Pay the Rent

Pay the Rent is the only pricing game that is regularly played for a six-digit cash prize.

Gameplay

This game is played using six grocery items and offers a top prize of $100,000. The main prop is a "house" with four levels. From lowest to highest, the levels in question are "mailbox," "first floor" ("couch" and "stove"), "second floor" ("TV" and "tub") and "attic" ("safe"). The mailbox and attic levels each contain a position for only one product; the first and second floors each contain positions for two products.
After being shown the grocery products, the contestant selects an item for the mailbox. Then, the contestant selects two items for the first floor and two for the second floor, leaving the last item for the attic. The total of the product prices on each level must be greater than the total of the price from the previous level.
The price of the item in the mailbox is revealed and the contestant is automatically credited with $1,000. If the combined total of the product prices on the first floor is greater than the price of the item in the mailbox, the contestant's winnings increase to $5,000. The contestant's winnings increase to $10,000 if the total prices of the products on the second floor are higher than those on the first floor. If the product in the attic is priced higher than the combined prices for those on the second floor, the contestant wins $100,000. At each level, the contestant risks the money won. Throughout the game, the contestant may choose to stop, taking the money accumulated at any time, because if the upper floor item price total is below the previous floor item price total, the game ends and the contestant wins nothing.

Strategy

You must first decide the highest-priced item (which should be put in the attic, since that is the only way to win). While there are 180 total possible combinations, there are only 30 combinations if the correct high-priced item is chosen. The remaining strategy depends on the price structure of the prizes.
As of June 3, 2016 (#7565K), there have been 150 possible winning combinations in 56 times the game was played. Considering the item values being from 1-6 (low-high), the combination of 4-23-51-6 would have won 27 times (18%), by far the highest successful combination.
While not "rigged," despite what many people think, the odds of winning are controlled by the price structure. The five times the game was won (April 22, 2013, #6321K, aired out-of-order on April 24, July 3, 2014, #6804K, aired out-of-order on July 4, October 1, 2015, #7224K, February 23, 2018, #8225K, and September 17, 2018, #8411K)), the odds were 33%, 46%, 26% and (due to the high number of winning combinations-- 8, 14, 10 and 11, respectively). Often, there is only one winning combination (3% chance of winning), usually occurring when the item prices are close together. Choosing the 4-23-51-6 combination is best in this situation.
When a large spread in prices is suspected, the 1-24-35-6 combination is the absolute best choice, having been won two-thirds of the time and is a winning combination in every instance where there were more than four possible winning combinations (eight times).
Since the previous strategy heavily depends on guessing the correct order of prices, a more practical approach is to put the items in three categories (low, medium and high). In this case, generally, the best odds are to put a (medium) in the mailbox, a (low) and (medium) on the first floor, a (medium) and (high) on the second floor and a (high) in the attic.

History

Nobody won $100,000 until after its first 30 playings of the game. The odds had only been 6% of having a winner due to the low number of possible correct combinations given the shopping item prices selected. It was played 12 times in Season 39, 11 times in Season 40 and seven times in Season 41. On April 22, 2013 (#6321K, aired out-of-order on April 24), during Price's "Big Money Week," history was made when contestant Ani Khojasarian of Glendale, California, became the first contestant to "Pay the Rent" (win the $100,000). Her game was the first to have 10 possible correct combinations, a 33% chance of winning (assuming she could correctly guess the high-priced item which was 2.5 times the price of the next lower-priced item). With the $100,000 win, Ani singlehandedly saved "Big Money Week" from being a total wipeout.
The game was designed by announcer Rich Fields before his resignation from the show and is the first pricing game to premiere since Rich was fired at the end of Season 38.
On July 3, 2014 (#6804K, aired out-of-order on July 4), Air Force pilot Kevin Van Stone became the second contestant to win $100,000. His game had 14 possible correct combinations, a nearly 46% likelihood he would win (compared to the typical 3-6% odds). With the $100,000 win, The Price Is Right received its second perfect show of Season 42 (its first since January 3, 2014, #6555K, aired out or order on December 31, 2013).
On October 1, 2015 (#7224K), on a Breast Cancer Awareness special, Nicole Butler became the third contestant to win $100,000. It was the sixth time a game had been played with 6-8 possible correct combinations (20-27% odds).
On February 23, 2018 (#8225K), during Price's "Big Money Week," Jody Jarmuzek became the fourth winner and the first to play for and win $200,000.
On September 17, 2018 (#8411K), during Price's " 47th Season premiere," Rocco R. Santangelo became the fifth winner.
Two people did get the products in the correct order, but both took the cash buyout of $10,000 (Lance Corporal Zachery Garrison on November 11, 2010, #5304K, and Reeshemah Hall on March 26, 2013, #6282K, aired out-of-order on March 27). In the first case, it was the only possible winning combination.
For an engaged couples episode, it is renamed "Pay the Wedding," while for the Spring Break and Back-to-School special episodes, it is renamed "Pay the Tuition."
The price structuring appears to have changed after the first 28 playings. Initially, there was a small spread in the prices from low to high, leaving only one possible solution. In these cases, there would be a very small difference between the attic and second-floor prices (typically 20-50¢), presumably to make a very difficult choice to go for the $100,000 prize.
Subsequently, the odds were improved increasingly until there was a winner, typically by increasing the spread in prices. After each win, the odds were adjusted back down, with the next win occurring only after the odds were again improved.

Trivia

The most number of times this game was played in a season was 12 (Season 39).
The $100,000 sign used to introduce Pay the Rent is made from the numbers in the $1,000,000 sign which were seen behind the audience on the Million Dollar Spectaculars.
The game is indicated by a green Price down dollar sign which the contestant stands on before the game's reveal.
February 23, 2018 (#8225K) was the first time Pay the Rent was played for a different cash prize. The cash prize was $200,000.

Appearances Outside of The Price is Right

In the season 2 episode of Scorpion called "The Fast and the Nerdiest" (airdate: February 29, 2016), Sylvester Dodd (played by Ari Stidham) plays this game. Since he's a human calculator, he knew the prices and told Drew where they should go before Drew could even explain the rules. This episode also featured cameo appearances by George Gray, Rachel Reynolds and Amber Lancaster.

Foreign Versions

On December 30, 2017 (or 30 December 2017), the British network Channel 4 aired a special episode hosted by Alan Carr which featured Pay the Rent played for cash prizes of £500, £1,000, £2,000, and £5,000.

Solutions

To see a list of solutions the contestants chose-- or in most cases, should've chosen-- to win the $100,000, click here.
To see greater detail on how the odds work for this game, click here.

Gallery

Money Graphics (in a bailout)

Premiere Playing (September 20, 2010, #5231K)

Zachary's Painful $10,000 Bailout (November 11, 2010, #5304K)

First Christmas Playing of Pay the Rent (December 24, 2010, #5365K)

Stephanie Plays Pay the Rent with Heidi Klum (October 10, 2011, #5661K, aired out of order on January 6, 2012)

Pay the Tuition 2012 (August 14, 2012, #6022K, aired out of order on August 17)

Ani Khojasarian: First-Ever $100,000 Winner (April 22, 2013, #6321K, aired out of order on April 24)

Pay the Wedding 2013 (June 17, 2013, $6401K)

Kevin Van Stone: Second $100,000 Winner (July 3, 2014, #6804K, aired out of order on July 4)

Nicole Butler: Third $100,000 Winner (October 1, 2015, #7224K)

$1,000 Bailout (January 18, 2017, #7773K)

Jody Jarmuzek: $200,000 Win, Fourth Pay the Rent Winner (February 23, 2018, #8225K)

Rocco R. Santangelo: Fifth Pay the Rent Winner (September 17, 2018, #8411K)

Jill's Close Bailout (June 3, 2019, #8781K)

Rebecca plays Pay the Rent (February 6, 2020, #9014K)

YouTube Links

Pay The Rent Premiere (September 20, 2010, #5231K)
So close Pay the Rent playing (November 11, 2010, #5304K)
First $100,000 winner (April 22, 2013, #6321K, aired out-of-order on April 24)
Second $100,000 winner (July 3, 2014, #6804K, aired out-of-order on July 4)
Third $100,000 winner (October 1, 2015, #7224K)
Fourth Pay The Rent winner ($200,000)(February 23, 2018, #8225K)
Fifth Pay The Rent winner(September 17, 2018, #8411K)