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Plinko is a simple game that has been enjoyed for decades, the Plinko origin was made famous on the American game show, The Price is Right. This was the birth of Plinko and is the same game as we see today in modern casino games online.
Before we get into the modern-day version, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see how the game started and how it has evolved.
We’ll examine how the game has evolved from a simple physical board on a gameshow to a hugely popular game at online casinos, how it’s made its way into pop culture, and how stars like Mr. Beast and Christiano Ronaldo have caused a huge spike in the interest of the game.
Where Does the Name and the Plinko Game Originate From?
The man who designed the game is a gentleman by the name of Frank Wayne, and when asked how he came up with the name, he explained that when the disc was dropped on the pegs below, it made a plink, plink sound a bit like a coin in a bottle, and there was born the name of the game Plinko.
There is a similar game that originated in Japan which is called Pachinko and many thought Wayne had used this name and came up with a similar-sounding name. Of course, the original story is the best, and ever since the game aired on US TV more than 40 years ago back in 1983, the game has held its notoriety for making game shows that bit more exciting.
History of Plinko – The First Ever Price is Right Plinko Contestant?
The first airing of Plinko took place on January 3rd, 1983 when popular game show host Bob Barker announced what was then, the biggest-ever game show prize on TV, with $25,000 in Plinko prizes up for grabs.
The lucky contestant who won a shot at the mega jackpot was Judy Ridenour. Judy was given 1 Plinko disc for beating out her other three contestants in selecting the nearest bid on a set of Pinseeker golf clubs. She then had the opportunity to win four more discs. All she had to do was guess the wrong price digit on four items. She managed to get three correct and now had the chance to win up to $20,000 if she could get her four Plinko discs to drop in the top prize slot of $5,000.
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.
She dropped the first and the crowd was cheering as it landed in the $500 Plinko slot. Her second attempt landed in the same slot for another $500, and a third gave Judy another $500.
There was one more disc left and Judy decided to move position. As she dropped the final disc the crowd was cheering, and as if the script was written, Judy looked on in amazement and the crowd went crazy as the last disc dropped into the $5,000 slot.
You can relive that by watching a recording below of that very first Plinko game show contest.
The Early Gameplay of Plinko
Although Plinko online casinos have gained massive popularity within the last decade, in the original game, contestants started with one Plinko chip. They could earn up to four more by correctly pricing items as Judy did. Once the number of chips was determined, contestants went up the steps to the top of the Plinko board. Finally, they dropped the chips one by one from any position they wanted.
Along the bottom of the board were pockets with cash prizes ranging in value from $0 to $5,000. Wherever the chips landed, the contestant would win the amount of prize money from that pocket. 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 Game Rules
One of the reasons that Plinko is so popular is because the rules are easy to understand. So how does Plinko work
- Drop the Disk – A player would drop the disc
- Let it Plink – As the disk falls, it hits the various pegs on the Plinko board making the plink, plink sound as it goes.
- Win or Lose – Finally, the disc will come to rest in one of the prize slots either winning the player zero, a cash amount, another prize, or even a free go at the game.
These simple rules, ease of play, and exciting short game time have made Plinko so popular with online slot gamers and casino fans.
Plinko Discs & 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 changes to keep people interested and to keep them playing the game at crypto and no KYC casinos like the one shown below at CoinCasino.
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 the excitement. However, the most significant advancement was probably when the game became available in different online formats.
Being available on computers and phones makes the game much more accessible. It allows people to play this now-popular casino game on the go. Now that it is available online, we have seen innovations to the game, including themed boards and special multipliers. Also, different bonuses are available as we see in today’s modern slot machines.
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 much more popular online since it first emerged in 2013. 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 and a cult following. 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.
- Judy Ridenour played the first ever Plinko game on the Price is Right and won $6,500.
- The highest-ever win on the Plinko board on The Price is Right was $202,000.
- Occasionally, the chip would get stuck on The Price is Right Plinko Pegs. Host Bob Barker had a special “Plinko Stick” he would use to knock the chip down. Then the contestant would get to drop the chip 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, and both Mr Beast and Christiano Ronaldo have chatted on YouTube about Plinko.
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.
Back in 2012 the rapper Snoop Dog appeared live on the TV show where he helped one of the contestants Darlene win $12,500. Darlene took Snoop Dog’s advice on the Price is Right items and got them all correct. He even told Darlene where to drop the disc to win one of the $10,000 prize pots.
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. He is then 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. They had to keep playing until they got their chip into one of the check pockets at the bottom of the board.
A warning to players online. The popular YouTuber Mr. Beast is known to play and promote Plinko, and many sites have popped up claiming to be in collaboration with the YouTube star. We advise anybody looking to play Plinko to only play on fully licensed casino sites.
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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. Now you can play countless themed and even customizable Plinko boards. 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 CoinCasino. This online crypto casino has a ton of games to enjoy, including several provably fair Plinko games.
