Card Sharks is a game of decisions, where the ability to judge human nature, and the luck of predicting the behavior of a deck of cards, can win contestants thousands of dollars.
THE RULES
Two contestants are presented with a survey question that was posed to 100 people of a given persuasion. The first player predicts how many out of the 100 people responded a particular way to the survey. The second player must then predict whether the actual response is higher and lower than the first player’s answer. If the actual response correctly follows the second player’s prediction, they earn control of the board. Otherwise, the first player earns control. If at any time a player predicts the exact answer of the survey, they win a $2,500 bonus.
The player in control is then shown the first card in a line of 5 cards, drawn from a separate deck of 52 cards for each player. The player that won the question may change that card with the next card off the top of their deck if they don’t like it. The player must then predict whether the next card in their line is higher or lower in value than their present card. With each correct call, the player has the option to predict the next card in their line, or end the round by freezing at their current position. If at any time the contestant makes an incorrect prediction, all cards following the starting card are lost, and the opponent gets control of the board to play their line of cards. Any cards that are frozen are protected from being lost, with the last card exposed becoming the player’s new base card.
Up to four survey questions are asked in each game, with the players alternating who makes the numerical prediction on each question. The fourth question of each round is deemed “Sudden Death”. The player that wins that question has the option of playing their cards (with the option to change their base card still in effect) or to force the opponent to play their line of cards. Whoever plays their cards must complete their line on this round. If they fail, their opponent wins the game by default.
The first player to get to the end of their line (or force the opponent to lose in Sudden Death) wins the game and $1,000. The first player to win 2 games wins the match. If each contestant wins one game, the 3rd game is a tiebreaker game, with only 3 questions in each line and a maximum of 3 survey questions.
THE MONEY CARDS
The champion now faces a new board and a new deck of 52 cards. The contestant begins on the bottom row of the board, where they are given a base card, $200 and a series of 3 cards to bet with. The player will risk any or all of their money on their next prediction. If correct, the player adds to their winnings, and if they are wrong, they lose the money. If the same card comes up as the next card, it is considered a push, and the contestant does not win or lose.
Once the bottom row is completed, the last card is moved up to start the middle row of the board. $400 is added to the contestant’s winnings, and 3 more cards await to bet with. Once this row is completed, the last card is moved to the top row, dubbed the “Big Bet”. Here, the contestant makes one final wager on the last card.
In addition, the contestant will have the chance to change the first card on each line if they don’t like it with the next card off the top of the deck.
At all times, the player must wager at least $50, and bets must be in multiples of $50 (i.e. $200, $350, $750, etc.) On the Big Bet, however, the player must risk at least half of the money they have earned to that point. Should the player lose all their money on a bet, they are automatically moved up to the next row if the next row has money available. Otherwise, the game is over.
THE PAYOUT
Winning contestants receive prizes of their choice from our vault, with their “winnings” valued on a $1:$100 scale (i.e. $2,000 = $20 in prizes, $12,000 = $120 in prizes).
Do YOU have a survey question for Anime Card Sharks? Submit your surveys here.