The Man Who Broke A 1980s TV Game Show

Michael Larson was a contestant on the popular 1980s game show Press Your Luck. He went on a legendary run that had the audience shocked, the host losing his mind, his fellow contestants frustrated, and network executives on the phone with their legal team. CBS didn't want to air the episode.

How did he get there? How much money did he win? Did he get to keep it? Did he cheat?

I'm going to answer all of these questions and more…in today's 1980's Story.

[Tolstoy]

Sad postscript: Peter Tomarken was killed (along with his wife) in a small plane crash in 2006.

[larryk]

He didn't cheat- he learned how to beat the system.

[jhawkkw]

Something that I don't think gets enough credit is how Peter Tomarken kept it professional and acted like it was just extreme luck. The enthusiasm throughout the show was infectious. When you compare this to how Drew Carey reacted when Ted Slauson had a perfect show case bid on Price is Right, it reinforces Michael's moment being such a magical one. Drew really took something away from Ted's moment by offering no enthusiasm for such a rare event.

[EndlessMike]

he was 34 on the show?!? I thought he was in his 50's

[matthewbaduria]

RIP Peter Tomarken he really was the show, there won't be another one like that again.

[jacktupp]

I still say "No Whammies" when I'm choosing something at random or rolling a dice etc...

[JohnTaylor-xgjn]

I found your channel yesterday and as someone born in '82 I don't think I've ever identified more with a YouTube channel. Thank you and keep putting out these great videos!

[VegasInsight]

it's amazing how this story gets more attention with each passing decade. i saw part 2 of this game back in the 80s on CBS one morning as a youngster. there was no internet then, accessing media coverage of hollywood was limited to newspapers and magazines, and a little entertainment tonight with mary hart.

somehow this story garners increasing fascination... and it's a brilliant topic to drum up traffic to a youtube channel. i retold the story years ago when i launched my podcast. it helped that i had recently seen a locally produced stage play about larson's life. seriously. it was a lot of fun to see his story reenacted before a live audience.

when you suggest larson discovered that the whammy never appeared in squares 4 and 8.... that was no discovery. any of us who watched the show knew exactly what was in square 4 in each round... that's the big bucks square, after all. and it's not hard to notice that a few other squares, including 8, don't have a whammy. not a discovery.... simple observation by any viewer for more than 5 minutes is all you need to "discover" that. but yes, being able to hit 4 and 8 repeatedly was critical as not only were there no whammies, but they always included an additional span, so he wouldn't deplete his spins as he built up an astronomical amount of cash.

$25K in prize money wasn't common, but given people periodically played for $25K on CBS' $25, 000 pyramid, i wouldn't say it was "very rare."

winning $40K or $50K in cash on a game show would never happen? talk to NBC and ask NBC about sale of the century and they'll tell you a different story.

looking forward to seeing the big screen adaptation of his story. i was hoping it would be at my local film fest in late october, but no such luck.

[ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

Congrats on 10k! Your editing has improved so much since I started watching. 😊❤🎉

[danalvin]

I used to watch this every day but I don't remember this!!!

[GRHD]

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[WendyDahling]

I remember how exciting this was to watch. I never thought he cheated. He figured out the pattern and was able make it work.

[foxmccloud]

The difference between Michael Larson and Charles Ingram is that Michael got his $110, 237 and Charles got publicly humiliated and shamed.
Due to modern technology seen with Elizabeth Banks, it is impossible to duplicate this feat.

[Trobtwillis]

No, he did not cheat. He studied the game carefully, and he figured out an advantage. When the show's producers became aware of his strategy, they made the machine's patterns more complex.

[jenniferhansen]

I just watched the documentary about this incident! It's hosted by Peter Tomarken, the host of Press Your Luck. It's right here on YT. 😊

[MsSmashley]

I was in the middle of watching the original upload when it was taken down 🤣 I was enjoying. Glad to finally finish it.

[Jeff]

So he was about 35 in the game show but looked like he was in his 50s.

[davidfraher]

CBS really wanted him to retire he cost them so much money 💰

[gregowen]

HOLY CRAP! A) I was excited to see this video, excellently done.
But more importantly, I swear that I was watching a video two weeks ago and I was thinking "wow, 7k subs, that was quick." Then I saw the 10k post, and right now TWELVE! That's amazing, but not shocking. These videos are well researched, which is even more impressive when they are covering older topics with hard to find footage. Congrats, I love to see it

[ninademci]

My So-Called Gen X Life, very thorough, factual, and exciting! Thank you. I look forward to more episodes like this one. I think what Michael did was amazing.