Double Play was one of the gameplay elements on Wheel of Fortune.
History[]
Double Play was introduced on September 4, 1995 at the start of Season 13. Normally located on the blue $300 in Round 2 where it was introduced, on the pink $300 for the Round 3 Wheel template (sometimes the pink $200), and then on the pink $200 for the Round 4 Wheel template. The token could be used before any turn to double the value of the next spin.
In some early episodes, Double Play was placed on random spots in Round 2, though if Free Spin was claimed in Round 1, it would usually be placed over Free Spin's then-normal spot of the purple $200 next to Lose a Turn (if Free Spin was claimed in the former round). It was also sometimes placed on the tan $200 between $500 and $550 in that round if Surprise was claimed by that point.
If Double Play was used before hitting Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, the penalty had no additional effect but the token was considered wasted. If it was used before hitting a Prize wedge, Surprise, or Free Spin, Pat would immediately return the token to the player (except for one episode where this could not be done due to the Final Spin occurring immediately after). However, it was successfully used on February 8, 1996 to double the value of the $10,000 Wedge.
Unlike most other special wedges and tokens, but similar to the Star Bonus, the Double Play was not lost if a contestant hit Bankrupt while holding it.
Double Play was retired at the end of Season 13, making it one of the shorter-lived elements. It was likely retired due to its low success rate, as most contestants either used it on low-valued spins or penalty wedges, or failed to use it at all. Despite this, the original incarnation of the Facebook game used it under the name "Double Bucks"..