"Ladies and gentlemen, these four players are about to make instant decisions under pressure. Only the last survivor will win the game and all the money on Pass the Buck!"

"Pass the Buck" went almost completely unnoticed in its initial run, but gained a small cult following from reruns during GSN's "dark period."

The game begins with four players, one a returning champion. Bill announces the category, which might be based on factual answers ("Games played with a ball") or that have to rely on the offstage judge's opinion ("What you do when you're sick"). The bank starts at $100, and the contestants, one at a time, give an answer. Every right answer adds $25 to the bank. Play continues with a question until one contestant gives a wrong or unacceptable answer. The next player down the line can "knock out" the wrong player with the correct answer. If that contestant gives a wrong answer, the next contestant can knock out both players with a correct answer. If that person gives a wrong answer, the last remaining contestant can knock out all three opponents with a right answer. If all four contestants give consecutive wrong answers, the question is thrown out.

Every eliminated contestant sits in the "bullpen" for the remainder of the game. The winner receives all the money that has accumulated in the bank and plays "Fast Bucks" for $5,000.

"Fast Bucks" is played with four "levels." The first level hides four answers. Bill reads a subject, and the contestant has 15 seconds to give as many answers as possible. If s/he reveals any answer hidden on the board, it's worth $100, but revealing all four pays $5,000. If the contestant fails to reveal all four answers, s/he moves to the next level, played identically with the exception that there are only three answers hidden. If the contestant still can't do this, there is a third level with two hidden answers and a fourth with one hidden answer. If the contestant fails to reveal any answers on a level the game stops right there.

If the "Fast Bucks" round is won, the contestant faces three new challengers. If not the three losing contestants come back for the next game, and continue to do so until one of them wins "Fast Bucks" (so theoretically you could amass a small fortune without ever winning the bonus).
Despite being short-lived, this game gets rave reviews from most fans who have seen it on GSN. The game is obviously easy to play along with, and visually spectacular. There aren't a lot of 1970s game shows that could still safely use the same set today.

Bill is enjoying this show for the same reason he enjoyed "Eye Guess": the format is so simple that they would run out of things to ask if Bill didn't commit some time to completely goofing off. The occasional "desperation answer" (a contestant gives an incredibly stupid wrong answer just to avoid getting the buzzer) was always good for humor, as was the end game, when Bill enjoyed giving some possible humorous answers after it was all over.