# The Family Feud- Is It Better To Play Or Better To Pass? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [February 19, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027 "2004-02-19T16:17:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/21 "2011-12-14T01:10:31Z")
> [@](#): > > So you see, it’s really a rule the game show made back in the days when the people who made up the rules weren’t really scrutinizing them - kind of like the rules of Monopoly. The people who _made_ the rules of Monopoly scrutinized them just fine-- The problem is that most people who _play_ Monopoly don’t. Back on topic, shouldn’t this question be easily answerable empirically? How often does the team who plays win, vs. how often the other team does? If we just look at what actually happens, we don’t have to debate about the relative advantage of conferring, or the relative difficulty of questions. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/22 "2011-12-14T02:13:54Z")
> [@Mellon](#): > > I don’t know if the rules are exactly the same as in the Finnish version but I can think of one other reason to play: > > Your team is leading by a reasonable margin before the last round. Depending on the initial answers there are situations where you can secure your victory by choosing to play and intentionally answering incorrectly, thus preventing the opposing team from stealing enough points to pass you. > > I don’t think I’ve seen more than one team use this strategy. In the US version, if you fail to make 300 on the final “triple” round, there is an added winner take all round with only the top answer on the board, and you face off, winner goes first, alternating teams guessing until you get it. Obviously I haven’t looked empirically, but in my recollection the sweep percentage is well under 10% in the single point rounds, and the steal percentage generally near or above 50% - I would suspect that at the very least you should pass any time you feel your team wouldn’t be strong in the category, possibly every time except when you feel you are exceptionally strong in the category. (in the early, 1x multiplier rounds) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/23 "2011-12-14T03:12:10Z")
I used to be a regular watcher, but I haven’t watched in the last few years. My impression has always been that the winner is whoever takes the double/triple rounds at the end. So it doesn’t really matter what you do in the early rounds and you might as well choose whichever option is the most fun and save the strategizing for the end. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/24 "2011-12-14T05:43:08Z")
Moving to the Game Room (since this is more about the game being played than the show). Note that this thread was started in 2004. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/25 "2011-12-14T15:34:47Z")
I will just add that in the UK version (known as “Family Fortunes”), they have “spot prizes” for guessing certain answers - so that adds a clear advantage to playing rather than passing, as you have more chances to win these prizes. I guess the US version doesn’t have these, as no-one has mentioned this as a factor (quite possibly the deciding factor) so far. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/26 "2011-12-14T16:50:07Z")
I always thought it stunk that the family that “stole” the category didn’t get credit for their answer in the money total. I always thought it was possibly a good strategy of the team that was “Playing”, if they got two early strikes, to “whiffy” on the last strike intentionally. So Family is stealing a pot of $26. BFD Richard Dawson: Name a small appliance in kitchen Team A Player 1: Blender…Ding …26 Dawson: #2 answer, one answer better: Team B Player 1: Refrigerator …BUZZ … “ **X** ” Team A Play Team A Player 2: Stove…BUZZ … “ **X** ” Team A Player 3: Dishwasher…BUZZ … “ **X X** ” there is $26 in the pot, just Forfeit the money to Team B Team A Player 4: Air Conditoner …BUZZ … “ **X X X** ” Team B has a chance to steal Team B {altogether} **TOASTER** Ding 54 points, but team A only gets 26 points, not 80. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/27 "2011-12-14T17:22:58Z")
I took stats once. While sweeps are uncommon, steals also failed much, much more than I thought. You should play unless there are a lot of answers, or if the question has ambiguous answers. ---
**Author:** ![Royce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b5ac83/32.png) [@Royce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royce)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/28 "2016-04-02T02:27:35Z")
NO never pass on Family Fued. I watch the show everyday several times. Playing first gives you the advantage. There is only so many answers and it gets harder to come up with answers as the spaces fill up. Even though I have seen it work to pass it is a dangerous play. Why give your opponents a chance to run out on you? I’ve seen that happen too. We were on Fued in 1997 and won $27,500 in 4 days. We won each face off and never passed. Plus being on a tv game shows is very exciting and you build up tremendous adrenaline you don’t want to stop suddenly by passing. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/29 "2016-04-02T03:50:09Z")
Survey said, “ZOMBIE!” #1 answer. ---
**Author:** ![zornwil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@zornwil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zornwil)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/30 "2021-02-25T05:19:26Z")
I didn’t see [Pass or Play: A Data Driven Approach to Family Feud | by Nicholas Boys | Medium](https://nicholas-boys.medium.com/pass-or-play-a-data-driven-approach-to-family-feud-d523fa4debae) cited, this is a study of 25 randomly sampled episodes analyzing pass/play/steal stats. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/31 "2021-03-01T20:01:30Z")
Play. Yes, the other team has only to answer one question, but that’s after all the easy options have already been chosen. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/32 "2021-03-02T05:01:07Z")
> [@zornwil](#): > > I didn’t see [Pass or Play: A Data Driven Approach to Family Feud | by Nicholas Boys | Medium](https://nicholas-boys.medium.com/pass-or-play-a-data-driven-approach-to-family-feud-d523fa4debae) cited, Probably because it was published 16 years after the thread was started and four years after the most recent post. . . ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/33 "2021-03-02T16:28:10Z")
> [@zornwil](#): > > I didn’t see [Pass or Play: A Data Driven Approach to Family Feud | by Nicholas Boys | Medium](https://nicholas-boys.medium.com/pass-or-play-a-data-driven-approach-to-family-feud-d523fa4debae) cited, this is a study of 25 randomly sampled episodes analyzing pass/play/steal stats. My post is my cite. 😁 I’m pretty sure I tracked far more than 25 episodes, but my findings circa 2009 found essentially the same numbers and conclusions. The situations where passing even approach betting a good idea are very rare. I’m not certain, but was passing even offered as an option during the Ray Combs era? ---
**Author:** ![zornwil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@zornwil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zornwil)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/34 "2021-03-02T22:08:12Z")
I just meant that I hadn’t seen it posted, so was contributing it, that’s all. Was just adding info. ---
**Author:** ![zornwil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@zornwil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zornwil)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/35 "2021-03-02T22:09:27Z")
? Irrelevant, all I did was say “I don’t see this, here you go.” I know the article came after the post above. That’s why I contributed it, I don’t see that anyone else had yet. But I said “I didn’t see…” since, after all, maybe I missed it, maybe it was some post I missed. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027/36 "2021-03-02T23:59:06Z")
Its all good, thanks for adding it as it does directly tie to the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-feud-is-it-better-to-play-or-better-to-pass/230027.md?page=1)