| Host | |
| Ron Pearson | |
| Hostess | |
| Tanya Memme | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packagers | |
| Merrill Heatter Productions/KingWorld | |
MEMME: "Tonight, it's a high stakes game of nerve and knowledge where one lucky player will survive and have a chance to beat the house for more than $100,000! Welcome to...Casino!"
PEARSON: "Our three players are ready to hit the tables for a chance to win $100,000! I'm your host, Ron Pearson, and this is the sweetest dealer on the script, Tanya Memme!"
Casino was a Gambit reboot intended to be a show on GSN's lineup, but didn't make it. Six years later, it would eventually be retooled as Catch 21.
Gameplay[]
The game was played with three contestants, all competing for over $100,000 in cash & prizes. The object of the game was to make a 21 or come as close to 21 without going over.
The First Two Rounds[]
At the beginning of the first two rounds, each contestant was given one card to start. Then host Pearson asked multiple choice general knowledge trivia questions. The first player to buzz-in with a correct answer won money for the question and a look at the next card. Once the card was shown, the contestant in control could choose to either take that card or pass it to one of his/her opponents. At one point in the round if the contestant had a hand he/she liked, he/she could ask for a "Freezer Question" in which a correct answer froze that player's score, but a wrong answer made his/her score still vulnerable. If a player busted or was forced to bust, that player was out of the round.
When there was only one player left unfrozen & unbusted, no more questions were asked; cards were dealt until that player busted, had a high enough score, or hit 21. As soon as two players had busted or if everyone had frozen, the player with the best hand won the round and ten times the question value. If at any time a contestant reached exactly 21, in addition to the round and the money, that contestant also won a bonus of $2,100 (not affecting the final score).
Round 1[]
In Round 1, each correct answer was worth $100 and winning the round was worth $1,000.
Round 2[]
In Round 2, each correct answer was worth $200 and winning the round was worth $2,000. The player who had the lowest score at the end of this round was eliminated from the game.
Round 3[]
The two survivors of the first two rounds played the this round against each other. Each correct answer was worth $300, and winning the round won $3,000 and the game. The winner of the game went on to play the bonus game.
The $100,000 Bonus Game[]
In the bonus game, the winning contestant faced three more hands. Next to each hand was a prize, and each hand received a card at the start. Tanya dealt three cards on a stand in front of her. Host Pearson then asked four more questions, with each correct answer earning an additional card (for a maximum total of seven). The contestant then used those cards to make better hands. He/She chose a card by number and placed it to whichever hand he/she wanted to place it. If a hand's total came to between 18 and 21, the player won the prize attached to the hand; if a hand totaled exactly 21, he/she won $2,100 in addition to the prize.
The contestant had the ability to stop with any prizes won if he/she had at least one. If at any time any hand exceeded 21, the contestant busted and lost all the prizes won in that round. If the contestant scored 21 on all three hands, he/she won all three prizes and $100,000.
Production Slate[]
Studio[]
KTLA, Los Angeles, CA
Rating[]
Inventor[]
Merrill Heatter
Trivia[]
The title also shares its name with a crime drama thriller from 1995.
Dealer Memme was also host for DirectTV.
Six years later, this pilot was retooled in 2008 under a new name (Catch 21), altered rules, and a new host and dealer (Alfonso Ribeiro & Mikki Padilla). Eleven years later, it was remade in 2019. Although Ribeiro returned as host, Padilla was replaced by Witney Carson {Ribeiro's dance partner from Dancing with the Stars} as his new dealer.
See Also[]
(Las Vegas) Gambit
The Making of a Game Show: Catch 21
Catch 21
Links[]
Casino at The Game Show Pilot Light
Two minutes of clips
Clip from Catch 21 Pilot "Casino"
Full Pilot