View source for Card Sharks

{{short description|American television game show}}
{{About|the game show|the type of gambler|card shark|the video game|Card Shark{{!}}''Card Shark''|7=Card Shark (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date= February 2008}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Card Sharks 2019 logo.png
| runtime              = 22–26 minutes (1978–2002)<br />42–46 minutes (2019–21)<!--runtimes don't count commercials-->
| location             = {{Plainlist|
*[[The Burbank Studios|NBC Studios]]
*Burbank, California (1978–81)
*[[Television City|CBS Television City]]
*Hollywood, California (1986–89, 2019)
*[[Old Warner Brothers Studio|Tribune Studios]]
*Hollywood, California (2001–02)
*[[CBS Studio Center]]
*Studio City, California (2020–21)
}}
| creator              = [[Chester Feldman]]
| company              = {{Plainlist|
*[[Mark Goodson]]-[[Bill Todman]] Productions (1978–81)
*Mark Goodson Television Productions (1986–89)
*[[Pearson Television]] (2001–02)
*[[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]] (2019–21)
*Start Entertainment (2019–21)}}
| presenter            = {{Plainlist|
*[[Jim Perry (television personality)|Jim Perry]]
*[[Bob Eubanks]]
*[[Bill Rafferty]]
*[[Pat Bullard]]
*[[Joel McHale]]
}}
| announcer            = {{Plainlist|
*[[Gene Wood]]
*[[Gary Kroeger]]
*[[Donna Jay Fulks]]
<!--no reason to include substitutes-->
}}
| starring             = {{plainlist|
*[[Ann Pennington (model)|Ann Pennington]]
*Janice Baker
*[[Lois Hamilton|Lois Aurino]]
*Kristin Bjorklund
*Melinda Hunter
*[[Markie Post]]
*Lacey Pemberton
*Suzanna Williams
*Tami Roman
*Jerry Wolf
*Alexis Gaube
}}
| director             = {{Plainlist|
*[[Paul Alter]] (1978–79, 1986)<ref name="eotvgs">{{cite book|last1=Schwartz|first1=David|last2=Ryan|first2=Steve|last3=Wostbrock|first3=Fred|title=The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000schw|url-access=limited|edition=3|year=1999|publisher=Facts on File, Inc.|isbn=0-8160-3846-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaoftv0000schw/page/35 35]}}</ref>
*[[Marc Breslow]] (1979–89)<ref name="eotvgs"/>
*R. Brian DiPirro (2001–02)<ref name="imdb 2001">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0292770/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Card Sharks 2001 cast and crew|work=[[IMDb]]|access-date=17 January 2015}}</ref>
*Lenn Goodside (2019–21)}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|
*[[Score Productions]] (1978–81)
*[[Edd Kalehoff]] (1978–89)<ref name="eotvgs"/>
*Alan Ett, [[Scott Liggett (music producer)|Scott Liggett]], Gregory V. Sherman (2001–02)<ref name="imdb 2001"/>
*Tim Mosher & Stoker (2019–21)}}
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
*Chester Feldman (1978–89)
*Jonathan Goodson (1986–89)
*Scott St. John (2019–21)
*Jennifer Mullin (2019–21)
*Jack Martin (2019)
*Joel McHale (2019–21)}}
| producer             = {{Plainlist|
*[[Jonathan Goodson]] (1978–81)
*Mimi O'Brien (1986–89)
*Michael Malone (2001–02)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2197093/|title=Michael Malone|work=IMDb|access-date=17 January 2015}}</ref>}}
| country              = United States
| network              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1978|4|24}}
| num_episodes         = {{Plainlist|
*864 (NBC)
*826 (CBS)<ref>{{cite web|title=Y2Play on Game Show Network|url=http://www.everything2000.com/news/events/y2play2.asp|work=Everything2000.com|access-date=2014-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222171452/http://www.everything2000.com/news/events/y2play2.asp|archive-date=2014-02-22|url-status=dead }}</ref>
*195 (1986–87 Syn.)
*65 (2001–02 Syn.) 
*21 (ABC)}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1981|10|23}}
| network2             = [[CBS]]
| first_aired2         = {{Start date|1986|1|6}}
| last_aired2          = {{End date|1989|3|31}}
| network3             = [[Television syndication|Syndication]]
| first_aired3         = {{Start date|1986|9|8}}
| last_aired3          = {{End date|1987|6|5}}
| first_aired4         = {{Start date|2001|9|17}}
| last_aired4          = {{End date|2002|1|11}}
| network5             = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired5         = {{Start date|2019|6|12}}
| last_aired5          = {{End date|2021|7|7}}
| based_on             = [[Acey deucey (card game)|Acey deucey]]
}}

'''''Card Sharks''''' is an American television [[game show]]. It was created by [[Chester Feldman]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Petski |first1=Denise |title=Card Sharks' & 'Press Your Luck' Game Show Revivals Ordered By ABC |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/card-sharks-press-your-luck-revivals-ordered-abc-1202575194/ |website=Deadline |date=13 March 2019|access-date=30 June 2020}}</ref> for [[Mark Goodson]]-[[Bill Todman]] Productions. Contestants attempt to predict the outcome of survey questions to gain control of a row of oversized [[playing card]]s, then determine whether the next card drawn is higher or lower. The title ''Card Sharks'' is a play on the term "[[card sharp]],” a person skilled at card games.

The concept has been made into a series four separate times since its debut in 1978, and it also appeared as part of CBS's ''[[Gameshow Marathon (American game show)|Gameshow Marathon]]''. The show originally ran on [[NBC]] from 1978 to 1981 with [[Jim Perry (television personality)|Jim Perry]] hosting. The show returned and ran from 1986 to 1989 on [[CBS]] with [[Bob Eubanks]] as host, accompanied by a [[television syndication|syndication]] production with [[Bill Rafferty]]. [[Gene Wood]] was the announcer in both the 1970s and 1980s. Another syndicated production aired in 2001 with [[Pat Bullard]] as host and [[Gary Kroeger]] as announcer. A revival hosted by [[Joel McHale]] aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from June 2019 to July 2021. Each production has featured various assistants to handle the playing cards.

Reruns of the older versions currently air on [[Buzzr]].

==Gameplay==
{{update|section|date=June 2019|reason=Rules for the 2019 version of the show need to be explained in detail}}
Two contestants are assigned separate oversized decks of 52 [[playing card]]s, which the contestants themselves cut before each game (offscreen prior to 2019), and are dealt the first several cards for their row. The champion (or champion-designate if there were two new contestants) played the red cards on top, while the challenger played the blue cards on the bottom. Each contestant's row of cards had a bracket atop it with their name on it, which was used to mark their "base cards". The goal is to complete a row of cards by correctly predicting whether the next is higher or lower in value, similarly to [[Acey deucey (card game)|acey deucey]].

===Main round===
Contestants alternately respond to questions to gain control of the cards. In all versions from 1978 to 1989, the returning champion was usually selected to go first; if there were two new contestants, a backstage coin toss determined the player who sits in the champion's position. The 2019 revival instead has both contestants cut their decks onstage and show the resulting bottom card; the contestant with the higher card goes first.

Similarly to another Goodson-Todman game show, ''[[Family Feud]]'', survey questions are posed to groups of 100 people, all of whom are typically in a common demographic group. (For example, "We asked 100 teachers, 'Has a student ever given you an apple?' How many said they have?"). Contestants are asked to predict how many of those 100 people responded in a specific manner. Their opponent is then asked whether he or she thinks the actual number is higher or lower than the previous contestant's response. The actual number is then revealed, and if the opponent is correct, they play their cards first; otherwise, the contestant to whom the question was posed plays first.

The contestant who wins the question is shown the first card in their row of seven (five from 1978 to 1989 and ten in the first season of the 2019 revival) and can either keep it or replace it with the next card off the top of their individual deck, which he or she is then required to play. The contestant then guesses whether the next card in the row is higher or lower and continues to do so as long as he or she guesses correctly. If the next card is the same rank as the previous, or if the contestant makes an incorrect guess, that contestant loses control, and whatever cards they have played are discarded and replaced. The opposing contestant then has a chance to play from his or her base card, without the opportunity to exchange first. Either contestant can also elect to "freeze" their position if they are unsure of the next card. This prevents the opponent from playing and resets the contestant's base card to the frozen card, and whatever cards that were turned in that instance are not discarded.

If neither contestant has guessed all the cards in his or her row correctly, or if one has frozen his or her position, play continues with another toss-up question, with the opposing contestant providing the initial numerical guess. In all versions from 1978 to 1989, as well as the ''Gameshow Marathon'' episode, the first two games consisted of a maximum of four questions each, and the third tie-breaker game contained a maximum of three questions; since 2019, only one game is played per match, with a maximum of five survey questions. If the contestants still have not cleared their row of cards prior to the last question of the round, that question is played as "sudden death." The winner of the sudden death question can either play their cards—and change their base card if they desired—or pass to their opponent, who has to play without the option to change the base card. If either contestant guesses incorrectly, their opponent automatically wins the game.

In all versions from 1978 to 1989, as well as the ''Gameshow Marathon'' episode, matches were best two-out-of-three, with the third game being played with three cards per contestant and a maximum of three high-low questions. Each game win was worth $100. The 2019 revival removes the "best two-out-of-three" aspect, with only one game now being played per match; whoever wins the game now receives $10,000 to use as a starting stake in the Money Cards.

====Rule changes====
In the 1980–1981 season, a $500 bonus was awarded to any contestant who provided the exact number of people responding to a specific question, a rule that was modified in the 1986–89 version. In the final few months of 1981, if a contestant was able to complete their row of five cards successfully without freezing or guessing wrong once, he or she won a $500 bonus. These bonuses were guaranteed regardless of the outcome of the overall match, meaning a contestant keeps the cash bonus regardless of winning or losing.

The 1986–89 version added two new varieties of questions in addition to the traditional survey questions. The traditional surveys could also be conducted with a group of ten in the studio audience who shared a characteristic (e.g., ten single women, ten security guards, ten people over 80). Because the odds of being exact were much higher (1:10 compared to 1:100), the exact guess bonus for this type of question was reduced to $100, and the group of ten shared a $100 bonus. The same poll group was used for a week's worth of episodes. The other change was to add general knowledge trivia questions into the game beginning in October 1986. Known as "educated guess questions," the contestant in control gives a numerical answer to the question, similar to a survey, but often much higher numerals that had to be posted as a Chyron on the screen instead of being on the contestant's podium. The opponent, as usual, must guess higher or lower than the answer. Exact guesses won a $500 bonus for the contestant.

The 1986–87 syndicated version introduced prize cards that were shuffled into the deck. If a card was revealed, that contestant was credited with the prize and claimed it if he or she won the game. The next card from the top of the contestant's deck replaced the prize card, and the contestant continued playing. At this time, the maximum number of questions per game was changed to a 4–3–2 format. Shortly thereafter, game #1 was also changed to a three question maximum, moving to a 3–3–2 format. However, all games reverted to the 4–4–3 format by December 1986. Also, contestants only won the prizes claimed for winning the match, or $100 if no prize cards were found during gameplay.

In 1988, the tie-breaker round changed to a single sudden death question. The controlling contestant was shown both base cards before being given the option to play the cards (and change their base card if desired) or pass to the opponent (who had to play without changing). As before, if either contestant guessed incorrectly, their opponent automatically won the match.

The 2019 version added percentage questions in addition to the traditional survey questions; otherwise, gameplay remains the same. There are no cash bonuses offered for an exact guess.

===Money Cards===
The winner of the main game plays the Money Cards bonus game. The original board consisted of a series of eight cards dealt out on three levels; the 2001 revival changed this to seven cards. The champion is staked with a dollar amount before the round begins and wagers money on each card prior to calling higher or lower. A correct call adds the wager to their bank, while a miss deducts it. Prior to 2001, the player was staked with $200 prior to the round.

After calling the first three cards, the last card in the row was moved to the first position in the second row, and the contestant received an additional $200 to wager with the next three cards. The last card in the third row was moved to the first position in the top row, and the contestant made a wager for the final card. The minimum bet for each card was $50 ($100 in the 2001 revival), except for the final card, the "Big Bet" (renamed "Major Wager" for the 2001 revival), where the contestant was required to wager at least half of the money earned thus far.

If a contestant lost all the money banked ("busted") on the first row, the last card called was moved to the first position on the second row and the contestant received another $200 to wager with the final four cards. If the contestant busted after moving up to this level on either the original or 1986 series, the game ended.

If a contestant wagered their entire bank on each card and made a correct prediction each time, the maximum payout was stated to be $28,800 on the original 1970s series, $32,000 on both 1980s series, $51,800 on the 2001 series, and $640,000 on the 2019 series. As of 2021, the only contestant that has successfully achieved this feat is Norma Brown, who won $28,800 in 1978.

On the NBC version, a champion was allowed a maximum of seven wins. On the CBS series, champions were retired either by reaching five wins or surpassing the network’s winnings limit.

Starting in 2019, the player's winnings are represented in oversized $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000 chips. The board is now a single row of seven cards, with no additional money given halfway through. Players are given the chance to change any one card during the round. Players are required to physically place chips equal to their bet on a table in front of them on sections labeled "HIGHER" or "LOWER". Prior to the last card, players must bet at least $1,000 on each card. Players who reach the last card without busting are given the option to "cash out" and quit with their current winnings rather than play the final card. If they elect to play, they must gamble at least half their bank on the last card. The maximum possible payout is $640,000.

====Rule changes====
Duplicate cards were originally counted as incorrect guesses, in the same manner as in the main game. Starting on October 20, 1980, a duplicate in the Money Cards rounds was regarded as a "push"; the contestant did not lose their wager, and moved to the next card. The "push" rule remained intact until late in the 2001 revival's run. In the first season of the 2019 revival, a duplicate card was treated as an incorrect guess; in the second season, it was again treated as a push.

Initially, contestants could only change their base card on the bottom level of the board, at the start of the round. This was later altered to allow the contestant to change the base card on each new line of cards if they so desired.

During the 1986–89 version, three extra cards (known as "spare cards") were positioned to the left of the Money Cards board. These cards could be used initially any time to change an undesired card, even to change the same card multiple times, but during the run were later amended to allow only one change per line at any point in the line. The additional amount awarded for moving to the second line increased from $200 to $400. This changed the maximum potential payout to $32,000.

On the 2001 series, each winning contestant's score from the main game was divided by three; therefore, players started the round with $700 to wager with and that amount was added to their score once they reached both the second level ''and'' the Major Wager, which was a ''Card Sharks'' first.

Players can change exactly one card, anywhere on the line, in the 2019 version.

===Car games===
Beginning in the fall of 1986, champions were also given an opportunity to win a new car following the Money Cards round. The car round made its debut on the syndicated series shortly after its debut, with the daytime series adopting the round in October 1986.

In the Eubanks version, two [[Joker (playing card)|jokers]] were shuffled into the Money Cards deck. The Rafferty version had three jokers shuffled into the Money Cards deck.  If a joker was uncovered, it was replaced with the next card from the top of the deck, and the contestant was given an additional chance to win a car. To ensure the contestant had one opportunity at winning the car, they were given one free joker at the onset of the Money Cards.

Following the Money Cards, a row of seven new cards were shown to the contestant, behind one of which was the word "Car". Using the joker(s) from the Money Cards, the contestant designated the cards of their choice. If one of the cards selected revealed the word "Car", the contestant won a new vehicle in addition to any money and prizes won earlier. The same car was featured for an entire week of five shows. During the special weeks when children played, the top prize was a trip to [[Hawaii]] and the children were given two jokers to start.

In July 1988, the bonus changed to feature an audience poll question similar to those used in the main game. The contestant was read the question and registered their guess on a board with a range from zero to ten. If the contestant made a correct prediction, they won the car. If their guess was off by one, the contestant won another $500.

The daytime series had no limit on how many cars a champion could win, but the syndicated series did. Initially, winning a car meant the champion retired, but after several weeks the show began allowing champions to continue playing after winning a car. A limit was then placed on how many cars could win before retiring, with the limit eventually being set at two. The changes coincided with a changing in cars being offered; the round started out by offering high-end General Motors cars such as Cadillacs and Corvettes, later changing to mid-priced offerings like Chevrolet Camaros and Pontiac Firebirds, and then finally to various offerings from American Motors through its Renault and Jeep brands.

==Broadcast history==
===1978–1981===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2019}}
The original ''Card Sharks'' aired on [[NBC]] from April 24, 1978 to October 23, 1981, hosted by [[Jim Perry (television personality)|Jim Perry]]; it was the first new [[Goodson-Todman]] game show to debut on [[NBC]] since the end of the original ''[[Match Game]]'' in September 1969. From its debut until June 20, 1980, ''Card Sharks'' aired at 10:00 am ([[Eastern Time Zone|ET]])/9:00 am ([[Central Time Zone|CT]]/[[Mountain Time Zone|MT]]/[[Pacific Time Zone|PT]]). The series was one of the few respectably-rated programs (daytime or otherwise) on NBC under [[Fred Silverman]]'s tenure as network president, which at the time was struggling to gain ratings in both daytime and prime-time.

After a scheduling shuffle necessitated by the debut of ''[[The David Letterman Show]]'' on June 23, 1980, ''Card Sharks'' moved to noon/11:00 am, a timeslot where it first faced ''[[The Pyramid (game show)|The $20,000 Pyramid]]'', which was in its last week of its run, and then from June 30 on, the top-rated game show in daytime, ''[[Family Feud]]'' on ABC; the first half of ''[[The Young and the Restless]]'' in certain markets on CBS; and preemptions on local affiliates due to many stations electing to air local newscasts, talk shows, or other syndicated programming in the noon hour. ''Card Sharks'' remained in the noon/11:00 slot until its final episode aired on October 23, 1981.

===1986–1989===
The CBS version of ''Card Sharks'' debuted at 10:30/9:30 am January 6, 1986, as a replacement for ''[[Body Language (game show)|Body Language]]'', and stayed in that timeslot for its entire run; ''[[Press Your Luck]]'' relocated to the latter show's old 4:00/3:00 pm slot to make room for ''Card Sharks''. Until January 1987, ''Card Sharks'' faced off against its original host Jim Perry's game show ''[[Sale of the Century]]'' on NBC in the time slot; ''Sale of the Century'' was moved to 10:00 am that year. ''[[Blockbusters (American game show)|Blockbusters]]'' (with the then-host of the syndicated ''Card Sharks'', Bill Rafferty) and then Alex Trebek's ''[[Classic Concentration]]'' followed as competition for ''Card Sharks''. This version ended its run on March 31, 1989, and was replaced by a short-lived version of ''[[Now You See It (American game show)|Now You See It]]''. The new host of the CBS version was [[Bob Eubanks]]; the host of the British adaptation, [[Bruce Forsyth]], was at one point being considered for the job as well, after having a short-lived game show in the US on ABC, ''[[Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak]]'' (Forsyth would eventually host ''[[Play Your Cards Right]]'', the British adaptation of the series<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4f4b9de907392|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122034639/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4f4b9de907392|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 22, 2021|title = Play Your Cards Right (TV series)}}</ref>). [[Patrick Wayne]] was also considered for the job.

The syndicated series debuted on September 8, 1986, replacing ''[[The Price Is Right|The Nighttime Price Is Right]]''. [[Bill Rafferty]] was host of this version. For the first half of the season, this syndicated ''Card Sharks'' series had fairly decent clearances, but this changed due to the show's ratings struggles in an overcrowded syndicated game show market. At the midseason point, the syndicated ''Card Sharks'' disappeared from quite a few of its markets, while many stations that continued to air it moved it to very undesirable late-night and early morning timeslots. The series continued to air until June 5, 1987, in the markets that kept it, with re-runs airing until September 11 of that year. Plans were to replace ''Card Sharks'' with the return of the ''[[Match Game]]'' with original host [[Gene Rayburn]],<ref>''Broadcasting & Cable'', January 19, 1987</ref> but these plans never came to fruition.

===2001===
The Pat Bullard-hosted 2001 series debuted on September 17, 2001 (though as it launched the week after the [[September 11 attacks]], was subject to pre-emption by several stations for news coverage) and aired new episodes until December 14, 2001. Four weeks of re-runs aired following that, and the series was cancelled altogether on January 11, 2002. In most of its markets the 2001 ''Card Sharks'' was either paired with or aired on the same station as one or both of the [[FremantleMedia|Pearson Television]]-produced shows that were airing at the time, ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'' with [[John O'Hurley]] or ''[[Family Feud]]'' with [[Louie Anderson]].

For this version, two best-of-three matches were played per episode, each with two new contestants. No questions were asked; instead, a random draw was held backstage to determine who had initial control, with the option to pass or play after seeing the first card. A single row of seven cards was used, and a mistake by one contestant gave control to the other. Both contestants were given two "Clip Chips" at the start of the match, which could be used to allow the one in control to change the last exposed card by correctly predicting the outcome of a pre-recorded video segment. Each game was worth $500 and could be won either by a correct guess on the last card, or by default if the opponent missed it. If the contestants tied at one game each, the deciding game was played using three cards.

The winners of the two matches competed against one another in one seven-card game referred to as the "Big Deal," and could use any Clip Chips they still had. The winner received an additional $1,100, bringing their total up to $2,100, and advanced to the Money Cards. Losing contestants in either the matches or the Big Deal kept any money they had won.

For the Money Cards round, six cards were dealt out in three rows: three on the bottom row, two in the middle, one on the top. The contestant's $2,100 was divided into three equal stakes of $700, one of which was added to their total upon starting each row. Only the initial card on each row could be changed. The minimum bet was $100 for every card except the one on the top row (the "Major Wager") which required the contestant to risk at least half their total. A contestant could win up to $51,800 in this round.

===Pilot===
On October 1, 2018, a pilot for the Bullard version from 2000 was uploaded by fellow veteran game show host [[Wink Martindale]] on [[YouTube]] as part of his ongoing webseries called "Wink's Vault".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZs_Sk0KmP0 Card Sharks Pilot (2000)]</ref> On February 3, 2025; the pilot was also aired on [[Buzzr]] as part of a marathon called the "Card Sharks 40th Anninversary Morning Marathon".<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZMXuOhbXk Card Sharks - 2000 Pilot]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIJg5Souo Card Sharks: 2000 Pilot Episode]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO42PicgRug Card Sharks (2001) - PILOT EPISODE]</ref>

===''Gameshow Marathon'' (2006, CBS)===
{{unreferenced section|date=June 2019}}
{{main|Gameshow Marathon (American game show)}}

On June 15, 2006, ''Card Sharks'' was the fifth of seven classic game shows featured in CBS's month-long ''Gameshow Marathon'' hosted by [[Ricki Lake]] and announced by [[Rich Fields]] as it was one of the "semifinal rounds" in the tournament. The contestants were [[Brande Roderick]] and [[Paige Davis]].

The set was modeled after the original 1978–81 production. In the Money Cards, the winner earned $1,000 for each row, for a possible $144,000. Roderick won $6,000 in the bonus round.

In the car game, unlike the 1986–89 version, the game was changed where 10 people were polled (cheerleaders in this episode) were called up for another poll question. This time, the rules were fixed and were made easier with the contestant simply having to say whether the number of people who did do what they were asked (e.g., "We asked these cheerleaders, 'Have you ever dated someone from a rival school?' How many of these 10 cheerleaders said they had dated someone from a rival school?") was a number higher or lower than 5. A card from the blue deck was shown lying face down and was brought out with the numerical value of the people who said "yes". The card was then revealed after the contestant's guess was made and if the value matched the contestant's guess, then the car was won. Roderick won $10,000 along with a [[BMW M Coupé and Roadster|BMW M Roadster]] (worth $40,445) for a grand total of $50,445 for the home viewer.

===2019–2021===
On March 13, 2019, Vulture reported that [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] was partnering with Fremantle to reboot the series, with pre-production on new hour-long episodes of ''Card Sharks'' and ''[[Press Your Luck]]'' being underway and taping slated to begin sometime in the spring. Scott St. John (a producer on ''[[Match Game]]'') served as an executive producer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Adalian |first1=Josef |title=No Whammy! ABC Is Bringing Back Press Your Luck and Card Sharks |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/press-your-luck-card-sharks-reboots-abc.html |website=Vulture|date=13 March 2019 |access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> Airing on ABC makes ''Card Sharks'' one of only a handful of shows (joining ''[[To Tell the Truth]]'', ''[[The Price Is Right]]'', and ''Match Game'') to have at one point or another aired on all three of the [[Big Three television networks]].

On April 8, 2019, TVLine reported that actor [[Joel McHale]] would host the new revival series.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Iannucci |first1=Rebecca |title=Joel McHale to Host Card Sharks Revival |url=https://tvline.com/2019/04/08/joel-mchale-card-sharks-host-revival-game-show-abc/ |website=TVLine |access-date=8 April 2019|date=8 April 2019}}</ref> The series premiered on June 12, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=ABC Announces Summer Premiere Dates With Expanded 'Summer Fun & Games' Lineup, Captivating Dramas and 'The Bachelor' Franchise All Summer Long |url=https://www.wdtvpress.com/abc/pressrelease/abc-announces-summer-premiere-dates-with-expanded-summer-fun-games-lineup-captivating-dramas-and-the-bachelor-franchise-all-summer-long/ |access-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410171417/https://www.wdtvpress.com/abc/pressrelease/abc-announces-summer-premiere-dates-with-expanded-summer-fun-games-lineup-captivating-dramas-and-the-bachelor-franchise-all-summer-long/ |archive-date=10 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On November 20, 2019, the series was renewed for a second season. From March 13, 2020 to July 3, 2020, the show suspended production as a result of the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States]].<ref name="WBRZ 2 (ABC)">{{cite web|date=March 13, 2020|title=Hollywood: a list of all Delayed or Canceled Productions|url=https://www.wbrz.com/news/hollywood-a-list-of-all-delayed-or-cancelled-productions|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> This resulted in the season two premiere being delayed to October 18, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Basu|first=Sayak|date=2020-10-17|title=Card Sharks Season 2: Release Date, Host, New Season 2020|url=https://thecinemaholic.com/card-sharks-tv-show/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Cinemaholic}}</ref> The series later resumed its second season on June 23, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ABC Announces Summer 2021 Premiere Dates|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2021/04/07/abc-announces-summer-2021-premiere-dates-957113/20210407abc01/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Futon Critic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Revised Premiere Dates for ABC Summer Series "The Ultimate Surfer," "Press Your Luck," "The $100,000 Pyramid" and "Card Sharks"|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2021/04/28/revised-premiere-dates-for-abc-summer-series-the-ultimate-surfer-press-your-luck-the-100000-pyramid-and-card-sharks-51515/20210428abc01/|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Futon Critic}}</ref> On April 1, 2022, it was reported that the series was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/alec-baldwin-match-game-canceled-abc-card-sharks-1235221591/|title=Alec Baldwin's ''Match Game'' Canceled at ABC, Along With ''Card Sharks'' and More as Network Firms Up Summer Plans (EXCLUSIVE)|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=Michael Schneider|date=April 1, 2022|access-date=April 1, 2022}}</ref>

The 2019 version featured similar rules as the 1978–81 and 1986–89 iterations, with two new players competing in the main game and no returning champions. A separate row of seven cards was dealt for each player, and a maximum of five questions were asked, with the fifth (if necessary) played under sudden-death rules. The winner was decided by a single victory instead of a best-of-three match. During the first season, the number of cards per row was ten.

The Money Cards round was played using a single line of seven cards. The player was staked with $10,000, presented as five chips worth $1,000 each and one worth $5,000, and the first card was turned over to start the game. One card was able to be changed before any turn in this round. The player's wager was added to his/her total for a correct guess, and subtracted for an incorrect one. In season one, the player lost the wager if a card of the same rank was turned up; in season two, this situation was counted as a "push," with no money won or lost. The player had to bet a multiple of $1,000 on every card except the last; at this point, he/she could either end the game and keep all winnings or bet at least half the total as a multiple of $500. For this final turn, the player was allowed to trade in a $1,000 chip for two $500 chips so that he/she could bet exactly half the total if desired. The round ended immediately if the player went broke. The maximum potential payout was $640,000.

==Production==
===Personnel===
[[Gene Wood]] was the primary announcer on both the original and 1980s ''Card Sharks'', with [[Charlie O'Donnell]] and [[Bob Hilton]] serving as occasional substitutes. [[Jack Narz]], [[Jay Stewart]], and [[Johnny Olson]] also served as substitutes for NBC, and [[Johnny Gilbert]] and [[Rod Roddy]] also served as substitutes for CBS.<ref name="eotvgs"/> [[Gary Kroeger]] was the announcer in 2001,<ref name="eotvgs"/> and [[Rich Fields]] was the announcer of the ''Gameshow Marathon'' episode.  Donna Jay Fulks served as announcer during the 2019-2021 series.

The theme for the NBC version was previously used on the Goodson-Todman series ''[[Double Dare (1976 game show)|Double Dare]]'' with host [[Alex Trebek]] that aired in 1976 on CBS. [[Edd Kalehoff]] wrote that theme through [[Score Productions]], and the theme for the 1980s version of ''Card Sharks'' through his own production company.<ref name="eotvgs"/> Alan Ett and [[Scott Liggett (music producer)|Scott Liggett]] composed the 2001 series theme.<ref name="imdb 2001"/> A revived version of the original theme was used for the ABC revival.

[[Ann Pennington (model)|Ann Pennington]], Janice Baker, [[Lois Hamilton|Lois Areno]], Kristin Bjorklund, Melinda Hunter, and [[Markie Post]] all served as models on NBC. Lacey Pemberton and Suzanna Williams were the models on the concurrent CBS and syndication runs in the 1980s,<ref name="eotvgs"/> and Tami Roman was the model in 2001.<ref name="imdb 2001"/>  Jerry Wolf and Alexis Gaube were the dealers during the 2019-2021 series.  Following that show's cancellation, Wolf departed Hollywood while Gaube became the newest model on ''[[The Price Is Right]]'' in 2022.

==International versions==
The most significant difference in gameplay for foreign formats of ''Card Sharks'' was the use of married couples instead of individual contestants (except the U.S., Brazilian, Chilean, Greek, and Portuguese versions, which only featured individual contestants). All global versions of ''Card Sharks'' (except the U.S., Brazil, Chile, and Greece) were mostly produced by [[Reg Grundy]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Country !! Local name !! Host !! Network !! Year aired
|-
| {{Flag|Australia}}
| ''Play Your Cards Right''
| [[Ugly Dave Gray]]
| [[Seven Network]]
| 1984–1985
|-
| {{Flag|Belgium}} ([[Dutch Language|Dutch]])
| ''[[:nl:Hoger, lager|Hoger, Lager]]''
| [[:nl:Walter Capiau|Walter Capiau]]
| [[Eén|TV1]]
| 1983–1989
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{Flag|Brazil}}
| ''Corrida de Fórmula B''
| rowspan="2" | [[Silvio Santos]]
| [[Rede Tupi|Tupi]]
| 1979–1982
|-
| ''Jogo do Mais ou Menos''
| [[Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão|SBT]]
| 1996<br />2013
|-
| {{Flag|Chile}}
| ''Las cosas claras con Doña Clara'' (segment on ''Sábados Gigantes'')
| Don Francisco 
| Canal 13
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Georgia}}<ref>{{Cite book| title=The Format Age: Television's Entertainment Revolution (Global Media and Communication) |author=Jean K. Chalaby |publisher=Polity |page=38 |isbn=9781509502615}}</ref>
| ?
| ?
| [[First Channel (Georgian TV channel)|GTV1]]
| 2000s
|-
| {{Flag|Germany}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ufa.de/produktionen/bube-dame-hoerig|title=Bube, Dame, Hörig}}</ref>
| ''[[:de:Bube, Dame, Hörig|Bube, Dame, Hörig]]''
| [[Elmar Hörig]]
| [[Sat.1]]
| 1996–1999
|-
| {{Flag|Greece}}
| ''Πάνω ή κάτω''<br />''Páno í káto''
| Alki Tallow
| [[ANT1]]
| 1990
|-
| {{Flag|Hong Kong}}
| ''大牌''<br />''Dai Pai''
| ?
| [[Asia Television|ATV]]
| 1982
|-
| {{Flag|Indonesia}}
| ''[[:id:Super Rejeki 1 Milyar|Super Rejeki 1 Milyar]]''
| [[:id:Dave Hendrik|Dave Hendrik]]
| [[ANTV|antv]]
| 2006–2007
|-
| {{Flag|New Zealand}}
| ''Play Your Cards Right''
| Kenny Cantor
| [[TVNZ]]
| 1983
|-
| {{flag|Peru}}
|''Mayor o Menor'' (segment on ''Sábados de Belmont'')
|Ricardo Belmont
|[[América Televisión]]
|1984–1985
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{flag|Philippines}}
| ''Hi-Lo Todo Panalo'' (segment on ''[[Eat Bulaga!]]'')
| rowspan="2" | Hosts of ''Eat Bulaga!''
| [[GMA Network]]
| 2002–2003
|-
| ''Peraphy'' (segment on ''[[Eat Bulaga!]]'')
| [[TV5 (Philippine TV network)|TV5]]
| 2023–present
|-
| {{Flag|Poland}}
| ''Rekiny kart''
| [[:pl:Rudi Schuberth|Rudi Schuberth]]
| [[Polsat]]
| 1997–1999
|-
| {{Flag|Portugal}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://brincabrincando.com/jogo-de-cartas-1989/|title=Jogo de Cartas (1989)|work=Brinca Brincando|date=August 10, 2019}}</ref>
| ''Jogo de Cartas''
| [[:pt:Nicolau Breyner|Nicolau Breyner]]<br />[[:pt:Serenella Andrade|Serenella Andrade]]
| [[RTP1]]
| 1989–1990<br />1991–1992
|-
| {{Flag|Sweden}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogg.svt.se/oppet-arkiv/magnus-och-brasse/ |title=Magnus och Brasse <3 {{!}} Öppet arkiv|website=SVT.se |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723020657/http://blogg.svt.se/oppet-arkiv/magnus-och-brasse/ |archive-date=2016-07-23}}</ref>
| ''[[:sv:Lagt kort ligger (TV-program)|Lagt kort ligger]]''
| [[Magnus Härenstam]]
| [[Sveriges Television|SVT]]
| 1987–1990
|-
| {{Flag|Turkey}}
| ''Aşaği Yukari''
| [[Meltem Cumbul]]
| [[ATV (Turkish TV channel)|aTV]]
| 1994–1997
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
| ''[[Play Your Cards Right]]''
| [[Bruce Forsyth]]
| rowspan="2" | [[ITV1]]
| 1980–1987<br />1994–1999<br />2002–2003
|-
|''[[Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow]]'' (as ''Play Your Cards Right'')
|[[Alan Carr]]
|2020–2022
|}

==Merchandise==
* The first ''Card Sharks'' video game was released by Sharedata and Softie in 1988 for the [[Apple II]], [[Commodore 64]] and [[IBM PC compatible]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/cardsharks/index.html |title=PC Games, Computer Games |publisher=GameSpot |date=2014-04-17 |access-date=2014-04-21}}</ref> It is based on the 1986–89 format, using the single sudden-death question tiebreaker in the main game. If a contestant gets an exact guess on a question in the main game, they win a $100 bonus, instead of the $500 bonus on the show. Also, unlike the show, the game does not use the educated guess or audience poll questions.
* Endless Games published a ''Card Sharks''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.endlessgames.com/press/cardsharksrelease.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030609021629/http://www.endlessgames.com/press/cardsharksrelease.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2003-06-09 |title=ACE IS HIGH, DUECE IS LOW, PLAY THE CARDS, WIN THE DOUGH" Endless Games Adds Card Sharks to its line of retro games}}</ref> home game in 2002 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the series at the time. It uses visual designs based on the 2001 production while the gameplay is based on the 1986 format of the series, prior to the car game being introduced. 18 years later, in 2020; they published another<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.endlessgames.com/product/card-sharks |title=''Card Sharks''|work=Endless Games |date=25 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.endlessgames.com/wp-content/uploads/instructions/Card_Sharks_Instructions.pdf |title=''Card Sharks'' - Instructions|date=25 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.endlessgames.com/wp-content/uploads/products/Card_Sharks_Poker_Chips.pdf |title=''Card Sharks'' - Poker Chips|date=25 November 2020}}</ref> ''Card Sharks'' home game, based on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] version hosted by [[Joel McHale]] who is on the cover of the box. This version celebrates the 40 year old history of the show.
* Software for mobile phones was released on June 1, 2005 by Telescope Inc.,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telescope.tv/cardsharks.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050422045714/http://www.telescope.tv/cardsharks.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-04-22 |title=Card Sharks mobile game site at Telescope Inc. (via Internet Archive)}}</ref> which also uses the logo from 2001 to 2002. Its theme music is a remix of the 1978–81 version. The rules and gameplay are based from a variety of the 1970s and 1980s variants. More survey questions were also available for download.
* A single-player online game was released by the now defunct website uproar.com. The logo and set were similar to its 2001–02 counterpart while its gameplay (minus the poll questions) was very similar to the 1970s and 1980s counterparts. However, as of September 30, 2006, the website no longer offered any game show-based games of any kind.
* The now defunct website ''Gameshow24.com'' had an online version of ''Card Sharks'' in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gameshow24.com/ |title=demo-home |access-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517120342/http://gameshow24.com/ |archive-date=May 17, 2014}}</ref> Its logo and set were based on the original 1978–81 format, and the main theme song had a unique mixture of both the 1978 and 2001 productions, and like its ''Uproar.com'' counterpart it had no poll questions either, but its gameplay was very similar to that of ''[[The Price Is Right]]'' where players have to guess grocery items that were 'higher' or 'lower' than the ones that precede them. The show was also similar to ''The Price Is Right'' in that it used various sound effects and theme music from ''The Price Is Right'' at various points, such as playing the infamous [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jz1TjCphXE losing horn] for a bust or for failing to win the car in the bonus round during the Eubanks and Rafferty eras.
* In 2021, a brand new online version of ''Card Sharks''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arkadium.com/games/card-sharks/ |title=Card Sharks {{!}} Instantly Play Online For Free - Arkadium}}</ref> was released by the casual gaming website called ''[[Arkadium]]'' where it mostly plays like the Perry, Eubanks/Rafferty versions from the 70s & 80s (along with their theme songs from '86 & '78) respectively, but just like the McHale version on ABC from season 2, it had seven rows of playing cards for the champion (red) & challenger (blue) to play with instead of five.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0127991|title=Card Sharks (NBC: 1978-81, CBS: 1986-89)}} (US)
*{{IMDb title|id=2728530|title=Card Sharks (Syndication: 1986-87)}} (US)
*{{IMDb title|id=0292770|title=Card Sharks (Syndication: 2001-02)}} (US)
*{{IMDb title|id=10023306|title=Card Sharks (ABC: 2019-20)}} (US)
*{{IMDb title|id=0289819|title=Play Your Cards Right (1980)}} (UK)
*{{IMDb title|id=0252161|title=Play Your Cards Right (1984)}} (Australia)
*{{IMDb title|id=0380902|title=Hoger, Lager (1983)}} (Belgium)
*{{IMDb title|id=2194805|title=Bube, Dame, Hörig (1996)}} (Germany)
*{{IMDb title|id=2151007|title=Jogo de Cartas (1989–1991)}} (Portugal)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20001205025200/http://www.pearsontv.com/pages/library/play.htm ''Card Sharks/Play Your Cards Right'' @ pearsontv]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080305021321/http://www.fremantlemedia.com/our-programmes/view/Game%2BShows/viewprogramme/Card%2BSharks ''Card Sharks'' production website @ FremantleMedia]
*[http://www.grundy-le.de/shows/uebersicht/bube-dame-hoerig.html/ description of ''Bube, Dame, Hörig'' the 1996–1999 (German) version of "Card Sharks" courtesy of Grundy Light Entertainment] (Germany)
*{{YouTube|VI4K4ZNDVL4|highlighted clips from the (Greek) version of "Card Sharks" called (Πάvω ή κάтω/Up or Down)}}
*{{YouTube|ew1bwrUh6AY|"Play Your Cards Right" w/ Kenny Cantor opening clip}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160315205857/http://brincabrincando.com/programas.aspx?f=90_concursos de cartas (1989) description of "Jogo de Cartas" 1989–1990 (Portuguese) version of "Card Sharks"] from Brinca Brincando
*{{YouTube|K4t547RYFG4|Card Sharks Around The World (Beta)}}

{{Summer Fun & Games}}
{{Playing cards}}

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