We here at JGT Enterprises want to send a shout out to our good buddy and quizzo part timer Sam Murray, who won the million dollars today on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Sam won the money because while the other contestants also had brains, Sam was the only one who had any guts, and took his chances to win the Million.
The top 10 contestants who had answered the most questions right in the fastest time within the first weeks of the season were placed into contention to win the million dollars.
Each day in the tournament, one contestant would return to be asked one more question for a million dollars. Answer it correctly, you’re a millionaire. Answer it incorrectly, you would most likely lose thousands.
While Sam went for the gusto, the rest of the contestants were spineless cowards. Sam got his question right, then watched as the other contestants got an opportunity to risk a little to win a lot. (Most came in having won $50,000, and if they missed the question, they would go back to $25,000.)
So Sam became the tournament leader and with a surprise visit from his son Tim, who came all the way from Wisconsin, he sat in the stands for the next six episodes as he watched contestant after contestant be asked the million dollar question, and each decided to walk away without risking their hard earned money. By the way, most of those contestants guessed the right choices, but did not make it their final answers, deciding to walk away instead.
The question Sam answered correctly to win the Million?
According to the Population Reference Bureau, what is the approximate number of people who have ever lived on earth? A: 50 billion B: 100 billion C: 1 trillion D: 5 trillion
The answer is B: 100 million.
I sent this email to JGT earlier today:
Your friend Sam Murray only has to worry about one more contestant beating him out for the million on Who wants to be a millionaire.
Everyone has really pussied out. If you have won 50,000 and have a 1 in 4 chance to turn that into a million (on a completely random guess – which it usually is not, you can sometimes rule out a choice or two), and a 3 in 4 chance of turning that 50,000 into 25,000, wouldn't you take it??
losing that 25,000 is not going to change your life. Winning the million would change it somewhat.
Granted, you are not automatically handed the million right then and there. You have to hope everyone ranked higher than you also messes up. But that is what Sam did, and now it could pay off.
The more money you have in hand (if someone has 250,000 like the person going for the million today), then you have a much tougher decision. Because now you have a 1 in 4 shot of going from 250,000 to 1,000,000 or a 3 in 4 shot of dropping from 250,000 to 25,000. Not as attractive odds as the 50,000 scenario or the still very attractive option of going from 100,000 to 1 million vs dropping from 100,000 to 25,000.
I think he will win the money. Good for him.