Golden-Gallery.net

SEE NEW EPS
SEE CLASSIC EPS
GET TICKETS

Squeeze Play

Squeeze Play is a “quick” one prize game introduced two years after the Price is Right’s expansion to an hour.

A prize is shown, along with a false price that contains an extra digit. The first and last digits are correct, but the contestant must choose one digit in the middle to be removed. The remaining numbers “squeeze” together, and if they form the correct price, the contestant wins!

Squeeze Play has been played over 1500 times, and is one of the three most frequently played single-prize “quickie” games, behind Double Prices and Range Game.

A contestant smiles next to Drew Carey, who points to the Squeeze Play game board displaying the number sequence 86032.
34th pricing game to debut
S6, September 13 1977 – Present
Created by Roger Dobkowitz
Strategy
Stats
FAQ
S6, Sep 13 1977
A model stands next to a grand piano on a brightly decorated stage with flower arrangements and musical notes in the background, celebrating the game Squeeze Play.

Not only does Sandy have a chance to win this beautiful piano…

A contestant nervously discusses a game with the host in front of the Squeeze Play board displaying the incorrect price 10876.

…she can also make history becoming the first contestant to play Squeeze Play!

A game host pointing at a prize board displaying the price '10876' with a digit that needs to be removed for the game Squeeze Play.

That’s a nice piano, but this is 1977. There’s no way that piano is over ten grand. There’s one digit too many!

Host pointing to the game board displaying the numbers 0, 9, 7, 6 for the Squeeze Play game.

The audience begins shouting suggestions before Bob says the 1 and the 6 are right, and should not be touched. The extra digit is the 0, 8, or 7.

A young contestant interacting with the host of a game show, both appearing engaged and animated, with a colorful game show set in the background.

Sandy wants Bob to remove the 0!

A contestant reacts while a host discusses the Squeeze Play game on stage, displaying the numbers 1, 8, 7, and 6 under the game title.

So Bob removes the 0…

Game board displaying the numbers '1', '8', '7', '6' in the Squeeze Play game from The Price is Right.

…and the game’s motor promptly fails.

76 displayed on a game board for the Squeeze Play game, showing the dollar sign and three digits.

It takes a couple of tries, but the remaining digits finally “squeeze” together. Is Sandy a winner?

A game display featuring the price options '76' on top and '776' at the bottom, showcasing a pricing game mechanism.

Yep! She can play a victory march on that piano!

S8, Feb 27 1980
A game show host pointing at a number '295' on a game board during a game segment.

Bob wasn’t happy with the Squeeze Play prop today. First, the “2” gets stuck when he tries to remove it…

Bob Barker kicks the Squeeze play set trying to knock a number into place.

…and after they squeeze, the numbers aren’t flush! Bob tries to “kick” things into shape!

S10, May 27 1982
A scene from the game show 'The Price is Right' featuring the game Squeeze Play, showing a host and a contestant next to a prize display with the numbers 19269.

Squeeze Play moved from center stage to the turntable in 1982, where to this day it remains.

S12, Sep 30 1983
A contestant in a red dress stands next to a bright orange car on a game show set, with colorful star-themed backdrops.

How about a NEW CAR?

A contestant stands next to a host, pointing at the Squeeze Play game board showing the numbers '5', '1', and '0'. The game's colorful backdrop features the title 'Squeeze Play'.

Again, the motor failed, so Bob manually moves each digit one at a time.

A game display board showing the numbers '6510' missing a dollar sign after the Squeeze Play motor fails.

The dollar sign was good and stuck, so Blanche won a Mazda worth 6,510… currency units!

S11-S14

Squeeze Play usually worked as intended, but it goofed frequently enough for the fine folks at the Barker Era channel to build a blooper compilation focused entirely on the game.

S11, Mar 14 1983 and S11, Apr 22 1983

The staff realized it was possible to see the back of Squeeze Play as the turntable spun around, so they experimented with a potted plant to cover it up. Eventually they built shielding.

1989
A contestant stands next to the Squeeze Play game board displaying the false price of 95, with colorful backdrop elements in the scene.

The motor proved more trouble than it was worth, and eventually the staff decided to hide a stagehand behind the prop and “squeeze” the numbers manually.

S23, Jan 16 1995
The price on 'Squeeze Play' falls apart after Bob Barker kicks the prop.

Of course, that didn’t stop the game from falling apart once in a while!

S30, Sep 24 2001
A contestant and host Bob Barker stand in front of the silver Squeeze Play game on the Price is Right set, with colorful balloons in the background and a price display showing '81095'.

By 2001, the prop was repainted to a sleeker silver and gray look.

S32, Dec 13 2003 (primetime MDS)
A contestant celebrates next to a red car on a colorful game show set.

It’s primetime, let’s break out Squeeze Play for a car! Wait… it’s 2003, cars are way too expensive for Squeeze Play…

Contestant pointing at the numbers 304075 displayed on the Squeeze Play game board.

Not if we squeeze an extra digit on the board! The 3 and 5 are correct, but the 0, 4, 0, or 7 must be removed.

,475 price display for the Squeeze Play game on The Price is Right, featuring an exaggerated price with an extra digit.

Yeah, having two zeroes in that price looked suspect. Jessica’s driving off in a $30,475 Pontiac Grand Prix!

S36, Feb 11 2008
A contestant and host presenting the Squeeze Play game display showing a prize price of 20.

“Hold my hand… say ‘Alakazam!’” became a catchphrase Drew used when pressing the reveal button in some quick games, Squeeze Play included.

S38, Feb 15 2010
A person playing a grand piano in a bright, decorated studio with a blue backdrop.

We’re bringing things full circle! Piano player Bob Malone, sideman for John Fogerty, is modeling this baby grand piano…

A contestant stands next to the Squeeze Play game board on a game show set, discussing the incorrect price of a prize. The game board displays the numbers 161090.

…and by 2010, this piano IS over ten grand!

S39, April 1 2011
Contestant and host interact with the Squeeze Play game board displaying the price 21634.

No crew member? Drew doesn’t know that EVERY game is scheduled to break on April Fools Day!

S43, Oct 22 2014
Contestant Eugene expresses excitement during a game on a colorful stage.

Memorable contestant Eugene screamed to have Drew take out the “BIG FAT ZERO”!

S42, Oct 31 2013
George Gray appears through a number display with the digits 8, 1, 7, and 6 visible, showcasing a joyful expression during a game of Squeeze Play.

George Gray played Renfield to Drew’s Dracula on Halloween…

S43, Mar 3 2015
A game show host stands beside a prize board displaying the numbers '2' and '4', while gesturing with one hand.

…and Drew began a tradition of having the stagehand wave to the crowd before squeezing the numbers together.

Drew Carey stands with his hand on his forehead, appearing frustrated, in front of a colorful game board.

“One two three… give it to her…. give it to her…”
Drew forgot he had to hit the button to reveal the price!

Drew Carey leans in towards a colorful game board displaying the numbers 9, 2, and 4, while holding a microphone.

“HEY! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU BACK THERE!?!?!”

S44, Sep 21 2015
A model smiles and gestures towards a large screen displaying the 'Squeeze Play' game setup, with colorful background elements from the game show.

Why is the debut of Squeeze Play on this TV in 2015? Well, they’re celebrating the 1970s in Decades Week…

A contestant stands next to the Squeeze Play game display on 'The Price is Right', featuring a price of 172830 and the show's logo in a colorful game set.

…and to commemorate the occasion, Squeeze Play was played on the stage, repainted to its original color.

S46, Oct 30 2017
A contestant stands next to the Squeeze Play game setup, which features a large colorful display with the game name and a prize number, while the host speaks into a microphone.

The set designers liked how the blue color matched the set, and kept it permanently.

Host Drew Carey smiles while standing next to Kathryn Hahn, who is enthusiastically reacting with their mouth open, in front of the Squeeze Play game board displaying the price ,872.

Who’s been squeezing the board today? It was Kathryn Hahn all along!

SS2, April 1 2024
Manuela, wearing a fake moustache, smiling and wearing a hat with a dollar sign, holding a sign showing the number 5 in a game setting.

On April Fools Day, Drew was caught off guard by their newest crew member “Manuel”.

SS2, May 20 2024
A game show host stands beside a Squeeze Play game board, displaying the numbers 694 and 5694, with the game title prominently featured at the top.

This crew member wanted to wave goodbye so badly, he punched the “5” out of the way!

  • Squeeze some extra time in with other quick games like Flip Flop, Coming or Going, and Range Game
  • Kick it back to 1977 at the Tiny Timeline
  • Wave goodbye to this page and head over to the Golden-Road FAQ on Squeeze Play
  • Return to “Golden Game Gallery“