Then the tape played again, and a correct answer earned 10 points. The tape was paused near the end which gave the spouse in control a chance to predict how his/her mate completed the statement. When Gary Kroeger took over in Fall 1996 the show was overhauled with a new format.Įach spouse was shown a videotape of their mates who gave a statement (mostly about their spouse). When Paul Rodriguez took over as host in December of 1988, the old scoring format returned, but the number of couples was reduced to three. The couple in the lead at the end of the game still won the grand prize, but any money that the other three couples won was theirs to keep. A match added the wager while a mismatch deducted the wager. The bonus question was a betting question, for they could risk any or all of their current money total. In Round 1 each match was worth $25 (with that amount given at the start), and in Round 2 only two questions were asked with each question worth $50. In 1988, the couples no longer played for points they played for cash.
Each round had four questions with the final question worth 35 points, for a maximum total of 95 points. The wives predicted what their husbands would say in Round 1, and the husbands predicted what their wives would say in Round 2. When the show started, the gameplay was slightly different. Most often there would be two-way ties, less often there would be three-way ties, and very rarely there would be a four-way tie.
If all of the tied couples' predictions exceeded their final total, the couple whose prediction was the closest were declared the winners.
Whenever a tie occurred, the tied couples would show their predictions and the couple whose prediction was the closest without going over their actual final total won the game. Prior to the show, each of the day's couples predicted what their final total score would be. The couple with the most points won the game and from 1966 to 1989, they won a grand prize chosen just for them (in actuality, the couples had requested a certain prize and competed with other couples that had requested the same prize) starting in 1996, the grand prize was always a second honeymoon (a trip). When the second round questions were reduced to two, the maximum total score was 60 points. The maximum total score was 70 points (achieved on rare occasions). Three questions (later two) were asked this round, and after the second/third question, a bonus question was asked, and that question was worth 25 points. The husbands were secluded off-stage while the wives predicted what their husbands would say when they came back. Three questions were asked in this round. The wives were secluded off-stage while the husbands predicted what their wives would say when they came back. Each time a couple matched their answers, they would earn points but each time a couple didn't match, they scored no points and would usually argue over their answers. When the isolated spouses returned, they were asked the same questions, and the answers given by the first set of spouses were written on blue cards (which were all placed flat on their laps or in front of them). Many of the questions focused on having sex or as familiarly known as "makin' whoopee". In each round, one member of each couple (all of the same sex) was isolated while the other members were asked questions about themselves, their hobbies, likes, dislikes, what they do, what they don't do, and maybe reveal a dirty little secret at times. Four newlyweds (sometimes three) all of whom were married under two years competed each day, and the game was played in two rounds.