Card Sharks oddities on GSN last week

[chrisholland03]

I usually DVR but end up fast forwarding through the Card Sharks reruns on GSN, namely because I've seen them about 12 times each since they aired the first time.  This week I picked up on a handful of notable oddities while fast forwarding:

Perry:

A Money Cards player with only $50 going into the Big Bet - and they bet it all because of the $50 minimum.

A contestant in the main game decides not to freeze after the motorized freeze bar moves.  They move the freeze bar back and it snags on the 8 of clubs, damaging the card. 

Eubanks:

The first 'educated guess' questions utilize markers and cards.  Cards are stuck into slots added onto the 'X Pods'.  After a couple of episodes they start supering in the guesses, but the extensions remain for a couple of weeks aired.

[TLEberle]

A Money Cards player with only $50 going into the Big Bet - and they bet it all because of the $50 minimum.

Were they supposed to be able to bet $25? Also, what is someone doing leaving just fifty bucks if she's wrong?

The first 'educated guess' questions utilize markers and cards.  Cards are stuck into slots added onto the 'X Pods'.  After a couple of episodes they start supering in the guesses, but the extensions remain for a couple of weeks aired.

I remember this and I thought it looked goofy, especially since they're able to drop in a cut out of the Money Cards tally.

[chrisholland03]

As to how it happened -- bad luck and bad rules.  Player got burnt on the first row with a double (Queen I think), hedged bet on the last play of the second row with a double Ace. 

Jim does say that the minimum bet is $50 at the beginning, so if that's all they have going into the Big Bet, that's the minimum bet.

Do the written rules specify bets must be in $25 increments?  Neither Perry nor Eubanks said it specifically, and I'm not aware of anyone trying to bet $51.

It was entertaining watching the 8 get mauled by the freeze bar, though I'm sure at least one someone behind the scenes was slightly grumpy when it happened. 

[PYLdude]

Didn't the syndicated CS do the same thing with the educated guess questions once they stopped restricting their figures to what would fit on the readout?

[Mr. Matté]

Jim does say that the minimum bet is $50 at the beginning, so if that's all they have going into the Big Bet, that's the minimum bet.

Do the written rules specify bets must be in $25 increments?  Neither Perry nor Eubanks said it specifically, and I'm not aware of anyone trying to bet $51.

IIRC, the verbiage is "Minimum bets are $50 until you get to the top card, the Big Bet, there you must risk at least half your money." Based on that, it seems like you could make a $25 bet if you only have $50 left. Of course, if the official rule book bible has something different...

On the $25 increment question, there was one occasion I remember seeing (don't recall if it was Perry or Eubanks) where someone tried to specifically bet half before the big bet with $x,x50 showing, and the producer signaled to the host that it wasn't allowed.

[TLEberle]

As to how it happened -- bad luck and bad rules.  Player got burnt on the first row with a double (Queen I think), hedged bet on the last play of the second row with a double Ace. 

Huh. I suppose, but it's kinda like betting $9,999 on Final Jeopardy. Nobody hopes to be the returning champion and win a dollar. Having fifty bucks on the Big Bet is pointless--either bet it all and hope for no double, or save enough back that you can play the top card no matter what (and there were indeed some people who held back just for that.)

[Ian Wallis]

On the $25 increment question, there was one occasion I remember seeing (don't recall if it was Perry or Eubanks) where someone tried to specifically bet half before the big bet with $x,x50 showing, and the producer signaled to the host that it wasn't allowed.

I seem to recall on the Game Show hosts tournament in 1980, Bill Cullen was in a situation where this could have occurred.  Jim explained that he couldn't do it, and Bill said something like "OK, I know why..."

I don't have the entire tournament on DVD but does anyone recall the incident in greater detail?

[BillCullen1]

Today on Eubanks CS on GSN, a woman started the money cards with $200 and a king. She said "all of it higher" and Eubanks said "No, you don't want to do that." She changed her bet to lower. The next card was an ace. Sometimes fate just comes up and bites you.

[chrisholland03]

Contrasted with the lady from a couple of weeks ago who wanted to do less than full bet on an ace.  Eubanks just resigned to the fact she was dumb.  Especially when she followed up with a full bet on a middle card.

[Jeremy Nelson]

As to how it happened -- bad luck and bad rules.  Player got burnt on the first row with a double (Queen I think), hedged bet on the last play of the second row with a double Ace. 
Do the written rules specify bets must be in $25 increments?  Neither Perry nor Eubanks said it specifically, and I'm not aware of anyone trying to bet $51.

Eubanks did have to tell a contestant during one Money Cards that bets had to be in $50 increments.