Game Shows based on playing cards

[wdm1219inpenna]

I've been trying to brainstorm every game show that has ever aired in the United States involving the use of playing cards.

This list will not include pilot episodes such as Jim McKrell's "Split Decision" or Jim Peck's "Suit Yourself" nor will it include game shows that may use playing cards as part of an entire show (e.g. Hit Me / Card Game on Price is Right or any Vegas themed type deal done by Monty Hall during the 1976 season of Let's Make A Deal).  Obviously this list also will not include international versions of game shows involving playing cards...the one that springs most readily to my mind is Bruce Forsyth's "Play Your Cards Right".

Here's what I came up with.

Pay Cards (Syndicated, 1968-69)

Gambit (CBS, 1972-76)

Card Sharks (NBC, 1978-81; CBS 1986-89, Syndicated 1987-88?, 2001 (ugh) and the Joel McHale ABC version from I believe 2019 - 2021.

Super Pay Cards (Syndicated, 1981-82).  I know this version was taped in Canada but I'm not certain if the show aired at all in the United States during its initial run.  I myself do not recall ever seeing it until the advent of the internet.

Las Vegas Gambit (NBC, 1980-81)

Catch 21 (GSN, 2008-2011 & 2019-2020)

I'd love to flesh out more about these game shows but first I wanted to check to see if there are any other playing card game shows I overlooked.

[Chief-O]

"Top Card" on TNN.

[wdm1219inpenna]

I knew I was leaving at least one out!  I'm even playing an online version of that very game too!

Thank you.

[SamJ93]

Strip Poker, USA, 1999-2000. Don't worry, I wish I had forgotten about it too.

On a related note, given how red-hot Texas Hold 'em became back in the early-to-mid '00s, I'm surprised no one ever tried their hand at a legit poker-based game show around that time frame.

[BrandonFG]

Super Pay Cards (Syndicated, 1981-82).  I know this version was taped in Canada but I'm not certain if the show aired at all in the United States during its initial run.

It aired in a handful of U.S. markets. Richmond, Va. was one and I believe NYC was another…WOR I wanna say. 

[parliboy]

Super Pay Cards (Syndicated, 1981-82).  I know this version was taped in Canada but I'm not certain if the show aired at all in the United States during its initial run.

It aired in a handful of U.S. markets. Richmond, Va. was one and I believe NYC was another…WOR I wanna say.

Also aired on 39 Houston during that time, IIRC

[Matt Ottinger]

So essentially, there have been four. 

In a genre that goes back to the earliest days of television, isn't that odd?

[JasonA1]

Very interesting indeed. I think that applies to many forms of gambling. Dice are ubiquitous in board games, but are similarly under-represented in game shows. There's High Rollers and Yahtzee, and dice that played a comparatively smaller role on Monopoly, Big Showdown and Dealer's Choice. Even if you count applications like Dice Game on TPIR, I'm in Matt's camp of "essentially..." there are few.

I doubt producers all stood around and said "we need to keep gambling to a minimum!" But I imagine there's an aversion to it because there's less control over the payouts and/or the house edge in the base games makes their use as TV games less compelling.

-Jason

[TLEberle]

Jack Barry woul$ not have been there since two of his most in famous properties are fairly well linked to gambling.

A sho2 like High Rollers allows Bob and Merrill to have a rough idea of how often they’ll will give away $10,000 or the car, but the6 can’t change that except with the insurance markers. Card Sharks allows a certain number of changes, but the willingness of the contestant to have a punt drives the payoffs.

[rjaguar3]

In practice most card games that are not gambling games are difficult to impossible to adapt for TV game shows because hidden information (the cards a player is holding) is essential to meaningfully playing the game, and it's difficult to convey this to a TV audience. So this basically leaves gambling-style games.

/Wonder if Championship Bridge with Charles Goren would count for our list.

[wdm1219inpenna]

In practice most card games that are not gambling games are difficult to impossible to adapt for TV game shows because hidden information (the cards a player is holding) is essential to meaningfully playing the game, and it's difficult to convey this to a TV audience. So this basically leaves gambling-style games.

/Wonder if Championship Bridge with Charles Goren would count for our list.

I would indeed include that as it was a show about a game involving card playing, and they made the home viewer aware of who had which cards.  Good obscure one there!  I actually watched a few youtube vids of this series a while ago.

[Kevin Prather]

In practice most card games that are not gambling games are difficult to impossible to adapt for TV game shows because hidden information (the cards a player is holding) is essential to meaningfully playing the game, and it's difficult to convey this to a TV audience. So this basically leaves gambling-style games.

/Wonder if Championship Bridge with Charles Goren would count for our list.

I would indeed include that as it was a show about a game involving card playing, and they made the home viewer aware of who had which cards.  Good obscure one there!  I actually watched a few youtube vids of this series a while ago.

I also was introduced to this through YouTube about a year ago. I likened it to "World Series of Poker" or "World Poker Tour" of the 1950s.

[Otm Shank]

I really got a kick out of the Celebrity Poker Showdown that ran a few seasons on Bravo, sort of bucking the trend that the celebrity format kills the game show.

I'd count it as more of a game show compared to other televised poker, because it was produced as engaging television featuring poker, as opposed to passively observing people playing cards. It had more the air of poker-night poker (albeit with famous people) which was pretty entertaining.

[Flerbert419]

King of Vegas (Spike TV, 2006)

[TLEberle]

Twenty years ago the Western Washington CBS affiliate ran a shorts series titled Tulalip Casino Night, hosted by sports reporter "Right" Gaard Swanson. Pairs of friends, relatives and the like competed in an Amazing Race-style elimination contest with the chance at a million dollars at the end.

https://www.heraldnet.com/life/tulalips-gamble-on-casino-reality-show/

I thought it was ok not great, and was re-upped in a celebrity format, but is the world really clamoring to watch people run around playing slots and roulette?