Franklin McAlister III When this aired on Game show network and some others gathered with me to see this I could not believe how Peter Tomarkin had become such a sore looser. He was at times insulting Larson. He in some of my friends views was also giving Bob Barker, Regis Philben, Pat Sajak, Vanna White and Alex Trebek bad names because of how he was fussing over a mere 100 thousand dollars being won by one man where at the time this aired in 2003 Bob Barker and the others were giving away prize combinations that would be higher value than what Larson won. Some people that were with me were wanting to see Alex, Pat and Regis come in and slap Peter with a white glove then have Vanna hit him with her purse and have Bob give him a Chuck Norris Karate Kick because of how those who were with me felt that Peter was insulting all those other hosts by fussing over how a man won a mere 100 thousand dollars where all these others were giving away money amounts and prizes that valued over the amount that was won by Larson.

ogre2004 One day I saw an article about Michael Larson, and wondered if he really had done this. Searching for it turned up little if anything. About a month later, I saw this on TV and taped it. I don't know where the tape is, but it is an interesting documentary.It tells how Michael Larson, a self-employed ice-cream truck driver, changed from having almost nothing, ending up with a fortune, and then losing it all in the end.It also provides a look back at how Press Your Luck producers did not realize that the game was fallible. Looking at this documentary, I realized it was very insightful. I do wish Game Show Network (now GSN) would release this as a video/DVD.

Pat McCurry Michael Larsen is the stuff game show legends are made of. He cracked the code of Press Your Luck and smoked CBS out of over $110,000. The key was he memorized the board and knew where to land. All he had to know was two spots to land on. Of course, he had a lot of time to memorize it since he was unemployed.The bonus of this documentary was they showed both episodes documenting Michael's run at big bucks and no Whammies. These episodes had not been seen since the original broadcast in 1984. The incident obviously gave CBS a black eye. In between episodes, they analyze the episodes. You could see Michael was in his zone while he spun the big board.The documentary also reunited Michael's opponents and got their point of view. Peter Tomarken is also on hand to provide narration. But it also showed the dark side of a game show contestant. Michael Larsen was a gambler from day one. He wanted that quick buck, and when Press Your Luck came by, he seized the opportunity. For years, we all thought he sunk all of his money into a housing deal gone bad, and lost everything. But as the documentary reveals, much of the money was stolen. He kept much of his money in his house, which made it easy for someone to take it. Larsen continued trying to make the quick buck by getting involved in 'get rich quick' schemes (which of course, never work). He died under a huge cloud of mystery while being investigated by the IRS and SEC.Kudos to the Game Show Network for giving this moment in game show history the attention it deserves.

Carmen-5 I tuned into this documentary with a vague knowledge of the story. I remembered hearing about the guy who figured out the board when I was a kid. Then when I heard that Game Show Network decided to make a documentary about him, I figured I'd tune in.The story gives some insight as to who Michael Larson was and then shifts its attention to an analyzed replay of the two episodes Michael was in. (Larson did so well, his turn could not fit into one 30 minute airing!) It was amazing to see just how this guy did it and got so much money from the board! I think that was the greatest part of this special.Still, even knowing the pattern, Larson sure had to be quick. Nice to see Peter hosting as well. He narrated the piece decently. Besides- he was a good choice to host this special since of course he hosted the original "Press Your Luck."