Card Sharks sudden death question

[rjaguar3]

I'm programming an equity calculator for Card Sharks, and I was wondering if anyone knows what happened if, in the main game, sudden death was reached with one player never having touched his or her cards (because the other player won the first three questions, called one card correctly each time, and froze each time). Was the player's base card revealed before a decision on who would play the cards in sudden death was made?

[DoorNumberFour]

Yes—if either player’s base card was unrevealed by the time Sudden Death hit, it was revealed just before the decision was made.

“Your base card...is a Jack. Sylvia’s base card...is a seven. Now you have a decision to make...”

[JasonA1]

Does anyone have a link to an episode where this happens?

-Jason

[rjaguar3]

For posterity's sake, it appears that, in the 2019 version, a hidden base card is not revealed until it is determined who will play sudden death. (This at least holds for when the opponent of the player with the hidden base card wins control of sudden death.)

Granted, the discussion is likely to be academic in the 2019 version because the probability of running 9 cards is so low that the correct decision is to pass regardless of what the base cards are.

[parliboy]

Granted, the discussion is likely to be academic in the 2019 version because the probability of running 9 cards is so low that the correct decision is to pass regardless of what the base cards are.

Around 4 percent?

[Chuck Sutton]

In the original show to get to sudden death without a player's base being  turned, one player would have to win all three prior questions and then advance exactly one place and freeze each time. 

Did the unlikely scenario ever actually occur?  If it did they reveal the base card?

[clemon79]

If it did they reveal the base card?

For some reason I want to say it did, and they did. And I couldn't even tell you why the back of my brain is saying that with enough confidence for me to post it.

[SRIV94]

If it did they reveal the base card?

For some reason I want to say it did, and they did. And I couldn't even tell you why the back of my brain is saying that with enough confidence for me to post it.

It did indeed happen, though I too cannot specify which episodes it did.  I do remember Jim looking out toward the producer to verify whether he should reveal the other player's base card.

[splinkynip]

I’m pretty sure it happened on the Eubanks/Rafferty version and the first card was not revealed.

[rjaguar3]

Granted, the discussion is likely to be academic in the 2019 version because the probability of running 9 cards is so low that the correct decision is to pass regardless of what the base cards are.

Around 4 percent?

My program has 3.323% from a random base card (infinite deck assumption). For known base cards, the chance of running nine cards ranges from 2.306% to 4.378%

[Joe Mello]

Granted, the discussion is likely to be academic in the 2019 version because the probability of running 9 cards is so low that the correct decision is to pass regardless of what the base cards are.

The correct decision, sure, but as already been demonstrated, not always the right one.

[Neumms]

Sudden death comes after too few questions so it was preposterous. A couple more would be an excellent excuse to quicken the pace of the Money Cards.

Barring that, I wonder if a better solution would be whomever is farther along wins. If the leader takes the last question, he wins right then. If the trailer gets it, it’s one last chance to move ahead.

[Otm Shank]

Not sure if this is an indication of how the base-card reveal was normally handled in a sudden-death situation, but the final episode of Perry's Card Sharks reverted to one-question sudden death to finish the match on time. In the second round, no cards had been revealed, so Jim flipped the base card of the player who won the question and then gave the option of play/pass with the other base card hidden.



But, then, on the Rafferty version finale, Bill had two rounds that were one-question sudden death. Both base cards were revealed in what might be the only pre-2019 card turn by a dealer.



The Eubanks version ended with Peckerhead's girlfriend playing the Money Cards after a standard match.

As for video of the base card going unrevealed until sudden death in regular gameplay, it is still elusive. I suppose it is possible that each of these reveals could have been correct for the unmodified rules for each series.

[Unrealtor]

Sudden death comes after too few questions so it was preposterous. A couple more would be an excellent excuse to quicken the pace of the Money Cards.

Barring that, I wonder if a better solution would be whomever is farther along wins. If the leader takes the last question, he wins right then. If the trailer gets it, it’s one last chance to move ahead.

I like the idea of giving the game to whoever's further along, but I don't like the idea of having the game end on winning a question. If it was up to me, the winner of the question would play their cards more or less as normal. Make it to the end of the row for the win, freeze while level with or ahead of your opponent, or get a card wrong and get knocked back to your base card. The other player then has the chance to beat the mark set by the winner of the question. It works out to sudden death if the first player starts behind, or if the second player needs a turn.

[Otm Shank]

That wouldn't really work in the 5-card game, but in the 2019 version, that would certainly be an interesting twist. I would even keep the play/pass option for the first play at the cards for a Belichickian strategy element.