PDA

View Full Version : Have people found a way to cheat at Who Wants to be a Millionaire?



Jesse
04-26-2004, 10:57 PM
I have a question for you all,

I am an AP, and I have noticed the last few times going to California Adventure that there are many people who are returning players to the Millionaire game! I was there this past Sunday and this little girl won the fastest finger question in the beginning. When the host started talking to her she said that this is her THIRD time getting to the hotseat! Then when she got the 5000 or whatever question wrong she said, "Oh, thats the one I messed up last time too"! Has this happened to anyone else? This is maybe my third time going to the show and having people who say they have been to the hotseat before, and I wanna know how they do it! I know it can't be just from they were THAT quick, was it?

BJW
04-26-2004, 11:08 PM
I think they should make it a rule that guests can only get on so many times per year. I noticed when I was there people would click the button over and over again until their response registered. Less frequent visitors might not know to do this. Also, a limit will give others a chance to try. However, I'm not arguing against APs, but I think everybody should have a limit.

millionairegirl
04-27-2004, 05:23 AM
Once you get good at pushing the buttons, it's pretty easy to get into the hotseat. I've only seen a couple questions repeated over the last couple of years. You can't really cheat, but like other things practice makes you good. But I've still seen tons of out of state tourists make it into the hotseat. I just think there are more APs and repeat visitors in the audience than day visitors or tourists, so it makes sense that more hotseat players would be APs.

I think once a month is a fine rule. I haven't been in a great while, since I've pretty much given up hope of winning the big prize, but I think they want to keep us interested. If I can't get into the hotseat, it's not as fun for me, so why would I even bother?

blondiemouse
04-27-2004, 08:19 AM
Did you guys ever hear about the "major cheater" here in the UK? He and accomplice won the million pound jackpot but the show(which was devised here in the UK ) proved a guy in the audience was coughing during the correct answers. They got taken to court and never got a penny-naughty !:mad:

Photographer
04-27-2004, 08:25 AM
Blondiemouse, yep, the story made it over here to the US. Cheaters never win. :)

tod
04-27-2004, 08:44 AM
It's easy to win the Fastest Finger by "mashing" buttons at random, a system that rewards excited children, especially if little Jessica (or Jason) is on a sugar high.

After that, speed and accuracy are important, especially in the second and third rounds. In the audience scoring, each question is worth face value + 1000 points for each unused second + 1 point for each unused 1/1000th of a second. This rewards the person who gets in there fast and right, especially in the second round, when the time is worth 30,000 points and the questions are worth 2,000 to 32,000 points.

One serious mistake, however, is letting on that you have ever been in the Hot Seat before. Never, ever do this. It angers the audience. One host once identified me as a million-point winner and I got booed.

And people think you cheat to get in.

—t
12 appearances in the Hot Seat, 1-for-4 on million-point questions, and 3-for-6 on 500,000-point questions (yes, there is some overlap there)

dingdong2U
04-27-2004, 12:40 PM
Like "tod" mentioned, probably the best way to get into the hot seat via the "Fastest Finger" is to pick a certain "ABCD" combination and stick to it for every time that you're at the show. Eventually it may come up.

One of the people that was sitting next to me at "Millionaire" this past weekend used the same combination every single time and finally had it come up and got into the hot seat. Bombed at the 32,000 point question but it shows that it can be done.

There's no real way to cheat at "Millionaire". The castmembers and the person that runs the sound board are constantly looking over the audience and looking for people that are using cell phones, videocameras or doing other things that might compromise the game. So, no coughing, sign language or Village People "Y.M.C.A."s are allowed. ;)

One of the biggest offenders is the "4th lifeline" where a guest chooses an incorrect answer and the audience groans before the guest says "Final Answer". After the question is answered correctly the host chastises (sp?) the audience and sometimes warns the audience if it continues that they'll have to stop the show. I haven't seen a show stopped yet but it has come pretty close.

Accuracy is always important. But, in the lower tier questions, speed plays a key role in amassing points since almost everyone is going to know the 1st tier of questions. As you get higher up in the questions though, knowledge comes into play. You can be as fast as you want with the questions, but there are *no* points awarded for wrong answers. Always go with your gut instinct and never second guess yourself.

If I'm not completely sure of an answer though, I do admit that I sometimes look at other peoples keypads just to get an idea of what the rest of the audience thinks the answer is. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Even if you get a question wrong sometime during the show, keep playing... Other people may get questions wrong later on and since the higher up questions are worth more, it might catapult you up higher on the scoreboard than the others.

Once you get into the hot seat though, it's a whole different ballgame. The time limit, the sound effects, everything is there to try to psyche you out. But don't let it get to you... Use the timer to your advantage. If you're not sure of an answer, use the time that you have to think things through but don't use the timer all up just because it's there. If you know the answer, just give the answer and say "Final Answer" but if you're not sure, take the time that you need to think it through and then proceed. There's no reason to use up the entire clock if you can figure out what the answer is. Just don't let the clock run out. There have been many a time where a guest runs out of time just because they didn't say "Final Answer" or "Lifeline" before time ran out.

Aside from that, just do your best and maybe sometime you'll find yourself in the hot seat! I have actually found myself in the hot seat a few times and it's an interesting experience to say the least. Disconcerting as well because when you're in the audience you're looking out to the person in the hotseat. But, it's a whole different ballgame when you're in there and all the eyes are on YOU! And this is coming from a person who doesn't really feel comfortable being up in front of a crowd. :|

Anyway, good luck...!!!

--- Mike

Last Million Point Winner:
#45 Wayne from Escondido, CA
17 year old Junior in High School (Youngest Million Point Winner at DCA)

HollywoodTower
04-28-2004, 09:52 AM
well, once you are in the hot seat, you can hear when all the audience starts clicking the "right" answer on their key pads. It is just about the same thing as an automatic "ask the audience" lifeline.

Kevy Baby
04-28-2004, 10:02 AM
well, once you are in the hot seat, you can hear when all the audience starts clicking the "right" answer on their key pads. It is just about the same thing as an automatic "ask the audience" lifeline.I'm not sure if this will work. Most of the regulars know that the system doesn't register votes until the forth answer comes up. Consequently, the clicking doesn't usually begn until around answer "D".

Although I haven't played in a while, so I may be remembering wrong.

Quinten27
04-28-2004, 10:04 AM
12 appearances in the Hot Seat, 1-for-4 on million-point questions, and 3-for-6 on 500,000-point questions (yes, there is some overlap there)

So what is the prize for getting the million point question right?

Kevy Baby
04-28-2004, 10:14 AM
So what is the prize for getting the million point question right?From a post (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?p=347867#post347867) by BTT (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/member.php?u=1019) in another thread:


1000 pt level: five collectible pins and "1000 point winner" baseball cap.

32,000 pts: 10 collectible pins, cap and "32,000 point winner" polo shirt

Million points: 15 collectible pins (with the million point pin numbered in the order that you won the prize), a giant medallion that puts Olympic gold medals to shame, the cap, the shirt, a "million-point winner" leather jacket, and a 3-night cruise for four on Disney Cruise Lines to the Bahamas.

also, read the rest of that thread for more details about millionaire

Ghoulish Delight
04-28-2004, 10:18 AM
I'm not sure if this will work. Most of the regulars know that the system doesn't register votes until the forth answer comes up. Consequently, the clicking doesn't usually begn until around answer "D".

Although I haven't played in a while, so I may be remembering wrong.Well, since the time starts the instant 'D' comes up, most exprienced players start clicking immediately when they see the right answer, just to be postitive that they get the answer in as fast as humanly possible. There's a very obvious clicking on the easy questions.

tod
04-28-2004, 11:40 AM
Well, since the time starts the instant 'D' comes up, most exprienced players start clicking immediately when they see the right answer, just to be postitive that they get the answer in as fast as humanly possible. There's a very obvious clicking on the easy questions.

I've noticed that the panel lights go on a moment or so after the "C" answer is revealed. In the second and third rounds, I won't start clicking until then. First round is all reflexes, and on easy questions at that, so concealing your answers doesn't matter as much.

And remember, hearing a lot of clicking on the "C" answer could mean that it's "D"!

--t
#26 on the million-point hit parade

KeithOfTerror
04-28-2004, 12:05 PM
Cheaters never win. :)

Not true. You don't know they're cheaters if they win.

:fez: "Funny. You don't LOOK Druish." :fez:

Joeyjoe325
04-28-2004, 07:06 PM
When I was in the hot seat for the first and only time so far (Dec 03), the thing I could hear was the clicking noise when the audience starts to answer. I guess the hot seat person could listen and try to get the answer without having to use the actual life line. When I was in the hot seat, it didn't influence my answer, it was just distracting.

I got to the 125,000 point question and got it wrong (my phone a stranger didn't help). The funny thing was that my mom was the next hot seat contestant. I thought she could win the whole thing but she had stage fright and answered wrong on the 2,000 (I think). Has there ever been family members that went after one another before? It was fun.

Moonliner
04-28-2004, 09:53 PM
Is it possible?

From the hot seat can't you still see a section of the audience?

Seems like you could at the MGM version.

Anyway if that's the case just take a team of say four smart people. Each choose a diffrent pre-set ABCD fastest finger question for a good shot at the hotseat. Work out a few visual signals, (a=Hand on chin, B=looking down, C=Looking at you, etc...) for your buddies to use and.....

A lot of effort but then again a cruise ain't cheap.

Ghoulish Delight
04-28-2004, 10:03 PM
Is it possible?

From the hot seat can't you still see a section of the audience?

Seems like you could at the MGM version.

Anyway if that's the case just take a team of say four smart people. Each choose a diffrent pre-set ABCD fastest finger question for a good shot at the hotseat. Work out a few visual signals, (a=Hand on chin, B=looking down, C=Looking at you, etc...) for your buddies to use and.....

A lot of effort but then again a cruise ain't cheap.Like someone said, they caught someone doing exactly that on the real show and stripped him of any prize winnings. I'm sure they just as carefully review the tapes for this show.

sambo
04-29-2004, 12:00 AM
Cheating?

Who really cares? My intent is not to hurt feelings here, but just to state what I see from my view. It's a lame idea for a "show" to begin with. Nearly as exciting as watching bowling or golf on television. It's the superstar limo of shows.

I'm sorry, I just don't understand the popularity. I would have thought it would have died of boredom long before this. A decent scandal involving cheating would at least spark some excitement albeit briefly...

Call me clueless I guess.

Drince88
04-29-2004, 03:41 AM
Has there ever been family members that went after one another before? It was fun.

My sister and I got in the hot seat back-to-back in mid-September 2001, shortly after the attraction officially opened.

We had been 1 and 2 when she got into the hot seat, so when they did the 1000 point check, they made sure and pointed out where I was. When she missed (somewhere between 1000 and 32000), they said "let's see where your sister is" and when I wasn't in 2-9 I was pretty sure I got in - in part because that would have been really rude if I hadn't done well (they knew my seat number back-stage) and since I knew I'd gotten her last question right.

She had to specifically ask if she could stay and watch me, and they did let her, and then they did our paperwork together. For the record, she did get to answer a higher point question then I did, but we both dropped to the 1000 point prize at the end.

Moonliner
04-29-2004, 04:16 AM
I'm sure they just as carefully review the tapes for this show.
Humm:

$1,000,000.00 dollar payout

VS

Theme park attraction.

Yea, I'm sure your right. There must be a crack team of CM's carefully screening each moment. :)

DisneyFan25863
04-29-2004, 07:11 AM
Humm:

$1,000,000.00 dollar payout

VS

Theme park attraction.

Yea, I'm sure your right. There must be a crack team of CM's carefully screening each moment. :)


I think he ment if someone won the million they would check the tapes...

danyoung
04-29-2004, 08:59 AM
Anyway if that's the case just take a team of say four smart people. Each choose a diffrent pre-set ABCD fastest finger question for a good shot at the hotseat. Work out a few visual signals, (a=Hand on chin, B=looking down, C=Looking at you, etc...) for your buddies to use and..... A lot of effort but then again a cruise ain't cheap.

I guess it would be silly to point out that, even though this kind of cheating might be technically possible, it should still be considered wrong by a moderately moral person. But that's just me, I guess . . . . .