Card Sharks (2001)

This is chronicling the ill-fated 2001 revival **Card Sharks**.

## Game format

### Main game

The gameplay was drastically different from the successful incarnations of the 1970s and 1980s. Four players competed, two at a time, in a best-of-three match. Each round used a single row of seven cards.

Perhaps the most jarring difference was the lack of survey, educated guess, and "10 audience members" questions used on the previous versions; instead, one player started the game in control of the cards and kept control as long as they kept guessing correctly. An incorrect guess passed control over to the other player unless it was on the last card of the row, when it meant an automatic loss for the player who guessed it wrong.

All four players were given two "Clip Chip" tokens to start the game, and if one of them wanted to change the card in play they would place the token in a slot on their podium. A video clip would play, with one of three possible options:

* A situation (a la *Candid Camera* or *Street Smarts*) which was stopped before its resolution.
* Someone introduces himself/herself and then asks which of two others he/she is associated with.
* Someone trying to list answers related to a topic within 10 seconds, or sing the correct lyrics to an obscure song.

Correctly predicting the outcome of the clip allowed the contestant to change the card, while an incorrect answer did not.

Each game was worth $500. As before, two games were needed to win the match. The winner received a total of $1,000. The loser received an Argus digital camera as a consolation prize in addition to the $500 if they won a game.

The third game, if necessary, was played similar to the tiebreaker on the original *Card Sharks* with three cards. The difference, other than the fact that there was only one row of cards used, was that no Clip Chips could be used.

The two match winners then squared off in the Big Deal, one final row of seven cards. Clip Chips, if the players had any left, were still in play. Whoever won this final showdown won an additional $1,100 and advanced to the Money Cards. The loser of the Big Deal won a consolation trip to Las Vegas in addition to their previous $1,000.

### Money Cards

This version's Money Cards differed from the original three versions.

The Money Cards board was pyramid-shaped. Three rows of cards (three cards on the bottom row, two cards in the middle and one card on the top) were dealt, with the last card on the top row called the "Major Wager" (an updated version of the "Big Bet" seen in earlier versions).

The day's champion's $2,100 were equally divided among each of the three rows ($700 per row).

Just as in the original NBC version, the winning contestant can change the base card on each row.

The contestant began with $700 on the bottom row. The top card from the deck was placed at the start of the row and shown to the contestant, who then made a wager based on whether he/she thought the next card was higher or lower, with a minimum wager of $100. Wagering continued until the contestant played the three cards on the bottom row or busted.

The last card on the bottom row was moved to the left of the middle row and the contestant received an additional $700. The contestant then played the next two cards as he/she did on the first row, wagering as he/she went along.

The last card in the middle row was placed next to the card on the top row for the final bet, the "Major Wager", and the contestant received an additional $700. The minimum bet on this card was at least half of the contestant's current total. The maximum total possible was $51,800.

Contestants could only change the base card on each row. A tie (push) originally returned the amount wagered to the contestant (as had been the case since late 1980), but it was later changed to a loss (from 1978-late 1980). If a contestant busted on the final card, he/she received $700 as a consolation prize. The most money ever won on this version was $27,450.

Unlike the earlier versions, the games were self-contained, starting with the semifinals and ending with the Money Cards. In addition, there were no returning champions and no car games.

## Trivia

Despite it's super short run, this version of *Card Sharks* did a week of special shows featuring men & women of police and firefighters called America's Heroes, to celebrate the police and firefighters of 9/11.

## Links

A Review of the Card Sharks 2000 Pilot (via Internet Archive)
Card Sharks (Bullard) @ Jay Anton

"ACE IS HIGH, DEUCE IS LOW, PLAY THE CARDS, WIN THE DOUGH" Endless Games Adds Card Sharks to Its Line of Retro Games

CARD SHARKS: The Board Game!! @ Game Show Galaxy (via Internet Archive)

Game Show Board Games: Card Sharks

Card Sharks (instructions) @ Endless Games