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Plinko is a simple game that has been enjoyed for decades, but what exactly is the Plinko origin story? In this guide, we delve into the history of Plinko, where it was first played, and who invented it.
We also examine how the game has evolved from a simple physical board on a gameshow to a hugely popular game at online casinos, how it made its way into pop culture, and much more.
Where Does the Name Plinko Come From?
Pachinko and Plinko are similar games, and even the words sound similar. Because of this, it’s a common misconception that the Plinko game and the name are both derived from the Japanese Pachinko game.
However, this isn’t actually the case. Frank Wayne, the true designer of the game, says they simply thought of the name based on the “plink” sound that the chip makes as it bounces off the pegs on the board.
Plinko Game History – The Early Gameplay of Plinko
Although Plinko online casinos have gained massive popularity within the last decade, the game itself was invented over 40 years ago—and not for gambling but as a feature on a TV game show. The first-ever Plinko game was featured on The Price is Right in 1983. It was invented by Frank Wayne, one of the show’s producers, who wanted to create a simple, unpredictable, and exciting game.
In the original game, contestants started with one Plinko chip and could earn up to four more by correctly pricing items. Once the number of chips was determined, contestants went up the steps to the top of the Plinko board and dropped the chips one by one from any position they wanted, allowing strategic placement.
Along the bottom of the board were pockets with cash prizes ranging in value from $0 to $5,000. Wherever the chips land, the contestant will win the total amount of prize money. So, the maximum amount that could be won was $25,000, but this increased as the years went by to $50,000.
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Plinko Chips & Boards
The original Plinko board was a huge vertical peg-filled board that was 8 feet wide and 10 feet tall. Contestants had to climb a set of stairs to get to the top and drop their chips. It had a colorful but simple design and featured diagonal rows of pegs spaced evenly across the board, which ensured that where the chip landed was random. The board has remained relatively unchanged over the years on the game show, with just a few visual adjustments being made to keep up with the times.
However, while online Plinko games retain the core gameplay of the original, they can look very different. Virtual Plinko boards have allowed for a lot of customization. Many games now feature customizable options, which allow players to adjust settings, such as the number of rows of pegs and the distribution of the payouts at the bottom.
Plinko’s Modern Features & Advancements
Since the first Plinko board on The Price is Right, the game has undergone many modernizations to keep people interested and to keep them playing the game at crypto and no KYC casinos.
The first significant change to the game was the use of physical boards with digital screens and sound effects like cheers and horns, which added to its excitement. However, the most significant advancement was probably when the game became available in different online formats.
Being available on computers and phones made the game much more accessible and allowed it to be a popular casino game. Once it was online, we saw new innovations to the game, including themed boards and special multipliers and bonuses.
Another big innovation that Plinko has made use of is Provably fair gaming, which allows users to check the fairness of the game personally and is a unique selling point of top crypto casinos. Plinko has become a lot more popular online since this game started to emerge in 2013, as users can be sure that online casinos are not fixing the game and that the results are entirely random.
Joe YarnoldCasino & Betting Expert
Fun Facts About Plinko
Over its forty-plus years in existence, Plinko has gained a rich history. It’s come a long way since its time on TV and has picked up records, made its way into schools, and even been enjoyed by A-lister celebs. Read our fun facts below to learn more about some memorable moments in Plinko’s history.
- The contestant who played the first ever Plinko game on the Price is Right won $6,500.
- The highest-ever win on the Plinko board on The Price is Right was $31,500.
- Occasionally, the chip would get stuck on The Price is Right Plinko Pegs, and host Bob Barker had a special “Plinko Stick” he would use to knock the chip down, and the contestant would get to drop it again.
- There are only 10 official “The Price is Right” Plinko Chips, and they are so “sacred” that all of them are kept under lock and key. They have to be specially designed and precision-made to ensure they are identical and the game is fair. If one gets damaged, they have to replace all 10 to ensure they are all identical.
- The largest ever functional Plinko board was over 40 feet tall. It was constructed in 2021 by students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was used to demonstrate physics principles.
- Multi-award-winning rapper Drake has live-streamed himself playing Plinko on Bitcoin gambling sites.
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Plinko in Pop Culture
The Price is Right is one of the longest-running game shows in the USA and, in the 1980s and 90s, it had some of the highest ratings of all game shows. So, it’s no surprise that Plinko has made its way into pop culture as well.
One of the most memorable times it appeared in another show was in Season 5 of Family Guy. In the episode, one of the show’s typical cutaways features the character Cleveland inside a Plinko Chip, who is dropped on the board and laughs all the way down until he lands in zero.
It has also recently been featured on popular YouTubers, KSI, and the Sidemen’s video “Among Us in Real Life.” In the video, the group had to complete a variety of “crewmate tasks while avoiding being killed by the imposter, like in the hit video game. Plinko was one of the tasks they had to complete, and they had to keep playing until they got their chip into one of the check pockets at the bottom of the board.
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Conclusion
When Frank Wayne first came up with the idea for the Plinko game on The Price is Right, he probably didn’t expect it to be such a big hit and retain its popularity over four decades later. Today, it’s one of the most popular games at online casinos.
It’s evolved a fair bit since that original board from the 1980s, and now there are countless themed and even customizable Plinko boards to try out. Now that you know about Plinko’s history, you may be inspired to give it a try. If you do, we recommend checking it out at Coinpoker. This online crypto casino has a ton of games to enjoy, including several provably fair Plinko games.
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- The main CSOP tournament series guarantees $1,000,000 in prize money
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