Game Help

Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters Guide

System Requiremets:
- Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
- 400MHz or faster Processor
- 128MB RAM
- DirectSound-compatible Sound Card

At the start of the game you noticed three player podiums in the studio. Each represents a different game you may play. Click a podium to begin a game. Briefly, these games are:

Lucky Letters (Pat's favorite) — Spin the slot machine to set the value of the Lucky Letters and then guess letters to answer the clues. You'll get 10 spins in the Puzzle Round and then you'll need to beat the clock in the Lightning Round. Watch for Lucky Chances – opportunities to double your winnings!

Lucky 10 — A "lite" version of Lucky Letters. Solve an entire puzzle by correctly guessing 10 Lucky Letters. You decide which clues you want to answer. Get all 10 letters right for a Perfect 10, and you’ll win a $50,000 bonus!

Lucky Players — Gather some friends (up to 4 players) around your computer and prepare for fast-thinking fun! Players "buzz in" as they would on a TV game show. Lucky Chances give players opportunities to come from behind, or dominate the friendly competition.

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LUCKY LETTERS^TM

This is Pat's new "classic" game show.

Lucky Letters^TM is easy to play. Simply:

– spin the slot machine and check out the clue
– look at the unfinished answer for that clue
– spot the one letter in the answer that has a lucky icon - that's the Lucky Letter
– complete the answer using the selection of letters shown in your player console
– solve the Lucky Letter and watch it spread through the puzzle

As you play Lucky Letters^TM, these are some of the game's stages and opportunities to win big:

STARTER LETTERS -

At the beginning of each game, you'll have an opportunity to pick several starter letters. Choose letters most commonly found in answers. Starter letters spread through the puzzle just like a Lucky Letter and make it easier to solve clues in the Puzzle Round.

The Puzzle Round is the heart of the game. You get ten slot machine spins in this round. With every spin, you get a new pair of clues and answers. Each clue is presented separately along with a selection of letters for the answer. Use the Change Clue Button to select which of the clues you want to answer.

Every answer has a Lucky Letter. If you guess the Lucky Letter, that letter spreads through the puzzle and you win the Lucky Letter Bonus for EVERY LUCKY LETTER IN THE PUZZLE!  You also win an additional $1,000 when you correctly solve the clue.

During the Puzzle Round you may be presented with a Lucky Chance opportunity. Here, you are presented with a single clue, a single answer, and a selection of letters for that answer. You get to decide what portion of your winnings you are willing to wager on solving the clue. Of course, you can pass on the clue and not wager at all, but you can also double your money if you are bold (and smart)!

The Lightning Round is where you will win or lose the game. If you have guessed well in the Puzzle Round, the Lightning Round may be a snap. If not, the pressure will be on.

In this round, your challenge is to complete the remainder of the puzzle in a limited amount of time. One spin of the slot machine sets the Lucky Letter value for the entire round. This spin also sets the value of your Game End Bonus! Clues and answers are presented one at a time. Every answer has a Lucky Letter. If you don't know an answer, use the Next Button to skip to another clue.

As you guess correctly, certain letters on the board will turn green to show that these letters are no longer in play. When an entire answer is green, it will be removed from the board so you can track your progress on solving the whole board. The clock will stop counting down when this happens.

Solve the remainder of the board and you win both the game and the Game End Bonus! Run out of time in the Lightning Round and you lose.

USE THE MOUSE OR KEYBOARD -

It's your choice. You can use your mouse to choose letters, click the Spin button, click the Change Clue button, etc. Or, you may use your keyboard to type letters and press the SPACEBAR to "Spin," "Change Clue," or trigger a "Next" in the Lightning Round. For skilled typists, the keyboard will probably be the best choice.

It is more difficult to complete a Thursday or Friday puzzle than it is to complete a puzzle from Monday or Tuesday. The average clue difficulty is harder, the number of free "Starter Letters" is fewer and the time available in the Lightning Round is shorter.

Smart players will take to the challenge of these tougher puzzles because the slot machine values are higher and the Lightning Round Bonus grows substantially. You'll typically win more money on a Friday than on a Monday!

In the Puzzle Round, use the Change Clue button or press the SPACEBAR to see both clues for each spin of the slot machine. The answers to each of the two clues share the Lucky Letter and the arrangement of letters in one answer may yield hints to help you solve the other answer.

You are presented with choices from a relatively small set of letters for every answer. You aren't working with the whole alphabet. Sometimes you can puzzle out an answer just by playing with the letters in your mind. Then, if you brainstorm a possible answer, always check to make sure that all of your answer's letters are available in the set of letters presented!

You know that certain letters appear more frequently in words than others. There are far more of the letters "S," "E," "A" and "T" in an average sentence than the letters "Q," "J," "X" or "G". Use this knowledge when you are at a loss for a complete answer. Then, if the letter you guessed is in the answer, consider that clue and answer again -- just having one new correct letter in an answer can really narrow down the possibilities.

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CHAMPIONSHIP

An invitation to play the Championship Game of Lucky Letters^TM is offered after the player has won five daily games in a row.

The Championship Game plays just like a daily game of Lucky Letters^TM, but it has the toughest clues and trickiest answers. The Championship Game also has a larger puzzle with 40% more letters to be filled in.

Your reward for winning a Championship Game is substantial! The values on the slot machine wheels are maximum -- so the value of each Lucky Letter will be extremely high. When the Lucky Letter spreads through the puzzle, many more letters will be found, simply because the puzzle itself is larger.

Championship winners who wager intelligently in their Lucky Chances have been known to win a million dollars in a Championship Game!

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LUCKY TEN

This is Pat's game for those who enjoy a quick mental challenge. It's also a great warm-up for Lucky Letters!

There's no time pressure in Lucky Ten. Each player controls their pace of play. Smart players apply different strategies to win the most money. Here's how to play:

– a portion of the puzzle will be filled in before you begin
– the game board contains TEN Lucky Letters – each has a red "10"  circle inside of it
– roll your mouse over these 10 Lucky Letters and you will see both the across and the down clues that intersect the letter
– decide which Lucky Letter to guess first and click it with the mouse
– guess the Lucky Letter from the selection of letters in your console
– the slot machine automatically spins between guesses to set the value of the Lucky Letter for your next guess
– repeat until you complete the puzzle

STRATEGIES -

At the beginning of each game, roll your mouse over all of the Lucky Letters and find the answers (and Lucky Letters) you are confident you know. Begin with these, because as the Lucky Letters spread throughout the board it becomes easier to solve the clues you may not have felt confident in solving.

For each spin of the slot machine, look at the value for the Lucky Letter. If the slot machine value is high . . . and one of the Lucky Letters you are sure of is an "E" or an "S" (e.g. a very common letter), choose that Lucky Letter and answer it to win lots of money.

If the slot machine value is average or low, try to choose a "less common" Lucky Letter (i.e. a "G" or a "P") and save your "E" or "S" guess for a better spin.

LUCKY PLAYERS

Playing alone is great fun, but playing together with friends and family can be a riot. Lucky Players is Pat's game for those who enjoy good spirited competition.

This is what you need to know to play Lucky Players:

– the game may be played with 2, 3 or 4 contestants
– basic gameplay is similar to the "Puzzle Round" of Lucky Letters^TM – the slot machine spins and a clue from the puzzle appears
– every contestant has a keyboard key used for "buzzing in"
– the first player to buzz in after the clue appears gets the first opportunity to guess the answer
– other players should also buzz in as they will get a chance to guess the answer if the first player guesses wrong
– the game continues until the puzzle is complete

Keyboard keys are used for "buzzing in". These are the "A", "C", "N", and "L" keys (when four players are competing). Each player needs to be able to reach the keyboard and be ready to buzz in when the clue appears.  We suggest that a single player (the most accurate typist) be designated to do all of the typing of answers during the game.

Once a clue appears, all players have ten seconds to buzz in. The order of play is determined by the order of when each player buzzes in. Once the player order has been determined, the first player will have 30 seconds to guess the answer. If a player doesn't solve the clue, it will be the next player's turn.

When a player guesses an incorrect letter, it immediately becomes the next player's turn. All players should remain alert and ready to jump in when it is their turn.

There are several Lucky Chances in each game. The contestant that buzzes in first (First Player) will get to set the value of the Lucky Chance wager. The minimum wager is 1/4 of that player's winnings.

If the FirstPlayer answers correctly, the First Player wins the wager. If the First Player guesses an incorrect letter, the First Player loses the amount of money wagered and the next player is up.

VERY IMPORTANT! Only the First Player can lose money on a Lucky Chance! Subsequent players can win the amount of money wagered, but if their guesses are incorrect, they do not lose any money. In essence, the First Player determines how much to risk and other players can "take" this money if the First Player is incorrect!