“Family Feud” Kicks Off 2013 With Steve Harvey’s First Big Money Tournament Today
2012 has been an extremely good year for Family Feud. They have seen visibility of the show increase, the viewership go up by millions and fan loyalty continue to stay strong. Clearly, they anticipate 2013 going even better and they plan to make sure that happens by starting the year off, beginning today, with something that has not been seen for a few years: The Family Feud Big Money Tournament. The show has not presented a Big Money Tournament since 2009 when John O’Hurley was the host of the program, so this will be Steve Harvey’s first opportunity to give away $160,000 to one of eight lucky families. Each family selected to play in the single-elimination tournament is a notable family from the first two seasons of Harvey’s Feud tenure that did not manage to capture a big prize during their stay. If they can make it all the way to the end, the winning family will certainly not have to worry about that anymore. This is the schedule for the tournament (click each family name to see a photograph of them):
Monday, December 31: Ritchie Family vs. Jones Family
Tuesday, January 1: Hutchinson Family vs Rios Family
Wednesday, January 2: Semifinals with Monday and Tuesday winners
Thursday, January 3: Speegle Family vs. Tolbert Family
Friday, January 4: Wooley Family vs. Calonge Family
Monday, January 7: Semifinals with Thursday and Friday winners
Tuesday, January 8: Tournament Finale
Some of those names may be familiar to you if you follow the Feud and they will be fun to watch as they get a second chance at a lot of dough. The format is slightly different for tournament play. The quarterfinal and semifinal matches are played in a standard 300 point goal format. The winning family plays the Fast Money round and, if they get 200 or more points, they add $20,000 to the jackpot which begins at $40,000, potentially building up to $160,000. The tournament finale, however, does not feature a Fast Money round. Instead, the goal is raised to 400 points and the first family that reaches that threshold takes home the jackpot. The Big Money Tournament is a great way to celebrate the show’s success and to give back to some of the families that have helped Feud get there. Will you be tuning in this and next week and do you have a favorite family to root for?
Photos courtesy Family Feud.
Wait, you’re saying the tournament winners will have to play FM for the jackpot? Or is FM played by the losers?
NO…The winners of all the matches except for the finals will have to pay fast money to add $20,000 to the final bank. That bank will be played for in the final match where there is no fast money and the first family to reach 400 pts will win the whole bank.
I think it’s a good idea that the quarter-final and semi-final matches don’t feature a fast money round. If you remember from back within the Karn and O’Hurley days, the Big Money Tournament used to require that the Fast Money round be played and won, in order for $20,000 to be added to the jackpot. This meant that if the family moving on to the next round didn’t get 200 points in Fast Money, the jackpot would remain the same, instead of increasing by $20k.
This new and improved version of Fast Money with Steve Harvey guarantees that the total jackpot will be $160,000 — which is the way it should’ve always been done.
They can afford the budget, as it is being sponsored by Publishers Clearing House (and the Prize Patrol).
—- I ‘m glad a jackpot format is not being used. When the family added the $5, $10, or #20 thousand, I didn’t get too excited because the only way they got to keep that money was to win the tournament. Also, in the best 2 out of 3 games tournament days, if a family won 2-0, the third game wasn’t played, meaning an automatic 1 or 2 $0′s being added to the jackpot. In some tournaments since 1999 the jackpot started at $0. Some were a trip and/ or $10,000. During the CBS and those syndicated years, it started off at $25 or $50 thousand. The tournaments since 1999 should have started with $100,000 because there weren’t any until the $20,000 Fast Money rule began. I hope the winner team gets the $160,000 for sure. The above doesn’t say why there is a Fast Money on the last show.
This is a great idea for Family Feud. I’m a little confused on some of the special gameplay. Also, I cannot wait for the returning families
Do you know the format of how it’ll get up to $160,000? Does the Finale winning team have to play Fast Money in order to get it?
So I just watched the 1st match and I have to say that someone has the wrong information because there was Fast Money and they only played to 300 points.
I have yet to see it, but this is what was provided to us straight from the show.
Yes, the format has the winning family play Fast Money to add $20,000 to the jackpot and the final two families play to 400 to win the PCH jackpot.
It sounds like the same format used for all the other Big Money tournaments (don’t know what all the confusion is about). This one has more money.
Yeah…what is everybody talking about? It’s the same way it’s always been. A Fast Money win adds $20,000 to the jackpot and the final match is winner-take-all.
In previous tourneys at least during John O’Hurley’s run of the show, there was no starting point to the jackpot. But as of this tournament, the jackpot starts at $40,000.
Yes I know that but all these comments are from people saying that the winner is guaranteed $160,000 and that Fast Money is only played in the finals. I guess somebody had it backwards…
Oh well. So much for an improved version of the tournament…
I thought Family Feud had a Tournament for families that participated in 5 shows??
Do they plan on doing this?
I think they had this back in the Ray Combs era. Not since then.
I think the tourney is great and fun to watch so far! Jackpot up to $120,000 so far, so it looks like big money is on the line in Tuesdays finale!
Thanks for all the comments and for watching the tourney…Great way to kick off 2013. Happy New Year!
The Fast Money rounds are obviously wayyyy easier than usual. I guess because the show isn’t fronting the money.
Loved the Hutchinson family, glad they won. Looks like a very tight knit family. Way to go, I was with you guys all the way!
I was pulling for the Speegle family, but if they couldn’t win, I am happy that it was the Hutchinson family who did win.
Don’t worry Steve, by far you have Drew Carry, and all the rest named on Jan. 11th 2013 show,
hands down on who is the best dressed man, not only on
family fued, but all other shows. Believe me, I am 69 years old and I know a well dressed man when I see one and you are that man.