Author Topic: TPIR: Card Game Props (Read 3591 times)

TLEberle · « **on:** June 28, 2004, 03:59:12 AM »

I've made it no secret that Card Game is one of my favorite of TPIR's car games, for various reasons.

I watched this week, and looked closely at the two decks of cards used for the game.

I expected that both were six by nine inch Jumbo sized Bicycle decks. I was almost right; they're Hoyle decks, but everything else is right.

Questions for those in the know and willing to share:

* For the blue deck, how were the cards made? It's possible to get factory seconds or blank cards, and then print out the bid numbers on them, but there has to be a better way than that. Maybe they called up the US Playing Card Company and had the cards made just for that game?

* How many of each deck are there backstage, in case one of the cards gets torn, or otherwise can't be used in the game?

* Why not have the art department just come up with a deck of regular cards, and a bid deck? It's what they wound up doing for Hit Me and Joker. It would seem to be the easier thing to do. But then again, I don't know all the specifics.

Thanks,
Travis

davemackey · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2004, 05:21:27 AM »

If they make pinochle decks in that size, then they can take a number of the blank cards that are sometimes included in pinochle decks (possibly to pad the size of the 48-card pinochle deck to the same size as a 54-card poker or bridge deck) and just have the graphics department silkscreen or print the numbers on them.

zachhoran · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2004, 09:39:08 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 02:59 AM\']
I expected that both were six by nine inch Jumbo sized Bicycle decks. I was almost right; they're Hoyle decks, but everything else is right.

[/quote]
ISTR seeing a close up of an Ace of Spades on a recent card game playing, and seeing the Bicycle logo on it, which would imply they use Bicycle playing cards. Bicycle playing cards was a fee plug item on TPIR for a couple of years in the early 90s.

ClockGameJohn · « **Reply #3 on:** June 28, 2004, 11:25:22 AM »

Regardless of what company is "printed" on the cards, I can almost assure you that the Art Department was the creater of the cards.

As for having multiple sets, generally Price has 2 of everything. I have no clue where they are kept so I couldn't answer exactly what they have in reserve.

Card Game cards have become questionable props by many; I'll be glad to check the history on them next time I'm at the show! (Unless Randy beats me to an answer)

clemon79 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 28, 2004, 12:04:45 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 02:21 AM\'] If they make pinochle decks in that size, then they can take a number of the blank cards that are sometimes included in pinochle decks (possibly to pad the size of the 48-card pinochle deck to the same size as a 54-card poker or bridge deck) and just have the graphics department silkscreen or print the numbers on them. [/quote]
You wouldn't happen to know if Bike or Hoyle include blanks in their Pinochle decks, and if so how many, would you?

That seems like a magnificent way to manufacture a cheap Tichu deck.

ObTichu: A Tichu deck is a standard 52-card deck with four extra cards: the Phoenix, the Dragon, the Dog, and the 1 (not an Ace, a 1), also known as the Mah Jongg. You can learn more about this great game at http://scv.bu.edu/~aarondf/Games/Tichu/.)

SplitSecond · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2004, 12:40:25 PM »

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 08:25 AM\'] Regardless of what company is "printed" on the cards, I can almost assure you that the Art Department was the creater of the cards. [/quote]
The current standard deck is identical to the "Big Bicycle" deck put out by the U.S. Playing Card Co., and the range deck is comprised of either blank-face cards provided by the U.S. Playing Card Co. with values printed by the CBS graphics department, or more likely, custom-printed cards provided by the U.S. Playing Card Co.

In this particular case, outsourcing the production of the range cards to the U.S. Playing Card Co. in addition to a standard deck was almost certainly cheaper than a custom-designed deck built in-house at CBS - they were already mass-producing the Big Bicycle cards for retail at about $25 a pack, and the cost of custom-printing the value cards with an already-printed Bicycle back was probably written off as a trade-out for the product placement the Bicycle brand gets every time this game is played.

So I don't know for certain about the value cards (though what you see above is my hypothesis), but no way did Price's art department spend hundreds of dollars to recreate a commercially-available product - the standard Big Bicycle deck - that retails for $25 - and go out of the way to include that product's logo.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #6 on:** June 28, 2004, 02:58:02 PM »

Wow, you'd almost think SplitSecond actually worked on the show! ;-P

FYI... by contrast to the Card Game decks, both HIT ME and JOKER use cards created in-house at CBS.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2004, 03:02:08 PM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 02:58 PM\'] Wow, you'd almost think SplitSecond actually worked on the show! ;-P
[/quote]
I have it on good authority that he prefers fast-paced Tom Kennedy quizzers.

Brandon Brooks · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2004, 05:42:02 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 02:02 PM\'] I have it on good authority that he prefers fast-paced Tom Kennedy quizzers. [/quote]
Oooh, which ones?

Brandon brooks

SplitSecond · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2004, 07:48:22 PM »

Doctor I.Q. - that show flew like a bat out of hell.

chris319 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 28, 2004, 10:27:11 PM »

Quote

that show flew like a bat out of hell

You said "hell"! 90 days breaking rocks for you!

SplitSecond · « **Reply #11 on:** June 28, 2004, 10:34:36 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 07:27 PM\'] You said "hell"! 90 days breaking rocks for you! [/quote]
I already sought the Catholic church's forgiveness for this.

The priest said you accused him of talking out of his Mass.

clemon79 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2004, 10:51:17 PM »

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 07:34 PM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 07:27 PM\'] You said "hell"! 90 days breaking rocks for you! [/quote]
I already sought the Catholic church's forgiveness for this.

The priest said you accused him of talking out of his Mass.

[/quote]
Me and Chris are going fishing this weekend! We'll be talking out of our Bass!

(All week, salmon.)

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2004, 11:08:51 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 07:51 PM\']
Me and Chris are going fishing this weekend! [/quote]
For some reason, I read that at "Me and Christ". lol.

SplitSecond · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2004, 11:21:34 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jun 28 2004, 08:08 PM\'] For some reason, I read that at "Me and Christ". lol. [/quote]
I'm afraid to see Chris L. after a full day out on a boat with a man who can turn water into wine.