Card Sharks - General Discussion

[opus]

This show used to have a topic, but it disappeared.

So now it has one again.

Edited July 20, 2019 by opus

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

Not a fan of the changes they've made. I preferred two five-card games with a three-card game as the tiebreaker. One big game makes it more likely one contestant will go on a big run and wrap it up quickly.

[suebee12]

Please tell me I misunderstood how old the younger boyfriend was! I ran the recording back twice and I swear she said he was 10 years younger than she was and that he was 15......that couldn't have been right because later she said he had his driver's license.  Please tell me I misunderstood!

[Maverick]

That whole thing was weird.  She seemed perturbed every time Joel brought it up.  Bitch, you're the one that went on live TV and bragged about cradle robbing.  

I think he was 10 years younger but it was Joel that said "so he's 15" basically saying she looked so young that 10 years younger had to be on the illegal side. 

[opus]

I just finished that ep. I believe she's 35 and he's 25.

[lynxfx]

Are guys required to be over 6'5" to be on this show? I swear there have been a string of super tall guys and usually paired with really short women. 

[opus]

A flaw I find in the game is that it seems to come down to whoever wins control of the final question wins the game (I haven’t officially tracked this, but it feels that way.)

Oh, and quick question. Do you win $10,000 to keep no matter for winning the main game, or just $10,000 to bet with ?

Edited August 19, 2019 by opus

[Maverick]

Just the $10k to bet with. 

[Swenson]

Ok.....what are you supposed to do if you have to predict the next card to be higher or lower.... and it's the same value.....seems to me it would be a push and the player would have to re-guess rather than lose the round because you would lose either way.  Saw this happen twice.  On one, the contestant has a six....guesses higher,. next card is a six,.  it ends the round....same player wins control...wants a new top card,  it's a six......if you're superstitious....I would think that's a bad sign.

[Carey]

On 10/15/2020 at 2:13 AM, Swenson said:

Ok.....what are you supposed to do if you have to predict the next card to be higher or lower.... and it's the same value.....seems to me it would be a push and the player would have to re-guess rather than lose the round because you would lose either way.  Saw this happen twice.  On one, the contestant has a six....guesses higher,. next card is a six,.  it ends the round....same player wins control...wants a new top card,  it's a six......if you're superstitious....I would think that's a bad sign.

On the original version of Card Sharks (the actual original version, not the classic revival from the 80s), during the bonus round (Money Cards), someone actually had four consecutive cards of the same value.  I think it was a mid card, so the contestant survived.  Cards off the same value counted against the player in the 70s, whereas in the 80s it was a push.  No win, no loss, but no do-overs either.

On that note, cards of the same value would be the Card Sharks equivalent of a "Lose A Turn" that WoF has.  While you'd be bailed out (or robbed from a big win with an ace, deuce or King) in the end game, not so much in the main game.  Unless McHale, Mullen, and company changed the rules, that would be the case in the current version.  It sucks; though I don't think I would say "Another six" as opposed to "higher-lower" in the game.  I've never seen anyone do it (definitely can't recall it).  I actually asked a long time ago about that; not that anyone would do it on television, it isn't allowed I was told.  I should be a re-do; that I agree.  Maybe for the final run to determine a champion, but not before that 

[Swenson]

It just looks really dumb to have the contestant guess higher or lower if the value is equal and no matter what they say they lose.  Don't they have time to rehearse this game before they tape to make sure it actually works?   Unwatchable.   One thing is for sure....any numbskull can play this....it's just all luck.....the contestants will never show any guts and bet against the odds.   

Edited October 19, 2020 by Swenson

[lynxfx]

16 hours ago, Swenson said:

It just looks really dumb to have the contestant guess higher or lower if the value is equal and no matter what they say they lose.  Don't they have time to rehearse this game before they tape to make sure it actually works?   Unwatchable.   One thing is for sure....any numbskull can play this....it's just all luck.....the contestants will never show any guts and bet against the odds.   

It is luck in the same way that Deal or no Deal was. There have been people that played against the odds last season. The same card is like hitting a 0 or 00 in roulette. Pretty crazy how many happened that first episode. Glad they made it a push for the final round. I can't remember if that was the same last season.

Wow that first contestant Rhea needed a mop below her. I have never seen someone sweat so much, then she cried and added more dripping to her face. It was funny after the break she was all powdered back up which lasted about 10 seconds. 

[Swenson]

And the male contestant from the second match should be invited back because he lost his match on that equal value card glitch where he couldn't have been right either way.   And the lady players deck seemed awfully perfectly laid out in easy hi lo calls.

At least "Deal" has the basic strategy of making as much money off a potentially low value case as possible.   It's a minefield of doubt compared to the brainless money cards played here.

[opus]

I’ve always thought they should have a “same value” option call, but mostly to see if anyone would actually be brave enough to use it.

[853fisher]

The pushes were a bit of a bummer but I enjoyed the show anyway.  The small changes made to the set since last year looked good.  One thing I appreciate about the new version compared to the old ones is that the tossup questions seem less politically charged.  They make for an interesting time capsule from the 70s and 80s when watching those, but I tend to be watching TV for respite from current affairs, so I appreciate that there seem to be fewer questions about serious social issues and so on today.

It would've been a great kindness to give Rhea a handkerchief to blot herself with, poor thing.  Her guests would also have driven me up the wall.  Make all the faces you want, clap and cheer when I've made my decision, but cool it while I'm reasoning it out.  Still, they didn't seem to hurt her, she did well!

[saber5055]

How much income does a contestant have to have already at home, in the bank, in a 401K, in stocks, bonds and stuffed under a mattress to not leave with $200,000 when given the opportunity while confronted with one last mid-deck card, and then bet and lose and be all hey, it's okay, I got $40,000.

That just staggered my brain. Especially when you figure the take home after taxes was maybe $25,000.

[Taeolas]

I think she felt she talked herself into it, with the earlier prognostication about getting 360k. So she felt she was 'committed' to getting that amount by that point, which forced the 160k bet. 

Were I playing, at 200k, I probably still would've played the numbers to get to 300k, but I certainly wouldn't have gone over the 50% bet at that point. 100k is still a hell of a lot, and 300k is a hell of a lot more. 

The second game, that guy certainly played it smarter and was well rewarded for it. 

[dmeets]

I wish they'd show the decks being shuffled, because at this point I'm convinced the decks are deliberately stacked with multiple pairs of cards in a row in both decks, to prevent a contestant making a run all the way through after just the first or second round. It just seems to happen way too often.

[Taeolas]

Getting a pair of cards from a random deck of cards isn't that rare. My probability math skills are a bit rough, but basically looking at the first 2 cards, your chance of getting a pair is basically 3/51 or 1/17 which is about 5%. Over a run of 10 cards, there is roughly a 5% chance that 2 in a row will pair up, which will make it quite likely by the end of the run. It feels like it should be rarer, but in actuality it isn't that rare.

[bmasters9]

On 10/19/2020 at 5:49 PM, lynxfx said:

Glad they made it a push for the final round. I can't remember if that was the same last season.

It was not-- it was modeled after the first two years or so of the original NBC Jim Perry version (same card was an incorrect guess and loss of money, and many lost everything [busted] to such things [especially on aces and deuces]); that was changed in late 1980 to where cards that were the same neither benefited nor penalized the player (as Bob Eubanks would explain it on CBS when that happened, "Push-- no win, no loss"), and such is the format now.

[opus]

Late scheduling preemption tonight for an Alex Trebek tribute.

[saber5055]

I could not figure out the thinking in last night's game. Paris had control of the board at the end, but she gave the game to Madison to play out instead of taking it herself to win. Madison's card was a queen; Paris's card was an eight. If Paris changed her card and played, she might have won. Or she might have lost and the game would have gone to Madison as winner. 

My problem was, by not even TRYING to win, Paris handed the game to Madison. Yeah, Paris might have called a wrong card and Madison would have won anyway. But the odds of Madison starting with a queen and having less cards to call to get to the ending win, those odds were in Madison's favor IMO.

Others might disagree, but it bugged me.

[Taeolas]

I think Paris made the right choice in her game, but it is basically a 50/50 chance. With 3 cards to go to the end, that's JUST far enough that trying to go the distance is a bit risky. 

On the other hand, her opponent had a really high starting card, which effectively made her 2 cards away from the win. 

But on the gripping hand, she had a middling card to start with the cover the same distance. Even if she changed it, chances are she'd still be stuck in the middle, and still had 3 cards to go. 

Really, either choice she made would be fair and justifiable in that situation. And it did nearly pay off for her; her opponent had a 7-8 streak at the end so basically won with a coin flip as well. 

[Swenson]

Yeah....I prefer the older best two of three match play setup they did on the Jim Perry/Bob Eubanks versions.  And I guess 40 years later, the money is much more generous....seeing that the money cards used to begin with $200.  So the lady who won $11,000 on the Eubanks version, that was a pretty big win....and you didn't have the option to not play the big bet card at the end.

I realize the show is an hour long so they really drag things out....the dramatic music,  the annoying contestants over celebrating every single successful call....really subtracts from it.  The faster paced shows from the 70s and 80s are more fun to watch.  Those episodes can still be seen daily on Buzzr.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Swenson

[Taeolas]

Seeing that clip of the older show made me realize how much I'd prefer a 3 rounds of a 4 or 5 card sprint instead of the current single round winner take all. Especially since it gives both players more of a chance to play. (Unlike last year when one person had a lucky streak of cards and ran the board on the first card IIRC) 

 

In the second  game, I loved the guy's father more than anyone else I think. He was really getting into it, even in the money round for the other player.

[opus]

12 hours ago, Swenson said:

So the lady who won $11,000 on the Eubanks version, that was a pretty big win....and you didn't have the option to not play the big bet card at the end.

I got curious so I looked up what $11,000 in 1988 would  be equivalent to today and it seems to be in the $24,000 range.

[853fisher]

I like Joel, and still think the show is pleasant to have on while I'm folding laundry or filing my nails, but I think we've gotten as much mileage as possible out of the shark jokes now.

[bmasters9]

On 1/18/2021 at 12:42 AM, Swenson said:

Yeah....I prefer the older best two of three match play setup they did on the Jim Perry/Bob Eubanks versions.  And I guess 40 years later, the money is much more generous....seeing that the money cards used to begin with $200.  So the lady who won $11,000 on the Eubanks version, that was a pretty big win....and you didn't have the option to not play the big bet card at the end.

Even so, that is counterbalanced well, IMO, by that fact that the Big Bet only required that you bet at least half of what you had to that point (one of the best rules a game show ever had, IMO, due to that fact that sometimes your Big Bet card might not have been the best in the deck [a 7 or 8 or 9], and the half-bet rule was a safeguard against losing it all [of course, from 1978-80 on NBC w/Jim Perry, and for the first go on today's ABC show w/Joel McHale, even if it was the best card in the deck, or one of the best, too many players got burned by going all in and busting out due to doubles, meaning same card as previous, and so, I would have bet just over the half I had to bet in those cases, instead of going all in]).

[Giuseppe]

On 1/18/2021 at 12:42 AM, Swenson said:

I realize the show is an hour long so they really drag things out....the dramatic music,  the annoying contestants over celebrating every single successful call....really subtracts from it.  The faster paced shows from the 70s and 80s are more fun to watch.  Those episodes can still be seen daily on Buzzr.

I was coming here to say this same thing. I never saw this new version of Card Sharks until last night, but I got kinda hooked on the 80s version over the past year while working from home due to Covid and watching the Buzzr channel (bring back Classic Concentration!!!). I decided to check out the new show and realized I wasn't gonna make it past the first commercial break for all the reasons you stated. The fast pace of the contestant's shouting "higher!" "lower!" "Freeze!" is a lot more fun than them having them ask the family members "what should I do? Should I play?", set to overdramatic music, and then having a damn near party after every time they guess right. There's just no reason for this show to be an hour long.

[opus]

On 6/24/2021 at 9:11 PM, Giuseppe said:

There's just no reason for this show to be an hour long.

In their defense, it is two completely separate episodes back to back. I record it and watch each on different days. Keeps it more fresh to me, and the half hour goes by pretty fast. Maybe because I FF the commercials.

Edited June 27, 2021 by opus

[Giuseppe]

12 hours ago, opus said:

In their defense, it is two completely separate episodes back to back.

Oh is it? Wow, well in that case I really don't understand why they need to do all the tedious dragging out. But as i said, I didn't last past the first commercial break, lol. I guess if they're just doing one match per game, it makes sense. But it's still annoying!

[Taeolas]

It's slower because it's 1 and done in each episode.

The original format had a best of 3 rounds, with 5 card streaks I think? And maybe 3 questions per round or something. 

So there was a lot more card flipping and questions, and less agonizing over the choices.