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The game of Plinko got its start on the US gameshow classic, The Price Is Right, where it quickly became one of the show’s most popular games. These days, you’ll find games of Plinko on offer at many casinos, whether land-based or online.
So, for anyone curious before they play Plinko, we’re going to run through a few of the major questions about how the game works and where it came from. If you’re looking to learn more about this popular game format then read on.
What is Plinko?
Starting at the very beginning, Plinko is a game that debuted on The Price Is Right in 1983. It involves a vertical gameboard which is lined with rows of offset pegs and a row of slots at the bottom. Players drop a chip from the top, aiming to land it in one of the higher value slots.
As the chip falls it bounces off the pins, adding a greater degree of randomness to its path down the board and making it harder to gauge where it will land.
The name Plinko comes from the sound that the chip makes at it hits the pins – a distinctive “plink” that was instantly recognisable.
Who created Plinko?
The game was created by Frank Wayne, an executive producer on The Price Is Right. He was reportedly inspired by the Japanese game Pachinko, a popular arcade game that involves balls dropping down a vertical playing field of pins.
How is Plinko played?
Plinko has a fairly straightforward ruleset, at least in its most classic form. On the gameshow, contestants would start with a single chip and earn up to four extra chips from correct guesses in a separate mini game.
Each chip is dropped one at a time from the designated drop zone at the top of the Plinko board, with players having free rein on where along that zone to release it. However, no matter where a chip is dropped the random nature of its path down the board makes it impossible to predict which slot it will end up in.
Where can you play Plinko today?
While it was originally a TV exclusive, Plinko quickly expanded beyond simply appearing on The Price Is Right. Many casinos opted to install physical Plinko boards in their venues, and games based on the format can also be found in plenty of arcades.
The digital revolution pushed the game of Plinko to fresh heights, with developers creating apps and online games of the same name. Some online varieties are patterned after the classic game, while others have brought together elements of Plinko with other formats such as Slots to create fusion games.
For players looking to have a game of Plinko these days, the online format is a convenient option that can be played from their own computer or mobile.
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Plinko has come a long way in a relatively short time compared to some of the other casino classics. The game offers a simple style of gameplay combined with a strong element of random chance to create something unique.
