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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 () 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 had other problems, such as getting in trouble with the law and being 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''. ==Preparations== Larson began recording episodes of ''Press Your Luck'' shortly after its premiere on CBS in September 1983. Through a careful study of the light indicator used for its eighteen-square "Big Board", Larson discovered that it always moved in one of five looping patterns. By memorizing these patterns, or at least parts of them, he would be able to predict which squares the indicator would move to next.〔 He also 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, most importantly, never had a Whammy in them. Square #4 also hid the highest dollar values for any given round and in the second round, both of those squares also rewarded contestants with an extra spin of the board when hit. Square #4 contained $3,000, $4,000, and $5,000, while square #8 contained $500, $750, and $1,000, all of those amounts came with an additional spin. The extra spins meant that Larson, at least in the second round, could play on for as long as he dared and never have to stop at a Whammy if he managed to follow the patterns he discovered.〔 Carrying this knowledge and using nearly all of his saved money to make the trip to Los Angeles, Larson traveled to CBS Television City to audition for ''Press Your Luck''. The program's executive producer Bill Carruthers and contestant supervisor Bobby Edwards discussed whether to have him on the show after his tryout interview; Edwards was suspicious of Larson and his reasons for trying out, but Carruthers was not. The final decision was to let him on, so he was booked for the show and later chosen for the fifth taping of that day, May 19, 1984,〔 intended as a Friday episode. For the rest of his life, Carruthers would say that he regretted not listening to Edwards.〔 While waiting in the green room, Larson met Ed Long, a Baptist minister booked for the fourth taping, and they struck up a conversation. Long recalled that at one point, Larson, who had watched ''Press Your Luck'' a lot, asked him how many times he had seen the show. When Long replied that he had only seen it once, Larson responded by looking at him as though he "were from another planet."〔 Soon, Long was called up to go on the show and as he left, Larson said to him, "I really hope we don't have to play each other."〔 As it turned out, Larson would in fact have to face Long (who won $11,516 in his first game and returned for a second game) and a dental assistant named Janie Litras. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Michael Larson」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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