11 Secrets About Game Shows That You Probably Never Knew

What's it actually like to be on a game show? Take a peek behind door number two to find out!

1. It's gonna take a while for you to get your "cash prize."

Via youngmunchkin.tumblr.com

If you win money on Cash Cab, you don't actually get cash! You get a check in the mail instead. But you know, Money Later Cab doesn't have the same kind of ring to it.

2. Size is all an illusion!

JEOPARDY!

Ever notice how everyone is the same height on Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune? That's because the contestants all stand on platforms that are lowered and raised to make sure everyone is at a uniform height.

3. Seriously. It really is an illusion.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE, (2007), 1975-. © Sony Pictures TV / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Think the wheel in Wheel of Fortune is huge? It really isn't. The diameter is only about six feet.

4. When you "win," you actually "lose." (Money, that is.)

Via reactiongifs.com

So you won that really awesome car from The Price Is Right? Hope you had some money saved up, because you're still going to have to pay for those pesky taxes.

5. There is a market for reselling your prizes!

Monty Brinton / CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

After you win The Price Is Right, there are people waiting outside to buy your prizes. But don't expect them to pay the face value. In fact, most of the products on the show have inflated prices, so you're going to sell your prizes for significantly less than what they're worth.

6. Filming for a week's worth of shows happens in a day.

Studiove / Via studiove.com

At least that happens for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Pat Sajak and Vanna White take a short 15- to 20-minute break in between shows to change their wardrobe, and then they're right back to the game!

7. You are escorted everywhere when you're not filming.

Via ohmagif.com

Contestants on The Weakest Link have to be escorted to the bathroom during filming. Cheating is a thing! (And it can be done in the bathroom.)

8. The "surprise" contestants know what they're getting into.

Getty Images / WireImage

So did you think all the people in Cash Cab were just random people who wanted to hail a cab? Some of them were... but a lot of them were recruited! Scouts would find contestants by going to pub trivia nights around NYC and recruit them to be on the show!

9. You shouldn't always trust the audience.

Getty Images / Handout

In the American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, using the Ask the Audience lifeline is usually a good way to get the right answer. The majority is correct for the most part. This is not true in some international versions of the show! Some people provide the wrong answer intentionally! These trends were found in the French and Russian versions.

10. Don't expect to take a prop home from the show.

Monty Brinton / CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc.

Especially if it was your winning Plinko chip from The Price Is Right. There are only 10 in existence in the entire world because they're extremely expensive to make.

11. Phoning a friend is a really big hassle.

Warner Bros. Studio / Via televandalist.com

In Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, setting up "phone-a-friend" is a real big pain. You have to find five people with LANDLINES, and they have to be available ALL DAY. It's a good way to find out who your real friends are. ;)

All facts (sans #9) provided by actual contestants.

And did you know that game show hosts should only host game shows?