The Price is Right

Ted Slauson practiced TPIS by playing his game. He attended the show 34 times before being accepted as a contestant. As and audience member, he would help contestants. Management encouraged audience participation. But not without some rules. No lists, and no electronics allowed in the studio. Audience members can be experts, discuss knowledge and strategy with fellow members (who might be subsequently called as contestants), signal, sign, or verbalize their knowledge to contestants. But they cannot reveal their qualifications while in the studio. A car dealer can disseminate exact car process, but cannot disseminate, "I'm a car dealer", or "it's my job". No one can reveal "I memorized the prices". Ted seems to have always followed the rules and even on occasion held back more than the rules required to keep from making himself unwelcome at the show. Staff also interacted positively with Ted, even occasionally on camera in scenes that made the cut and aired. One time a contestant about to make her opening bid, turned her back to Bob Barker and silently begged for Ted's help. Bob Barker playfully accused her of flirting with Theodore (he was called "Theodore" on-air due to TPIR's policy of using full legal names). He even got featured on stage via the prize TVs; advising the contestant and discussing with Bob Barker right before their eyes.

As a contestant (finally), Ted Slauson won every round with exact price matches and played the luck games to the best odds winning modest prizes and ignoring harsh audience disapproval at not risking them for a better prizes (after, Bob Barker showed the audience that he had made a good decision and would have gotten progressively worse prizes if he'd continued). He successfully used his straight-line-across-the-playfield-strategy on the show still not knowing why it worked better. He did not make it to the final round due to a low spin on the wheel (there is no mathematics or knowledge that can help with that). Though not eligible to be a contestant again until a new producer revised the policy on former contestants (lifetime limit shortened to a 10 year limit), Ted Slauson continued to attend the show as an audience member helping contestants as he had always done. Though he devoted a lot less to this hobby until he became eligible again. He also updated his simulation to Visual BASIC and kept it up to date with the show's prizes and prices.

Eventually, something shocking happened. He helped a contestant get the exact price of his showcase which had never happened in the show's history. In addition to seeming highly suspicious all on its own, this event happened when their were multiple intrigues concerning the show. The show had a lot of new staff who didn't know Ted's history with the show (Bob Barker and previous staff knew of Ted's fallibilities and Bob Barker even playfully ribbed him about it once after a show when he'd tried to help a contestant using the wrong car price; saying to Ted that the options on prize cars were varied especially for people like him.) The show taping was delayed for a very long time with audience, contestants, Ted, his wife and friends all waiting while the staff decided what to do. Host Drew Carry was convinced that the contestant cheated and thought that TPIR would be canceled or that he at least would be fired (anti-Drew fans and management were the #2 and #1 suspects. There were other staff of the show that had been dismissed with fan and insider protest. Even Bob Barker supporters were suspected). He was not happy and made no effort to hide it as he informed the contestant his bid was exact (he thought the footage would never air). The contestant Ted helped was possibly qualified to possibly win on their own, being a pattern sensing person themselves and having consistently proven their skill in Vegas. However, tapes of the episode show and sound Ted's advice being closely followed. Ted had calculated the exact showcase bid and rechecked his calculations with his wife's help but resolved to hold back helping the contestant with the showcase due to noticing disapproving looks from TPIR staff aim at him. Ted's wife however (apparently unaware of her husband's resolve), yelled out the exact bid. The contestant used the same bid she yelled out. Ted maintains he is responsible for the exact showcase bid (but doesn't _insist_ he helped for the previous prices. Again, the contestant might have nailed those all by himself). The contestant has never acknowledged Ted or Ted's wife helped. Ted has never sought compensation nor claimed he deserves any reward for any of his help. TPIR made many changes after the exact-bid incident that make it much more difficult to "study for the show".