 word?

[palmer7]

Mexico!

[dougmorrisontheair]

(audience cheers)

Does Greg win more than $11,000 for the Boy Scouts with Mexico?

(dings; SCSD win theme plays; audience cheers)

Got it! And -- muy bien indeed for you. $11,250 for the Boy Scouts in Raleigh, North Carolina -- with a chance to win more with our new Lucky 7 game.

Wally, please set the board up for Lucky 7.

(FF reveal sfx)

Thanks, Wally. Greg, since you're playing for charity, we have different amounts of cash behind those letters in "lucky". They range from $25,000 all the way up to $100,000. The higher the value you play for, the tougher it is going to be to win that money.

So -- pick a letter and we'll see how much more you could win for the scouts.