Lottery game show based in Illinois that was one of the first of its kind to air nationally on WGN Chicago.
Six contestants who qualified for the show via the purchase of an instant ticket vied to win the most money, and thus, the grand prize of $100,000. The contestants faced a board with 36 numbered panels; in each round, the contestants would pick one number off the board, revealing whatever was behind it. There were positive money amounts that added to their score, negative amounts that subtracted it (although a contestant's score could never dip below $0), and numerous special spaces on the board that could help or hinder them. The one in the lead after five rounds would win the $100,000.
It aired on Saturdays from September 16, 1989 to July 2, 1994. It was replaced the following Saturday by a new lottery show, Illinois Instant Riches.
Game Show Tropes in use:
- Bonus Round: The five non-winners (or fewer, if any of the contestants quit with the Decision prize or was wiped out by the Wipeout) faced another board with 12 spaces. Each player could elect to keep their winnings, or trade them in for a pick of that board; whatever they'd find is what they'd win. This game lasted from its debut until April 7, 1990; it was replaced the following show by a home viewer contest.
- Bonus Space: The Decision space, offering either a car manufactured in Illinois or a luxury trip. Finding it allowed you to either drop out of the game with the prize, or continue playing.
- Sometime later in the run, the Decision was replaced by two 1/2 Car spaces. A contestant who found both had the same option of driving off with the car or staying in the game and keep playing.
- Consolation Prize: No player ever left with less than $1,000. When the bonus round was dropped in April 1990, any losing contestant who had less than $1,500 had their winnings bumped up to that amount.
- Double the Dollars: One square hid a double card, denoted by a star with “Double”, where the player who selected it earned another selection for double the amount revealed. Thankfully, negative amounts weren't doubled.
- Extra Turn: One square hid a Free Turn, good for a token that could be redeemed at any time for another selection from the board.
- Game Show Winnings Cap: In the final season, champions could remain for up to five episodes or until they were defeated.
- Luck-Based Mission: It’s a lottery game, so it’s meant to be based on luck.
- Non-Standard Game Over: Hitting the Wipeout knocked a contestant out of the game, no matter how well they were doing at the time. One particularly unlucky contestant wiped themselves out on the very first turn of the game!
- Personnel:
- The Announcer: Bill Barber.
- Game Show Host: Jeff Coopwood in season one, Mike Jackson for the remainder of the run.
- Lovely Assistant: Linda Kollmeyer (who carried over to the show’s replacement, Illinois Instant Riches).
- Studio Audience
- Product Placement: This was usually the place where the Illinois Lottery advertised new games.
- Whammy: There were three.
- Bankrupt, where all money accumulated up to that point was lost, denoted by a dollar sign in a no symbol.
- Wipeout, denoted by a crying face, which eliminated the contestant from the game. (They would still be given $1,000 in consolation money, though.) This unpopular space only lasted for the first four episodes; the hosts made a point of mentioning it was permanently gone at the start of the fifth.
- Lose a Turn, which replaced the Wipeout beginning with episode 5. It was originally denoted by the same crying face with “Lose a Turn” written across the bottom, then later by the word “Turn” in a no symbol. Hitting that meant the player earned no money for that turn, effectively making it a $0 space.
