How One Man Cheated To Win Over $100,000 On A Game Show

By Zachary | Nov 19, 2023

We've all imagined it: competing on a game show, getting every answer right, winning a truckload of money and retiring to enjoy the rest of our lives.

The problem is that takes a lot of hard work and luck. Who has the time to memorize all the kings of England? Even if you did, what happens if you get a question about baseball instead?

That's why Michael Larson's story is so incredible. He was an ice cream truck driver who managed to beat a TV network at their own game and win a record-breaking amount of money.

Larson appeared on the CBS game show Press Your Luck in 1984, winning $110,237 ($254,000 in today's money) by cheating. He didn't use trivia knowledge any clever tricks to break the bank, just his VCR.

Press Your Luck was a trivia game that also included an electronic board. Some of the board's squares had prizes, or extra spins on the board, while others had "Whammys" which would erase your score.

After watching hours of the show and taping every episode, Larson managed to memorize the 5 patterns the board followed, meaning he would never land on a Whammy and could win as many prizes and extra spins as he wanted.

CBS knew right away that something was up. Larson's episode had to be aired over 2 days, because his winning streak made the game extra long.

He would also react as soon as he landed on the right square - before he actually "knew" he had won a prize.

Still, there was nothing in the rules that said Larson couldn't memorize the board's patterns. CBS had to pay him the $110,000, which set a record for the largest amount anyone had ever won in a day.

While Larson's success made him rich, it didn't last long. Within 2 years all of his prize money had been spent, stolen or lost in illegal businesses.

Even if Larson was never a real "winner," his success is legendary among game show fans. CBS kept his episode off of TV for 19 years after it originally aired, but even that couldn't keep Larson's incredible win from earning a place in TV history.

Share this unbelievable story with someone you know!

Tags: game show, vintage, michael larson, press your luck, cheating

More Throwbacks

'Saved By The Bell' Is Coming Back, But Not In The Way You Think

By Matt 15 hours ago

Who else is ready to hear Screech sing?

Pop Culture

10 Of The Best King Of The Hill Episodes That Will Have You Saying "Yep"

By Alex 15 hours ago

King of the Hill was a huge part of our afternoon and evening television schedule when we were growing up. The show ran from 1997 until it was finally wrapped up in 2010, and even though it stretched out until 2010 we are still going to consider it a throwback because of its humble late 90s roots. Hank, Peggy, Bobby and Luanne made us all remember that regardless of the differences in personalities, family (and possibly propane) is the most important thing in a person's life. With that being said, here are 10 of the best King of the Hill

90s

These 7 Quizzical Facts About "Wishbone" Proves No One Ever Listens To The Dog

By Jon 15 hours ago

I can pretty much guarantee that most people reading this article learnt more about literature from Wishbone than any college course. This wisecracking dog was incredible at teaching the finer points of many classic books and tied the major themes to a moral lesson that we could all use in our lives. While Wishbone can speak for himself, here are some little-known facts about the show that we uncovered out by Wanda Gilmore's garden!Dog-Read-Dog WorldMovieFoneThe idea for a show came from the creators own Jack Russel Terrier whose life and behaviors he would narrate in his home. "Well, what

90s

13 Facts About 'Tiny Toon Adventures' That Are A Little Loony

By Zachary 2 days ago

The cartoon that defined our Saturday mornings growing up picked up where the classic Warner Bros. cartoons left off, with a new cast of characters inspired by our old favorites.But we bet there's a lot you never knew about this classic series. Here are 13 tiny but toony facts about the show.1. The animator's followed the "Mother's House" ruleUnlike the original Warner Bros. cartoons, you never saw characters pointing guns at each other in Tiny Toon Adventures. But you also didn't see many characters being hit with chairs, smacked with rolling pins, or threatened with knives.Warner Bros.