This game is originally created by Bill McDee, and it has inspired me to test this game out, but I've made some changes.
Based on the nucleus of the classic card game of "higher" and "lower" that aired on NBC from 1978-1981, and CBS from 1986-1989, and the Bill Rafferty syndicated version, Card Sharks "Plus" is called this, because several new games and features have been added to enhance gameplay even further. I will explain how it works based on my idea of how the show would be "segmented" on a major tv network during nighttime. Contestants could win up to $250,000 per show, and possibly more.
Two players, one a returning champion, will each have their own standard deck of 52 playing cards that will be shuffled and cut before the game begins. The top 5 cards from each deck will be dealt face down on the gameboard. The top row of cards in red will be played by the returning champion, while the bottom row of cards in blue will be played by the new challengers.
In the HI LO SHOWDOWN, both players must play the 5 cards dealt, they are unable to freeze or change any cards in this round. The champion's base card is shown first and then s/he is asked to predict if the next card will be higher or lower. A correct call is worth $50, an incorrect call is obviously worth $0. Then the challenger's base card is turned over and s/he is asked "higher or lower". Correct calls are as follows:
- Base Card - Shown, no money for that
2nd Card = $50
3rd Card = $100
4th Card = $150
5th Card = $200
Four correct predictions would yield $500. Play alternates between red and blue until the final card. The player who is trailing gets to go first on the final card. If there is a tie, then red goes first. Both players keep all cash won in the HI LO SHOWDOWN, but if one player scores higher than the other, the high scorer wins a $500 bonus as well as a BONUS BAR. The BONUS BAR may be used during match play to change a base card, even if that player did not win a toss-up question. If the BONUS BAR is not used during match play and is carried over to the MONEY CARDS, it can be used to change one extra card. If it's not used at the MONEY CARDS, it then gives the player an additional Joker to use at the JACKPOT CARDS. If there is a duplicate, a double, no money is won (i.e. Lower than a queen and the next card is another queen). If the HI LO SHOWDOWN ends in a tie score, neither player wins the $500 bonus nor the bonus bar, but keep whatever money they won up until the end of the game.
Game #1 of the best 2 out of 3 match is played. The winner of each game wins $500. A maximum of 4 toss up questions are asked, the 4th and final question bringing on sudden death, where somebody has to win on that play of the cards, and the questions are based on surveys of people, usually 100, and it tests players' ability to judge human nature. The red player, the champion is asked the question and asked to give a numeric answer. Once that's done, the blue player is then asked if the correct answer is higher or lower than the answer given by his/her opponent. Turns alternate after each question, meaning blue is asked to give a number and red asked to predict higher or lower than blue's guess, etc. The winner of that toss up question then gets to play their cards. The player winning the toss-up always has the choice of keeping the base card shown, or changing it with the next card from the top of his/her deck. A player may freeze their board at any time if they have an undesirable card. Freezing protects their position, and prevents their opponent from playing their own cards. The first player to get to the end of the board in game #1 wins it, $500, and a chance at a mini-bonus game called "RUN FOR THE MONEY".
Let's not also forget that in addition to the regular deck of 52 playing cards, there are also 12 additional cards in the deck, in which 6 of them are Cash Cards ($500-$5000 in $500 increments), and the other 6 are Prize Cards. They can win up 5 cash/prize cards on their side of the board. However, in order to win any of the bonuses, they must win the game.
During Segment 2, and right after Game 1 of the match is done, all the cards are cleared off, and 5 new cards are dealt out for the winner of Game #1 from the top of his/her same deck. Similar to the HI LO SHOWDOWN, the player must correctly call cards high or low. The payout is now $300 for Card #2, $400 for Card #3, $800 for Card #4, and $1,000 for Card #5. Any money won is theirs to keep, but if they call all 4 correctly, without any doubles, they win the RUN FOR THE MONEY Jackpot which starts at $10,000 and grows by $5,000 per show until won.
- 3 Money Cards called right - $7,500
4 Money Cards called right - $10,000
5 Money Cards called right - $15,000
6 Money Cards called right - $20,000
Get all 7 Money Cards called right (a tie is not counted as a correct call) - $50,000 (+ $5,000 for each show it's not won or not played for, until won).
The additional jackpots for the RUN FOR THE MONEY and JACKPOT CARDS games are more of the "plusses" to CARD SHARKS PLUS. If a player busts on the MONEY CARDS at the BIG BET, or if they predict less than 3 cards correctly at the MONEY CARDS, they are disqualified from having a chance to play the JACKPOT CARDS, and the losing contestant from the match gets a chance to play them instead for a $2,000 added consolation prize.
StrangerCoug - $114,850
Shiidaji
Lord Mhork
puzzledan
If you want to play, PM me your cut of the deck of cards from 0 to 51. Also, to anyone who has ideas of opening poems, PM me as well. I may use it for the beginning of each show.
Champion's Cards:
Challenger's Cards:
Money Cards:
With that in mind, I need 2 players.