History Awesome / TheJokersWild

* 1978: Champion Hal Scheer was in dire straits in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGRldCqVNxM eighth game]], against Adrienne. Down $500–$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After nearly fainting from shock, Creator/JackBarry explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...

* 1983: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpCdSWjMJTA Barry sadly sends off Joe Dunn]] as an undefeated champ with $66,200 in cash and prizes. This was also when the CBS limit on game show winnings was raised to $50,000 from the previous $35,000 (while the show itself was syndicated, it ran mostly on CBS affiliates, including the network's owned-and-operated stations, and hence was subject to network rules), with a charity of the player's choice receiving what went over that. This was 21 years before Ken Jennings on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', and was a big deal as Dunn had been a regular champ and hadn't played in a Tournament.

* Frank Dillon, who won the first two Tournaments, in 1977 and '78 (worth $50,000 and $100,000, respectively)...[[DownerEnding and narrowly lost the $250,000 Tournament in 1979 due to an unlucky spin]]. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments He also donated most of his cash winnings to various charities.]]

* 1983: At one point, a champion at the Face the Devil round confidently predicted he was going to get to $1,000 from his current total of $475 on the next spin. Jack didn't think it was going to happen, but the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLTz7dkAgk&t=13m58s next spin was $100-$100-$100]], giving him the automatic win.[[note]](Any time a winner spun three of the same dollar amount, they automatically won the bonus game.)[[/note]].

* June 13 1975: The final CBS episode. At the end, Jack thanked everyone for the 3 year success of the show and called it the happiest and most productive period of his life. Afterwards, the credits rolled where the studio gradually darkens, first the set lights, then the audience lights, then the lights around the slot machine leaving only the show's title on the wheels. The camera zoomed in to the show's title and the three windows shut off one by one leaving the set in darkness.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udMeOLWr9DQ&t=3m56 This clip]] shows a rare case in "How Low Will You Go?". While the contestant could have up to seven more clues to answer a question, she asks for NO more clues and still gets it right!

* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions, earning $250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for a decade for himself. The entire Tournament was awesome in and of itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $7,500 {$7,500 to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $12,500 {$12,500 to charity}, Semifinalists received $20,000 {$20,000 to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $100,000 to charity, $10,000/year for a decade for the player})[[/note]].

* June 13 1975: The final CBS episode. At the end, Jack thanked everyone for the 3 year success of the show and called it the happiest and most productive period of his life. Afterwards, the credits rolled where the studio gradually darkens, first the set lights, then the audience lights, then the lights around the slot machine leaving only the show's title on the wheels. The camera zoomed in to the show's title and the three windows shut off leaving the set in darkness.

* 1978: Champion Hal Shear was in dire straits in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGRldCqVNxM eighth game]], against Adrienne. Down $500–$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After nearly fainting from shock, Creator/JackBarry explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...

* 1983: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpCdSWjMJTA Barry sadly sends off Joe Dunn]] as an undefeated champ with $66,200 in cash and prizes. This was also when the CBS limit on game show winnings was raised to $50,000 from the previous $35,000 (while the show itself was syndicated, it ran on WCBS in New York and hence was subject to network rules), with a charity of the player's choice receiving what went over that. This was 21 years before Ken Jennings on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', and was a big deal as Dunn had been a regular champ and hadn't played in a Tournament.

%%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udMeOLWr9DQ&t=3m56 This clip]] shows a rare case in "How Low Will You Go?". While the contestant could have up to seven more clues to answer a question, [[spoiler:she asks for NO more clues and still gets it right]]!
* 1983: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpCdSWjMJTA Barry sadly sends off Joe Dunn]] as an undefeated champ by showing his accomplishments, including $66,200 in cash and prizes. This was also when the CBS limit on game show winnings was raised to $50,000 from the previous $35,000 (while the show itself was syndicated, it ran on some CBS stations and hence was subject to network rules), with a charity of the player's choice receiving what went over that. This was 21 years before Ken Jennings on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', and was a big deal as Dunn had been a regular champ and hadn't played in a Tournament.

* Frank Dillon, who won the first two Tournaments, in 1977 and '78 (worth $50,000 and $100,000 in cash and prizes, respectively)...[[DownerEnding and narrowly lost the $250,000 Tournament in 1979 due to an unlucky spin]]. [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments He also donated most of his cash winnings to various charities.]]
* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions, earning $500,000 for himself and the March of Dimes ($250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for 10 years for Rob). The entire Tournament was awesome in and of itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $7,500 {$7,500 to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $12,500 {$12,500 to charity}, Semifinalists received $20,000 {$20,000 to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $100,000 {$100,000 to charity, $10,000/year for 10 years for the player})[[/note]].

* Champion Hal Shear was in dire straits in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGRldCqVNxM eighth game]], against Adrienne. Down $500–$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After nearly fainting from shock, Creator/JackBarry explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF4iKeA5X4&t=14s Byron Wilson]] coming back from a $400–$0 deficit to win a car by answering '''ten''' $50 Fast Forward questions in a row.

* 1983: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpCdSWjMJTA Barry sadly sends off Joe Dunn]] as an undefeated champ by showing his accomplishments, including $66,200 in cash and prizes. This was also when the CBS limit on game show winnings was raised to $50,000 from the previous $35,000 (while the show itself was syndicated, it ran on some CBS stations and hence was subject to network rules), with a charity of the player's choice receiving what went over that. This was 21 years before Ken Jennings on ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', and was a big deal as Dunn had been a regular champ and hadn't yet played in a Tournament.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF4iKeA5X4&t=14s Byron Wilson]] coming back from a $400–$0 deficit by answering '''ten''' $50 Fast Forward questions in a row.

* From the 1990 version, the six times the Joker Jackpot was hit (for $8,500, $9,500, $17,500, $10,500, $12,000, and the highest jackpot, $36,000).

* From the 1990 version, the five times the Joker Jackpot was hit (for $8,500, $9,500, $17,500, $10,500, and the highest jackpot, $36,000).

* 1983: At one point, a champion at the Face the Devil round confidently predicted he was going to get to $1,000 from his current total of $475 on the next spin. Jack didn't think it was going to happen, but the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLTz7dkAgk&t=13m58s next spin was $100-$100-$100]], giving him the automatic win.[[note]](In the syndicated version, any time a winner spun three of the same dollar amount, they automatically won the bonus game.)[[/note]].

* Champion Hal Shear was in dire straits in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFOLT3LWQ6A eighth game]], against Adrienne. Down $500–$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After nearly fainting from shock, Creator/JackBarry explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF4iKeA5X4&t=14s Byron Wilson]], who came back from a $400–$0 deficit by answering '''ten''' $50 Fast Forward questions in a row.
* Frank Dillon, who won the first two Tournaments, in 1977 and '78 (worth $50,000 and $100,000 in cash and prizes, respectively)...[[DownerEnding and narrowly lost the $250,000 Tournament in 1979 due to an unlucky spin]]. [[HeartwarmingMoments He also donated most of his cash winnings to various charities.]]
* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions, earning $500,000 for himself and the March of Dimes ($250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for 10 years for Rob). The entire Tournament is a Moment of Awesome in itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $7,500 {$7,500 to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $12,500 {$12,500 to charity}, Semifinalists received $20,000 {$20,000 to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $100,000 {$100,000 to charity, $10,000/year for 10 years for the player})[[/note]].

* Champion Hal Shear was in dire straits in his eighth game, against Adrienne. Down $500–$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After nearly fainting from shock, Creator/JackBarry explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...

* Champion Hal Shear was in dire straits in his eighth game, against Adrienne. Down $500-$200 and with no Fast Forward category available, his only hope was to spin three Jokers, which would give him a chance at an instant win. Luckily, he was wearing a rather loud "lucky suit". He gave it a quick rub, pulled the handle, and ''got'' his three Jokers. After Barry nearly fainted from shock, he explained how astronomical the odds would be of someone both ''needing'' and ''getting'' three Jokers. Hal proceeded to get a very simple question right and won his game. A bit of a DownerEnding for Adrienne, though...
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udMeOLWr9DQ&t=3m56 This clip]] shows a rare case in "How Low Will You Go?". While the contestant could have up to seven more clues to answer a question, [[spoiler:she asks for NO more clues and still gets it right]]!

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF4iKeA5X4&t=14s Byron Wilson]], who came back from a $400-$0 deficit by answering '''ten''' $50 Fast Forward questions in a row.

* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pfo_crQoD4 earning $500,000 for himself and the March of Dimes ($250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for 10 years for Rob)]]. The entire Tournament is a Moment of Awesome in itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $7,500 {$7,500 to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $12,500 {$12,500 to charity}, Semifinalists received $20,000 {$20,000 to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $100,000 {$100,000 to charity, $10,000/year for 10 years for the player})[[/note]].

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdF4iKeA5X4&t=14s Byron Wilson]], who came back from a $400-$0 deficit by answering '''ten''' $50 Fast Forward questions in a row.

* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions in 1980, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pfo_crQoD4 earning $500,000 for himself and the March of Dimes ($250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for 10 years for Rob)]]. The entire Tournament is a Moment of Awesome in itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $7,500 {$7,500 to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $12,500 {$12,500 to charity}, Semifinalists received $20,000 {$20,000 to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $100,000 {$100,000 to charity, $10,000/year for 10 years for the player})
[[/note]].

* From the 1990 version, the four times the Joker Jackpot was hit (for $8,500, $12,500, $10,500, and the highest jackpot, $36,000).

* Rob Griffin winning the 1980 Tournament of Champions in 1980, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pfo_crQoD4 earning $500,000 for himself and the March of Dimes ($250,000 for the March of Dimes, and $25,000/year for 10 years for Rob)]]. The entire Tournament is a Moment of Awesome in itself, as the total prize purse was '''''$1,000,000'''''[[note]](Sixteen champions competed, with half of the all prize money being awarded to charity. Those eliminated in the preliminary rounds received $15,000 {$7.5K to charity}, Quarterfinalists received $25,000 {$12.5K to charity}, Semifinalists received $40,000 {$20K to charity}, and the tournament runner-up received $200,000 {$100K to charity, and $10K/year for 10 years for the player})[[/note]].

* Frank Dillon, who won the first two Tournaments, in 1977 and '78 (worth $50,000 and $100,000 in cash and prizes, respectively)...[[DownerEnding and narrowly lost the $250,000 Tournament in 1979 due to an unlucky spin]]. [[HeartwarmingMoments He also donated most of his cash winnings to various charities.]]