february contestant american television game press luck notable winning equivalent cash prizes time largest day total won game able win patterns press luck game board originally southwestern ohio cash taxes real estate investments problems law involved illegal schemes result lost years taping moved florida later died throat cancer age death game aired times inspired game network documentary big press luck scandal preparations began recording episodes shortly premiere cbs september careful study light indicator eighteen square big board discovered moved patterns patterns parts able predict squares indicator discovered fourth eighth squares numbered beginning left hand corner moving clockwise board contained cash importantly squares rewarded contestants extra spin board hit square contained square contained amounts came additional spin extra spins meant second round play long stop managed follow patterns discovered carrying knowledge nearly saved money trip los_angeles traveled audition program executive producer contestant supervisor discussed interview edwards suspicious reasons trying final decision let booked later chosen fourth taping day intended friday episode rest life regretted listening edwards waiting green room met baptist minister booked taping struck conversation long recalled point watched lot asked times seen long replied seen responded looking planet soon long called left said hope don play turned fact face long won game returned second game dental assistant named game round game began question rounds contestants answered questions earn spins correct buzz answer earned spins correct multiple choice answer earned spin patterns help struggled early second question host asked probably got president pocket purse right likeness head point answered bill finished question american coin answer choice buzz answering questions multiple choice finishing spins long fewest spins went spin hit hit square finished round long finished round won respectively putting place second round questions second round long earned spins received successfully final questions earn spins total seven long finished place round got use spins second round went pattern play aiming squares quickly total early pattern play irregular stopped times squares follow pattern trip worth square spin square pick corner square given choice square square spin square chose worth square pattern play accurate hit target squares time spun increasingly spinning despite having seen long point exceeded episode post edited announce run time game resume following monday episode began explained viewers missed friday going game resumed continued press exceeding losing remaining spins virtually stop fearing hit finally surpassed figure mark passed remaining spins second highest total raised arms triumph received standing ovation audience long took spin immediately hit lost round leading wonder aloud knew coming hit spin twice pressing hitting costing effectively ending participation game hit spin spins passed lost won round remaining passed spins moved earned column hitting giving spins successful spins accumulated decided pass remaining spins totalled rules dictated passed spins leader gave turn board expecting earn spins forced time picked right left spins hitting targets earning spins wanted pattern stopping board early won trip bahamas worth landed square turned score possession pair earned spins returned favor passed spins took spins safely earned additional spins final spin ended landing mexican cruise square lost game huge margin won game cash end episode asked decided pass remaining spins considering lead rapidly gained long stepping revealing won game responded things felt right second seven spins passed somebody accusations cheating running score producers contacted head cbs daytime programming department interview commemorating conducted time movie released recalled wrong guy hitting bonus box time tell couldn stop guy kept going board hitting box program producers met review noticed immediately celebrate spins instead waiting fraction second contestant respond space stopped effectively showing knew going good noticed unusual reaction early prize trip pattern initially looked upset recovered celebrated pause cbs refused pay considering producers find clause game rules largely board constructed patterns beginning series network complied surpassed cbs cap time allowed return light patterns immediately erased replaced new ones month sure replaced new patterns month finally august new software installed gave total patterns effectively ensuring duplicate trick episode broadcasts exceptional running time appearance split episodes aired june cbs suppressed years network time considered incident biggest later bought rights cbs insisted episodes aired march allowed air episodes including previously edited portions hour documentary called big press luck scandal hosted narrated documentary produced aired association owns rights broke previous viewership records network original telecast dedicated memory producer creator died airing commemoration opponents invited contestants new press luck playing brother james returning host question round despite fact board random host calling proof way trick performed long remarried took surname lost hit big bank space spin round long proceeded joke host seen point advanced place hitting double shortly afterward effectively giving win won digital grand piano worth newton closed game announcing legacy continues episodes finally aired entirety late shown regular rotation special occasions network ceased showing march big documentary included additional footage directly original master tapes edited episodes initial broadcast performance featured july broadcast later life legacy press luck assistant manager local stores lebanon ohio ran promotions marketing company lebanon home november learned local radio promotion promising prize matching bill serial number random number read air days withdrew remaining bills examined dollar discovering winning number deposited roughly half money left house stolen attending christmas party case remains open today gave interview guide revealed called producers losing remaining money challenging hold tournament champions break bank producers declined film released renewed discussion game scandals appeared abc time diagnosed throat cancer voice noticeably weakened shortly got involved illegal scheme sell foreign lottery result went run leaving ohio family contacted knew whereabouts death throat cancer february florida biopic planned set portray plans fell
Michael Larson