No kiddin', friends. We're playing The Jackpot Game as our first audience game. Michael, Nikolai, please sit on your hands and let someone else play the cards.
A standard deck of 52 playing cards has been shuffled and awaits your cut -- but, your cut has to be close enough to our secret number.
We've randomly chosen that secret number from 0 to 51 inclusive. To qualify for this audience game, just e-mail me a number from 0 to 51. The player closest to our lucky number wins CY$250 -- which could lead to tens of thousands more. Based on your number, we'll cut the deck that many cards deep.
(time passes)
And that's time. Let's see the magic number first.
   
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And who's the closest?
Erik Mokracek 40
It's Taz. He's going for the jackpot shortly.
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Voice guy: Net Anything to Win examines the SMU football program that
suffered the death penalty. Saturday night on VBS.
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Scarlett: Tonight's contestants and some members of our studio audience will receive some of the following...
Pace Picante Sauce -- made in San Antonio, Texas, by folks who know what salsa should taste like. Pick up the Pace.
Three bags of delicious Beanitos Black Bean Chips. The healthy snack that's gluten free, corn free and high in fiber. Beanitos.
Star-Kist Tuna -- in natural spring water. It's the only tuna packed in natural spring water. Great taste -- great for your waist. Star-Kist Tuna. Don't forget to tell 'em Charlie sent you.
The Language Translator from Texas Instruments. It actually talks to you in the language of your choice -- plus translates, pronounces and displays words. Comes with French and Spanish modules. Furnished by Texas Instruments.
And, from Warner Home Video, "Dallas: The Movie Collection". This DVD compilation includes a prequel on the early years of the Ewing-Barnes feud -- plus two other made-for-TV movies and a non-fiction retrospective reuniting the cast of that Texas-sized television drama.
Now back to Doug Morris and tonight's Jackpot Game.
Doug: Thanks, Scarlett. During the break, Erik Mokracek won the right to play our Jackpot Game. Before we play it, Erik, we have a new jackpot at stake. Here's what's in it.
Scarlett (walks from stage left): With tonight's jackpot, we're proving good things really do come in threes. First, we start with these three crisp new CY$100 bills.
Next, D.J. Hamilton's here with three checks paid to your order -- worth CY$1000 each.
Finally, look what the guard's wheeling in -- three money bags filled with CY$10,000 each.
Scarlett: That makes this an all cyber-cash jackpot worth CY$33,300. *And* if the jackpot goes unclaimed, we'll add CY$3000 to the jackpot in our next game -- and keep adding three-grand until we have a winner.
(more cheers) (music fades)
Doug: All right, before you can win CY$33,300, you must win at least this much cyber-money.
("Celebrity Sweepstakes" tabulation sfx)
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Doug: CY$5900. Let's start you off with CY$250.
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Doug: Erik, during the break, we had you cut a deck of standard playing cards. In a moment, I'm going to ask you to predict the suit of the first on the board -- the one behind the J. If you're right, your cyber-money quadruples.
From there, you'll be wagering whether the next card in line is higher or lower in rank. A correct prediction or a tie card pays off at one-to-one. A wrong prediction results in a net loss of the wager. Remember, an Ace is high and a 2 is low.
Keep playing until you reach the goal of CY$5900, it's mathematically impossible to reach the goal -- or you lose everything.
Now, first thing's first. Tell me the suit of the card behind the letter J.
Erik: Diamond.
Doug: Going with Diamonds. Do we have anything of Diamonds to start off Erik?
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Doug: Two of Diamonds? This is how the last Jackpot Game started. Someone predicts Diamonds to start and he gets a 2 of Diamonds right off the bat.
Now, before we proceed, let me note that we have several decks of cards at our disposal. I can't even begin to calculate the odds of this happening.
With that disclosed -- you -- of *course* want to bet everything higher.
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Doug: And -- yikes -- from a great card to a not-so-great card. Now, Erik, from this moment forward, your minimum bet is at least half of your score and you have to bet in increments of CY$25.
So -- right now -- you have the unenviable task of betting at least CY$1000 that the next card's higher or lower than the 7.
(audience shouts suggestions)
Erik: Yes, Doug, all of it higher.
(audience gasps)
Doug: Woah. This man came to play. If this next card is a 6 or lower, the game's already over and you end The Jackpot Game flat broke. Otherwise, the CY$33,300 jackpot's well within your grasp. Is the next card higher?
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Doug: It is -- but just a few notches higher. Erik, your minimum bet is now CY$2000. You could go minimum, be right and still win the jackpot. If you're wrong, we still have more cards to play with -- so long as you have cyber-money to play with. Think this over carefully -- and tell me what you want to do.
(audience shouts suggestions)
Erik: 2000 lower, Doug.
(scattered applause)
Doug: All right, if the next card is indeed lower than a 10 -- or another 10 -- you meet the goal. Let's flip it around, fellers.
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Doug: Made it with CY$100 to spare. Now, Erik, we're *not* quite done yet. We still have three cards left.
You may quit here, take the CY$6000 plus the jackpot worth more than 30-grand -- or play at least the next card.
Should you decide to keep playing and finish with less than CY$5900, you keep whatever you end up with -- but you lose the jackpot.
What do you want to do?
(audience shouts suggestions)
Erik: 3000 higher, Doug.
(audience gasps)
Doug: Woah, he's risking the jackpot. Is the next card higher?
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Doug: It is -- but now you're playing off the worst card in the deck. But you don't have to play it. You may quit now and take the CY$9000 plus the jackpot.
(audience shouts suggestions)
Erik: 4500 higher, Doug.
(louds groans and screams from the crowd)
Doug: I can only offer him a chance to stop, folks. Erik, if you're right, you'll still have the jackpot plus another CY$13,500. *Please* be higher.
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Doug: It's a 4. Well, your score's less than the goal again. So the optional is now mandatory again.
The good news is if you made at least a minimum bet of CY$2250 and you're right, you'll have more than CY$5900 and reclaim the jackpot of CY$33,300.
Even better -- you're playing off a great card -- a 4. So think about how much you want to bet -- and then tell me if that last card is lower or higher than a 4.
(audience shouts suggestions)
Erik: ALL OF IT HIGHER, DOUG!
Doug: You had 9000 and the jackpot earlier. If you can pull this off, you'll be back up to 9000 and reclaim the jackpot of CY$33,300.
Flip it around, fellers.
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(strike buzzer) (loud groans from the crowd; BB87 loss cue)
Doug: (shakes head) Wow. All I know to tell you is this. If you ever wonder why the hotels in Vegas get bigger and better -- remember this Jackpot Game.
Well -- Erik -- we don't have any cyber-money for you. But we do have some prizes that Scarlett talked about earlier. And we'll rejoin Michael and Nikolai at the dice table -- after this.
HOT DICE CONTINUES
