Time to play...




Yes, it's Odd or Even, the exciting (if somewhat simplistic) game of chance from the folks that brought you 'Deal or No Deal'. Stay tuned as our contestants try to outsmart the Goddess Fortuna by correctly guessing whether our standard pair of gaming dice will come up



And now here's the host of our show, Wee Willy Winky!


Thank you, Don Pardo, thank you friends. Welcome to Odd or Even. You know the rules by now: My lovely assistant, Vanna, will roll these two dice here, thus producing a number anywhere from 2 to 12. Before she does so, however, we will ask a contestant whether the number rolled is going to be odd or even. If their prediction is right, they'll win $100 in the first round -- but they'll also have the option to double that money by correctly predicting the odd-or-even outcome of an optional second dice throw. If they choose to proceed and they get it right, they'll then win $1,000, with an option to try for $10,000 and so forth. If at any time they make a wrong prediction, however, their total returns to zero and their turn ends.

We'll meet our contestants in a moment, but first let's start the game. Don, you won the coin flip in the green room, so I will ask you first. You see Vanna over there, Don?


Yes, I certainly do, Willy.


Yes, you do, don't you? Down boy, down!


What --


Now, Vanna is about to roll the dice -- what do you reckon: will the number that she rolls be odd or even?


I've got a feeling that it will be odd, Willy, but...


But? No 'buts' about it, Don: We need an answer.


Okay, I'll go with odd.


Are you sure?


Well, I --


You do realize that there's a very good statistical chance that the number rolled will be even, not odd?


Yes, well, I figure it's 50/50, isn't it?


Nice try, Don, but you'll get no help from me -- nor from the studio audience if they know what's good for them. Ha ha!


Well, I still think her dice roll will come up with an odd number.


Okay, it's your choice....




Don here is boldly ruling out a whole slew of numbers, including 2, 4, 6, 8, and so forth. Is he being hasty, audience? What do you think, people: Odd or Even?




Oh, dear, Don: Not much help there: There seems to be a 50/50 breakdown in our audience between those predicting an odd number and those predicting an even one.


I still say odd.




The man is resolute, Vanna: Go ahead and throw those dice and let's see if he'll regret it...








Yes! You did it, Don!




Congratulations.


Thank you.


Tell me, how did you know that the dice throw was going to come up odd?


Well --


Was it just a guess?


I'm afraid so, Willy.


Well, I don't know how you did it, but you've now got a fresh $100 bill for your efforts...



which...



which, Don, you could change into $1,000 if you keep going and successfully guess the outcome of another throw by Vanna.




I'll go on, Willy.



Okay, then: Vanna's ready to throw the dice once again on your behalf -- but first, I have to ask you that $64 question...



will her dice throw come up odd or even?



No help from the audience, please: Don has to make up his own mind.


I think it will be even this time, Willy.


Even, eh? What do you think, audience?




Once again, the audience is split on this one. But tell me, what makes you think that the dice will be even this time?


Well, they were odd last time, so I figure they'll be even this time.




Don here has apparently never taken a probability class, right, audience?




But then...




neither did a lot of people who won big at lotto, right, Vanna?




You sure, Don?


Definitely even!


Hmm, well, I would have said odd again, myself, but... let's see: Vanna, if you please, ma'am!








Well, that shows you what I know, huh, Don? Congratulations, you're now up to $1,000. What do you reckon: Do you want to keep that amount or try for $10,000 with another roll of the dice by our lovely Vanna here?




I think I'll stop.




That's probably a good decision, Don: You've now earned $1,000 for keeps. When we come back, we'll get to know you (just a tiny bit, of course: who are you, after all, Don, in the grand scheme of things? You're nobody, really, fame-wise, I mean. Nothing personal, of course, I'm just saying...) and then your opponent Nancy will have her turn at guessing whether the dice Vanna throws are going to come up how, Audience?....





We'll be right back.