Michael Larson
| Michael Larson | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Paul Michael Larson May 10, 1949 Lebanon, Ohio |
| Died | February 16, 1999 (aged 49) Apopka, Florida |
| Cause of death | Throat cancer |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Ice cream truck driver Air conditioning mechanic |
| Years active | 1984 |
| Known for | Champion on Press Your Luck |
| Spouse(s) |
Teresa McGlynn Dinwitty (m. 1983; div. 1994) 2 previous marriages and divorces |
| Children | 3 |
Paul Michael Larson (May 10, 1949 – February 16, 1999) was a contestant on the American television game show Press Your Luck in 1984. Larson is notable for winning $110,237 (equivalent to $254,000 in 2016) in cash and prizes, at the time the largest one-day total ever won on a game show. He was able to win by memorizing the patterns used on the Press Your Luck game board.
Originally from southwestern Ohio, Larson used his cash winnings for taxes and real estate investments. However, he also had problems with the law and was involved in illegal schemes. As a result, Larson lost all of his winnings within two years of the show's taping and moved to Florida, where he later died of throat cancer at the age of 49. Since his death in 1999, Larson's game has re-aired on TV at various times and inspired the 2003 Game Show Network documentary Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal.
Larson began recording episodes of Press Your Luck shortly after its premiere on CBS in September 1983. While watching, he had noticed that the randomizer that moved the light indicator around the eighteen square "Big Board" had five patterns it followed. Larson began trying to memorize these patterns, as he believed he could predict when and where the randomizer would land. As he got the patterns down, Larson began playing along with the Big Board rounds to put his hypothesis to the test; he did this by pausing the tape at various intervals with his VCR's remote control.
Furthermore, he discovered that the fourth and eighth squares (when numbered beginning at #1 in the top left hand corner and then moving clockwise along the board) always contained cash and never had a Whammy in them. In addition, square #4 always had the top dollar values in it and in the second round, both squares rewarded contestants with an additional spin if they were hit ($500, $750, or $1,000 in square #8 and $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000 in square #4). This proved crucial to Larson's theory, as he could retain control of the board in the second round for as long as he saw fit if he kept true to following the patterns.
In May 1984, Larson used most of his savings to buy a plane ticket and flew to California to audition for Press Your Luck. Contestant supervisor Bobby Edwards was suspicious of Larson's motives when he interviewed him on May 19 and was unwilling to allow him to be on the show, but executive producer Bill Carruthers overruled him (a move he said he later regretted from that day on). Larson was added to the day's taping schedule as a contestant on the fourth episode of the session, which was intended to air on Friday, June 8, 1984.
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