Evaluation: The House Minimum

If an unlucky contestant ended up being goose-egged for the entire game, then I'd definitely award them the minimum because they do need the money to pay off the expenses for them to fly out to Los Angeles and drive all the way to Culver City to tape their episode. I'd recommend awarding it if there are no more consonants left to pick and only the vowels are left in the puzzle. Let's say your opponent has failed to make a decision within five seconds, picks the wrong vowel, or made a mistake in solving the puzzle and you have no money in your bank, so your only option is to solve the puzzle, which would definitely be worth winning the minimum. I don't think $1,000 would be enough to award a contestant who ended up being goose-egged at the end of the main game. I'd suggest $2,000 for a single player because that not only covers their travel expenses, but at least it'll give them a little bit of money for them to use for personal reasons, but only before the winner moves on to play the Bonus Round. As for team weeks, I understand that Sony wants each person to leave with at least $1,000 to pay the travel debt off, but I think that's a little too generous. The house minimum should be exactly the same as the regular games and since the minimum amount for the layout is $500, then the $1,000 house minimum is acceptable, but I'd make it $2,000 if a player got goose-egged or won a little less than that after the Speed-Up Round is over. I don't want to sound mean to those who solved for the minimum because I understand you want to get a main game puzzle under your belt and get something out of it, but at the same time, you don't know what you might land on.

^...huh?

WooWho Sorry about the confusing part. I meant that the $1,000 house minimum is fine since the smallest dollar value on the wheel is $500 and if someone ends up solving that for $950 or less, it should be bumped up to $1,000, but I wouldn't recommend doing it unless it's the Prize Puzzle Round. I'm sorry if it sounded rude and confusing.

1) I would do something with the first Toss-Up, which is worth $1,000. It's true that the sequence $1,000-$2,000-$3,000 makes sense, but the first one is redundant. Probably I would do like they did some years ago "La Ruleta": playing the first one for $2,000 directly, do the interviews and the player who wins the Toss-Up would start R1 directly, with the second Toss-Up being played after R3 like now, worth $4,000. In team weeks, the first Toss-Up would be worth $3,000.

2) It's not bad that they use a house minimum. I like the idea, specially if you say that you have to pay all the expenses of the travel to Culver City ("La Ruleta" pays you the travel and the accomodations, so its new house minimum is even better that in "Wheel", since you win a little money for you).

The house minimum is absolutely necessary given how the game is ridiculously unbalanced.  The problem with it is how they are given.

If this game was about competing on solving puzzles, theoretically any player who solves at least one puzzle should be able to earn more than just the house minimum.  Thus, it makes no sense that the 1st Toss-Up is only worth $1,000 and it also makes no sense to just solve any puzzle for $1,000 when the end amount if you didn't solve anything is still $1,000.

On the other hand, those who by the end of the game who have earned nothing despite the 3 Toss-Ups and the Speed-Up deserve only the lowest house minimum possible (not to be mean, but these people are just not good players).  In these cases, yes, the house minimum makes sense.

Therefore, similar to what WarioSajak said, what I would do to adjust the house minimum:

• Raise the 1st Toss-Up to $1,500.
• Raise any solving puzzle minimum to $1,500.
• Leave the end house minimum to $1,000.

I think it works as it is. I used to disagree with this statement but I've grown use to it.

I also read a comment somewhere on this site that explained to me how my original thinking was wrong...the $1,000 toss-up goes toward building your end score so therefore DOES matter. The pity $1,000 doesn't count towards anything.