Casino

Somewhat of a clone of Gambit, this game show was intended to be a show on GSN's 2002 lineup, but didn't make it.

Broadcast

Unsold Pilot - 2002

Packagers

Merrill Heatter Productions/KingWorld

Host & Hostess

Ron Pearson & Tanya Memme

Inventor

Merrill Heatter

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 chose to either take that card or pass it to one of his/her opponents. At one point in the round if they have a hand they like, he/she can 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 busts or is forced to bust, that player is out of the round. When there's only one player left unfrozen & unbusted, no more questions were asked, cards were dealt until that player in busted has a high enough score or hit 21. As soon as two players have busted or if everybody has frozen, the player with the best hand won the round and ten times the question value. If at anytime 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 each correct answer was worth $100 and winning the round was worth $1,000.

Round 2

In round each correct answer was worth $200 and winning the round was worth $2,000. The third place player at the end of the round was eliminated from the game.

Round 3

The two survivors of the first two rounds played the third and final 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. Then dealer Tanya dealt three cards on a stand in front of her. Host Pearson then asked four more questions and each correct answer earned an additional card four a maximum total of seven cards. The winning contestant then used those cards to make better hands. The winning contestants chose a card by number and placed it to whichever hand he/she wants to place. If a hand's total comes between 18 and 21, he/she won the prize attached to the hand; but if a hand totaled exactly 21, he/she won $2,100 just like in the game in addition to the prize. If at anytime any hand exceeded 21, the contestant busts and lost all the prizes won in that round, that's why he/she had an option to stop and take the prizes if he/she won at least one. If the winning contestant can score 21 on all three hands, not only the winning contestant kept all three prizes but he/she also won $100,000.

Trivia

This pilot became a series in 2008 under a new name (Catch 21), altered rules, and a new host & hostess (Alfonso Ribero & Mikki Padilla).

Links

Game Show Pilot Light Page

A two minute clip of Casino