"Card Sharks" - June 15

Let's open up the board and get to the cards...

We're into the semi-finals of this trek we call "Marathon." The first two players to come from Finalists' Row: Brande Roderick and Paige Davis. Their game...

*clap clap clap clap clap clap clapclapclap*
(and, no, it's not Trebek's "Double Dare")

Tonight's History Lesson includes clips of the pilot episode (complete with non-descript front game player podium) and clips from both the Bob Eubanks and Bill Rafferty eras.

Now, let's open up the TV and get to the Shark Tank.

We even get a classic poem with the green cross as a treat:

Aces are High
Deuces are Low
Play your cards right
And get the Dough!

Playing the Red Deck: Brande Roderick
Playing the Blue Deck: Paige Davis
Dealers: Phire Dawson & Rebecca Mary

Now, how are we going to get a winner out of a very quick game? Simple. A minimum of 3 rounds will be played; Round 1 worth $1000, Round 2 worth $2000, and Round 3 worth $3000. Whoever has the most cash after 3 rounds wins the game, advances to the Feud, and goes to the Money Cards for a bushel basket of greenbacks.

Question #1:
"We asked 100 waiters: Have you ever spit in the food of a rude customer?"
Brande says 19, Paige reluctantly says "Higher."
The answer...after the break...is 14. Brande takes the first crack at the cards.

T-MAC NOTE: A key to reading the cards in text.
Lower case letter = Suit (diamonds, hearts, clubs, spades)
Upper case letter = Change, Higher, Lower, Freeze
"X" = Wrong call ends run at cards
"$" = Wins round

Brande: 4h H Kc L 9s F

Question #2:
"We asked 100 plastic surgeons: Have you ever done work on your significant other?"
Paige gets a giggle for saying 69, Brande says "Higher."
The answer: 33 and Paige goes to the cards.

Paige: 7c C 8c H Qd L Js L Ah X
Brande: 9s L 7d H 6c X

Question #3:
"We asked 100 telemarketers: Is your home phone number on the Do Not Call List?"
Brande says 29, Paige goes higher.
The answer: 56 and Paige goes back to the cards.

Paige: 8c C Jc L 4s H 10c F

Sudden Death Question #4:
"We asked 100 newlyweds: Did you re-gift any of your wedding presents?"
Paige guesses 65, Brande goes lower.
The answer: 26. Paige can play her 9s or pass to Paige's 10c. She elects to pass.

Paige: 10c L Ac X. Brande wins the first $1000.

That commercial break that we took during the first question gave us a visit from the Prize Delivery Team. This time, they're in Chirts, TX to deliver all of Kathy Najimy's "Press Your Luck" prizes to Susan Maurice. Congrats, Susan

T-MAC NOTE: Also during that break, we got a peek at a new "Price is Right" commercial! Among the catchy phrases used: "The Game Show of All Game Shows" and "Nobody does it better than Bob!" I couldn't agree more.

Round 2 now, and we get a sprinkling of the Eubanks era CS. How? An audience poll question, of course!

Question #1:
"We asked these 10 cheerleaders: Have you ever accidentally cheered for the wrong team?"
Brande says 1 after eyeing the girls, Paige goes higher.
The answer: 6, sending Paige to the cards and affirming Brande's suspicion about one of them.

Paige: 4c H 7s F

Question #2:
"We asked 100 one-hour photo shop employees: Have you ever processed a couple's nude photos?"
Paige assumes a very high 82, and Brande goes lower.
The answer: 67 and Brande goes to the board.

Brande: 10d C 3h H 10h L Jc X
Paige: 7s H Qs L 4d H 9s $
Paige is now in the lead going into Round 3.

Here's our Play-At-Home contest!
A clip from a 1980 Tie-Breaker...
Base card: 8s (changed from 8c)
1-Lower 2-Higher 3-The Same

Round 3, in this game, has 4 questions.
Question #1 comes from the 1978 pilot:
"We asked 100 married women in a California studio audience: If you discovered your husband had been unfaithful, would you divorce him or forgive him? How many said they would divorce him?"
Judith says 27, Johnny goes higher.
Answer in 1978: 23

In 2006:
Brande says 69, Paige goes lower.
The answer: 70 and Brande, by 1, goes to the cards

Brande: 8c C Kd L 6h H Qc L 8h F

Question #2:
"We asked 100 12-year-olds: Do you have a cell phone?"
With help from the audience, Paige says 60. Brande says "Lower."
The answer: 37 and a possible win for Brande with only one card to go.

Brande: 8h C 10h L 5s WIN $4000!!

Before sending Paige all the way home, we recap her many GSM moments. Paige, ye will be missed.

And, before we get to the $144,000 Money Cards, the Prize Delivery Team has another stop. This time; Newton, NC early on a Sunday morning. Todd has a plate of donuts ready for Judy DeWitt, along with all of Paige's take from "Beat The Clock." Congrats, Judy!

Now, let's get to the cards! Paige has a shot of walking away with $144,000 for a lucky home viewer. How? She'll start off with $1000 on the bottom line and three cards to bet with. Moving up to the second level will give her another $1000 and three more cards. Minimum bet is $50 until she gets to the top line, the Big Bet, where she has to bet at least half the money. She can change one card per line with any of the three cards hanging on the side of the board. Here's $1000 of betting money, and off we go.

Bottom Row:
2h (1000; ALL H) Kd (2000; ALL L) 6c (4000; C/3) 5d (1000 H) Kc

Middle Row:
Kc (6000; 5000 L) As (1000; ALL L) 8h (2000; C/2) 7d (1000 L) 3c

BIG BET:
3c (ALL H) 7s $6000

$6000 on the Money Cards, $4000 in the Front Game, and the opportunity to get a new BMW Z4 Roadster worth $40,445. How, you ask, with no Jokers? Another Cheerleader question!

"Have you ever dated someone from a rival school?"

Instead of the Eubanks range board, all Brande has to do is guess if the actual number is higher or lower than 5. She cringes while she says "Lower." Checking with one of the cheerleaders, who did admit to it, Brande cringes a little more. The actual number of these 10 cheerleaders who have dated someone from a rival school (as shown on a card from the blue deck) is...2h! Brande walks away with $50,445!

Next week, Kathy and Lance match the stars...

STATS: $52,445 ($6000 Money Cards)
MARATHON TOTAL WINNINGS: $331,151.49