First, I'd like to state I have purposely left out the 1974-76 versions of High Rollers because I was not born when it first premiered plus there are no known existing episodes of High Rollers from 1974-76. From what I have read, the only major differences in game play was each number on the board from 1 through 9 had a prize or a part of a prize behind it a la The Magnificent Marble Machine with half of a prize on each of 2 different bumpers and the fact Ruta Lee rolled the dice for the contestants.

Both of the following versions were played with similar rules. 2 contestants vied to remove numbers off a 3x3 grid by rolling a pair of dice. To begin each turn, a multiple choice or true/false question is read. The first contestant that buzzes in chooses the correct answer. If correct, that person can opt to roll the dice or pass the dice to his/her opponent. In incorrect, control goes to the opponent and has the option of rolling or passing. A pair of dice are rolled down a craps-like table. The roller must remove a single number or several numbers whose sum adds up to the total on the dice. The numbers 1 through 9 are arranged in the 3x3 grid. At least one column, occasionally 2 columns, are "hot" columns, which means a single column of numbers can be removed with the proper roll. If doubles are rolled, the roller earns an insurance marker that can be used whenever that person rolls a number that cannot be made with the numbers on the board. A game ends when a roller has rolled a number that is no longer on the board or a number whose sum cannot be made with any combination of numbers on the board or when the board is cleared. If a bad number is rolled, the opponent wins the game. If a person clears the board, that person wins the game. A game was worth either all the prizes accrued in that game or $100 if no columns were claimed. The first person to win 2 games wins the match and goes up against The Big Numbers.

The Big Numbers

The Big Numbers bonus round is played exactly the same as the main game except the contestant is aiming to remove all 9 numbers without rolling a bad number. Each number removed was worth $100. If all 9 numbers were removed, it was worth $5,000 and a car early in the 1978 revival, a flat $5,000 later in the 1978-80 run, and a flat $10,000 from 1987-88. I don't have the exact number of $10,000 wins from the 1987-88 revival but I don't remember more than eight $10,000 wins throughout the run.

For more information about the 1978-1980 era, click here.
For more information about the 1987-1988 era, click here.

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