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		Light Patterns
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It is well documented that, during a spin, the squares were not lit at random, but used one of several "pseudo-random" sequences. At the beginning of the show's run there were only five of these sequences programmed into the mainframe that ran the board. One of these five sequences would be chosen, and would repeat over and over until the player stopped the board. Later on, the mainframe could pick a new sequence in the middle of a spin (but still only when the previous sequence was finished).

September 19, 1983: The original sequences
3, 16, 13, 10, 18, 8, 6, 14, 7, 5, 15, 11, 17, 2, 12, 1, 9, 4
5, 18, 11, 13, 3, 6, 15, 7, 1, 9, 14, 16, 10, 2, 4, 12, 17, 8
11, 6, 10, 12, 1, 4, 14, 16, 2, 9, 17, 8, 13, 15, 3, 7, 18, 5
17, 10, 15, 13, 2, 8, 18, 16, 12, 3, 5, 11, 7, 4, 1, 9, 14, 6
18, 16, 10, 5, 11, 9, 2, 13, 17, 7, 4, 15, 12, 8, 6, 3, 1, 14
From the "LARSON.PYL" pattern file from PYL GameControl (DOS) by Brian Dominy

Of course a well-known contestant named Michael Larson identified these sequences and took off with over $100,000. Fearing that someone else would match his feat, the original patterns were thrown out and five new ones used instead, starting on June 20 (the same episode when [10] became all prizes). For some reason, the lights moved a little slower with these sequences. Also note the second sequence -- it begins with [8], and six moves later returns to [8], skipping 18 entirely. Perhaps the programmer left off a "1"? In any case it is the only sequence to use the a square twice, while not using another square at all.

June 20, 1984: Emergency change
2, 6, 11, 8, 1, 10, 12, 16, 18, 17, 4, 14, 7, 13, 9, 5, 15, 3
8, 9, 5, 13, 7, 1, 8, 17, 6, 14, 4, 11, 2, 16, 12, 3, 15, 10
11, 4, 17, 7, 16, 5, 8, 14, 6, 1, 13, 9, 2, 15, 3, 10, 18, 12
17, 14, 8, 3, 10, 18, 13, 1, 4, 9, 11, 2, 12, 5, 16, 7, 15, 6
18, 6, 14, 7, 15, 2, 11, 13, 5, 16, 12, 8, 3, 1, 9, 4, 17, 10
From the "JUNE84.PYL" pattern file from PYL GameControl (DOS) by Brian Dominy

Just to make sure no one was catching on to these new sequences, they were changed yet again a month later, and were already in use when the new Whammy poses and Board Sound #3 debuted. The speed of the light returned to normal when these sequences were installed. (These sequences were not included in Brian Dominy's PYL GameControl.)

July 31, 1984: Cautionary change
1, 11, 6, 14, 9, 3, 17, 8, 5, 18, 15, 12, 4, 7, 10, 2, 13, 16
3, 12, 6, 18, 9, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 1, 14, 8, 5, 15, 11, 17, 2
9, 3, 11, 5, 2, 18, 12, 16, 6, 15, 7, 4, 14, 10, 1, 13, 17, 8
12, 2, 11, 14, 8, 3, 6, 9, 13, 18, 15, 5, 10, 16, 1, 4, 17, 7
16, 10, 2, 18, 13, 9, 15, 12, 6, 14, 17, 8, 3, 7, 4, 11, 5, 1
Courtesy of Jeff Pfeifer

Finally, when $2000 or Lose-1-Whammy began to appear in [16], the board had 32 brand new sequences installed, hoping that the number of new sequences would be too much for a potential contestant to memorize. (The PYL GameControl only had 26 of these sequences included. The ones not found on PYL GameControl are italicized and marked with an asterisk.)

September 17, 1984: The final sequences
1, 9, 3, 15, 6, 10, 17, 11, 8, 14, 2, 18, 5, 13, 7, 4, 12, 16 *
1, 13, 9, 3, 6, 12, 16, 10, 18, 7, 15, 2, 14, 4, 11, 5, 8, 17
2, 6, 11, 8, 1, 10, 12, 16, 18, 17, 4, 14, 7, 13, 9, 5, 15, 3
2, 14, 8, 17, 11, 5, 9, 4, 1, 15, 6, 10, 18, 12, 7, 3, 16, 13
3, 12, 6, 10, 18, 15, 9, 4, 7, 16, 13, 2, 14, 8, 5, 11, 17, 1
3, 12, 7, 18, 13, 9, 14, 4, 17, 2, 16, 6, 10, 15, 5, 11, 8, 1 *
4, 9, 14, 7, 1, 15, 12, 18, 6, 13, 2, 16, 10, 5, 8, 3, 17, 11
4, 12, 15, 9, 5, 17, 6, 2, 14, 8, 3, 11, 18, 13, 10, 16, 7, 1
5, 17, 11, 1, 13, 18, 14, 10, 6, 2, 16, 7, 15, 12, 8, 3, 9, 4
5, 10, 6, 14, 8, 11, 2, 18, 15, 9, 12, 3, 7, 17, 4, 1, 16, 13
6, 9, 3, 12, 17, 14, 8, 5, 16, 13, 7, 1, 15, 10, 2, 18, 11, 4 *
6, 14, 8, 1, 13, 7, 4, 12, 18, 3, 9, 16, 11, 2, 10, 15, 5, 17
7, 13, 18, 15, 9, 4, 12, 6, 1, 14, 3, 16, 10, 2, 17, 5, 11, 8
8, 11, 6, 2, 16, 12, 9, 18, 13, 3, 15, 10, 7, 4, 17, 5, 14, 1
9, 16, 10, 18, 13, 7, 4, 12, 6, 1, 15, 3, 17, 11, 14, 8, 5, 2
10, 5, 18, 12, 6, 1, 9, 4, 7, 15, 3, 16, 13, 17, 11, 2, 14, 8
10, 17, 11, 5, 12, 8, 3, 6, 9, 13, 2, 15, 18, 14, 4, 1, 16, 7
11, 4, 17, 7, 16, 5, 8, 14, 6, 1, 13, 9, 2, 15, 3, 10, 18, 12 *
11, 5, 13, 2, 18, 12, 15, 6, 14, 10, 3, 9, 16, 7, 4, 1, 17, 8
11, 6, 14, 18, 13, 7, 3, 12, 15, 9, 4, 17, 8, 5, 2, 16, 10, 1
12, 2, 14, 8, 5, 13, 7, 3, 6, 9, 16, 10, 15, 18, 11, 17, 4, 1
12, 2, 16, 10, 5, 1, 13, 7, 4, 11, 14, 17, 8, 3, 18, 6, 15, 9
13, 2, 18, 15, 11, 5, 9, 12, 8, 3, 7, 10, 17, 6, 14, 4, 1, 16
13, 3, 17, 14, 9, 5, 1, 16, 11, 8, 12, 18, 15, 6, 2, 10, 7, 4 *
14, 8, 12, 7, 18, 15, 9, 3, 6, 13, 16, 11, 2, 10, 5, 1, 17, 4
15, 3, 14, 8, 11, 5, 13, 2, 16, 7, 18, 10, 6, 12, 9, 17, 4, 1
15, 18, 12, 6, 3, 10, 14, 8, 11, 5, 2, 16, 13, 17, 4, 7, 1, 9 *
16, 5, 10, 15, 3, 7, 18, 12, 8, 14, 9, 17, 11, 6, 2, 13, 1, 4
16, 12, 6, 14, 17, 8, 3, 11, 5, 18, 15, 9, 4, 1, 13, 10, 7, 2
17, 14, 8, 3, 10, 18, 13, 1, 4, 9, 11, 2, 12, 5, 16, 7, 15, 6
18, 6, 14, 7, 15, 2, 11, 13, 5, 16, 12, 8, 3, 1, 9, 4, 17, 10
18, 9, 2, 13, 6, 12, 16, 10, 7, 3, 15, 1, 14, 4, 11, 5, 8, 17
From the "FLASHES.PYL" pattern file from PYL GameControl (DOS) by Brian Dominy, with additions from Jeff Pfeifer

Second Chance also used preset patterns for its lights. The pilot episode used only one pattern, but it was a long one. 64 squares long, in fact:

Second Chance pilot pattern
4, 18, 2, 4, 3, 9, 14, 6, 11, 4, 17, 16, 5, 18, 7, 15,
3, 1, 8, 11, 10, 2, 15, 18, 7, 13, 3, 1, 8, 6, 13, 2,
15, 6, 12, 3, 7, 16, 5, 16, 11, 10, 2, 4, 18, 2, 3, 17,
9, 14, 1, 7, 13, 3, 5, 1, 8, 15, 17, 4, 16, 11, 10, 14
Courtesy of Brian Sapinski

Some additional tidbits from Brian Sapinski:

• The show went on to include 9 patterns altogether -- apparently ABC didn't want to spend money for more patterns. Still, 9 is better than the 5 CBS provided.
• One contestant timed his spins well enough to pick up a big chunk of money, although not nearly as much as Larson would evenutally win a few years later.
• After this incident, ABC paid for more patterns to be added to the board.

The board used on Whammy! is said to be "Larson-proof": the squares light completely at random.

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