The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial in Comedy.
According to John Amos, the cutaway shot of him laughing during the poker game was not scripted. He had genuinely broken up in response to one of Ted Knight's ad-libs.
Lou and Mary talk on the phone with Lou's friend, Mike Cooper, who is waiting for Lou in Las Vegas. Mike Cooper appeared in the season 2 episode, "I Am Curious Cooper," in which Lou fixes him up with Mary.
The title is taken from the sports adage, "It's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game!"