Duel (UK Game Show) - Format

Format

Each 'Duel' consisted of two players, who each began the game with 10 poker chips, which in turn each have the same monetary value. They were asked multiple-choice general knowledge questions without time limits, each with four possible answers, one of which was correct. The players were asked to select the answer they believed to be correct; if they were unsure, however, they were permitted to cover up to four answers with their chips, to ensure that they had a chip on the right answer when revealed. Once satisfied they had done so, each player was asked to confirm their answer by pressing the 'Lock Down' button, at which point the further placement or removal of chips was halted. Players retained chips placed on correct answers. Each chip placed on a wrong answer was collected by the house and added £1,000 to the rolling jackpot, which began at a base £100,000.

Each player also had two 'Accelerators' (similar to the 'press' in the U.S. version of the show) at their disposal. If used, an Accelerator forced their opponent to answer any given question within seven (observant viewers will note it was actually eight) seconds of it being pressed ; when those seven seconds expired, any marked answers were automatically 'locked down'. Players had to 'lock down' before playing an Accelerator, however; doing so before 'locking down' resulted in the immediate sounding of a short harsh error-tone played twice quickly and the accelerator being wasted (in the US and French versions, using an accelerator before locking in will result in an automatic lock-in and the accelerator will be played). If they still had their second accelerator available, Hancock would inform the player that they could still lock down and play the other accelerator if they wish.

At any point in the game, if a player did not cover the correct answer, the 'Duel' was over. If both contestants were wrong on the same question, they were both eliminated.

If a player won their 'Duel', they played again with a new opponent, whom they selected from three candidates.

For the first four shows of the series, after a second consecutive 'Duel' victory, the contestant was presented with two choices: to leave for a cash sum or to play on (entitled Cash or Chips). They were asked to randomly select one of two chips, which, once turned over, were marked "£" - representing a fixed total (worth £10,000 for two 'Duel' victories, £20,000 for three) and "%" - (worth 10% of the rolling jackpot for two 'Duel' victories, 20% of the jackpot for three - although money was never deducted from the jackpot total). The player then decided whether to bail out with the money offered to them or to continue their game, with the potential to increase their winnings should they successfully complete their next 'Duel'. If a contestant elected to leave the game, the two potential opponents who had waited the longest to play were automatically selected for the next Duel.

The rules were then modified (as of show five): after a second consecutive 'Duel' victory, the winning contestant was posed a bonus question via the 'Accelerator' (with seven seconds to respond), and given a further three chips to play with. The fewer chips used meant a higher guaranteed payout: £10,000 for one chip used, £5,000 for two and £2,500 for three. After a third consecutive 'Duel' victory, the rules were the same except that the values were doubled (£20,000 for one chip, and so on). Regardless of answers selected, however, the contestant played another Duel by virtue of having won the previous one. If they didn't cover the correct answer, they played on, but did not win any cash.

Four consecutive 'Duel' victories won a contestant the rolling jackpot. After this, the jackpot was reset to £100,000.

A game was said to be a 'Pure Duel' when both players were down to one chip with no accelerators left. A finished game was also known as a 'Perfect Duel' if an opponent was knocked out losing all ten chips.