Press Your Luck/Episode Guide/1985

1983

1984

1985

1986

2019

2020

2021

This is the 1985 section of the Press Your Luck episode guide. The show's popularity would wear off sometime in the summer, possibly because of some new elements that enhanced Sale of the Century, which may have resulted in viewers tuning in to NBC in that time slot. Press Your Luck tried to re-boost ratings with the addition of Add-a-One in Round 1, and the final Home Player Sweepstakes with the Giant Sweepstakes Spin to close it out. Sometime in 1985, CBS was considering adding a big money game show to its schedule, and a revival of Card Sharks was one of the contenders. Card Sharks debuted on January 6, 1986.

NOTE: Press Your Luck did not air on New Year's Day due to live coverage of the 28th Annual Cotton Bowl Parade in Dallas, Texas.

Ep. #	CBS airdate	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3	Show total	Running total	Notable moments
332	1/2	Cydney	Sam	Jill	$11,050	$11,050	For the second straight year in the series, three new players start off 1985. Sam's hitting of Big Bucks (for $5000) would be seen in a future flashback intro. The Baby New Year Whammy for 1985 appears for one day only. Sam hits Double Your $$ + One Spin at Square 7 at $2,220 for $4,440. Sam becomes the first new champion of 1985.
333	1/3	Eddy	Sam	Julie	$5,300	$16,350	Eddy uttering "cold cash, cold cash" would be featured in a future flashback intro. Sam wins his second show.
334	1/4	Sam	Rick	Esmeralda	$11,348	$11,348	Show returns to Studio 33. Date of Home Player Sweepstakes II is announced on this episode. New Whammy animations debut. Other minor cosmetic changes prevalent as of this episode. Prize rotations updated for Round 2, which also saw a perfect 20 spins earned. Esmeralda defeats Sam.
335	1/7	Ryan	Jeanne	Esmeralda	$16,619	$27,967	Esmeralda wins her second show.
336	1/8	Buddy	Mary Ann	Esmeralda	$7,750	$7,750	Buddy defeats Esmeralda, and starts his three-day run. Peter demonstrates a flokati rug in the closing segment.
337	1/9	Brian	Annette	Buddy	$19,858	$27,608	Buddy wins his second show.
338	1/10	Karin	Buddy	Jerome	$15,191	$15,191	Buddy hits Double Your $$ + One Spin at Square 17 at $3,650 for $7,300. Jerome defeats Buddy. Jerome starts his four-day run.
339	1/11	Jerome	Michael	Leeann	$11,503	$26,694	Jerome wins his second show.
340	1/14	Lisa	Max	Jerome	$8,470	$35,164	Jerome sets a new Round 1 record with $5,870. Jerome wins his third show.
341	1/15	Lesley	Jerome	Tim	$6,939	$6,939	Jerome becomes the first (if not only) player to hit a car twice in the same run, only to lose it (and the game) to a cutthroat pass from Tim. It's Lesley, however, who wins here as she starts her own three-day run.
342	1/16	Donna	Paul	Lesley	$4,328	$11,267	$18,000+ lost to a Whammy. Lesley wins her second show. Donna would return on a later episode.
343	1/17	Andra	Lesley	Brad	$15,759	$15,759	Perfect 20 spins earned for Round 2. Brad defeats Lesley.
344	1/18	Brad	Will	Christine	$5,874	$21,633	Will Willis was a professional football player. Brad wins his second show, and with a dramatic ending. Double Your $$ + One Spin was on the board at the end of this game; it would be switched out for the next four weeks due to Home Player Sweepstakes II.
345	1/21	Brad	Arlene	George	$3,225	$3,225	Episodes #345-#350 were recorded on December 15, 1984. Start of Home Player Sweepstakes II. Prize rotations updated. Brad wins $750 for Eleanor Shultes of Willow, NY. Arlene defeats Brad.
346	1/22	Andrea	Arlene	Mike	$10,489	$10,489	Day 2 of Home Player Sweepstakes II. Andrea wins $2,250 for Sue Simmons of Great Falls, MT. Andrea defeats Arlene - the result would appear in future flashback intros, as would Arlene's sole Whammy.
347	1/23	Andrea	Al	Rita	$0	$0	Day 3 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Andrea wins a Sailboat worth $1,379 for Juanita G. Tracy of Los Angeles, CA. Rita defeats Andrea and wins nothing!
348	1/24	Nancy	John	Rita	$16,724	$16,724	Day 4 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Nancy wins $700 for Hazel Andeway of Hawthorne, CA. Rita later becomes a contestant on Sale of the Century in February 1985. Nancy defeats Rita. One of Rita's spins in this episode would be seen in a future flashback intro later in 1985.
349	1/25	Nancy	Dayna	Ron	$15,290	$32,014	Day 5 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Nancy wins her second show. Ron wins $750 for Sylvia Morales of Mount Vernon, NY.
350	1/28	Jennie	Terry	Nancy	$10,622	$10,622	Day 6 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Future talk show host Jennie Jones starts her run. Nancy wins $2,000 for Dorothy Hickey Miller of Oshkosh, WI. Jennie defeats Nancy, winning on a pass and she and Terry became best friends.
351	1/29	Michael	Jodi	Jennie	$8,084	$18,706	Episodes #351-#355 were recorded on December 16, 1984, the last tape date for the year. Day 7 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Michael wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Jane Auvil of Salem, MA. The last time Pick-a-Corner was hit with a Whammy being one of the choices. Jennie wins her second show.
352	1/30	Melodee	John	Jennie	$24,133	$24,133	Day 8 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Melodee wins $750 for Mrs. C.J. Santa of Wilmington, CA. Jennie Jones' last episode. Melodee defeats Jennie with a huge total!
353	1/31	George	Melodee	Savannah	$10,000	$34,133	Day 9 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Savannah wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Wendell & Guyla Mayo of Woodsville, NH. Melodee wins her second show, and with a perfect $10,000.
354	2/1	Mike	Melodee	Jody	$7,645	$7,645	Day 10 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Mike wins $750 for Virginia Blake of Havertown, PA. Mike actually tries to push down a Whammy. Jody defeats Melodee, who loses to a Whammy.
355	2/4	Barbara	Jody	Evan	$9,899	$17,544	Day 11 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Evan wins $500 for George Bowe of Gloucester City, NJ. Jody wins her second show.
356	2/5	Jon	Steve	Jody	$19,124	$19,124	Day 12 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Steve wins $800 for Siapo Jone of Honolulu, HI. Prize rotations and Round Two board updated - Whammy slides have moved around. Version 2.0 of the board shuffling sound is played during the final two spins of the game. Mediterranean Cruise (the single largest prize in the original show's run) makes its debut here, and ends up center stage in a heart-stopping finish. Unusually, Jody faces against two male opponents, possibly due to the lack of females in the contestant pool on the taping day. Steve defeats Jody.
357	2/6	Steve	Myke	Robin	$19,119	$19,119	Day 13 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Myke wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Melvin Dickinson of Marysville, CA. Future American Gladiators regular Myke "Gemini" Horton makes his appearance. Robin's uttering of "Cancun, Hong Kong, here we go" would be seen in a future flashback intro. Robin defeats Steve.
358	2/7	Kirby	Ellen	Robin	$7,761	$7,761	Day 14 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Robin wins $3,000 for Mrs. E. Velez of New York City, NY. Kirby defeats Robin.
359	2/8	Philip	Kirby	Joann	$14,981	$14,981	Day 15 of Home Player Sweepstakes II The Boy George Whammy may have been a callback to the question asked in Round 2 about his then-recent Grammy speech. Kirby wins $750 for Myra Thomas of New Orleans, LA. Kirby's loss thanks to the "one more time" curse would be seen in a future flashback intro. Joann defeats Kirby.
360	2/11	Charlotte	Joann	Dave	$5,482	$5,482	Day 16 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Joann wins $3,000 for Marge Darrow of Windsor, NY. Charlotte defeats Dave by just $80.
361	2/12	Joanie	Charlotte	Seth	$10,025	$10,025	Day 17 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Joanie wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Romona Hernandez of Wilmington, CA.
362	2/13	Sheila	Ernest	Seth	$15,835	$25,860	Day 18 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Ernest wins $2,500 for Kathy Roberts of Monroe, MI.
363	2/14	Seth	Pat	Kathie	$12,300	$12,300	Day 19 of Home Player Sweepstakes II Kathie wins a Billiard Table worth $2,223 for Kenneth E. Olson of Friendship, WI. Pat used to play for the Minnesota Twins.
364	2/15	Lex	Jeffery	Pat	$13,050	$25,350	Final day of Home Player Sweepstakes II Lex wins $2,000 for Harold Clark of Hazlehurst, GA - from hitting $2000 or Lose 1 Whammy, which may have prompted that to be removed for Home Player Sweepstakes III later in the year. Jeffery later becomes a contestant on Blackout in 1988. Lex is a female (her name is short for Alexis)
365	2/18	Libby	Jeff	Pat	$13,669	$13,669	Perfect 20 spins earned for Round 1. Double Your $$ + One Spin promptly returns to the board, and Libby would hit it at Square 7 at $6,932 for $13,864.
366	2/19	Dean	Jeff	Carolyn	$2,500	$2,500
367	2/20	Cathy	Dean	Robyn	$8,101	$8,101	It's possible episodes #367-#370 were recorded on January 26, 1985, a rare case of four shows taped in a day. New intros added. Rod's intro now says "Big Bucks" instead of "High Stakes". Prize rotations updated. From here on out, the show would tape at Studio 43 until the end of the run. Unusually, Dean faces against two female opponents, possibly due to the lack of males in the contestant pool on the taping day.
368	2/21	Cathy	Vince	Janie	$2,250	$2,250	Vince sets a new Round 1 record with $5,986.
369	2/22	Sam	Susan	Janie	$9,860	$9,860	Peter has Art Director Ed Flesh's dog, given the name Press Your Luck, with him at the podium during the final segment.
370	2/25	Lissa	Guy	Sam	$9,484	$19,344	First show in Republic Pictures' 130 episode Syndication package that was distributed to some markets during the 1986-1987 television season. It was later the first rerun on USA Network on September 14, 1987. Square 10 has two $500 + One Spin slides instead of one in Round 1.
371	2/26	Sam	Jim	Pamela	$7,278	$7,278	It's possible episodes #371-#376 were recorded on January 27, 1985. The Infamous Jim Hess makes his appearance. When Jim hits a Whammy on the last spin of the game, he utters swear words, although the swearing is so weak, even closed captioning didn't pick up on it when it aired on GSN. Pamela defeats Sam.
372	2/27	Scott	Pamela	Lisa	$15,790	$15,790	The audience hates Scott, but regardless he defeats Pamela.
373	2/28	Scott	Suzanne	Bob	$9,736	$9,736	The audience hates Scott so much, they are chanting "Whammy" during his spins. Bob defeats Scott (much to the audience's delight). Rod Roddy makes a cameo.
374	3/1	Dale	Norma	Bob	$1,600	$11,366	Eleven Whammies hit throughout the game. Bob wins his second show.
375	3/4	Bob	Victor	Romey	$13,593	$24,939	A lot of Whammies hit during the game. Victor is passed nine spins, and Whammies out. Bob wins his third show.
376	3/5	Johnny	Jennifer	Bob	$5,750	$30,679	Bob wins his fourth show with a low total, though better than two episodes ago.
377	3/6	Bob	Philip	Lynette	$1,500	$1,500	Philip is seen wearing sweatpants. A lot of Whammies hit during gameplay. Philip defeats Bob.
378	3/7	Steve	Pam	Philip	$21,898	$23,398	Philip wins his second show with a much bigger win!
379	3/8	Mike	Marlene	Philip	$13,033	$13,033	Mike defeats Philip. Marlene would return later in 1985 due to a board malfunction - Mike would hit Palm Springs during Round 2, but that would remain on the board for the rest of the game. Then, with the final spin, he hit Move One Space with Palm Springs as one of the choices - the other choice was the Mediterranean Cruise, which gave him the win.
380	3/11	Mike	Donna	John	$19,524	$19,524	Donna from the 1/16 episode returns due to a technical error.
381	3/12	Joe	Sharon	John	$12,764	$12,764	John hits Double Your $$ + One Spin at Square 5 at $3,000 for $6,000.
382	3/13	Joe	Michael	Julie	$11,458	$11,458
383	3/14	Stanford	Linnea	Julie	$15,060	$15,060	Stanford is perhaps the only contestant named for a University.
384	3/15	Susan	Linnea	Michael	$9,610	$24,670
385	3/18	Linnea	Richard	Lynn	$14,740	$14,740	First time Montana Ski Trip was won. Lynn teaches Peter how to belly dance during the closing segment. As the credits roll, Peter dances to the closing theme.
386	3/19	Gregg	Joan	Lynn	$8,884	$8,884
387	3/20	Joan	Ralph	Trish	$22,862	$22,862	Huge one day total for Ralph!
388	3/21	Ralph	Alex	Jane	$14,350	$37,212
389	3/22	Tyler	Ralph	Mary	$9,435	$9,435	Tyler passed nine spins, which ended to someone getting four Whammies.
390	3/25	Tyler	Pam	Wade	$9,400	$18,835
391	3/26	Denny	Tyler	Bernie	$8,668	$8,668
392	3/27	Denny	Tony	Michele	$9,750	$9,750	Day 1 of Michele, the "Mistress of the Pass" Michele later becomes a contestant on Blockbusters in 1987.
393	3/28	Michele	Joe	Susan	$14,576	$24,326	Day 2 of Michele, the "Mistress of the Pass"
394	3/29	Jack	Michele	Patti	$700	$25,026	Day 3 of Michele, the "Mistress of the Pass" Possibly the lowest one-day non-$0 total in the series. Michele's run would continue on 4/8.
395	4/1	Steve (Notre Dame)	Ruth (Columbia)	Michael (USC)	$14,176	$14,786	Day 1 of College Week. No returning champions from April 1 to 5, 1985. Steve resembles a leprechaun. After Ruth wins the game, she runs out and hugs Peter! (seen on a future flashback intro) This week would later be rebroadcast on July 29 to August 2, 1986.
396	4/2	Sonya (UCLA)	Lana (Alabama)	Stuart (Northwestern)	$11,000	$11,000	Day 2 of College Week. Debut of Whammy Cheerleaders
397	4/3	Elizabeth (Ohio State)	Cliff (Arizona)	Trey (Harvard)	$13,384	$13,384	Day 3 of College Week.
398	4/4	John (Wake Forest)	Laurie (Texas)	Tim (Nebraska)	$12,742	$12,742	Day 4 of College Week.
399	4/5	Brian (Missouri)	Terri (California)	Chris (University of Pennsylvania)	$11,060	$11,060	Day 5 of College Week. $62,312 given away during College Week, and every champion won at least $10,000 in winnings!
400	4/8	Michele	Drew	Val	$12,325	$37,351	Day 4 of Michele "Mistress of the Pass" The 400th episode, but no such mention was made. Episodes #400-#414, were taped before College Week (designated as #395 to #399) was taped.
401	4/9	Brenda	Mark	Michele	$14,728	$14,728	Day 5 of Michele "Mistress of the Pass" Michele's strategy failed to Mark Lambrecht. Mark would later appear on Now You See It in 1989 and also win $500,000 on The Mole in 2008.
402	4/10	Katherine	Jim	Mark	$21,591	$36,319
403	4/11	Mark	Nancy	Vern	$1,000	$1,000	One of the lowest winning totals in Press Your Luck history.
404	4/12	Vern	Sheri	Glen	$6,290	$7,290
405	4/15	Vern	Therese	Brick	$2,250	$2,250	Brick has a carrot as a good luck charm.
406	4/16	Mike	Therese	Marlene	$13,250	$15,500	Mike is perhaps one of the most aggressive players in the series.
407	4/17	Tracy	Therese	John	$10,306	$10,306	Start of Tracy's 5-Day run.
408	4/18	Harry	Jan	Tracy	$10,500	$20,806	Day 2 of Tracy's run. Tracy's total is all cash.
409	4/19	Tracy	Tim	Diane	$10,050	$30,856	Day 3 of Tracy's run.
410	4/22	Tracy	Helen	Marty	$14,237	$45,093	Day 4 of Tracy's run.
411	4/23	Terri	Jeff	Tracy	$12,543	$57,636	Day 5 of Tracy's run. Tracy is one of only two known players to retire as a five-time champion.
412	4/24	Kirk	Jonie	Joanie	$4,418	$4,418	Three new players in this episode. Jonie is a woman (her name is pronounced Johnny) Kirk wins round one with three Whammies
413	4/25	Jonie	Dave	Denise	$25,332	$29,750	Jonie pulls out the biggest one day total of 1985 with three Whammies. (including a new car!)
414	4/26	Jonie	Lance	Cynthia	$11,151	$11,151
415	4/29	Rich	Jennie	Lance	$14,974	$26,125	Newest Whammies from College Week start appearing regularly as of this episode. Rich later becomes a contestant on Match Game in October 1990.
416	4/30	Lance	Susan	Tommy	$5,050	$5,050
417	5/1	Cindy	Curtis	Tommy	$6,685	$6,685	Day 1 of Cindy Morgan's 5-day run.
418	5/2	Duncan	Cindy	Jackie	$15,658	$22,343	Day 2 of Cindy Morgan's 5-day run. "Duncan Just Made My Day!" reads the chyron on screen just after Cindy was declared champion.
419	5/3	Jamie	Cindy	Kurt	$700	$23,043	Day 3 of Cindy Morgan's 5-day run. Tied with Michele's one-day win from 3/29 for the lowest one-day non-$0 win in the series.
420	5/6	Cindy	Pat	Tony	$7,220	$30,263
421	5/7	Colleen	Cindy	Joe	$9,340	$9,340
422	5/8	Colleen	Shequita	Dan	$13,798	$13,798
423	5/9	Ken	Shequita	Lela	$17,546	$17,546
424	5/10	Susie	Lela	Steve	$10,408	$10,408
425	5/13	Steve	Shauna	Jimmie	$18,108	$18,108
426	5/14	Amy	Jimmie	Joey	$13,760	$13,760
427	5/15	Joey	Damon	Queta	$9,048	$9,048	Damon earned no spins in round one but did receive passed spins. Damon later becomes a contestant on Sale of the Century in September 1988.
428	5/16	Patrick	Linda	Damon	$16,650	$16,650	During the final spin of the game, Linda needed money plus a spin in order to keep playing. She hit Move One Space and had a choice between $1,000 + a Spin or Tokyo. She chose Tokyo, thus surrendering the championship to Patrick.
429	5/17	David	Patrick	Norma	$16,661	$16,661
430	5/20	Mark	Norma	Lucia	$17,395	$34,056
431	5/21	Roy	Norma	Shelly	$14,328	$14,328
432	5/22	Bill	Shelly	Lori-Ann	$15,550	$15,550
433	5/23	Debbie	Robert	Bill	$13,125	$13,125
434	5/24	Damon	Robert	Kathy	$8,939	$8,939
435	5/27	David	Damon	Georgeanne	$11,608	$11,608
436	5/28	Elaine	Mike	Georgeanne	$9,720	$21,328
437	5/29	Rusty	Barbara	Georgeanne	$10,350	$10,350
438	5/30	Barbara	Dennis	Carlee	$5,662	$5,662
439	5/31	Andy	Dennis	Rochelle	$6,033	$11,695
440	6/3	Dennis	Danny	Luanne	$9,407	$9,407
441	6/4	Leila	Bob	Danny	$10,169	$19,576	Peter teaches the audience to spell his last name.
442	6/5	Cindy	Al	Danny	$11,763	$11,763
443	6/6	Al	Lisa	Paul	$14,019	$25,782	Recorded on May 11, 1985. Men dressed as "Whammybusters" are in the studio audience. Paul gets four Whammies in a row. Lisa is the wife of Andy from the unannounced finale (Source: The Eggplant That Ate Chicago on YouTube).
444	6/7	Al	Cheryl	Ken	$16,131	$41,913
445	6/10	Myrna	Martin	Al	$17,418	$17,418	Al could have surpassed $50,000 and retired, but to no avail.
446	6/11	Martin	Jerry	Carol	$10,064	$10,064
447	6/12	Jerry	Ana	Steve	$11,798	$21,862	Jerry sets a pre-Add-a-One era record in Round 1
448	6/13	Carol	Jerry	Pat	$10,438	$32,300	Pat makes a gesture as if he was trying to shoot down the airplane Whammy.
449	6/14	Pam	Sam	Jerry	$6,964	$6,964	The infamous Sylvester episode! *After the fee plugs, Mel Blanc, voiced as Sylvester, calls Peter and clarifies the error in the question round, prompting all three players to return at different times later in 1985.
450	6/17	Bill	Christy	Pam	$5,810	$5,810	Pam's total from 6/14 did not count towards her total, due to the technical glitch.
451	6/18	Andrew	Pam	Lisa	$18,876	$18,876
452	6/19	Nina-Jo	Andrew	Paul	$12,771	$12,771	Nina-Jo wins the game by just three dollars! The deciding spin would be seen in a future flashback intro.
453	6/20	Nina-Jo	John	Sandy	$6,858	$6,858
454	6/21	Cindy	John	Guy	$13,516	$13,516	Cindy's victory is featured in a future flashback intro.
455	6/24	Ned	Joanna	Cindy	$5,250	$18,766
456	6/25	Cindy	Sherri	Theodore	$16,593	$16,593
457	6/26	Alison	Theodore	Ted	$20,100	$20,100
458	6/27	Ted	Randy	Karen	$14,364	$14,364
459	6/28	Steve	Mary	Randy	$14,329	$14,329
460	7/1	Danette	Steve	Abe	$14,200	$14,200	Start of Danette Jacobs' 3-day run.
461	7/2	Kathy	Dan	Danette	$12,825	$27,025
462	7/3	Danette	Julie	Robert	$14,328	$14,328	Julie defeats Danette.
463	7/4	Julie	Jim	Patricia	$15,025	$15,025	4th of July episode! Peter wears a red, white and blue bow tie to honor the occasion. Patricia's huge Whammy loss is featured in a future flashback intro. Dynamite Whammy sets off the detonator to close out the show.
464	7/5	Tom	Jim	Sonya	$20,169	$20,169
465	7/8	Jenny	Greg	Tom	$11,183	$11,183	Jenny defeats Tom. Trip to the Daytime Emmy awards offered as a prize until 7/23. Strangely enough, Press Your Luck was never nominated for a Daytime Emmy.
466	7/9	Lisa	Jenny	Tom	$12,105	$12,105	Start of Lisa's 4-day run.
467	7/10	Brian	Lisa	Pam	$15,106	$27,211	Lisa wins her second show. Pam from 6/14 returns due to the Sylvester incident.
468	7/11	Valerie	Ron	Lisa	$15,012	$42,223	Lisa wins her third show.
469	7/12	Lisa	Judy	Steve Bryant	$14,005	$14,005	Steve Bryant's first episode, where is known for his cry "No whammmmmmmmmmmmieeeeees!"
470	7/15	Steve Bryant	Kent	Lynn	$2,650	$16,655	Steve's second episode. Steve becomes the third player in the series to play against the house.
471	7/16	Kathy	Steven	Steve Bryant	$10,500	$10,500	Steven defeats Steve.
472	7/17	Annette	Steven	Kane	$15,444	$15,444	Annette defeats Steven.
473	7/18	Annette	Lisa	Ed	$12,436	$12,436	Lisa defeats Annette.
474	7/19	Mike	Ruth	Lisa	$13,198	$13,198	Mike defeats Lisa. Start of Mike's 4-day run.
475	7/22	Sammy	Mike	Josie	$9,016	$22,214	Mike's second show. Last day of Daytime Emmys offered as a prize in Round 2.
476	7/23	Rosella	Scott	Mike	$11,525	$33,739	Mike's third show. Peter makes an indirect reference to Michael Larson at the start of the show. Rosella's name tag has a different font. In fact, newer name tags would sport the new font (closely resembling Impact) until 9/5. Daytime Emmys slide reverts back to New York as of this episode.
477	7/24	Joe	Mike	Linda	$8,250	$8,250	Joe defeats Mike.
478	7/25	Mary	Joe	Tony	$13,645	$21,895	A new Round 1 record is set at this point in the series.
479	7/26	Mike	Melodie	Joe	$17,070	$38,965
480	7/29	Joe	Jerry	Kathy	$15,345	$15,345	Jerry from 6/14 returns due to the "Sylvester" error.
481	7/30	Bobby	Yvonne	Kathy	$7,538	$7,538	The "Whammy Races" episode. Bobby demonstrates his horse-racing announcing skills with a barrage of Whammy animations running simultaneously. This segment would later be featured in a one-time only flashback intro.
482	7/31	Yvonne	Thorne	Jennifer	$14,795	$14,795	Start of Thorne's 4-day run.
483	8/1	Bobby	Thorne	Melanie	$3,005	$18,800	Bobby is not the same one from 7/30. Thorne wins his second show.
484	8/2	Rich	Thorne	Vicki	$4,935	$22,735	Thorne wins his third show.
485	8/5	Kimberley	Thorne	Gary	$5,582	$5,582	Gary defeats Thorne.
486	8/6	Gary	Julie	Thad	$10,983	$10,983	Julie defeats Gary.
487	8/7	Julie	Lee	Tricia	$23,022	$23,022	Lee defeats Julie.
488	8/8	Debbie	Dennis	Lee	$15,736	$15,736	Dennis defeats Lee.
489	8/9	Robin	Dennis	Sam	$10,259	$10,259	Robin defeats Dennis. Sam from 6/14 returns due to a technical error regarding "Sylvester".
490	8/12	Bill	Robin	Michelle	$7,973	$7,973	Bill defeats Robin.
491	8/13	Cindy	Kurt	Bill	$19,032	$19,032	Kurt defeats Bill. The trip to Paris hit by Cindy would be featured in a flashback intro in 1986.
492	8/14	Greg	Kurt	Kathi	$15,536	$15,536	Greg defeats Kurt. Only time an intro with no actual gameplay involved (Bobbu's horse racing announcing skills from 7/30 was featured).
493	8/15	John	Cindy	Greg	$12,289	$12,289	John defeats Greg. Cindy is not the same one from 8/13.
494	8/16	Judy	John	Scott	$13,708	$25,997	John is the first contestant to win more than one show since Thorne on 8/2.
495	8/19	Debbie	John	Tom	$4,500	$30,497	John wins his third show.
496	8/20	Marcia	Mike	John	$22,633	$22,633	Marcia defeats John. Peter does the moonwalk upon arriving on the set during the opening. Marcia hitting a car would be featured in a flashback intro in 1986.
497	8/21	Michael	Marcia	Basia	$14,164	$36,797	Marcia wins her second show. Last episode with cash slides with old color scheme, which were showing signs of fading for some time by that point.
498	8/22	Mark	Toria	Marcia	$11,595	$11,595	Mark defeats Marcia, and wins by $75. Cash slides now have a neon-color scheme. Font of cash slides also have a drop shadow. This episode, along with #499, were taped after Back-to-School Week (designated as #500 to #504) was taped.
499	8/23	Jacklynn	Mark	Matt	$1,150	$12,745	Mark becomes the fourth player in the series to play against the house. After Mark gets his third Whammy while playing against the house, the slides blew, resulting in an edit. Once the problem was fixed, Mark came back and continued to play, and took one spin, chose Mazatlan on a Move-One-Space choice, and quit on his own terms. Before the slide malfunction, Water Bike appeared in one of the Square #10 prize rotations. After the problem was fixed, Hong Kong was now shown in said prize rotation. Mark would next appear on 9/2 due to Back'To-School Week beginning the following Monday.
500	--	Jacquie	Matt	Roxy	$3,695	$3,695	This Back-to-School Week episode was not aired on CBS due to reasons beyond their control. Some speculated that it may have been due to a contestant playing against the house, getting three Whammies, and gambling and winning all of his remaining spins. Like College Week, no returning champions during this episode and the next five episodes. Jacquie may possibly have later appeared on Bob Eubanks' Card Sharks on May 18, 1987.
501	8/26	Katie	Ramon	Greg	$8,070	$8,070	Day 1 of Back-to-School Week. This episode did make it to air on CBS. Magic Mountain, which was on the board at the end of Round 1 in the unaired episode #500, does not appear. Katie later became a contestant on Sale of the Century in July 1988.
502	8/27	Elliott	Jake	Christy	$7,414	$7,414	Day 2 of Back-to-School Week.
503	8/28	Monica	Missie	Chris	$7,730	$7,730	Day 3 of Back-to-School Week.
504	8/29	Vicki	Mona	Greg	$12,920	$12,920	Day 4 of Back-to-School Week. Mona is the biggest wonner of Back-to-School Week.
505	8/30	April	Janis	Mike	$10,240	$10,240	At least episodes #499 and #506 were recorded on August 11, 1985. Day 5 of Back-to-School Week. Magic Mountain appears on the board at the end of Round 1, but it was never hit, so its price remains a mystery.
506	9/2	Feargus	Nancy	Mark	$6,900	$19,645	Regular play resumes. Mark wins his third show. Feargus was the last contestant to wear a nametag with the updated font. They would revert back to the Futura-style font after this episode. Nancy earns the maximum 12 spins for Round 2.
507	9/3	Vernon	Maxine	Mark	$20,712	$20,712	Maxine almost calls Press Your Luck its lead-in show The Price is Right, but then catches herself. Peter mocks her blooper. Maxine defeats Mark. Maxine's victory would replace Lela's victory from a flashback intro that first appeared during Back-to-School Week.
508	9/4	Maxine	Susie	Steve	$10,320	$10,320	Steve defeats Maxine. Maxine declares "I'm going home!" after she hits her fourth Whammy.
509	9/5	Nomi	Steve	Janis	$18,406	$18,406	Nomi defeats Steve. First appearance of Add-a-One in Round 1. Peter describes this new addition as "a new wrinkle". First episode with film footage of each round's feature trip shown at the beginning of each round. They were described by Peter during this episode and the next ten episodes.
510	9/6	Carol	Nomi	Bill	$15,993	$15,993	Bill defeats Nomi. First time Add-a-One was hit - it was hit for $1,000.
511	9/9	Jin	Bill	Edith	$4,500	$4,500	Start of Jin's run. Jin may be the only female contestant in the series to play against the house, but she is the sixth player to do so.
512	9/10	Jin	Nancy	John	$18,297	$22,797	Jin wins her second show. Nancy teases her hair after she hits her third Whammy.
513	9/11	Ramin	Jin	Cassie	$13,100	$36,897	Jin wins her third show. Toward the end of Round 2, Jin has a hard time burning off her spins.
514	9/12	Jin	Millie	Corkey	$9,660	$9,660
515	9/13	Corkey	Ginger	Bertie	$9,543	$9,543
516	9/16	Bertie	Charlene	Dave	$19,455	$28,998
517	9/17	Frank	Bertie	Holly	$3,214	$32,212
518	9/18	Cookie	Rick	Bertie	$15,456	$15,456	At least episodes #518-#520 were recorded on August 25, 1985. Cookie defeats Bertie. The names Cookie and Bertie sound reminiscent of Sesame Street. Cookie (Cathy Cisneros) would play in the 2019 revival of Press Your Luck, aired July 24, 2019.
519	9/19	Cynthia	Mike	Cookie	$3,900	$19,356	Cookie wins her second show. Peter walks up to the Big Board to find out if the Whammies are home for Round 2, and (allegedly) a Flokati Rug drops down in response; he subsequently wears it as a wig for a bit.
520	9/20	Cookie	Gary	Diane	$12,110	$12,110	Start of Diane's 4-day run.
521	9/23	Cindy	Mike	Diane	$7,248	$19,358	Cindy from 8/13 returns due to a technical error. Peter first announces Home Player Sweepstakes III. Diane wins her second show.
522	9/24	John	Diane	Christal	$5,113	$24,471	Diane wins her third show.
523	9/25	Diane	Mike	Sandi	$6,914	$6,914	Mike defeats Diane.
524	9/26	Mary	Susan	Mike	$12,000	$12,000
525	9/27	Susan	Bobby	Vallie	$7,800	$7,800
526	9/30	Kerry	Chuck	Vallie	$8,846	$8,846
527	10/1	Michael	Kerry	Sherry	$17,297	$26,143
528	10/2	Pat	Bruce	Kerry	$8,368	$8,368
529	10/3	Faye	Bruce	Gwen	$10,967	$10,967
530	10/4	Mike	Jean	Faye	$10,118	$10,118	GSN skipped this episode, but thanks to a once-circulating screenshot from a 1986 flashback intro, a closeup of the male contestant's nametag revealed his name was Mike.
531	10/7	Maxie	Jean	Donarae	$9,475	$9,475	Prize rotations updated. Peter has a new hairstyle. On the first spin of the game, Add-a-One is hit for ten dollars.
532	10/8	Jeanette	Nickie	Maxie	$22,896	$32,371	Maxie wins his second show. Maxie is dubbed "the six million dollar man" because his total winnings put the show's total winnings past the $6 million mark. For his effort, he receives a flokati rug.
533	10/9	Vicki	Christine	Maxie	$5,750	$5,750
534	10/10	Brian	Becky	Vicki	$14,823	$20,573	Vicki wins her second show. Brian makes a cricket-like sound on some of his spins to deter the Whammies.
535	10/11	Vicki	Pam	Mitchell	$12,343	$12,343	Pam defeats Vicki.
536	10/14	Carolyn	Robert	Pam	$12,800	$12,800	Carolyn defeats Pam.
537	10/15	Carolyn	Lynn	Mark	$10,603	$23,403	Carolyn wins her second show. One moment with Carolyn appears in a future flashback intro.
538	10/16	Bob	Doris	Carolyn	$19,246	$19,246	Doris defeats Carolyn. Doris wins an African Safari among her winnings.
539	10/17	Doris	Janice	Phil	$12,150	$12,150	Janice defeats Doris. Originally skipped by GSN in 2005, but did air on December 26, 2006. Doris does not win any spins for Round 2, but receives one via a pass.
540	10/18	Christina	Janice	Mark	$4,918	$17,068	Janice wins her second show.
541	10/21	Mona	Joe	Janice	$9,264	$9,264	Day 1 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. $2,000/Lose 1 Whammy is temporarily dropped in lieu of $500/Spin Janice wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Ellen Cockrum of Mulkeytown, IL. Mona defeats Janice.
542	10/22	Bill	Mona	Mary	$13,556	$22,820	Day 2 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Mona wins $1,500 for Delores Rexrode of Manhattan, KS.
543	10/23	John	Kristin	Mona	$17,188	$17,188	Day 3 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. John wins $2,500 for Donna Grenfell of Greeley, CO. Kristin defeats Mona, and wins a car. Mona is the first contestant to hit four Whammies in four spins.
544	10/24	Kristin	Dusty	Sharyl	$4,700	$4,700	Day 4 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Sharyl wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Gladys Rollins of Hustle, VA. Dusty (a man) was a contestant on the premiere episode of The (New) $25,000 Pyramid back in 1982. Sharyl defeats Kristin.
545	10/25	Sharyl	Debbie	Stephen	$13,378	$13,378	Day 5 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Debbie wins $1,000 for Mike Ertel of Huber Heights, OH. Debbie defeats Sharyl.
546	10/28	Colleen	Andy	Debbie	$5,750	$5,750	Day 6 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Colleen wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Evelyn Tornetta of Danboro, PA. Four Indiana stations rejoin the PYL family: WISH-TV in Indianapolis, WLFI-TV in Lafayette, WSBT-TV in South Bend, & WANE-TV in Fort Wayne. Andy defeats Debbie.
547	10/29	Lark	Andy	Carolyn	$3,850	$3,850	Day 7 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Lark wins $500 for Valeria Egebrecht of Hazel Park, MI. Lark defeats Andy. Carolyn would return in 1986 due to a technical error.
548	10/30	Brian	Robin	Lark	$17,000	$17,800	Day 8 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Lark wins $1,000 for Louis Gyurica of Fremont, OH. Brian hits Add-a-One for $11,500! Brian defeats Lark, winning by a narrow margin.
549	10/31	Savina	Brian	Laurie	$5,800	$22,800	Day 9 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Laurie wins $2,000 for Valerie Walker of Hobe Sound, FL. No Halloween references mentioned by Peter, though the Trick-or-Treat Whammy animation appeared during the intro. Brian wins his second show.
550	11/1	Ollie	Debi	Brian	$9,914	$9,914	Day 10 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Ollie (a woman) wins a trip to Britain worth $2,370 for Arthur Molinero of Pittsburgh, PA. Debi defeats Brian. Debi's victory seen in future flashback intro.
551	11/4	Debi	Peter	Peggy	$9,900	$19,814	Day 11 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Debi wins $5,000 for Mrs. Jessie Greene of East Cleveland, OH, the most ever given away on a home player spin. Debi wins her second show.
552	11/5	Debi	Russ	Tinker	$8,300	$8,300	Day 12 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Russ becomes the seventh player to play against the house. Home player spin is taken while Russ plays against the house; Russ wins $500 for Ila M. Culpepper of Winfield, AL. Tinker is a woman. Russ defeats Debi.
553	11/6	Mary Kay	Geri	Russ	$4,400	$4,400	Day 13 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Russ wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Susan Abel of Detroit Lakes, MN. Mary Kay defeats Russ.
554	11/7	Marty	Mary Kay	Ron	$11,049	$11,049	Day 14 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Mary Kay wins $1,000 for David W. Flatt of Poplar Bluff, MO. Ron defeats Mary Kay.
555	11/8	Christine	Gayle	Ron	$6,414	$6,414	Day 15 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Christine wins a Man's Fur Coat worth $2,600 for Marilyn Burden of Widefield, CO. Gayle defeats Ron, winning a wine cellar in the process.
556	11/11	Gayle	Mark	Wolf	$7,807	$7,807	Day 16 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Gayle wins a Game Table worth $2,595 for Carol Kronyak of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. Mark defeats Gail. Wolf hits Add-a-One for $10. Mark apparently wants to copy Michael Larson.
557	11/12	Mark	Carolyn	Yolanda	$8,650	$8,650	Day 17 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Carolyn wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Nell Matthews of Memphis, TN. Yolanda defeats Mark. Seven Whammies hit in Round 1. In the end, Yolanda passes nine spins to Carolyn, who had three Whammies. She Whammies out on her first passed spin.
558	11/13	Yolanda	Kurt	Michelle	$17,453	$17,453	Day 18 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Michelle wins $500, courtesy of the Whammy, for Margaret Watkins of Little Rock, AR. Japan by Rail was hit once, won and never seen again. Kurt defeats Yolanda.
559	11/14	Helen	Sheila	Kurt	$23,751	$23,751	Day 19 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. Sheila wins a Stereo worth $1,550 for Josie Strickling of Glen Dale, WV. Sheila defeats Kurt. At the end of the game, there was over $60,000 among all three players. One of Sheila's spins is featured in a future flashback intro.
560	11/15	John	Sheila	Yvonne	$3,250	$3,250	Day 20 of Home Player Sweepstakes III. John wins $3,000 for Dale Skipper of Mexico Beach, FL. John defeats Sheila. John's winnings are all cash. In 2005, it was the latest episode to air on GSN until September 2014.
561	11/18	Karen	John	Yolonda	$7,530	$7,530	Day 21 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Yolonda wins $500 for Louise De Fozio of Waddington, NY. Karen defeats John, winning a $6,130 car & $1,400 in cash. Home Player Spin number not shown on screen - it is not certain if it is a GSN edit or not. Despite being taped in the same weekend, Acapulco in Round 1 is the version with the trees and not the sombrero.
562	11/19	Karen	Judy	Steve	$18,695	$18,695	Day 22 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Judy wins a trip to Curaçao worth $2,550 for Esther W. Redd of Danville, VA. Steve defeats Karen. Intense ending to Round 2.
563	11/20	Stephanie	Carol	Steve	$9,708	$9,708	Day 23 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Steve wins $1,000 for Marilyn L. King of Coronado, CA. Stephanie defeats Steve. Stephanie's victory win is featured in a future flashback intro.
564	11/21	Shirley	Stephanie	Kurt	$10,648	$10,648	Day 24 of Home Player Sweepstakes III Shirley wins $2,500 for Quinella Burkins of Memphis, TN. Shirley defeats Stephanie. Kurt's strutting to the Whammy Supremes, making a fool out of himself, is featured in a future flashback intro.
565	11/22	Jon	Carla	Shirley	$10,304	$10,304	Day 25 (and final day) of Home Player Sweepstakes III Shirley wins a Man's Fur Coat worth $2,600 for Catherine Russell of Flint, MI. Jon defeats Shirley. Nashville makes its first appearance on the board. Jon would later become a contestant on the Bob Eubanks' version of Card Sharks in February 1987. Jon plays the all-cash board at the end of the game & wins $36,000 for Ed Kolzac of Portage, IN! (FYI: For the all-cash spin, Jon hit $2,000 which was multiplied by 18, the number of spins earned in round two.)
566	11/25	Patti	Jon	Dan	$11,880	$11,880	Dan defeats Jon. Dan wins a $6,130 car plus $5,750 in just three spins. Staffer Ted Ray's birthday was acknowledged on air.
567	11/26	Fae	Dan	Jill	$10,250	$10,250	Jill defeats Dan. Jill's winning total is all cash.
568	11/27	Jill	Cheryl	Scott	$15,703	$15,703	1985 Thanksgiving episode. Start of Scott's 4-day run. Scott appears to be related to Maxie from October 1985. $2,000 or Lose-1-Whammy returns to the Round 2 board after a 27-show hiatus, replacing $1,000/Spin, and appears to be a darker rose pink in color. No episode on Thanksgiving (11/28)
569	11/29	Alex	Jeanne	Scott	$8,268	$23,971	Only episode in the series aired on Black Friday.
570	12/2	Scott	Hal	Deanne	$10,426	$34,397	Day 3 of Scott's run. Hal Johnson is known for appearing in the Body Break fitness segments in Canada. Hal would later appear on Bob Eubanks' Card Sharks in March 1987, and in the late-2000s, he would become a contestant on the Canadian edition of The Amazing Race with his wife, Joanne MacLeod. Due to a technical error, Hal and Deanne would be invited back for separate rematches in March 1986.
571	12/3	Valerie	Colleen	Scott	$24,389	$24,389	Colleen defeats Scott. Colleen has one of the biggest one-day totals of 1985!
572	12/4	Colleen	Diane	Danny	$16,735	$16,735	Danny defeats Colleen. Game ends with incredible ending.
573	12/5	Rocky	Danny	Trish	$5,196	$5,196	Trish's uttering of "Stop!" does not sync with pushing the button.
574	12/6	Courtney	Trish	Susannah	$17,750	$22,946	First Round 1 cash value change since December 5, 1983. In Round 2, two prize rotations in Square #10 are replaced by $1,250 and $1,400 respectively.
575	12/9	Robert	Jackie	Trish	$4,345	$4,345	Robert defeats Trish.
576	12/10	Robert	Deborah	Mark	$8,200	$8,200	Deborah defeats Robert.
577	12/11	Guillermo	Deborah	Ruth	$12,916	$12,916	Guillermo Huesca, who hosted the 2005 Mexican version of Let's Make a Deal titled Trato Hecho, is a contestant. Peter wears a button on his suit that says "I'm One of the Rowdies".
578	12/12	Ruth	Genevieve	Greg	$14,500	$27,416
579	12/13	Ruth	Gerard	Gene	$3,326	$3,326	Ruth faces two opponents both with "G" names for her second straight show.
580	12/16	Gene	Stacey	Pat	$4,799	$4,799	Christmas Whammies start to appear. One of Stacey's spins is among the longest ever. Pat defeats Gene.
581	12/17	April	John	Pat	$3,000	$3,000	A lot of Whammies hit in this episode. John defeats Pat.
582	12/18	Molly	Tom	John	$8,704	$11,704	Molly receives a lethal pass. John wins his second show, and wins a Mediterranean Cruise, the most expensive prize ever offered.
583	12/19	John	Madeline	Janice	$12,850	$12,850	Janice defeats John, with an exciting comeback in the end.
584	12/20	Bruce	Janice	Hillie	$12,028	$24,878	Janice wins big on her second show.
585	12/23	Ginger	Brent	Janice	$11,986	$11,986	First show with Christmas decorations. They would remain on the set until 1/3/1986. Slides that spell "MERRY XMAS" are given a neon-era makeover, and would only prevail for three days. Prize rotations updated. During Round 1, the blue Home Robot slide from the 1983 pilot episode makes its first appearance in the actual series, was hit and won. Ginger defeats Janice.
586	12/24	Mark	Susan	Ginger	$12,900	$12,900	20 spins earned by Ginger in both question rounds. Mark defeats Ginger.
587	12/25	Mark	Sylvan	Pam	$8,150	$8,150	Christmas Day 1985. This was the only show without the flashback intros, as the show began with Peter falling asleep by the Christmas tree. Peter's twin daughters, Candice and Alexis appear during the opening and the final segment (first time since August 24, 1984). Peter does the entire show wearing his pajamas and robe, and Rod Roddy wore a Santa suit. His face is seen in the intro. Pam defeats Mark.
588	12/26	Marie	Ron	Pam	$10,112	$10,112	At 86 years old, Marie may be the oldest contestant in the series. Bicycle Whammy and Ben Franklin Whammy both debut. Copenhagen appears on the board for the first time. Ron defeats Pam.
589	12/27	Craig	Ron	Georgia	$14,286	$14,286	Craig defeats Ron. Start of Craig's four-day run.
590	12/30	Sally	Craig	Andy	$11,018	$25,304	Board update: Some Whammy slides get replaced with updated versions that appear to be positioned differently. Craig wins his second show.
591	12/31	Betsy	Kirk	Craig	$9,850	$35,154	New Year's Eve 1985. Champagne Whammy appears. Peter and Rod appear in tuxedos. Craig wins his third show and ends 1985 on a high note. Craig's run will continue as the show enters 1986. He is the only contestant to not retire on New Year's Eve.