Well, if you’re there long enough, eventually someone (or two) is going to show up who’s better than you. Just the Law of Averages.
I’m also pretty sure the DDS are fixed before the game starts, They’re almost always in the bottom half of the board (with a few exceptions). All 3 players know that. That’s why James always went there first.
-——Maybe you can answer a question my wife and I have: What is the deal with the timing of pushing the button? Are you not allowed to buzz in while Alex is still reading the question? How do you know WHEN you can push? Is there a visual aid of some kind?-——
There’s a light that goes all around the game board. the contestants and studio audience can see it, but the TV audience can’t. That light goes on when Alex is finished reading, and that light is a signal to the contestants that the buzzers are activated.
Your timing has to be very good. You need to mentally read the question faster than Alex does; think of the response; then wait to see the light and press your thumb/finger. If you’re too early, you’re frozen out for a quarter of a second, which is an eternity, and more than enough time for the other two contestants to buzz in. You can really look bad if you continually press the button early.
Yep.
I was on the show and no idea how the buzzers actually worked until I appeared.
You have to wait for the white neon ring to light up, then you can answer.
We asked why they set it up like that.
Because the viewers at home would not have a chance to read and guess if someone buzzed in after two seconds.
I notice that the buzzers also now have an exposed button.
On my game, in 1989, it was still recessed.
Much superior nowadays.